Within a historical and contemporary context, this book examines major policy practice and research issues as they jointly shape child welfare practice and its future. In addition to describing the major problems facing the field, the book highlights service innovations that have been developed in recent years. The resulting picture is encouraging, especially if certain major program reforms I are implemented and agencies are able to concentrate resources in a focused manner. The volume emphasizes families and children whose primary recourse to services has been through publicly funded child welfare agencies. The book considers historical areas of service—foster care and adoptions, in-home family-centered services, child-protective services, and residential services—where social work has an important role. Authors address the many fields of practice in which child and family services are provided or that involve substantial numbers of social work programs, such as services to adolescent parents, child mental health, education, and juvenile justice agencies. This new edition will continue to serve as a fundamen-tal introduction for new practitioners, as well as summary of recent developments for experienced practitioners.
Using both historical and contemporary contexts, The Child Welfare Challenge examines major policy practice and research issues as they jointly shape child welfare practice and its future. This text focuses on families and children whose primary recourse to services has been through publicly funded child welfare agencies, and considers historical areas of service—foster care and adoptions, in-home family-centered services, child-protective services, and residential treatment services—where social work has an important role. This fourth edition features new content on child maltreatment and prevention that is informed by key conceptual frameworks informed by brain science, public health, and other research. This edition uses cross-sector data and more sophisticated predictive and other analytical processes to enhance planning and practice design. The authors have streamlined content on child protective services (CPS) to allow for new chapters on juvenile justice/cross-over youth, and international innovations, as well as more content on biology and brain science. The fourth edition includes a glossary of terms as well as instructor and student resource papers available online.
This newly revised and updated edition of a widely adopted text continues to address a broad array of issues in supporting children and strengthening families. It includes key information about federal legislation as well as policy-related outcomes research in child welfare. The first edition of The Child Welfare Challenge was hailed by Social Work as "an excellent source from which to gain an in-depth understanding of the practice and policy dimensions of child maltreatment, foster care, and adoption" and by the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare as "essential reading for anyone interested in knowing more about child welfare practice in social work." Within a historical and contemporary context, this book examines major policy, practice, and research issues as they jointly shape current child welfare practice and possible future directions. In addition to describing the major challenges facing the child welfare field, the book highlights some of the service innovations that have been developed, as these could be used to help address some of these challenges. In child welfare the focus is on families and children whose primary recourse to services has been through publicly funded agencies. The contributors consider historical areas of service--foster care and adoptions, in-home family-centered services, child-protective services, and residential services--in which social work has a legitimate, long-standing, and important mission. This is a comprehensive book, but one that appreciates the fact that many areas, such as daycare and early intervention, invite exploration. It is unique in that each chapter describes how policy initiatives and research can or should influence program design and implementation.
'I think this book, in assembling the views of a distinguished group of professionals, can have a profound effect on child welfare theory and practice. These practitioners, critics and academics have much to say. I for one am grateful that their views are now conveniently available to all of us in this book.' -- from the foreword by Thomas R. Berger, Chairman, the British Columbia Royal Commission on Family and Children's Law The first Canadian text on child welfare, this work examines a number of issues which represent the state of the art of child welfare in Canada. Among the contributors are practitioners as well as academics from the fields of social work, child care, law and medicine. Important government studies and reports in the 1970's did much to define existing problems in child welfare and to provide directions for their solutions. The developments and research reported in this book add to their findings. Several main themes emerge in the book -- one being the lack of standardization of child welfare policy and practice in Canada since each province has its own regulations and policies. Other concerns common to many of the authors are the dismantling of social service programmes as a result of the current recession and the need for greater cooperation with the native Indian leadership in regard to the provision of child welfare services to the Indian community. Another important theme touched on by several authors concerns children in the care of welfare agencies. They discuss how adequate the range and quality of services are and how the effect of these services can be measured. The final theme centers on prevention and the early identification of families whose children may be at risk without certain support services. The point of view which transcends all the contributions supports an institutional approach, where a range of services is available to families to choose from, as opposed to the residual approach which regards government services as the last resort. While it is the latter view that is prevalent in Canda today, the authors argue that this represents a penny wise but pound foolish approach not only to child welfare but also to the broader field of social welfare.
More than a quarter of a century has passed since Canada promised to recognize and respect the rights of children under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. Ratification of the Convention cannot, however, guarantee that everyone will abandon proprietary notions about children, or that all children will be free to enjoy the substance of their rights in every social and institutional context in which they find themselves, including—and perhaps especially—within families. This disconnect remains one of the most important challenges to the recognition of children’s rights in Canada. The authors argue that social toxins are as harmful to children’s independent welfare and developmental interests as environmental toxins, and that both must be eradicated if Canada is to fulfill its commitments under the Convention. They also argue that if Canada wishes to ensure the substance of the rights outlined in the Convention are socially guaranteed, an attitudinal or cultural shift is required concerning the moral and legal status of children. This revised, expanded, and updated edition of the bestselling Challenge of Children’s Rights for Canada will be of interest to academics, policymakers, parents, teachers, social workers, and human service professionals—indeed to anyone who cares about and for children.
Provides a balanced critical analysis of the child welfare system along with promising innovations Distinguished by its critical perspective, this book delivers a balanced and comprehensive examination of the child welfare system in the United States today. In a clear and accessible style, it outlines key issues, reviews the history of the child welfare system, and explores the challenges to developing appropriate federal, state and local policies that address child welfare concerns. A chapter devoted to innovative and effective child welfare and prevention practices showcases examples of successful programs. Additionally, the book underscores the importance of coordination among human service professionals and organizations. The text addresses issues related to the educational system, homelessness, poverty, the juvenile justice system, foster care, and adoption. It incorporates the perspectives of parents and children involved in the system, who cite both positive experiences and bureaucratic challenges. Child welfare workers themselves describe the professional and personal realities of their experiences working within the system. Illustrative case examples of abused and neglected children add to the text’s value for BSW and MSW students studying child welfare. Key Features: Provides a comprehensive overview of child welfare issues in the United States today Offers case examples of abused/neglected children and their families Includes the perspectives of parents and children involved with the child welfare system Incorporates the views of child welfare workers Provides examples of innovative practices in child welfare
This newly revised and updated edition of a widely adopted text continues to address a broad array of issues in supporting children and strengthening families. It includes key information about federal legislation as well as policy-related outcomes research in child welfare. The first edition of The Child Welfare Challenge was hailed by Social Work as "an excellent source from which to gain an in-depth understanding of the practice and policy dimensions of child maltreatment, foster care, and adoption" and by the Journal of Sociology and Social Welfare as "essential reading for anyone interested in knowing more about child welfare practice in social work." Within a historical and contemporary context, this book examines major policy, practice, and research issues as they jointly shape current child welfare practice and possible future directions. In addition to describing the major challenges facing the child welfare field, the book highlights some of the service innovations that have been developed, as these could be used to help address some of these challenges. In child welfare the focus is on families and children whose primary recourse to services has been through publicly funded agencies. The contributors consider historical areas of service--foster care and adoptions, in-home family-centered services, child-protective services, and residential services--in which social work has a legitimate, long-standing, and important mission. This is a comprehensive book, but one that appreciates the fact that many areas, such as daycare and early intervention, invite exploration. It is unique in that each chapter describes how policy initiatives and research can or should influence program design and implementation. Peter J. Pecora is manager of research for the Casey Family Programs and professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington. James K. Whittaker is professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington. Anthony N. Maluccio is professor in the Graduate School of Social Work at Boston College. Richard P. Barth is Frank Daniels Distinguished Professor in the School of Social Work, North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Robert D. Plotnick is professor in the Daniel J. Evans School of Public Affairs and adjunct professor in the School of Social Work at the University of Washington.
Publisher: CWLA Press (Child Welfare League of America)
ISBN: UOM:39015049639266
Category: Adoption agencies
Page: 400
View: 939
Noting the importance of identifying the effectiveness of child welfare programs for future policy planning, this book examines features of successful programs. The book is presented in six sections: family preservation and family support services, child protective services, out-of-home care, adoption, child care, and adolescent services. Each chapter includes data about effective strategies, conflicting evidence, cost-effectiveness information when available, and a summary table. The chapters each identify what works in the following service areas: (1) family support services (Elizabeth Tracy); (2) family preservation services (Kristine Nelson); (3) wraparound programming (Russell Skiba and Steven Nicols); (4) nurse home visiting programs (John Eckenrode); (5) nonmedical home visiting: Healthy Families America (Karen McCurdy); (6) child protective services reforms (Amy Gordon); (7) safety and risk assessment for child protective services (Dana Hollinshead and John Fluke); (8) child focused techniques to prevent child sexual abuse (Patricia Mace); (9) protecting child witnesses (Kathleen Faller); (10) treatment services for abused children (Lucy Berliner and David Kolko); (11) treatment of batterers (Katreena Scott and David Wolfe); (12) women-oriented treatment for substance abusing mothers (Katherine Wingfield and Todd Klempner); (13) kinship care (Jill Berrick); (14) family foster care (Peter Pecora and Anthony Maluccio); (15) treatment foster care (Patricia Chamberlain); (16) family reunification (Anthony Maluccio); (17) parent-child visiting programs (Robin Warsh and Barbara Pine); (18) residential child care and treatment: partnerships with families (James Whittaker); (19) employment programs for youth in out-of-home care (Nan Dale); (20) independent living preparation for youth in out-of-home care (Kimberly Nollan); (21) aftercare (Edmund Mech); (22) permanency planning--adoption (Richard Barth); (23) special needs adoption (Noelle Gallant); (24) open adoption (Harold Grotevant); (25) transracial adoption (William Feigelman); (26) intercountry adoption (Isaac Gusukuma and Ruth McRoy); (27) adoption assistance (Gina Alexander); (28) Head Start (Elizabeth Schnur and Susan Belanger); (29) child care (Martha Roditti); (30) center-based child care (Martha Roditti); (31) home-based child care (Martha Roditti); (32) child care for maltreated and at-risk children (Martha Roditti); (33) promoting positive youth development through mentoring (Joseph Tierney and Jean Grossman); (34) school-based interactive or peer programs for substance abuse prevention (Miriam Kluger and Noelle Gallant); (35) treatment programs for substance-abusing youth (Lori Sudderth); and (36) day treatment for delinquent adolescents (Jann Hoge and Sue Ann Savas). Each chapter contains references. (KB)
