The Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1601
Describe the Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1601 and how the laws affected the treatment of children.
Identify two ways the treatment of children has changed since the Elizabethan Poor Laws.
View the Hernandez Family video, located in the Learning Resources, and explain how the responsibility of the social worker to protect the rights of the child can be applied to this case.
Resources
racia, E., & Herrero, J. (2006). Perceived neighborhood social disorder and residents’ attitudes toward reporting child physical abuse Links to an external site.. Child Abuse & Neglect, 30(4), 357–365
Sample Answer
Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1601
The Elizabethan Poor Laws of 1601 were a series of laws passed in England to establish a system of poor relief for the poor and needy. The laws included provisions for the care of children, who were often orphaned or abandoned as a result of poverty.
The Elizabethan Poor Laws divided the poor into three categories:
- The deserving poor: These were people who were unable to work due to illness, disability, or old age.
- The able-bodied poor: These were people who were able to work but were unable to find employment.
- The vagrant poor: These were people who refused to work and begged for a living.
The Elizabethan Poor Laws required parishes to provide relief to the deserving poor. This relief could include food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. Parishes could also provide work for the able-bodied poor. Vagrants were punished for their idleness and were often sent to workhouses.