Poverty is complex. We must work to address its underlying causes.

To achieve a child welfare system that focuses on helping children achieve or maintain permanency — the concept that a child has a permanent and reliable adult caregiver in their life — we must address the underlying causes of poverty.

Poverty can be a significant barrier to achieving permanency. For example, children may not be able to return to caregivers who are ready and able to parent them because of expectations such as how many bedrooms a caregiver must have in their home.

However, there are evidence-based models that focus on lifting families out of poverty. At The Home for Little Wanderers, the oldest child welfare organization in the country, we are beginning to employ a widely used model called Mobility Mentoring that helps our families move toward greater self-sufficiency. We are lucky to have a willing and able partner in the state Department of Children and Families that supports our work to better understand and address the drivers of poverty and the role these drivers play in child welfare.

Poverty is a complex issue in the child welfare arena since it is too often mistaken for neglect. Scalona is correct: Living in challenging conditions of poverty does not translate to a parent being unable to provide the love, care, and connection to family that every child deserves.

Lesli Suggs

President and CEO

The Home for Little Wanderers

Boston

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The Home for Little Wanderers is a member of our global learning network, the Economic Mobility Exchange.