Child neglect

Child neglect is a form of child maltreatment, a deficit in meeting a child's basic needs including the failure to provide basic physical, health care, supervision, nutrition, emotional, education and/or safe housing needs. Children are sometimes removed from the home and placed in the custody of Social Services pending adjudication of whether the child has been neglected. A finding that a child has been neglected can lead to parental rights being terminated or a treatment plan being imposed.

Under Virginia law, a person responsible for a child's care is considered to have neglected the child if he "commits or allows to be committed any sexual act upon a child in violation of the law" or if he knowingly leaves the child alone in a dwelling with a convicted sexually violent offender.