Parents with any kind of disability are much more likely to have some type of interaction with the child welfare system than other parents. This means they are more likely than other parents to be reported for child abuse and neglect and more likely to have abuse or neglect substantiated by child welfare workers. They are also more likely to have their children placed in foster care and more likely to permanently lose their parental rights.

However, there is little evidence that parents with disabilities abuse or neglect their children at higher rates than anyone else. Instead, there’s evidence that many young adults raised by a parent with a disability have very positive childhood experiences.

SACRAMENTO – Moving to protect the health and well-being of youth on digital platforms, Governor Gavin Newsom today signed SB 976 by Senator Nancy Skinner (D-Berkeley), which prohibits online platforms from knowingly providing an addictive feed to a minor without parental consent. The bill also prohibits social media platforms from sending notifications to minors during school hours and late at night.

The Institute for Family Studies officially launches the Family First Technology Initiative today, consolidating several years of original research on the effects of smartphones, social media, and online pornography on children’s mental health and the quality of adult relationships. Our research has made the IFS a leader in developing model policies for state and federal lawmakers. Working in partnerships with other groups, we have seen more than a dozen laws implemented nationwide to make the internet safer for kids, with Americans now thinking more about how technology can benefit, and not harm, families and child welfare.