Contributing to a report not being made was the ambiguity of the threshold and understanding of when and where to report when there is a diagnosis of “failure to thriveâ€. In cases such as this, barriers can also exist when accessing professional expertise to provide clarity around a “failure to thriveâ€ diagnosis and what diagnosis and treatment rise to the level of a child protection report. This can also make it difficult for providers to know when to make a child protection report.

Further supporting a report not being made is that there is subjectivity in the definition of “failure to thriveâ€ as well as a variety of diagnoses and treatment for failure to thrive situations. Additionally, the definition of “failure to thriveâ€ under general neglect embedded within the Intake, Screening, and Response Path guidelines can also influence individual's understanding of what meets the threshold to report.