A new law in New York now forbids anonymous reports of child abuse, on the grounds that the system disproportionately impacted “Black and Brown families.”
According to the state, anonymous child-abuse tip lines produced “inexcusable racial disparities that disproportionately impact Black and Brown families by leading to unnecessary interactions with child welfare services that can forever change a family.” The argument continues: children are “all too often removed from their homes” due to racial bias and conditions related to poverty.
So let’s be clear about what’s being said here.
Increased scrutiny followed reports of poor or unsafe living conditions — and instead of asking whether children were in danger, the state became more concerned with the demographics of who was being reported.
In other words, New York is effectively arguing that the act of seeing poor conditions is itself harmful, because of racial disparity.
What!?
A sane, caring response would be: Maybe we should protect children living in unsafe, chaotic, or neglectful conditions — regardless of race. White children living like that would likely benefit from intervention too.
Instead, New York’s Democratic leadership appears to have concluded: Let’s hear less about abuse affecting Black and Brown children.
This is willful blindness, dressed up as equity and critics warn it will mean more child abuse, less reporting, and children suffering quietly where no one is allowed to look.
