Community Approaches To Child Welfare

Community Work Approaches to Child Welfare presents a number of case studies that illustrate alternative approaches to child welfare that recognizes the strengths and tenacity of families who live in resource poor and essentially unfriendly environments (and that would drive middle class professionals to distraction!). The strengths of these families can be harnessed to improve their situation and that of others. Community work approaches are provided by accessible organizations that involve families in the design and implementation of programs that affect them and that are dedicated to developing the capacity of communities to care for children and families. The case studies range from urban child welfare agencies in Toronto and Winnipeg, to the rural setting of Hazelton, B.C. and to examples of First Nation communities that have taken control of child welfare. The studies are written by Canadian scholars who are widely recognized for their innovative research and writing in community work and child welfare. Community Work Approaches to Child Welfare is also an indictment of the policies and practices that now govern the provision of child welfare services in Canada. The indictment argues that the policies that hold parents, and particularly single parent women, responsible for the care of their children without regard for the circumstances in which these families live is neither realistic nor helpful. It further holds that individualized and office-based practice dominated by a paradigm of risk turns clients into objects thereby robbing them of their dignity and strengths. Community approaches make a viable alternative.

Published in 1999, Community Approaches to Child Welfare is written by both practitioners and academics to explore ways in which community-based, preventative approaches to child welfare can be used to support families experiencing behavioural problems with children or undergoing difficulties in raising them. Specific practice examples developed in Britain, Canada and Sweden provide an international dimension to this book. Comparing and contrasting developments within these countries reveal that there are both similarities in the methods adopted and difference in the ways in which these are applied. Common themes which appear across the stories that are presented include: the importance of ensuring cultural specificity to respond to identity issues and local traditions; the need to adhere to legislation that is country specific; the importance of dealing with some child welfare issues on an international basis, e.g. child abductions; and the importance of giving children the space within which to articulate their own 'voice.' Additionally, the book reveals how working with families from a community perspective which is centered in acknowledging children’s rights and parental rights may challenge professionals in ways that they find uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the book concludes that practice can more effectively serve children’s interests if parents and workers work in partnership with each other.

This open access book brings together discourse on children and peace from the 15th International Symposium on the Contributions of Psychology to Peace, covering issues pertinent to children and peace and approaches to making their world safer, fairer and more sustainable. The book is divided into nine sections that examine traditional themes (social construction and deconstruction of diversity, intergenerational transitions and memories of war, and multiculturalism), as well as contemporary issues such as Europe’s “migration crisis”, radicalization and violent extremism, and violence in families, schools and communities. Chapters contextualize each issue within specific social ecological frameworks in order to reflect on the multiplicity of influences that affect different outcomes and to discuss how the findings can be applied in different contexts. The volume also provides solutions and hope through its focus on youth empowerment and peacebuilding programs for children and families. This forward-thinking volume offers a multitude of views, approaches, and strategies for research and activism drawn from peace psychology scholars and United Nations researchers and practitioners. This book's multi-layered emphasis on context, structural determinants of peace and conflict, and use of research for action towards social cohesion for children and youth has not been brought together in other peace psychology literature to the same extent. Children and Peace: From Research to Action will be a useful resource for peace psychology academics and students, as well as social and developmental psychology academics and students, peace and development practitioners and activists, policy makers who need to make decisions about the matters covered in the book, child rights advocates and members of multilateral organizations such as the UN.

Argues that meeting the needs of children requires a rediscovery and modernization of the social action and community development traditions of social work and aims to help those working in this field find a new, more positive sense of direction.

People, Politics, and Child Welfare in British Columbia traces the evolution of policies and programs intended to protect children in BC from neglect and abuse. Analyzing this evolution reveals that child protection policy and practice has reflected the priorities of politicians and public servants in power. With few exceptions, efforts to establish effective programs have focused on structural arrangements, staffing responsibilities, and rules to regulate the practice of child welfare workers. Contributors to this book conclude that these attempts have been unsuccessful thus far because they have failed to address the impact of poverty on clients. The need to respect the cultural traditions and values of First Nations clients has also been ignored. Effective services require recognizing and remedying poverty's impact, establishing community control over services, and developing a radically different approach to the day-to-day practice of child welfare workers. People, Politics, and Child Welfare in British Columbia provides a crucial assessment of the state of child welfare in the province. Practitioners, scholars, and students in social work, child and youth care, education, and other human-service professions will find this book particularly important.

The current system of protecting society's children from abuse is failing miserably. In this volume, scholars affiliated with universities and professional associations nationwide pinpoint a better strategy. Their research spotlights neighborhood-based child protection systems and provides a comprehensive approach for creating procedures that meaningfully address child maltreatment. The volume discusses the challenges of moving toward such a system within the current legal, political, and cross-cultural contexts of child protection. Examples of promising applications of a community-based approach are cited. Also cited are the legal and practical structural steps to be taken in creating caring communities that effectively address child abuse and neglect.

Family Group Conferencing indicates a large-scale shift in assumptions about the way child welfare services are planned and delivered - away from models that emphasize pathology, and toward those seeking an ecological understanding of the families and social networks involved. The contributors also present a wealth of information on related approaches, such as community conferences, circles, and wraparound services. The British Journal of Social Work noted that 'there are issues relating to both process and outcome. This book offers some answers that are intelligent and passionate.'

Many child abuse prevention programs have targeted factors within the family, such as parenting skills. This book describes the next wave of prevention: the promotion of safer, healthier childrearing environments in entire communities. The contributors are leading authorities who illuminate how contextual factors—including poverty, chaotic neighborhoods, and lack of social supports—combine with family factors to place children at risk for maltreatment. They present a range of exemplary programs designed to strengthen communities while also helping individual parents to meet their children's needs. Real-world evaluation approaches, quality-control strategies, and policy implications are discussed in depth.