(New York Times) – Why are so many families in Lehigh Valley losing custody of their children?

When Neary investigated the doctor’s past, she found a history of similar complaints spanning three decades and multiple states. Her reporting examined court filings and workplace dramas from New York to Florida to Pennsylvania. And it revealed how this doctor’s controversial career paralleled the rise of a new subspecialty: child abuse pediatrics, a field devoted to detecting — and preventing — child abuse.

The Preventionist charts this doctor’s path to Pennsylvania, as well as the profound damage that can result from separating parents and children; the final episode is the unvarnished story of one mother’s struggle to reunite her family after it was torn apart. Her ordeal answers the questions at the heart of child-protection work: What is the cost of a “better safe than sorry” approach? And how should doctors and caseworkers make life-altering judgments in cases where abuse isn’t clear-cut? (Read More)