LEXINGTON, Ky. – During Child Abuse Prevention Month, Shelby Clark, Ph.D., assistant professor in the College of Social Work (CoSW), is using her experience and expertise to conduct an innovative study aimed at improving the child welfare system and supporting families across the Commonwealth.
After being awarded a grant in 2024 from the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Small Grants Program for her project “Reimagining Child Abuse and Neglect Reports: A Qualitative Exploration of Attitudes and Beliefs about Mandated Reporting and Mandated Supporting,” Clark and her team have now began disseminating initial findings in partnership with Prevent Child Abuse Kentucky (PCAKY).
Mandated reporting refers to the legal obligation to report suspected cases of child abuse and neglect. Certain professionals (teachers, health care workers, social workers, etc.) receive specialized training on reporting. However, with her background in child welfare and mental health, Clark understands the ambiguous and emotionally charged nature of this topic.
These findings have shown that human service providers overwhelmingly want to support and collaborate with families.
“Many providers described a strong and consistent desire to help children and families in meaningful, practical ways,” Clark shared. “They want to build trust and work alongside families, ideally intervening well before there are concerns about child maltreatment.”
For Clark, this study demonstrated that human service providers think about mandated reporting and community support in a variety of ways. Those differences influence not just their decisions, but also how children and families experience the child welfare system. Better understanding mandated reporters’ attitudes help understand where the tensions are and why the child welfare system doesn’t always work as intended.
Mandated supporting, also referred to as community-based support, provides assistance, resources and services to families in need — often under the supervision of child welfare agencies. While mandated reporting focuses on identifying and responding to abuse or neglect, mandated supporting aims to intervene early and support families in crisis to promote child well-being and prevent further harm.
“This research provides a reminder that families do better when support comes with trust, dignity and real resources—not just oversight,” Clark shared. “Human service providers largely want to help and provide meaningful support that impacts families positively. If we want better outcomes for children, we have to invest in preventative services that help families thrive.”
Through the partnership with PCAKY, Clark was able to connect with potential research participants. Her team also led arts-based study in partnership with PCAKY focused on how human service providers envision community support approaches to child maltreatment responses.
Through it all, a stronger, more supportive child welfare system is the ultimate goal.
“Child safety matters, and it’s often inseparable from whether families holistically have what they need to be stable and healthy in the first place,” Clark said. “A stronger child welfare system would prioritize connection, prevention, and meeting concrete needs, so that support is collaborative instead of punitive.”
