The following suggestions have been compiled through research and discussion with reform effort activists:

1. Treat child abuse as the crime that it is and mandate that investigations be performed by law enforcement. Law enforcement officers are trained to investigate and gather evidence. This change would keep real abusers from getting away with their crimes, while far fewer falsely accused parents would lose their children.

2. Repeal mandated reporting laws and end anonymous reporting. The system would not be so overwhelmed with inaccurate and fabricated reports if mandated reporters were not forced to report every scraped knee, and other reporters were required to identify themselves. Rather than wasting precious resources investigating innocent parents, children in truly dire situations could get the help they deserve.

3. Criminally prosecute workers where appropriate, and do not allow them to continue working in protective services if they abuse or allow abuse of a child. The same should apply if they fabricate evidence against a parent, if they lie in court or alter documents, or if they are criminally negligent toward a child in their care.

4. Require more education and experience before workers are allowed to come into contact with families and are allowed to make life-altering decisions that affect the entire family. Most "caseworkers" today are not even licensed social workers, though many represent themselves as such. In some states, all it requires is a two-year degree -in any field- to become a caseworker.

5. Require completely independent oversight, independent investigations of agency wrongdoing, and an independent hotline and investigative team for foster care and institutional abuse. Children are left in substandard and dangerous placements, often far worse than the homes they were taken from.