This text presents a model of practice that stems from the goodness-of-fit between the child's needs (physical, developmental, social-emotional) and the parent's ability to adequately meet those needs according to the prevailing norms of society. Samantrai integrates policy, human behavior theories, issues in practice, skills of practice, multiculturalism, child abuse and neglect, and she develops and refines these concepts into the skills specifically needed by those working in public child welfare.

Racial, ethnic and religious diversity requires social workers to safeguard children and support families from many different minority backgrounds. This innovative book is based on an analysis of Serious Case Reviews (Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews) involving issues of race, ethnicity and faith. The authors examine face-to-face social work practice with children, parents, their partners and other family members from black and minority ethnic backgrounds. Throughout, they identify common mistakes in practice, and detail culturally competent responses to often challenging child protection situations. Students and practitioners are supported in the development of their own knowledge and skills through a series of reflective exercises and worked case examples.

Explains to child welfare workers, supervisors, trainers, and program managers the importance of cultural knowledge, sensitivity, and skill for putting permanency and stability into the lives of at-risk children. Considers the role of culture in a family's life and how to use that understanding to prevent unnecessary out-of-home placements, judge when the time is right to reunify parents and children, and determine when adoption is the best choice. Paper edition (0302-3), $19.95. Also published as the Journal of Multicultural Social Work v. 5, nos. 1/2/3/4 (1997). Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

Blends practitioner-focused and culturally responsive interventions to provide an innovative approach to learning With the aim of transforming flawed child welfare practices and policies into a more equitable system, this comprehensive, practice-based text delves into contemporary child welfare practice from antiracist, social justice, and decolonial perspectives. Incorporating first-hand knowledge of day-to-day practice, the book examines the many roles of professional child welfare workers, foundational skills they need to work in the field, the challenges and promises of trauma-informed practice, how to maintain a dedicated workforce, and strategies for reshaping the system. This book covers child welfare practice thoroughly, from reporting to investigating and everything in between. It also explores relevant policies, signs of abuse/neglect, building relationships, anti-racist approaches, and the importance of cultural sensitivity. Throughout, it emphasizes the trauma experienced by children and families involved in the system and the impact on child welfare professionals. Learning objectives, reflection boxes, discussion questions, and additional resources are included in every chapter to provide opportunities for students to apply concepts. Additionally, case studies in most chapters offer practical applications to real-world situations. To accompany the book, qualified instructors have access to an Instructor Manual, Sample Syllabus, Test Bank, chapter PowerPoints, and supplemental videos covering topics such as careers, engagement, and foster care. Key Features: Informed by real-world experience demonstrated through case studies, reflection boxes, and discussion questions Weaves antiracist, social justice, and decolonial perspectives throughout and includes the viewpoints of diverse voices from the field Provides extensive coverage of trauma-informed practice Devotes a separate chapter to the unique issues of foster children in school settings Connects content to the 2022 Educational Policy and Accreditation Standards from the Council on Social Work Education Covers a broad range of career opportunities for child welfare workers in myriad settings

This volume emphasizes the importance of utilizing a pro-active, strengths-based practice strategy in working with multi-culturally diverse children, youth, families, organizations and communities.

Distinguished by its muticultural approach, this book provides an up-to-date survey of child welfare, including an overview of the generalist perspective, a history of child welfare, and a discussion of child welfare services. It analyzes the many changes in child welfare policy since the early 1990s and includes case examples to provide topical and multicultural illustrations of the concepts presented. The lead author and chapter contributors are in the forefront of new developments in child welfare. The Second Edition features chapters on working with diverse family systems, including African-American, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander, and American Indian families. The updated discussion of child welfare policy addresses Family Preservation, the Multi-Ethnic Placement Act, and the Welfare Reform Act of 1996. New material is also presented on child maltreatment and child welfare in rural America, kinship care, the link between the community and the family, and managed care. For anyone interested in child welfare and recent changes in child welfare policy.

Children in immigrant families represent nearly one-fourth of all children living in the United States. As this population of children has increased, so has their representation among children involved in child welfare and related systems. Once immigrant families come to the attention of these systems, they often have multiple and complex needs that must be addressed to ensure children’s safety and well-being. Culturally competent practice with Latino, Asian, and African immigrants requires that professionals understand the impact of immigration and acculturation on immigrant families to conduct adequate assessments and provide interventions that respond appropriately to their needs. Professionals also need to be familiar with federal and state policies that affect immigrant families and how those policies may affect service delivery. At the system level, child welfare agencies need to educate and train a culturally competent workforce that responds appropriately to children and families from diverse cultures. This book addresses these critical issues and provides recommendations for the development of culturally competent assessment, intervention, and prevention activities in child welfare agencies. This information can be used as a resource by child welfare administrators, practitioners, and students to improve the child welfare system’s response to immigrant children and families and promote culturally competent practice. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Public Child Welfare.

Since the 1980s, child welfare agencies and social work programs in more than 40 states have come together to address recruitment and retention issues by preparing social work students for child welfare practice—and to enhance the delivery of child welfare services. This book documents the outcomes of these partnerships to help you assess their value and sustainability! Evaluation Research in Child Welfare: Improving Outcomes Through University-Public Agency Partnerships is a critical examination of the diverse outcomes—and strategies for assessing them—of university/public child welfare agency partnerships designed to prepare social work students for public child welfare practice. This informative book addresses outcomes of these specialized training efforts which were supported by federal Title IV-E and Title IV-B Section 426 funds. Special attention is paid to programs addressing diversity and cultural competence through staff development. The book follows the process of tracking the career paths of students in several states (large and small, rural and urban), as well as cross-state collaborations that include university, agency, consumer, and student partnerships. From the Editors: “Rising drug problems such as crack and cocaine addiction, along with co-occurring challenges such as poverty, domestic violence, and mental health issues, have helped to reinforce the need to have the most effective services delivered by the most well-prepared staff. Moreover, such challenges compel the most relevant, scientifically based approaches, requiring a closer connection of public child welfare systems to social work education programs and related academic disciplines. The articles featured in this book serve as progress markers for this re-professionalization initiative. They constitute snapshots of some of the current progress in workforce development, including social work based education, training, and capacity building in public child welfare. They also reflect social work/public child welfare partnerships and the lessons that are being learned when the research, educational, and service resources of schools of social work are harnessed to build a better trained work force that can provide improved services.” In this informative book, you'll find a national overview of historical efforts to promote professional social work practice in child welfare, as well as examinations of: special challenges presented by privatized systems curricula and agencies training opportunities that grow from research partnerships the importance and impact of racial and ethnic diversity for future social workers the cultural competency needs of BSW and MSW students the differing cultural perspectives of universities and agencies—which must be bridged to create successful partnerships the benefits of these partnerships in terms of outcomes for students, clients, agencies, and social work education programs