The qualitative analysis of in-depth interviews with 18 parents indicated that worker power was a key factor shaping the parental perceptions and reactions to child protection intervention. Parents tended to view child protection workers as either using “power over” them or “power with” them, which significantly influenced the ways in which parents negotiated the child protection process. Implications for practice include the need for child protection workers to acknowledge the power imbalance that exists between worker and parents and to help parents use their own power to address the child protection issues. Participants were 18 parents recruited from Ontario child protection agencies between November 2000 and August 2001 who responded to in-depth interviews regarding their perceptions and experiences with the child protection intervention process. Figure, references