When Protection Becomes Punishment: Why WE NEED TO MOVE FROM REPORTING TO SUPPORTING

What if the systems meant to protect families are the very ones causing them harm? In her latest Health Affairs essay, Dr. Rupi Legha challenges the assumption that surveillance equals safety and introduces a new vision of care—one rooted in trust, compassion, and equity. Through the lens of “mandated supporting” and her Protective Care framework, she calls on clinicians to move from reporting to supporting—and to reimagine what true protection could look like.