DCF Emotional Neglect is defined as the denial of of proper care and attention to the children emotionally and/or morally by a person responsible for the child’s care that may result in the child’s maladaptive functioning.
This the definition in the DCF Policy Manual and it is pretty confusing.
For starters – the standard is pretty speculative. “May result?” It requires DCF to forecast that in the future the child may be impacted by a parent’s behavior.
The second issue with he definition is the word “maladaptive.” I checked out an online dictionary and found defined maladaptive as “marked by faulty or inadequate adaptation.” Ok. So if a child might not adapt well because of something that a parent did or did not do then DCF could substantiate Emotional Neglect.
That’s not terribly useful or comforting for a family under DCF Investigation.
So let’s turn to some examples of what could be considered DCF Emotional Neglect:
- Encouraging the child to steal or engage in illegal activities
- Encouraging the child to use drugs and/or alcohol
- Recognizing a child’s need but failing to provide the child with emotional nuturance
- Having inappropriate expectations of the child given the child’s developmental level
In order for DCF to file a Neglect Petition in Juvenile Court based on Emotional Neglect they must obtain a statement from a mental health provider documenting their concerns.
Please contact me to discuss all aspects of DCF Investigations.