What is Child Welfare What is Child Welfare Involves providing social services Involves providing social services to children and young people whose to children and young people whose parents are not able to adequately parents are not able to adequately fulfill their child-rearing fulfill their child-rearing responsibilities, or whose responsibilities, or whose communities fail to provide communities fail to provide resources and protection that resources and protection that families and children require families and children require (Child Welfare League of America). (Child Welfare League of America).
Transcript
What is Child WelfareWhat is Child Welfare
Involves providing social services to Involves providing social services to children and young people whose children and young people whose parents are not able to adequately fulfill parents are not able to adequately fulfill their child-rearing responsibilities, or their child-rearing responsibilities, or whose communities fail to provide whose communities fail to provide resources and protection that families resources and protection that families and children require (Child Welfare and children require (Child Welfare League of America).League of America).
Child Welfare ServicesChild Welfare Services
The Case of Mary Ellen- 1894The Case of Mary Ellen- 1894
Before and AfterBefore and After
Primary Goal of Child welfarePrimary Goal of Child welfare
Promotion of the physical, social, and Promotion of the physical, social, and mental well-being of children and their mental well-being of children and their families families
Issues and Challenges Confronting Issues and Challenges Confronting Children Children
Poverty Poverty Child care Child care Health care Health care Single-parent household Single-parent household Teenage pregnancy Teenage pregnancy Child abuse and neglectChild abuse and neglect
Child Maltreatment- National Child Maltreatment- National Year 2000 Child Abuse and Neglect Data System InformationYear 2000 Child Abuse and Neglect Data System Information
3 3 Million cases reportedMillion cases reported 63 % screened in63 % screened in
• Received investigations or Received investigations or assessmentsassessments
Who reportedWho reported• TeachersTeachers• PolicePolice• Social workersSocial workers• PhysiciansPhysicians• Family members Family members • NeighborsNeighbors• Community membersCommunity members
32% of investigations 32% of investigations resulted in findings that the resulted in findings that the child or children were child or children were abused or neglectedabused or neglected
879,000 children 879,000 children maltreatedmaltreated Neglect (63%)Neglect (63%) Medical neglectMedical neglect Physical abuse (19%)Physical abuse (19%) Sexual abuse (10%)Sexual abuse (10%) Psychological Psychological
These are personality traits and social These are personality traits and social attributes frequently found among attributes frequently found among abusive parents.abusive parents.
Specific Individual Parent Specific Individual Parent FactorsFactors
Feeling of low self-esteem Feeling of low self-esteem Excessive dependency (look to others to fulfill Excessive dependency (look to others to fulfill
needs) needs) Serious difficulty coping with the demands of Serious difficulty coping with the demands of
parenting parenting Impulsivity Impulsivity Rigid personalitiesRigid personalities Deficient consciences (inability to sympathize with Deficient consciences (inability to sympathize with
their children). their children). Childhood deprivation (repeating child-rearing Childhood deprivation (repeating child-rearing
patterns they experienced). patterns they experienced). Social isolation (cut off from their social Social isolation (cut off from their social
environment).environment).
Family FactorsFamily Factors
Parental collusion Parental collusion Scapegoating Scapegoating Single parent status Single parent status Adolescent parents Adolescent parents Factors related to the childFactors related to the child
Environmental Factors Environmental Factors
Chronic stressors Chronic stressors Long-term problematic conditions with which a Long-term problematic conditions with which a
family must cope family must cope Situational stressors Situational stressors
Changes in a family’s social situation.Changes in a family’s social situation. Precipitating stressors Precipitating stressors
• Incidents immediately triggering an incident of Incidents immediately triggering an incident of maltreatment maltreatment
perceived child behavior is the most common. perceived child behavior is the most common.
Scope and Functions of Child Scope and Functions of Child Welfare Services Welfare Services
Supportive service Supportive service Substitute services Substitute services Supplemental servicesSupplemental services
Supportive Services Supportive Services
Are those directed toward the maintenance Are those directed toward the maintenance of children in their homes. of children in their homes.
The services are directed toward The services are directed toward strengthening the parents in performing in a strengthening the parents in performing in a manner consistent with social expectations.manner consistent with social expectations.
These services are directed towards These services are directed towards supporting the family in time of trouble. supporting the family in time of trouble.
They are viewed as the first line of defense They are viewed as the first line of defense for families that are encountering.for families that are encountering.
Those activities concerned “with Those activities concerned “with preventing neglect, abuse and sexual preventing neglect, abuse and sexual exploitation of children by reaching out exploitation of children by reaching out with social services to stabilize family life”. with social services to stabilize family life”.
An array of services designed to An array of services designed to protect children who are neglected, protect children who are neglected, abused or exploited (American Humane abused or exploited (American Humane Association).Association).
Goals of Child Protective Services Goals of Child Protective Services
To safeguard the rights and protect the To safeguard the rights and protect the welfare of children. welfare of children.
To see that neglected and abused children To see that neglected and abused children are protected against further experiences are protected against further experiences and conditions detrimental to healthy growth and conditions detrimental to healthy growth and development.and development.
To ensure that children receive the kind of To ensure that children receive the kind of care that will provide the essentials for their care that will provide the essentials for their well-being and development at home or in well-being and development at home or in appropriate substitute care.appropriate substitute care.
Provides a broad array of services to Provides a broad array of services to unmarried parents. unmarried parents.
This may include family planning, This may include family planning, abortion counseling and other abortion counseling and other alternatives to out-of-wedlock alternatives to out-of-wedlock pregnancy.pregnancy.
Supportive: Daycare Supportive: Daycare
Provides care for the child outside of Provides care for the child outside of the home. the home.
Service is usually directed toward Service is usually directed toward cognitive, social, and physical growth cognitive, social, and physical growth of the child. of the child.
This is to sustain the family at a This is to sustain the family at a troubled time. troubled time.
Services may be needed due to illness, Services may be needed due to illness, the absence of a family member, or the absence of a family member, or inadequate parenting skills.inadequate parenting skills.
Substitute Services Substitute Services
Are those designed to substitute for Are those designed to substitute for parental care when parents are not able to parental care when parents are not able to carry out their functions and the child must carry out their functions and the child must be removed from the home. be removed from the home.
Substitute Services: Foster Care Substitute Services: Foster Care
Full-time, substitute care of children outside Full-time, substitute care of children outside their own homes. their own homes.
It is an alternative care for children whose It is an alternative care for children whose parents are unable to care for them. parents are unable to care for them.
It is a primary service for victims of child It is a primary service for victims of child abuse.abuse.
Foster care of children occurs in family Foster care of children occurs in family homes, group homes, and institutions. homes, group homes, and institutions.
Reasons For Entry Into Foster Care Reasons For Entry Into Foster Care
Protective service reasons (most Protective service reasons (most cases) cases)
Status offenders Status offenders Disabilities or handicaps Disabilities or handicaps Parental condition or absence Parental condition or absence Relinquishment of parental rightsRelinquishment of parental rights
Kinship Care Kinship Care
It is also called relative foster care, It is also called relative foster care, home of relative care, or relative family home of relative care, or relative family care. care.
This is where family members within This is where family members within the community provide the care, rather the community provide the care, rather than “strangers”.than “strangers”.
Adoption Adoption
This is "the method provided by law to This is "the method provided by law to establish the legal relationship of establish the legal relationship of parent and child between persons who parent and child between persons who are not related by birth" (Child Welfare are not related by birth" (Child Welfare League of America). League of America).
The goal of adoption is to provide The goal of adoption is to provide children with permanent homes.children with permanent homes.
Types of adoption Types of adoption
Agency adoption Agency adoption Those arranged through private or public Those arranged through private or public
child welfare agencies. It offers the best child welfare agencies. It offers the best safeguards for all concerned in the safeguards for all concerned in the process.process.
Relative adoption Relative adoption Is the largest category of independent adoptions. It involves a stepparent Is the largest category of independent adoptions. It involves a stepparent
who adopts a spouse's child.who adopts a spouse's child. Direct placement Direct placement
Is the second largest category of independent adoptions. Is the second largest category of independent adoptions. It involves an arrangement made by the legal parents to someone known to It involves an arrangement made by the legal parents to someone known to
them.them.
Non-for profit intermediary placement Non-for profit intermediary placement This is where biological parents and prospective adoptive parents arrange This is where biological parents and prospective adoptive parents arrange
the adoption through an intermediary who is not profiting financially from the adoption through an intermediary who is not profiting financially from the placement.the placement.
For-profit intermediary placementFor-profit intermediary placement This is where an intermediary charges a high fee for arranging the This is where an intermediary charges a high fee for arranging the
adoption. adoption. This type of adoption is against the law in all 50 states and the District of This type of adoption is against the law in all 50 states and the District of
Columbia.Columbia.
Issues in Adoption Issues in Adoption
Transracial/transcultural adoption Transracial/transcultural adoption Hard-to-place children Hard-to-place children Right of access to information about Right of access to information about
the heritage of adopted childrenthe heritage of adopted children
Group Homes Group Homes
Provide a form of congregate living for Provide a form of congregate living for children who have special needs which children who have special needs which make other types of placement difficult.make other types of placement difficult.
Guardianship Guardianship
Services provided for children whose Services provided for children whose parents are unavailable to assume their parents are unavailable to assume their responsibilities. responsibilities.
A court may appoint a social worker as A court may appoint a social worker as a “guardian ad litem” (or next friend).a “guardian ad litem” (or next friend).
Supplemental Services Supplemental Services
They are those directed toward They are those directed toward supplementing the family in its supplementing the family in its functioning due to a deficit existing functioning due to a deficit existing within the home. within the home.
Services are tangible in nature, usually Services are tangible in nature, usually financial, resulting from social financial, resulting from social insurance and public assistance insurance and public assistance programs.programs.
Source of these slidesSource of these slides
Child Welfare Policies and Services Child Welfare Policies and Services powerpoint presentation powerpoint presentation
Dr. Osei DarkwaDr. Osei Darkwa
University of Illinois at ChicagoUniversity of Illinois at Chicago
