Due to this many good parents lose custody, and many serial child abusers get visits and custody. I am offended. I ran an agency locally, was featured in my newspaper many times, however, the networks have chosen to cover strange cases rather than seeking the whys and realities of family services policies. You will find in some counties that serial child abusers maintain custody, and are put in miles of treatment, while a parent may lose custody for paddling. Since the lions share of federal money in the system is for treatment of abusive and addictive behavior, and foster care, both situations make money for the system.
Family services is a business, and families in crisis get federal money.
Of course you won't cover this. However, if you get a copy of Readers Digest 1995, What I need is a mom, Novemember issue. You will find out that family services juggles kids in the system, and doing so brings big bucks into the system. You tax dollars. In one case locally a child had internal injuries from sexual abuse, so much so that it required three surgeries.