Transforming a Wild World: Helping Children and Families to Address Neglect in the Province of Quebec, Canada

Abstract

Neglect is a complex social problem with serious consequences for the fulfilment of the needs of a child by adults in the child's immediate family and social network – not only parents, but other adults who come into contact with the child (including professionals). However, child protection systems have difficulty taking into account the social nature and the relational complexity of this issue. In fact, they have, consequently, a tendency to concentrate on the parents' deficiencies with regard to their responsibility to their children. This article describes the theoretical foundation of an ecosystemic and developmental model that forms the basis for the development of integrated child neglect services in Quebec, Canada. It also describes the components and activities that aim to operationalise this ecosystemic and developmental model of child neglect. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. ‘This article describes the theoretical foundation of an ecosystemic and developmental model’ Key Practitioner Messages: Child neglect is characterised by the collapse of the social organisation surrounding children and their parents. Social action targeting neglect must be based on: an ecosystemic and developmental understanding of the child's needs and the parents' responsibilities; a participatory approach involving parents and children; allowance for the parents' experience of their role in the development of their children; the creation of normative developmental experiences for the children. ‘Child negelct is characterised by the collapse of the social organisation surrounding children and their parents’

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