Child Protective Services
Child Protective Services
Child Protective Services (CPS) is a governmental agency in many states of the United States that responds to child abuse and neglect. Its primary aim is to provide services to children and families to ensure child safety, permanency, and child and family well-being.
Pronunciation
Child Protective Services: /ˈtʃaɪld prəˈtɛktɪv ˈsɜːrvɪsɪz/
Etymology
The term "Child Protective Services" is a direct descriptor of the agency's role and responsibilities. The term "child" is derived from the Old English cild, meaning a young person or offspring. "Protective" comes from the Latin protectus, the past participle of protegere which means to cover or shield. "Services" is derived from the Old English sērvice, meaning the action of helping or doing work for someone.
Related Terms
- Child Abuse: Any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child.
- Neglect: The failure to provide for a child's basic physical, emotional, or educational needs or to protect a child from harm or potential harm.
- Foster Care: A system in which a minor has been placed into a ward, group home, or private home of a state-certified caregiver, referred to as a "foster parent" or with a family member approved by the state.
- Adoption: A process whereby a person assumes the parenting of another, usually a child, from that person's biological or legal parent or parents, and, in so doing, permanently transfers all rights and responsibilities, along with filiation, from the biological parent or parents.
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.