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.
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 fundamental introduction for new practitioners, as well as summary of recent developments for experienced practitioners.
Winnner of the SRA Social Policy Award for Best Edited Volume 2006-2008′Jenson, Fraser and their impressive contributors have provided us with something all too rare in the child &BAD:amp; family services literature: a truly integrative volume. They argue cogently for a cross-systems perspective, an orientation to developmental ′risk′ &BAD:amp; ′protective′ factors and a strategic process for identifying most favorable targets for intervention .The summaries of different service domains and the editor′s emphasis on crafting the proper policy context for the integration of ′evidence-based′ practices make this volume a ′must read′ for seasoned policy makers, as well as beginning practitioners. This book will be an important resource for all involved in the kind of creative, science-based innovation so desperately needed in the child &BAD:amp; family services field.′á- James K. Whittaker, University of WashingtonôWhat a book! A must read for those who provide services to at-risk children and their families. Jensen and Fraser call attention to the professionÆs blatant unwillingness to systematically draw upon existing research, and translate it to policy to advance the design of programs that remediate and prevent mental and physical health problems among the nation′s youth. The application of the public health framework to programs and policies adds value to the usual suspects of perspectives/frameworks drawn upon by the social work profession. This book is very consistent with the ideas expressed in related professional and social science literatures, as well as that of federal and private funding sources. The authors boldly call for the triangulation of relevant theories and models of risk and resilience, and make a major contribution to social work research by advocating for the translation of empirical evidence into practical application.öá - Paula Allen-Meares, University of Michigan School of Social Workáááááá We now know, more than ever, about why some children and adolescents develop social and health problems such as sexually transmitted diseases, drug use, and delinquency. However, this knowledge is not yet systematically applied to policy or program design, resulting in poorly integrated and often duplicative services for children and families. Social Policy for Children and Families: A Risk and Resilience Perspective uses a unique framework to help students understand effective public policy development. Authors Jeffrey M. Jenson and Mark W. Fraser argue that a public health framework rooted in ecological theory and based on principles of risk, protection, and resilience is essential for the successful design of social policy. This book applies the authorsÆ conceptual model across the substantive areas of social policy, including child welfare, education, mental health, health, developmental disabilities, substance use, and juvenile justice.áá Key Features: Applies a risk and resilience model to help readers understand and develop effective public policies for children, youth, and families Offers recommendations for ways to advance a public health framework in policy design, implementation, and evaluationIncludes case studies, discussion questions, and web-based resources to prompt critical thinking and future research á Social Policy for Children and Families is designed for undergraduate and graduate students studying social welfare policy in the field of Social Work. It can also be used in a variety of Political Science, Public Policy, and Sociology courses. á
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 open access book critically explores what child protection policy and professional practice would mean if practice was grounded in human rights standards. This book inspires a new direction in child protection research – one that critically assesses child protection policy and professional practice with regard to human rights in general, and the rights of the child in particular. Each chapter author seeks to approach the rights of the child from their own academic field of interest and through a comparative lens, making the research relevant across nation-state practices. The book is split into five parts to focus on the most important aspects of child protection. The first part explains the origins, aim, and scope of the book; the second part explores aspects of professionalism and organization through law and policy; and the third part discusses several key issues in child protection and professional practice in depth. The fourth part discusses selected areas of importance to child protection practices (low-impact in-house measures, public care in residential care and foster care respectively) and the fifth part provides an analytical summary of the book. Overall, it contributes to the present need for a more comprehensive academic debate regarding the rights of the child, and the supranational perspective this brings to child protection policy and practice across and within nation-states. .
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
Walking This Path Together is an edited collection devoted to improving the lives of children and families that come to the attention of child welfare authorities by demonstrating and advocating for socially just child welfare practices. In this new, updated edition, authors provide special consideration to the historical and political context of child welfare in Canada and theoretical ideas and concrete practices that support practitioners, educators and students who are looking for anti-racist, anti-oppressive and anti-colonial perspectives on child welfare practice.
Making a case for the "fierce urgency of now," this new edition deepens the discussion of race and social justice in education with new and updated material. Aligned with our nation's ever more diverse student population, it speaks to what good teachers know, what they do, and how they embrace culturally responsive teaching.
