What is the term for when a caregiver chooses not to provide necessary care even though resources are available?

Neglect refers specifically to the failure of a caregiver to provide necessary care for a child when they have the resources to do so. This can entail not providing adequate food, shelter, supervision, medical care, or education, which are all essential for a child's well-being and development. When a caregiver actively chooses not to fulfill these responsibilities despite having the means, it is categorized as neglect rather than emotional abuse, poverty, or general abuse.

Emotional abuse typically involves behaviors that harm a child's emotional health and development but does not directly relate to a caregiver's failure to provide basic physical needs. Poverty, while it can impact a caregiver's ability to provide for a child, is not the same as neglect, which assumes the caregiver has resources available but fails to act. Similarly, abuse encompasses a broader category that can include physical harm or exploitation, which is separate from the specific lack of necessary care associated with neglect. Therefore, neglect accurately describes the situation where a caregiver withhold necessary care despite having the means to provide it.