The Imprint | C Ongjoco
By law, teachers, nurses, child care providers, social workers, police officers and therapists must call authorities if they suspect potential child maltreatment. But too often, advocates say these requirements result in more harm than help: Unnecessary government intervention can drag parents into the child welfare system simply for being impoverished, not abusive. Bolstered by a year-long reform effort, the California Legislature will soon consider an alternate path.