Any abuse experienced by a child at the hands of their parent or caregiver necessarily contains a psychological component. The degree of psychological harm is not determined by the duration or severity of the abuse, but by the breakdown in normal parental nurturing. Thus, the physical severity of abuse suffered is not an adequate or accurate predictor of the child’s future wellbeing or safety. The authors argue that the best determinate of the child’s future is found in the level of disturbance in parenting. As such, it is important to assess parenting based on the parent’s capacity to provide empathic, child-focused care. The assessment should take place following a confirmation of child abuse and the focus of the assessment should be on the parents’ reaction to the abuse and their level of acceptance for the harm their child suffered. The authors assert that assessments of parenting should measure aspects of the parent-child relationship, such as empathetic regard for the child, rather than on the traditional focus on the easily measurable dimensions of social support, parental knowledge about parenting, and the child’s development. Thus, parenting capacity becomes the main focus of any assessment of parenting and should be weighed heavily in the decision regarding family reunification. Parenting capacity is defined as the ability of the parent to empathically understand and give priority to their child’s needs. This concept is more difficult to measure than other commonly measured aspects of parenting, but an understanding about parental capacity to parent is central to making informed management decisions regarding any child’s level of safety and exposure to danger. Three child abuse cases are discussed in the article to illustrate how assessments of parenting capacity are made following confirmation of child abuse. Tables, references