Profiles of Families at High Risk of Child Maltreatment in Israeli Court Cases Dealing with the Termination of Parental Rights

Abstract

The present study analyzes the characteristics of children and parents in court cases dealing with the termination of parental rights, in order to draw a profile of families at high risk of child maltreatment and shed light on the professional decision-making process. The analysis of a sample of 127 cases identified various child, parent and child-parent characteristics and inter-characteristics which served as a rich database for understanding the profiles of children at risk and their parents. On the basis of these profiles, the study was able to draw a prototype of a family at high risk of child maltreatment and identify the main factors considered by the courts when determining whether or not to terminate parental rights. This paper discusses the implications of these results on the need for early and extensive professional intervention in such families.

A Focus on Neglect: Comparing the Characteristics of Children and Parents in Cases of Neglect, Abuse, and Non-CAN (Child Abuse and Neglect) in Israeli Rulings on Termination of Parental Rights

“…Under the Israeli Children Adoption Act (1981), neglect is not defined as a cause for TPR, but it is covered by the legal definition of parental incapacity, which is set by the law as parental inability to provide due care for the child due to parent's condition or behavior. In a recent study, neglect was found as a primary reason for TPR in Israel (Ben-David, 2015).…”

“…A TPR petition is filed in Israeli courts by the state when child protection workers assess that parents are incapable of meeting their child's needs and when other solutions, such as foster care, have failed to ensure a child's well-being and provide a stable environment in which the child can develop (Ben-David, 2015). The Decision Committee-an interdisciplinary committee that is responsible for finding appropriate care solutions for minors at risk and is an inseparable part of the Department of Social Services in every local authority-is authorized to review the recommendations of the social workers; if it decides that termination proceedings are necessary, representatives of the Adoption Service, who also take part in the committee's deliberations, are assigned to prepare the case for the courts.…”