Can and does poverty lead to childhood maltreatment? This is the nature of the question raised by the authors who attempts at grasping the complexity of the relationship between poverty and childhood maltreatment in the region of Bas-Saint-Laurent (Québec). Family is where children develop; it has tremendous impact on children health and well-being. On the other hand, poverty is the most important source of stress as it renders meeting the most basic needs much more challenging for families. Such conditions have often been seen as the most important cause of childhood maltreatment, and most children who suffer from neglect come from familial environment where economic and social distress have been previously experienced.