© Columbia University Press
Critical Issues in Child Welfare
August, 2003
Cloth, 448 pages,
ISBN: 978-0-231-11670-1
$71.50
/ £42.00
Introduction: Social Work and Child Welfare
The Crisis in Child Welfare
Child Welfare and Social Work: A Historical Connection
Social Work
Child Welfare
Policy and Practice in Social Work and Child Welfare
A Note About Case Examples
1. The Context of Child Welfare Services
Changing Community Expectations
Child Labor and Universal Education: A Legacy of Advocacy and Change
Poverty
The Changing Family
Youth Violence, Delinquency, and Nonconformity
Homelessness
Substance Abuse
Racism
Women's Roles
Child Maltreatment
Child Fatalities
Community Definitions of Maltreatment
Neglect
Physical Abuse
Sexual Abuse
Psychological Maltreatment
Critical Issue: Family Violence
Conclusion
2. A Framework for Child Welfare Services
The Rights and Needs of Children
The Needs of Children
The Responsibility of the State for Its Children
The Institutions That Have Served Children
The White House Conferences
The Children's Bureau
The Child Welfare League of America
The Judicial Framework
The Legislative Framework
Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment
Interethnic Child Placement
Income Maintenance
Critical Issue: Permanency Planning
The Theoretical Base
The Empirical Base
Legislative Responses
Conclusion
3. The Child Welfare Services Systemwith Katharine Cahn
The Changing Role of the Public Child Welfare Agency
The Federal Role in the Child Welfare System
The Community Role in the Child Welfare System
Public Child Welfare Under Stress
The Interface of Public and Voluntary Agencies
The Voluntary Agency
Managed Care
Interface of Child Welfare with Other Public Systems
The Judicial System and the Child Welfare System
Other Systems
Responsibility to Those Served
Formal Oversight
Informal Oversight
The Interface of Systems
Interdisciplinary Work
Differing Perspectives
Funding for Services
Critical Issue: Racism in the Child Welfare System
Conclusion
4. Community Services for Children and Families, by with Karen Tvedt
Families Needing Intensive Services
Substance Abuse Treatment
Mental Health Services
Support for Incarcerated Mothers
Family Violence
Respite Care
Families Needing Some Extra Support
Family Resource Centers
Home-Visiting Programs
Parent Training Programs
Self-Help Groups
Head Start
Meeting the Needs of All Families
Income Maintenance
Health Care
Affordable and Safe Housing
Critical Issue: Child Care
Historical Perspective: A Mother's Place Is in the Home?
The Changing Economy and Workforce
Parental Preferences in Child Care
Child Care Costs
Child Care Resources
Quality of Care and Outcomes for Children
Federal Child Care Policy
Reexamining Child Care
Possibilities for the Future
Conclusion
5. Crisis Intervention: Child Protection and Family Preservation
The Nature and Extent of Child Maltreatment
Child Protective Services
The Development of Child Protective Services
The Public Agency Overwhelmed
Intervention
Family Preservation
The Concept
Family Preservation Services
The Three Original Intensive Service Models
Community-Centered Practice
Kinship Foster Care
Critical Issue: Appropriate Use of Family Preservation Services
Evaluation
Do Attempts to Preserve Families Put Children at Risk?
Conclusion
6. Investment in Foster Care
Historical Perspective
Congregate Care
Foster Family Care
Foster Care Today
Number of Children in Care
Characteristics of Children in Foster Care
Characteristics of Foster Care
Maltreatment in Foster Care
The Foster Care Experience
The Children's Original Families
The Children
The Foster Parents
Outcomes
Foster Children as Adults
Facilitating Positive Outcomes
Critical Issue: Establishing and Retaining Foster Homes to Meet the Needs of Children
Recruitment of Foster Parents
Assessment
Training
Retention of Foster Homes
Conclusion
7. Expanding the Foster Care System: Other Types of Out-of-Home Care
Shelter Foster Care and Assessment Centers
Expanded Resources for Children Within Their Families
Kinship Foster Care
Whole-Family Care
Care for Children with Special Difficulties in the Child Welfare System
Specialized Foster Homes
Group Care: Meeting a Range of Needs
Group Homes
Residential Treatment Centers
Critical Issue: Institutional Care for Dependent Children as a Supplement to Foster Care
Appropriate Uses
Young Children
Cost
Maltreatment
Outcomes
Conclusion
8. Adoption
The Framework of Adoption
A Brief History of Adoption
Major Adoption Legislation
The Paths to Adoption
Numbers of Children Involved in Adoption
Protecting the Adoption Triad
The Birth Parents
The Adopting Parents
The Children
Adoption Outcomes
Nontraditional Adoptive Homes
Single-Parent Adoption
Adoption by Gay and Lesbian Parents
Transracial Adoption
International Adoption
Open Adoption
Critical Issue: Continuing Support for Postadoption Services
The Need for Postadoption Services
The Range of Postadoption Services
Policy Implications
Conclusion
9. At-Risk Youthwith Charles Shireman
Youth Without Homes
Independent Living Programs
Runaway and Homeless Youth
Youth with Special Needs
Sexual Minority Youth
Youth of Color
All Youth: At Risk
Sexual Behavior
Substance Abuse
Solutions for Problem Behaviors
Critical Issue: Juvenile Law Violations and Violators
Extent of the Problem
Societal Response
The System's Clientele
Prevention and Treatment
Conclusion
10. Concluding Thoughts
Major Policy Issues
Comprehensive and Universally Available Services
Shifting of Program Responsibility to the Local Level
The Impact of Welfare Reform
Outcomes
Expanding Expectations
The Impact of Outcome Measures on Service Provision
Effective Intervention to Achieve Outcomes
Toward More Effective Service: The Ideas of Major Scholars
Freeing Workers from Investigations
Increased Use of Adoption
Community-Based Practice
The Eradication of Poverty
Critical Issue: Recruitment, Education, and Retention of Child Welfare Workers
Turnover Rates
Social Work Education and Child Welfare
Social Work and Child Welfare: The Nature of the "Fit''
Assumptions
Values and Ethics
Social Justice
Advocacy
Conclusion
Appendix: Internet Resources