What does child neglect fail to provide for a child?

Child neglect is primarily defined as the failure to provide for a child's basic needs and well-being. One of the most fundamental aspects of this is ensuring that a child has a stable home environment. A stable home environment is crucial for a child's emotional, social, and physical development, as it provides security, consistency, and a supportive backdrop for growing up.

While an expensive education, access to entertainment options, and health insurance coverage may be important elements in a child's life, they do not constitute the core aspects of child neglect. A child can still thrive emotionally and developmentally even in the absence of these more peripheral factors, as long as their home life is stable and nurturing. In contrast, a lack of a stable home environment greatly impacts a child's quality of life and can lead to various long-term negative outcomes.