One bad parenting decision can lead to decades of consequences for parents and caretakers placed on statewide child abuse registries due to “neglect” – a term not always clearly defined in the child welfare arena. While protecting children is the intent of the registries, a BuzzFeed News investigation found that registries do little or nothing to protect children; yet they can cause adults lasting harm. In addition, a BuzzFeed News analysis found that in New Jersey, a Black parent is nearly four times more likely than a white parent to be added to the state’s registry. Similar disparities have been seen in other states, including California and Arizona. A movement to reform Michigan’s child abuse registry is currently underway. See more about Michigan here. Read the full BuzzFeed article here.