Certified Case Manager Practice Test

The correct term that describes the situation where a parent fails to support their child is neglect. Neglect refers to a pattern of behavior in which a caregiver fails to provide adequate care, supervision, and emotional support necessary for a child's wellbeing. This lack of support can manifest in various ways, including failure to provide food, safe living conditions, education, and attention to emotional needs. When discussing child welfare, neglect is a critical concept as it encompasses ongoing failure to meet a child's basic needs, which can have profound long-term effects on their development.

Abandonment, on the other hand, refers to a situation where a parent completely leaves or deserts their child, which may not always clearly align with the concept of failing to support. Malpractice is a term typically used in medical or professional contexts to denote improper or unethical conduct by professionals, not applicable to parent-child relationships. Disengagement refers more generally to a lack of emotional involvement but does not necessarily encompass the broader implications of neglect in failing to fulfill basic child-rearing responsibilities.