Philosophers' Café: What Responsibility Does Society Have Toward Children?

The Philosophers' Café is a public forum in which community members discuss interesting contemporary issues in a relaxed and informal setting. Dr. Tina Lee will lead the discussion. Here is the abstract:

Since the 1960’s, all U.S. states have passed laws that require a large range of professionals to report abuse and neglect of children and created bureaucracies to field reports and investigate them. These child protective services (CPS) systems have the power to remove children from their parents and place them in foster care, with the stated aim of ensuring that vulnerable children are safe. We know, however, that Black and Indigenous children are disproportionately represented in CPS caseloads and that most reports are of neglect, which is closely tied to poverty. We also know that the United States has abysmal rates of childhood poverty and does little to support families as compared to many other high-income countries. There is also evidence that children involved with CPS face many negative outcomes. Some scholars have thus begun to refer to CPS as “family policing” and call for its abolition. What responsibility does a society have to children? What is the best way to keep children safe in the context of rising inequality? What is the balance between safety and support for parents?

Join us for some fun discussion! Everyone is welcome!

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Co-hosted with: Philosophy Club

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