The Franklin County Child Welfare Board assumes responsibility for investigating all complaints from the community regarding children reported to be dependent, abused or neglected. Nearly 60 percent of the 2,800 children in the care of Franklin County receive services in their homes. The U.S. Children's Bureau drafts model legislation for states to require physicians to report suspected child abuse. Within three years, all states enact reporting laws. Jolly Kay, a California mother who was abused as a child, founds Parents Anonymous.
Psychologists report that abused children become abusive parents.
The TV movie Something About Amelia tackles the topic of father-daughter incest. The last 40 residents leave Franklin Village as the state moves away from institutionalization of children. A sudden gust of wind or a bird landing at one end of his balancing pole could lead to a nasty fall. As director of Franklin County Children Services, Saros finds himself at a pivotal point in a national child-welfare debate between advocates of family preservation, or reunification, and those who say a child's safety should supersede parental rights. In the name of family preservation, children may bounce between foster care and their own home for long periods or be returned to households before parents or other caretakers have made real behavioral changes.