Many organizations in the United States have come up with a new and unique solution to poverty in this country: criminalize it!

In my studies on CPS activities, I have found a good number of individuals who have had their initial CPS encounters after enrolling their children in Head Start Programs, taking them to WIC or free immunization programs, or even testing them for lead. If these encounters were initiated because bruises, burns, or other possible symptoms of abuse were observed, I would consider questioning, at least to be an appropriate action. But these are not. The allegations, almost uniformly, are of NEGLECT.

Again, don't misconstrue me. Some instances of neglect are criminal, or at the very least, SHOULD be. But I submit that many of THESE cases of neglect aren't observed by the aforementioned organizations. The very fact that a parent is seeking help THROUGH these organizations should send the message that the parent is aware of their needs and is open to suggestion of other organizations who can help fill their needs. Too often, the end result is that CPS will visit the home, see conditions that rightly concern them (no running water, electricity, etc) and remove the children from the home until such a time as the parent can have the situation remedied. They will point out, rightly, that there are organizations that will help pay these utilities, but ignore the fact that virtually NONE of these organizations will put up a deposit (again, good reason for this at the face, as it would be easy for the aid recipient to turn off utilities and collect the deposit; but even this could easily be remedied by a deposit "voucher" program where the aid agency acts as a guarantor for the individual's account).

Parents who might have need, then, but who have observed the system from afar will steer clear of these agencies. This means that some individuals who could use the help aren't getting them because of a very realistic fear of the actions of these government agencies.

I can think of no better argument for privatization of social services than this. We need to care for the poor amongst us; that's not charity, that's humanity. But when government agencies get involved, they are too large, too thinly spread, to consider the rights of the individual. As a result, well intentioned but wholly misguided agents make calls without all of the pertinent information, and the parent often suffers. A privatized system would more adequately meet the needs and concerns of the individuals without crushing them in the wheels of the governmental machine and therefore criminalizing poverty.