Your children have basic needs that they depend on you to provide. If you are unable to meet these basic needs, you could face legal action for dependency and neglect. The end result of this action could be the removal of your children from your home.
Because children have several different needs, there are also different forms of neglect. According to CO4Kids, the law requires certain professionals, e.g., doctors and teachers, to report child neglect if they observe signs of it. However, anyone who believes neglect may be taking place can report it.
Educational neglect
The law requires children of a certain age to attend public or private schools. Acceptable homeschooling programs are available as an alternative, but children must receive some sort of education. Parents who do not enroll their students in a school or involve them in an acceptable alternative program may face legal action for neglect. Failing to enforce mandatory school attendance, allowing the children to become excessively truant, can be another form of educational neglect.
Medical neglect
Left untreated, certain medical or dental conditions could pose a danger to the child. A parent may commit medical neglect by failing to take the advice of health care professionals regarding their children’s condition or failing to seek medical attention for it in the first place.
Physical neglect
In addition to medical care, children’s basic physical needs include clothing, hygiene, nutrition and shelter. Failure to adequately feed, clothe, clean and shelter a child could constitute neglect. A parent could also face legal action for abandoning the child, showing reckless disregard for his or her safety or failing to provide adequate supervision.