OUTCOMES FOR ABUSED AND NEGLECTED CHILDREN OF MENTALLY RETARDED PARENTS

Abstract

Whether mentally retarded parents can care for their offspring is a difficult problem to assess and treat. The Family Assessment Clinic Team has seen over 1000 abused and neglected children over the last 6 years for multidisciplinary assessment and dispositional planning. Seventeen cases in which at least one parent was borderline or mildly mentally retarded were identified for chart review and telephone followup. Findings were: 1. Of 56 children of these families. Probate Court involvement was recommended by the team for 46 (82%), and the court took jurisdiction in all cases when the team recommended it. 2. The average family received 10 community services in addition to public financial support and medical care. 3. In spite of intense professional involvement, only 8 (14%) of the children were able to remain in the care of the retarded parent, usually with extended family support. 4. The court terminated parental rights to 27 (48%) children who were subsequently adopted. 5. Other outcomes were: 4 (7%) were voluntarily given up for adoption; 2 (4%) died (1 by suicide, age 11 yrs; 1 beaten by mother's boyfriend, age 8 mos); 1 (2%) is in the custody of the non-retarded parent following divorce; and the remaining 14 (25%) are in temporary foster care. These findings suggest that when the parent of an abused or neglected child is significantly intellectually limited, the prognosis for greatly improved parenting is poor, even with intensive community services.

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