• Babies who spend long periods of time in their crib without a parent checking on them;
  
  
• Babies who do not respond or show happiness when you pay attention to them;
  
  
• Toddlers or preschoolers who look sad or withdrawn, or who frequently fight with other children;
  
  
• Children who seem to have no friends;
  
  
• Parents who seem depressed or unhappy, or who never show joy in being a parent;
  
  
• Familes that seem to have few visitors or close friends.

...this is what you can do:

• Be a friend to the child. Offer extra warmth and attention. Deep down, every child wants to be loved.
  
  
• Be a friend to the parent. Find ways to help: offer to babysit, or help out in the home, for example.
  
  
• Let other people know. A school counselor, for example, may be able to spend time with the child and find ways to talk to the parent in a way that will not be ignored.

If you have concerns that serious emotional or physical neglect is occurring, you should call the police or child protective services in your community [see our hotlines page].

You may not want to make these calls. Some people think that the child will automatically be taken from the home. This does not happen. Child protection workers only remove a child if there is a serious threat to the child's health or well-being.