Research shows that poverty drives child neglect. Nationwide, 37% of all children - and 53% of Black children - will be investigated for child maltreatment by the time they turn 18. Three-quarters of child maltreatment cases involve neglect rather than abuse, in Illinois and nationwide. Our child welfare system currently responds the same to abuse as it does neglect. When a mandated reporter calls the hotline, a family – especially if they are black or brown – might find themselves a couple of steps away from a foster care intervention when what they really needed were options that money can buy, like clothing, food, and child care. When so many children are entering the child welfare system for neglect, it’s worth asking how money and time contribute to child maltreatment. The Empower Parenting with Resources – EmPwR – project is asking these questions. EmPwR is the nation’s largest guaranteed income pilot program for families involved in the child welfare system. Launched last August, the EmPwR pilot will follow 800 Illinois families reported for suspected child maltreatment and receiving child welfare services from Brightpoint. Half of these families also receive a monthly cash stipend of over $100 a month, based on their location and family size, for 12 months, and the other half receive only traditional services. Children’s behavior, parental stress levels, and other indicators of child well-being will be monitored for families in both groups. The EmPwR pilot is a collaboration between the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services, Brightpoint, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign School of Social Work and the University of Connecticut School of Social Work. Our session will share early observations from the EmPwR pilot, including results of focus groups from community members and child welfare caseworkers on their attitudes toward poverty and its impact on parenting.