While parental unemployment is a known risk factor for child abuse and neglect, a new study finds that a parent’s satisfaction in the workplace may play an even more important role.
The findings, published this January in the Journal of Child and Family Studies, are based on a study of mothers referred by Child Protective Services to a treatment program for child neglect and substance abuse. To gauge a parent’s risk of being reported for child abuse researchers used an assessment tool called the Child Abuse Potential Inventory (CAPI).
The study concludes that meaningful interventions in child maltreatment should not only help parents find work, but also focus on modifying attitudes and teaching behaviors that help parents derive more satisfaction from their work.
Last month, in an effort to expand meaningful work opportunities, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a temporary services registry pilot project. Proposed by supervisors Hilda Solis and Janice Hahn, the registry will connect residents facing barriers to employment to temporary clerical jobs in county departments. The pilot requires 51 percent of program participants to be “target workers“; this includes custodial single parents, residents with criminal backgrounds and current or former foster youth.
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