Family and

Child Welfare

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Contents

Unit One: Introduction to the family and child welfare system.

Unit Two: Family services agency

Unit Three: Role of documentation and reporting

Unit Four: Child protection and family support

Unit Five: Fostering, adoption and aftercare

Unit Six: Family engagement strategies in child welfare

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 Unit 1
Introduction to the family and child welfare system

Overview
This unit provides a general outlook on family and child welfare, rights, child care
initiatives in US, India and Mauritius.
Objectives
The objectives of family and child welfare services are
 Introducing students to various rights related to family and child welfare
 Familiarising students with the different initiatives on family and child welfare in
US, India and Mauritius
Learning outcomes
At the end of this unit, students should have a clear idea about the various initiatives of
family and child welfare across the world including Mauritius. This unit will also enable
the students to compare and contrast among the different initiatives in the mentioned
countries.

1.0 Family and child welfare system

Being one of the most important socio-economic institutions of our society, the family plays a
crucial role. It ensures the continuity of society by not only reproducing offspring but also by
providing the intimate environment for the development of children into responsible citizens. As
such, Talcott Parsons (1959) argues that the institution has two ‘basic and irreducible functions’
namely primary socialization and the stabilization of adult personalities. This entails warmth,
physical care, mutual support as well as emotional security. Well-functioned families contribute
to social order and stability within the wider society. Murdock highlights the indispensability of
the family by providing evidence of its universality. The precise definition of the family though,
is open to debates. Fulcher and Scott argue that the family share two commonalities. Firstly, “the

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closeness of family relationships are closer within a family than with people outside it. There is a
boundary around a family, a sense of family identity that separates it off from other people.”
Secondly, they talk about having a “sense of obligation and responsibility. Members of a family
give higher priority to each other’s needs than those of other people. Family responsibilities are
not fixed and are continuously negotiated by family members, but there is, nonetheless, something
distinctive about them which makes family commitments different, from say, those to friends.”
(Fulcher and Scott, 1999).

1.1 Introduction

Unlike the pre-industrial era where most of the production process and childrearing among others
were shouldered by the family, the modern era has witnessed a shift. With the onset of
industrialization, laws have been enacted to address child labour. Parents who are unwilling or
unable to cater for their wards, the state intervenes. Every state is inclusive of a child welfare
system, providing services to families which are in need of assistance for protecting and caring of
their offspring. At times, the need to remove the child when the latter is no longer safe at home is
felt. They are consequently placed in foster families or other residential placements. The very basis
of the welfare system is to safeguard family unity as far as possible. It only opts for the separation
of children when there is no other way out. Their primary priority lies in catering for abused or
neglected children. Certain states also include truant and runaway within their child welfare
system. Both the state and federal sources provide the funds to pay for services to children and
families.

Family-centered services is a recent phenomenon which underlines a re-commitment to the

important role that family integrity plays within our society. However, ambiguities regarding the
relationship between parents’ and children’s rights crop up. The two are often presented at extreme
positions from one another. To delve into the field of child welfare, it is fundamental to examine
the relationship between parental rights and children’s rights while bearing in mind that they
cannot be placed at two opposite extremes.

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1.1.1 Contingent rights

Parents are endowed with numerous rights. What is expected of them are clearly defined by
society. More often than not, parents have the responsibility and authority to make decisions in
their children’s best interests. Examples include the education of the child, whether or not a child
receives medical treatment and his place of residence among others. Yet, parental rights are not
absolute rights. They are contingent rights, that is, they are dependent upon a set of conditions
such as providing their children minimum levels of care, nurturance and a healthy environment.

On the other hand, children’s rights are absolute. Absolute rights cannot be tampered with. They
cannot be limited for whichever reasons and circumstances. This means that children’s rights to
freedom and to a minimum level of care fundamentally need to be abided to.

The Child Act of Mauritius refers to a child as any person under the age of 18 years and in certain
circumstances it refers to a person who is 18 years or older but under the age of 21 years whose
matter is dealt with in terms of Section 4(2) of the Act.

1.1.2 Presumptive parental rights

The relationship between parents and children is described as presumptive parental rights in
contemporary American law. They assume that the actions of parents go in accordance with best
parental practices. In case of doubt, the issue is resolved in favour of parents. Nonetheless, in cases
where there is clear evidence that the parents do not display conformity to established rules
regarding children’s wellbeing, the state, may step in to protect the child’s rights and act as the
parent of any individual requiring protection. For this to happen, the state should exhibit that the
child is exposed to danger.

Contingent parental rights and absolute rights of children are congruent. There are no ethical
dilemmas involved. Family-centered practice does not equate to a focus on parental rights at the
detriment of those of their children.

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1.1.3 Family-centered practice

Family centered practice involves working in collaboration with families, in both a formal and an
informal manner to enhance their ability to care and safeguard the best interests and rights of
children. This can be best achieved by strengthening and supporting the child’s own family. Other
key components of family-centered practice include: strengthening the efficiency of families by
laying emphasis on solutions, empowering and engaging families in decision making processes
and delivering individualized services to each family. Different cultures should be taken into
consideration.

Family centered practice does not exclude the idea that children may be removed from their homes
if they are not being protected. But, as far as possible, every effort and resources are used to assist
families in meeting the needs of children. No one is oblivious of the serious consequences that
separation and placement may cause. They can lead to psychological and developmental
disturbances. It is therefore a must to resort to strategies to protect children within their home itself
whenever possible. Family centered practice strikes the appropriate balance between considering,
supporting and preserving the rights of both children and their parents.

Social work values dictate those of family centered child welfare. They include preserving a
family’s right to self-determination, coming to the recognition and respecting diversity. As it is,
each individual is unique. Furthermore, each family has the right to preserve their values, standards
and beliefs which go in line with the cultural background.

An analogy can be made between children and a sapling. Both need protection and support until it
acquires a firm footing. Nurturance, care and nourishment all contribute to the growth of a fine
tree which in turn offers shade, shelter as well as fulfilling a wide range of functions. The same
applies to a child. If his proper upbringing has been ensured, he shall make great contributions to
the society as a whole.

The three values mentioned above help in promoting the following practices:

1) The family acts as the primary unit of intervention. Family centered child welfare lends
support to the family as the appropriate environment for responding to the needs and best
interests of the child.

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 2) Family centered child welfare stipulates that enormous efforts should be made to protect
children within their own homes, communities and cultures to prevent further damage. The
family is best suited to look after children. In their quest to provide services to improve
parents’ capacity to serve their children, the child welfare agency also serves to protect
parents’ rights.
3) When solutions have been resorted to and still no improvements have been noted, we need
to turn towards other strategies. In such a situation, the child’s rights for safety is given
more importance and consideration over those of parental rights.
4) The separation is only temporary. The family can be reunified through continuing services.
Parents may ultimately restore their rights of custody and responsibility. In sum, child
welfare values stress that a parent’s rights should not be limited except in cases where there
are no alternatives.
5) The serious trauma experienced by the children in placement is not left unattended. The
most homelike, least restrictive and most culturally consistent placement in the child’s own
community is selected. The child is kept at the proximity of his home. Before turning to
licensed foster care home, the child is placed in the extended family.
6) Even when childcare is taken away from the family, the family is still considered as the
primary beneficiary of services. Family centered child welfare works in collaboration with
the family to look for the causes of maltreatment and the solutions that can be adopted. A
plan should be formulated for the successful reunification of the family. Parents can still
visit their child when the latter is in care, thus, retaining their rights as parents.
7) Failure to reunify and strengthen families necessitates a permanent alternative home and
family for the child. It may be in the form of adoption, custody, guardianship or other
legally permanent placement. The family remains the center of attention.
8) The efficient implementation of family centered practice rests upon the least minimum
intervention on parental rights and responsibilities. What is of paramount importance is
protecting the child’s rights within his home itself.

Despite operating in a full-fledged manner, sometimes parental rights have to be compromised

when the situation cannot be controlled. Attempts are made to protect the child without limiting
parental rights but at times, it proves to be impossible. Child welfare services is charged with the
responsibility of protecting the child both legally and ethically.

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1.2 Childcare across the world

The important of children as critical assets in the development of society cannot be overlooked.
For any society to progress, it needs to possess human resources. Maltreatment of children can
have disastrous consequences. Child labour, for example, is not only a serious rights violation but
it also acts as a barrier to national development. It leads to health problems and has severe
repercussions on the education of the population. India has the world’s largest child population.
Statistics reveal that every year it adds more people than any other nation in the world. Moreover,
the individual population of some of its state equates to that of the population of many countries.
States all around the world devotes considerable attention to the child welfare. Policies have, as
such, been introduced.

1.2.1 Childcare in the United States

In the United States, child care has become an economic necessity with the advent of dual earner
parents. Unfortunately, though, it is becoming unaffordable for poor families. Programmes such
as Child Care and Development Block Grant and the Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit,
exclude the large majority of families and are not reflective of actual child care prices. Ironically,
while the US has the third-highest child care costs for families, it spends far less than other
countries in providing assistance to families to afford child care. To achieve economic growth, the
country needs a child care system that takes into account working families and reflects its financial
realities. Existing work-family policies have become outdated since they stem from a time period
when families had a full time care giver at home, most often, the mother. Proper child care should
be present in urban, suburban and rural areas. Dual working parents rely upon formal out-of-home
care.

Researches demonstrate that families are allocating a large sum of their income for child care.
Between 2011 and 2012, the costs of child care increased at up to eight times the rate of increase
in family income. Center-based care for a child of four varies from approximately $4,300 in
Mississippi to $12,350 in Massachusetts. Those at the bottom of the social ladder have been most
affected. Between the year 1998 and 1999, only 12% to 15% of eligible families were catered for
by a child care Development subsidy.

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1.2.2 Child care in India

As mentioned before, the quality of human resources depend to a great extent on the quality of
child development services. In India, the department of women, operating under the Ministry of
Human Resources Development, came into existence in 1985. From 30th January 2016, it was then
separated as a Ministry. The aim of this was to tackle gaps prevalent in state action for women and
children. Gender equitable and child centered legislation, policies and programmes had to be
designed through inter-ministerial and inter-sectoral convergence. The government works
alongside NGOs for the full realization of their programmes. The vision of this Ministry is to
“ensure overall survival, development, protection and participation of women and children of the
country.” The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) came into force on
the 5th of March 2007. Under the aegis of the Ministry lies four autonomous organisations notable
the National Institute of Public Cooperation and Child Development (NIPCCD), Rashtriya Mahila
Kosh (RMK), Central Adoption Resource Agency (CARA). The costs of their daily operations are
fully met by the government of India. Their role is to assist the Ministry in fulfilling its functions
including implementation programmes. One example of such programme is the Integrated Child
Development Services (ICDS) which is responsible for the holistic development of children aged
below 6. It provides supplementary nutrition, immunization, health check-up, referral services,
pre-school and non-formal education and finally, nutrition and health education. The ICDS scheme
began with 33 projects in 1975. Gradually, out of 5652 projects, 922 were implemented along with
World Bank till 2006. The scheme also obtains technical and material assistance from UNICEF.
It is one of the largest community-based outreach programme for early child development.

1.2.3 Child care in the Republic of Mauritius

Mauritius may be considered as one of the most advanced countries in the African continent to
have attained considerable progress in terms of human welfare. Several international instruments
have been ratified by the country among which there are the African Charter for the Rights of the
Child, the ILO Convention and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC). Since Mauritius
has achieved its independence in 1968, it has always laid great emphasis on the search for gender
equality. Back in 1982, the country has created the “Ministry of Women’s Rights and Family
Affairs” which had as goal the protection and fulfillment of women and children’s rights. In July

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1984, following the merging of the Social Welfare Division of the Ministry of Social Security, it
changed its title to Women’s Rights and Family Welfare. Endowed with supplementary
responsibilities related to the development of children, the appellation was further changed to the
Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare. It caters for Children aged
from 0 to 18 and focuses on specific child related issues which are not dealt with by other
Ministries. Programmes are designed for the all-round development of children. The right
environment need to be fostered to facilitate children, women and family welfare.

The goals of the Ministry are enumerated below:

 Putting in place legal measures to attain gender equality.

 Safeguarding and promoting women’s rights as human rights.
 Eliminating all forms of discrimination directed towards women.
 Alleviating poverty by implementing macroeconomic policies and strategies by
considering gender issues.
 Safeguarding and promoting children’s rights as human rights.
 Addressing all forms of violence and discrimination against children and ensuring that
legal measures are respected to enhance the security of children.
 To fight against domestic violence.
 To work in accordance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC).
 Organizing community-based programmes to create an inclusive society.

Women empowerment and child development are looked at with utmost seriousness by the
government of Mauritius. The recent budget makes provision for the protection of victims of
violence through improved services in shelters, day care centres and the promotion of foster care.
In addition, the government is encouraging companies to promote teleworking, that is, granting
their employees the possibility to work from home.

As far as child protection is concerned, a children’s Bill to give effect to the Convention on the
Rights of the Child and laying the ground for the legal framework for better protection of children’s
welfare and rights. Children in need of special education have also been considered. For instance,
the government is increasing its funding to NGOs operating Special Education Needs schools to
Rs 110 million.

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In relation to the empowerment of women, the government is looking forward to increase the
female labour force from 43.6% to 50% by 2030. The low representation of women in the
parliament is flagrant. In the Budget 2017-2018, women will have at least 30% of representation
in parliament. To increase women’s employability, they will be equipped with skills. Lastly, the
government will be working towards increasing women’s participation in the process of decision
making at the level of boards of companies.

The organizational structure of the Ministry consists of these units:

1.2.3.1 Women’s Unit

This unit specializes itself in women’s issues through a network of women centres. Examples
include Lady Sushil Ramgoolam, Flacq and Floreal women empowerment centres among others.
For the socio-economic development of women, they provide training courses on dress making,
cookery, handicraft and adult literacy. On a frequent basis, seminars and workshops are conducted.
The Gender unit aims at strengthening gender mainstreaming taking into account the reproductive,
productive and social needs of women.

1.2.3.2 Family Welfare unit

Conforming to one of UN recommendations that states should introduce appropriate instruments

to enforce policies and programmes in favour of families, a Family Welfare Unit has been set up
by the Ministry since July 2013. It comprises of a network of 6 regional offices known as Family
Support Bureaux (FSBX). They offer counselling, legal advice and work towards minimizing
further harm to those who have been victims of violence. Counselling services are also given to
the perpetrators of violence.

1.2.3.3 Child Development Unit

This unit comprises of 6 regional offices. It looks after those aged between 0 to 18 years. Its
objectives is to come up with appropriate legislation with regards to the welfare of children, work

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with the National Children’s Council to organise educational and recreational activities and
eradicate child abuse.

1.2.3.4 Planning and Research Unit

The Planning and Research Unit helps in coordinating the various organisations and parastatal
bodies falling under the aegis of the Ministry. It provides technical assistance, prepares action
plans, policies, programmes and reports on subjects pertaining to women, child development and
family welfare. It also produces data on the conditions of women, family and children in diverse
fields. Education, health and employment are some examples. “Statistics in Mauritius- A Gender
Approach” is an annual report produced by the unit.

1.2.3.5 Early Childhood Development in Mauritius

The Early Childhood Development (ECD) rests on the fact that children respond best when
caregivers make use of distinct techniques designed to spur the transition to the next level of
development. Early Childhood Development (ECD) programmes can have important impacts on
children by the time they enter school. Examples of ECD interventions involve making use of the
mass media to educate parents and caregivers and providing services to children.

In Mauritius, numerous policy initiatives have been designed for greater efficiency on the part of
day care institutions. In 1998, the Child Development Unit has created an Early Child
Development (ECD) Unit.

A brief overview in relation to progress made concerning Early Childhood Development:

26th July 1990- the Convention on the Rights of the Child was signed and ratified.

June 1994- the Ministry of Women, Family Welfare and Child Development devised a National
Programme of Action (NPA) for children’s welfare.

The recruitment of Mauritian women on the labour market is not just for the sake of achieving
social justice. Women, in essence, represent an important economic asset. The country has
witnessed a gradual rise in female participation in the workforce. From 1983 to 1995, the

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percentage of working women has increased from 24% to 43.9%. It is predicted that by the year
2020, workforce participation will rise to 700,000 with a sex ration of 143 males to 100 females.
This new emerging trend of working mothers has necessitated a growing need for the delivery of
good early childhood development services for children of 0 to 3 years.

It is largely the duty of the Ministry of Gender Equality, Child Development and Family Welfare
to enhance the quality of life for families having young children. It is conscious that family stresses
may pose a serious threat to the social fabric of our society. It should be recognized that striking a
balance between work and family life is not an easy task. The demands of the workplace and those
of caring for family members may often clash. Families having more than one child often have
problems for arranging transport for their offsprings. It becomes more difficult when the location
of day care centres are situated far from their place of residence. Children are vulnerable citizens
of society and should not be left without supervision.

The importance of Early Development

Early childhood is a period of great importance. Though each child develops at his/her own pace,
they all progress from basic to highly complex levels of functioning. Development is a gradual
process. From birth to the age of eight, however, children’s development progresses at its fastest
rate.

A child’s life chances are predetermined to varying degrees based on the expectant mother’s
health, nutrition and social status. This creates differences among children. Therefore, equity
forces are influential in paving the child’s future direction in life. Two factors which keep on
influencing the child’s development after birth are nature (biological factors of the child) and
nurture (environmental factors). The interplay between the two also shapes the child’s
development. These factors are present in all cultures. They are often referred to as developmental
milestones and represent important stages in development.

In Mauritius, children, from a very tender age itself, are exposed and grow in a culturally diverse
society. There are moreover several dialects and languages. It can be contended that for the very
young child, his surrounding is a confusing place with so many conflicting socio-cultural mores,
behaviours and perspectives. What is defined as correct and wrong may also confuse the child.

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Yet, he becomes acculturated and adapts to his environment. He learns how to survive. This stage
of survival has to be made easy and supports should be given to young children.

End of Unit Exercise

1. Discuss the importance attached to child care in traditional families.

2. Explain what can be done to promote the well-being of children in the family.
3. Provide three examples to show whether children are considered as assets or liabilities by
newly married couples nowadays.

Summary
This unit has provided a clear picture on various initiatives of family and child welfare across the
world including Mauritius and the importance of family in child welfare.

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 Unit 2:
Family services agency

Overview
This unit provides a general outlook on family service agency, its functions, benefits and
challenges of family service agencies and various initiatives taken in various cities of
world.
Objectives
 Identifying the aims and objectives of Family service agency
 Familiarising students with the various initiatives across the world

Learning outcomes
At the end of this unit, students should be able to understand the roles and
responsibilities of family service agencies and their various initiatives across the world.

Overview of Family Service Agencies

A Family Service Agency comprises numerous activity systems, for instance, one unit is
responsible for family life education, another for marital issues and yet another for family
counseling. Furthermore, one unit may be devoted to family advocacy, support and recreation
(Barker, 2003). Each unit specializes itself in specific functions so as to meet the agency’s general
goal, that of providing family services. According to Barker (2003), social services, sometimes
referred to as “social welfare”, are delivered by social workers to improve individuals’ health,
standard of living and self-sufficiency. They support families and assist people and larger systems
to perform better. Family Service Agencies may be owned by public or private agencies. Public
agencies may deliver services at local, state and federal level. Usually, there are laws governing
the agency’s policies. On the contrary, private social agencies may either be profit making or not.

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According to Gibelman (2005), family services, also known as human services, may consist of
services aimed towards enhancing individuals’ health, social and environmental conditions which
impact greatly on individuals, families, specific groups or communities. They are concerned with
increasing self-sufficiency and strengthening family relationships for the smooth running of
society. Social service contexts can differ largely, for example, they may include child welfare
agencies, local community-based youth programmes or shelters for abused women or homeless
families. Examples of social services may entail providing financial assistance to low-income
families and evaluating the ability of parents to cater for their children among others.

Overview of functions

Social workers recruited in family service agencies can have a number of job functions based on
their specific roles. Some job titles include case manager, program director, foster care social
worker and probation officer, just to name a few. Listed below are some of the roles of a social
worker within a family service agency:

- Recruiting qualified foster parents.

- Managing available resources for families.
- Improving the living conditions of families and children.
- Identifying at-risk families and taking corrective measures.
- Evaluating clients for drug abuse, support systems, their physical and emotional
functioning, their financial position and safety.
- Processing information obtained from individuals and families.
- Fostering an effective relationship with clients.
- Working alongside treatment teams.
- Visiting clients’ home to investigate the intensity of the problem.
- Conducting psychosocial assessments and social histories.
- Assessing whether clients are eligible for the services provided.
- Assessing cases of abuse or neglect.
- Being responsible for out-of-home placements and adoptions.
- Establishing plans and executing intervention, treatment and discharge plans.
- Facilitating clients’ accessibility to local community resources.

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 - Offering case management services.
- Managing crises.
- Ensuring the proper coordination of available resources.
- Managing community outreach initiatives.
- Responsible for domestic violence services.
- Provide respite care to parents.
- Helping poor people in an attempt to improve their standards of living.

Benefits and challenges of working in Family Service Agencies

The focus of Family Service Agencies is to work towards providing safety for children, youth and
families alike. Therefore, they have a crucial role to play in sustaining the lives of individuals
through different types of activities. Social workers may be working in different departments.
Based on their distinct roles, they are expected to shoulder a wide range of responsibilities. They
gain enriching experiences. Furthermore, social workers inescapably have to seek help and support
from other institutions to achieve efficiency. This gives them the opportunity to build professional
networks. Social workers possess the expertise to make enormous contributions in
interdisciplinary teams. Moreover, they may derive a sense of satisfaction in solving people’s
everyday problems.

However, challenges that social workers face cannot be overlooked. Among the challenges are the
high rates of turnover and salaries which are not proportionate with the job demands. While
recognizing that the number of cases vary across agencies, it is worth highlighting that some social
workers may have high caseloads. Caseload demands combined with scarce resources makes it
challenging to offer effective services.

Family Service Agency of San Francisco

It was founded in 1889 with the financial help of Crocker and Hearst families. The agency brought
a change in the way San Francisco addressed the demands and needs of abused and orphaned
children. In 1981, as a result of a fast growing rate of teenage pregnancy, FSA developed the

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Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program (TAPP) which became the state model. It was
replicated in 43 countries. The mission of the FSA of San Francisco is strengthening families by
assisting them. It lays special emphasis on the needs of the vulnerable sections of society namely,
low income families, the elderly, children and disabled persons.

Family Service Agency of Santa Barbara, California

FSA has been established in 1899 and is viewed as the region’s most reliable and effective
organisations. Its mission is to extend its help to all families and individuals, irrespective of ages
and cultural backgrounds. The goal is to create and maintain a healthy community. Our society is
in constant evolution. Today, children are more than ever exposed to violence and trauma.
Furthermore, a rise in single parent families makes it important for children to have positive role
models. As far as the elderly is concerned, it is clear that in certain countries, there has been a rise
in life expectancy. The older population seeks to preserve their independence and quality of life.
FSA not only meet the immediate needs of families but also aims at equipping them with the main
tools leading to long term self-sufficiency and empowerment. Statistics reveal that in the year
2015/2016, FSA catered for almost 18,000 children and individuals.

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Barbara County

The programme ensures that at risk children aged between six and fifteen are assigned caring adult
mentors who help them in reaching their full potential. Studies carried out reveal that children who
received the help of this programme achieved better at school, make good behavioural choices and
maintain stronger relationships with parents and others.

Family Service Agency of Phoenix, Arizona

Family Service Agency (FSA) was created as a traveler’s aid agency in 1902 by Maie Bartlett
Heard, wife of Dwight Bancroft Heard founder of the Heard Museum. The original mission ‘to
provide services that advocate for, strengthen and preserve the individual and the family’ has been
strictly abided to from the past 113 years and it is not likely to be interrupted.

FSA has a rich history in the local social service community as manifested by these facts:

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 1) During the 1930’s, they were ‘responsible’ for the provision of all charity services for
Maricopa County
2) In 1935, the Maricopa Medical Center made a coalition with FSA, later to be extended as
their own distinct entity
3) In that same decade, they created the first tuberculosis hospital in the county, later to be
administered by St. Joseph’s hospital. In the early 1940’s, due to the growth of the
population, the City of Phoenix charged them with being the leader in delivering more
social service agencies into the community. This resulted in the introduction of the
Community Chest; the Visiting Nurses Association; and the general expansion of other
entities to provide a broader range of services to the community.

Family Service Agency of Marin, California

Family Service Agency of Marin provides affordable and accessible behavioral and mental health
services to children, adults and families. The FSA is here is to help individuals at every stage of
their lives, from childhood to old age. FSA therapists and counselors support and intervene in
times of crisis and transition. In Marin County, FSA is the most far-reaching and advanced child
and family trauma services. It also specializes in addiction recovery services. Within the County,
it is the only agency which operates the Suicide Prevention and Crisis Hotline on a 24/7 basis. Its
goal is to strengthen individuals of all age groups and also families of all cultures.

Family service agency in Mangalore, India

The Family Service Agency offers preventive, therapeutic services and promotional interventions.
Given that there has been a rise in the number of adolescents suffering from psychological and
relationship problems, the family counseling centre also put in place school counseling
programmes. The centre addresses issues such as poor academic performance, psychological and
behavioural problems, and marital problems as well as pre-marital issues. It establishes its
networking with Government District hospital for psychiatric cases and organizes awareness
programmes for students. Moreover, it deals with home study for adoption.

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The agency was established in 1966 to lend support to needy families in addition to providing field
work placement for social work students. The diverse activities of the agency are enumerated
below:

1) Development of Self Help groups.

2) Activities with panchayats and local leaders.
3) Awareness programmes.
4) Working with tribals (koraga) – Madhya Padav, Badhyadka in Kasargod district.
5) Conducting children’s Grama sabha in different village pancahyats.
6) Navachetana Samithi- Support Partner Group building.
7) Skill training.
8) Career guidance and job placement.
9) Legal Aid services.
10) Empowerment of women and youth.
11) Networking with other NGOs.

Child and Family Services Agency, Columbia

The agency looks into the safety and welfare of children and families. It coordinates public and
private affiliations to safeguard children from abuse and neglect, ensures the continuity of families
by delivering services and adoption services.

CFSA has 4 primary functions:

1) Take and investigate reports

It takes into consideration cases of known or suspected child abuse and neglect of
individuals below the age of 19. It is operation 24 hours a day. An investigation must be
initiated within 24 hours if a report matches the legal definition of abuse or neglect. As a
consequence of the investigation, the charge of abuse may either be defined as
substantiated, unfounded or inconclusive. In case of substantiated allegations, the child
stays at home all while benefitting from community services. Yet, if there is a high risk of
the child being victimized, he may be removed from his private setting. On the other hand,

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 when allegations are unfounded or inconclusive, the agency can refer the family to
community services, based on their needs.
2) Assist families
When talking about child welfare, child protection or safeguarding the rights of the child,
it also means that the agency helps parents or caretakers. If allegations made are found to
be true, trained social workers from CFSA in addition to private organisations operating
under contract to CFSA intervene to protect children by working with their families. The
role of the social worker is to join families to services. In such a way, families are given
the necessary tools to overcome difficulties that place their children at risk or in
disadvantaged situations.
3) Provide safe out-of-home care
When it is found that the child is exposed to too much danger, CFSA has the power to
remove the child from his dwelling to a safe environment. Where removal is unavoidable,
the agency first turns towards family relatives to act as placement resources. However,
when they cannot be at the child disposal or inconvenient, the child is placed in a foster or
group home setting. To ensure that the child’s needs are being met, CFSA recruits, trains
and gives licenses to foster parents. The social worker has the responsibility of bringing
solutions to those problems which, in the first place, necessitated agency involvement.
4) Re-establish permanent homes
It is undeniable that the family occupies a primordial role in the life of any individual.
Young people grow best when they are surrounded and supported with parents, siblings or
relatives. Therefore, CFSA has as goal to reintegrate the child and youth safely in his
family. If this is not possible, the child joins a new family through adoption. Legal
guardianship thus stands as an alternative to adoption for relatives and others.

CFSA is committed to 8 core values:

1) All children and youngsters have the right to feel safe.

2) Families have their say in matters affecting them. They have the right to be understood,
valued, encouraged and empowered.
3) Community partnerships are important for ensuring that children and the youth are safe.

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 4) Child welfare practice and services are guided by the strong commitment to assist children,
youth and families achieve positive outcomes.
5) Children and youth deserve opportunities to develop their full potentials, grow, learn and
be mentally and physically fit. They should be empowered for a successful adulthood.
6) It is a must for children and youth to have a permanent family as soon as possible. They
need to be loved unconditionally.
7) Children, youth and families deserve understanding and respect within the context of their
history, tradition and culture.
8) Best practices and constant quality improvement throughout the child welfare system
support bring a positive change in the lives of their clients.

Family Service Agency of the Mid-Michigan

The Family Service Agency of Mid-Michigan helps people to become self-reliant. People help
themselves. Hence, they make sense of their own choices and sustain their dignity. During the
early 1900s, interest emerged among the population to create a charitable organization to assist
those who are in need. This led to the setting up of a “Bureau of social services” aimed at delivering
“investigational service for the city poor department, the Board of Health and Hurley Hospital to
determine the eligibility of applicants to aid in these public relief and health services.” Studies
conducted during the1930s and 1940s recommended the creation of a family service agency
following which, the agency was officially declared a non-profit corporation according to
Michigan state law. The purpose of this agency “shall be to foster the development of wholesome
family life in the city of Flint and vicinity.”

In 1947, it became a “cooperating representative” of National Travelers Aid society and in 1984,
received a grant from the Michigan Department of social services for Representative payee and
Guardian services.

Senior programmes help the elderly to retain their independence through three major programmes:

1) Foster Grandparent
Grandparents occupy a major role in children’s lives. Their care and support may have
positive impacts on children. Grandparents are especially vital for at-risk children who are

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 confronted with physical and emotional challenges. Through the Foster Grandparent
programme, the elderly relying on a low income are given the opportunity to substantial
service to the community. They help children with special needs, that is, those who are
developmentally challenged, chronically ill, abused, neglected, emotionally challenged and
psychically challenged.
2) In-home elder care
This programme allows senior citizens to safeguard their independence and freedom in
their homes itself. They are of opinion that assisting the elderly when the latter is at his
home, surrounded by his family and friends, contribute to enhance their quality of life. This
programme help seniors to carry out their daily activities such as bathing. When conditions
change, adjustments may be made to the level of care provided.
3) Senior Companion
This programme is one in which seniors help other adults with special needs to live
independently. It provides good retirement opportunities and assist lonely, ill or disabled
seniors who are in need of support, understanding and care. In such a way, senior adults
are able to contribute to the wider society. It benefits the volunteer, client and the
community.

End of Unit Exercise

1. Family service agency preserves the family as well as the individual. Discuss.

Summary:
This unit provides a clear picture on the roles and responsibility of family service
agencies, and various initiatives across the world.

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 Unit 3
Role of documentation and reporting

Overview
Unit 3 considers the role of documentation and reporting in family and child welfare
services. This unit describes the primary purposes of recordkeeping, principles about the
way both paper and automated records should be maintained, and content that should be
documented at each step of the process.
Objectives
 Familiarising students with the need of documentation and reporting formats
 Purposes of record keeping
 Principles of record keeping
 Content of Case records

Learning outcomes
At the end of this unit, students will be able to understand the strategies outlined here not
only assure accountability to others, but also to facilitate a way of thinking and a process to
measure the results of the agency’s work with families and children.

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Effective Documentations
Case documentation helps social workers to keep track of their activities as well as the services
provided to the client. Effective documentation ensures that services are delivered in the best
possible way. It further provides accountability for the outcomes of the work performed by the
agency. Recordkeeping not only protect children and families but also protect the caseworker.
Recordkeeping in the case of child welfare should document the following:

1) Demographic information, notably, name, place of residence, sex, race and date of birth
among others (of the child, his parent and other significant relatives).
2) Educational information.
3) Medical or psychological reports and
4) Court documents among others.

Only information which are deemed relevant should be recorded. In general, it would record all
discussions and interactions with the clients. In family and child welfare, case records and
information systems should precisely document contact information, the data gathered from the
assessments, decisions taken as the case progresses, indirect or direct interventions provided to the
family, how far the goal is being achieved, including risk reduction, the results of the intervention
and the nature of partnerships with community agencies.

This unit elaborates on the objectives of record keeping, the way in which automated and paper
records should be handled and content which need to be documented at each stage of the process.
Effective documentation allows one to measure the level of success achieved in relation to a
particular case.

When to consult supervisors on casework decisions

Certain decisions demand imperatively that caseworkers consult their supervisors. These are:

1) When there has been a report of child abuse or neglect. The caseworker needs to know the
immediacy of the situation. He should decide when to initiate contact. In practice, the laws
already dictate the time frame for beginning the investigation. Still, the caseworker should
reach a decision together with the supervisor.

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 2) During the initial assessment, the caseworker should decide whether the child is safe at
home. This decision should then be reconsidered by the supervisor who may approve or
modify it.
3) When decisions made at the initial assessment are confirmed and risk assessment
completed, both the caseworker and the supervisor shall determine if the child will be safe
with or without the continued interventions of family and child welfare.
4) If it is found that the life of the child is endangered and that there is a high risk of him being
abused, the caseworker along with the supervisor must decide on the best intervention that
may be taken. The intervention agreed upon should be least intrusive as possible.
5) In case the child has been relegated to out-of-home care, the reunification recommendation
must be made in consultation with the supervisor.
6) When the child has been placed in out-of-home care, the recommendation to move towards
a permanent goal rather than reunification must again be made after consultation with the
supervisor.
7) Coming at the stage at which the case will be closed, the caseworker and the supervisor
must assess risk reduction and the client progress towards assuming his responsibility with
regard to his ward. Together, they make the decision as to whether the client will be able
to ensure the child’s protection and survival through the provision of the basic
developmental needs.

Need of record keeping

If there is a real willingness to curb the number of abused children and protect them, record keeping
is crucial. It is primordial for staff working in Children and Family Services to keep records of all
reported cases. These should englobe details of all contacts, consultations and the time at which
actions have been taken as well as the person who has taken the action. Records should be up-to-
date. In the case of child welfare, it is fundamental for 2 major reasons. Firstly, right at the
beginning, it aids schools to identify causes for concern. Secondly, schools becomes in a better
position to monitor and manage its safeguarding practices.

The following points need to be met while recording cases:

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 1) Case notes should be concise and factual. Everything that is recorded should be supported
by facts and observations. It should reflect the real situation.
2) Records should be written explicitly and clearly. It should provide elaborate details of any
decisions taken. The reasons behind taking such decisions should also be explained.
3) The social worker and the supervising team leader must sign the case notes after each
supervision session.
4) Records should be coherent and intelligible.
5) As far as possible, it is advisable that case notes are taken concomitantly or on the same
day that the actions have taken place to ensure accuracy.
6) The records should be available at all times even when a key worker is absent.

Documenting the situation

Case workers gather information but are not carrying out investigations. Only facts should be
recorded leaving aside all unnecessary details. Trying to achieve objectivity should be the goal.
Caseworkers should not bring in their own feelings and interpretations to incidents. Information
that need documentation are:

1) The full name, age, gender, address of the child and caregivers.
2) Your relationship to the child.
3) Whether immediate actions need to be taken for the safety of the child.
4) The type of abuse and observations made. For instance, based on the appearance of the
child and any other signs of neglect or abuse.
5) The date and time of the disclosure. It may also include direct quotes.
6) Background information on family members, for example, on how many are they, their
ages and their names.
7) The visits and telephone calls received from parents or guardians.

Purpose of child protective services record keeping

1) Guide the family and child welfare process

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 Case records provide an updated “picture” of the situation. Through them, the nature of
child protective services can be discerned, the level of progress can be measured and they
also shed light on the decisions which led to case closure.

2) Provide accountability for the agency and the caseworker

Through records, it becomes easy to know who is and is not served, the nature of the
services which are provided, the reasons behind every decisions taken, how far policies
and procedures are implemented as well as other accountability and quality control issues.
The record clearly shows the quality of services delivered which may reduce personal
liability if legal action is taken against the agency or caseworker.
3) Serve as a therapeutic tool for the caseworker and the family
Records highlight the way the family and child welfare works has been defined according
to the caseworker and the family. It shows their expectations as well as what is expected
of them.
4) Case records elaborate on the goals and outcomes
This will decrease the risk of maltreatment and show the progression towards meeting
them. Some family and child welfare agencies are using instruments and tools that demand
inputs. Thus, the record itself provides an illustration of the collaborative process.
5) Organise the caseworker’s thinking about work
When records are kept in order and data catagorised in a clear way, it becomes easier for
the caseworker to make in-depth evaluation and treatment planning. A structured way of
presenting factual data helps the caseworker to think in a clear and plausible manner.
Sloppy recording prevents clear thinking and will be more likely to result in poor service
delivery to clients.

Besides these five primary purposes of recordkeeping the case record is useful for supervisory
review, statistical reporting and research and interdisciplinary communication.

Content of case records

Case records provide in-depth factual information about the activities of the agency along with an
assessment of progress made. It helps caseworkers in knowing whether interventions taken have

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achieved their purpose or not in terms of the safety of the child, permanence and feeling of well-
being. Family records may either be automated or on paper and should be inclusive of:

1) Data on the nature and intensity of the referral or report. It should also lay out the
demographic information of the child and his family as well as the actions taken to the
referral.
2) Dates should be clearly stipulated as well as the number of hours of services provided to
clients. This should be inclusive of all kind of contacts, whether in person or through
telephone interviews carried out with all family members, collateral sources and
multidisciplinary team. The place where the interviews have been carried out and the
purposes of the interviews should be recorded as well.
3) Records regarding the family’s awareness of the agency’s policy on the release of
information from the record.
4) Data about the initial assessment, in addition to recording what may have already
happened. The caseworker’s evaluation of the risk present to the child and to his safety
need to be included as well.
5) Information about any diagnostic procedures done in the initial assessment such as x-rays,
drug assessments and other medical evaluations.
6) Documentation on what has been done to address alleged maltreatment and the reason for
any placement in out-of-home care. The ongoing agency involvement or termination of
services should also be explained.
7) The safety plan, if developed, and documentation of referrals to other programmes,
agencies, or persons who will bring their contributions in the implementation of the safety
plan.
8) A record of the risks and strengths of families and an insight into the treatment and
interventions which will be resorted to.
9) Explanations on any criminal activities of clients.
10) The case plan with specific measurable goals, including details about the process used to
formulate the plan.
11) The outcomes of the interventions which should be positive.

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 12) All case activities should be recorded. Written reports from all community practitioners
who helped are required. The way in which the family responded to particular intervention
and treatment are also important.
13) The ongoing progress made towards achieving the outcomes and reunification of children
within their dwelling or other alternatives adopted.
14) In case court involvement was necessary, the information shared with the court should be
recorded.
15) A case-closing summary involves:
 The original reason for referral.
 Process of closure with the family.
 The goals formulated along with the family.
 Type of services provided.
 Activities carried out by different practitioners and the family.
 The extent to which caseworkers and families have achieved established goals and
outcomes.
 Any new reports of maltreatment which may have happened during intervention.
 Evaluation of existing risks and safety.
 Unresolved and unaccomplished issues and objectives.
 Reasons for case closure.

Principles of record-keeping

1) Avoiding futile abbreviations.

2) Recording information should be done in such a way that it is easy to retrieve them back.
3) When records are no longer required, the agency should ensure that they are disposed
properly.
4) Confidentiality: maintaining confidentiality is crucial when delivering services to families
and children. According to the Alberta College of Social Workers Standards of Practice
(2007): “social workers will protect the confidentiality of all professionally acquired
information and will disclose such information only when properly authorized or obligated
legally or professionally to do so.” If the need is felt for information disclosure, it should
be done in a transparent manner, with the informed consent of the client.

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 5) Records should be professional and purposeful. It should clearly draw the line between
facts and opinions. If opinions are recorded, the basis of it should be justified and well
stipulated.
6) Caseworkers should avoid prejudice. Care should be taken while writing especially when
it comes to sensitive issues such as race, culture, religion, disability or sexual orientation.
7) Accuracy and adequacy of information.
8) Avoid recording details about clients’ intimate lives and personal opinions unless they are
important for family and child welfare purposes.
9) The most have to be taken from direct conversations with clients.
10) Explaining to clients how the information that they provide are used, the extent to which
confidentiality will be maintained and the circumstances under which information may be
shared with others.
11) Before disclosing clients’ information to other practitioners, there should be a signed
“release of information.” Laws and policies have been enacted to guide the actions of
caseworkers.
12) Record keeping should be complete.
13) Use private dictation equipment to ensure confidentiality of data collected.
14) Never include process recording in casefiles. The aim of a process recording is to build
caseworkers’ skills. They should not be included in an agency record.
15) Permission should be sought from clients before audiotaping or videotaping any interviews
carried out. They should be ensured that in case of refusal, the services provided to them
will neither be interrupted nor affected.
16) Records should be confined in the agency unless required by the court. In such a case, a
special authorization is needed.
17) Records should be kept in locked filing cabinets. Access to keys are given only to frequent
users. Records should be maintained about the time the file was removed and by whom.

Quality record-keeping is an intrinsic part of professional family and child welfare practice.
Record keeping does not merely document family and child welfare process, but it also determines
the caseworker’s thinking and makes it easy to follow the progress that is being made.

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 Exercise:

Discuss the role of documentation and reporting in family and child welfare services.

Summary:
This unit provides a clear picture on students about the importance of documentations and
reporting.

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 Unit 4
Child protection and family support

Overview
Unit 4 describes the child protection principles, child protection plan and family support
services.
Objectives
 Familiarising students with child protection and family support.
 Understanding Family Support Services

Learning outcomes
At the end of this unit, students will be able to explain the need of child protection and
family support.

Child Protection
Child protection is the protection of children from or against any perceived or real danger or risk
of life, starting from childhood to personhood. It aims to reduce their vulnerability to any kind of
harm and maintain that no child is left out of the social safety net and children who has a good
family support in terms of basic care, protection and support have to be part of the safety net.
Protection is a right that each child deserves, yet some children are more vulnerable than others
and hence more attention should be given to them.
Key principles of best practice in child protection and welfare
The key principles that should inform best practice in child protection and welfare are:

 the welfare of children is of utmost significant.

 Early intervention and support should be given to vulnerable people with inadequate care
and protection. This will improve the welfare of families and children.
 Issues addressing at children welfare requires a well balanced approach including
protecting children, respecting their rights and their needs of their families and carers.

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 Children have rights to voice out their views, to be heard, listened or taken seriously,
irrespective of their age and understanding.
 For a protective action, factors like child’s family circumstances, gender, age, stage of
development, religion, culture and race should be taken in consideration. Isolating
children is not thought as best measure. Instead, children should be tackle within family
unit.
 Children should not be kept away from their parents or carers in any cases, unless there’s
no any alternative means.
 The prevention, detection and treatment of child abuse or neglect can be solved by using
a multidisciplinary approach, effective management, clarity of responsibility and training
of personnel in organisations working with children.

Deciding to share child protection concerns.

It does not sound unpleasant to hear that parents are maltreating their children. This belief
inevitably weakens the evidence that many innocent children are indeed being harmed or
being neglect by their parents.

At time, the exact cause of abusive seem hard to identify with other social problems like
unemployment, poverty, poor housing, addiction, mental illness or isolation. Families facing
life hardship demonstrate little concerns about the safety and the welfare of the children.
Hence, protection and welfare of the child is really valuable.

Child Protection Plan

A child protection plan aims to ensure that the child is continually protected and safe within
the family compound. It additionally outlines the key role of specialized agencies and
professionals that directly deals with family and child.

The basic components of a child protection plan are:

 Identification of current and potential sources of risk to the child

 Identification of strategies to protect the child and reduce the risk over a specified
period
 Identification of protective aspects of the child’s situation, which may need to be
strengthened and developed

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 Identification of short-term and long-term goals to b achieved to secure the
protection and welfare of the child
 Consultation and negotiation with the child and his or her parents/carers on the
content and feasibility of the plan
 Identification of a key worker, who will coordinate the work of various personnel
involved in carrying out the plan and who will be responsible for ensuring
communication of information between all the parties involved
 Clear allocation of specific roles and responsibilities to all professional and agencies
directly involved in implementing the plan
 Clear allocation of specific roles and responsibilities to all child’s parents/carers and
other relevant family members
 Identification of resources necessary to carry out the plan, including family support
and treatment services where required
 Consideration of the position of the abuser and need for treatment
 Identification of an agreement to a review date

The execution of child protection plan depends on a range of roles like interagency and
inter professional cooperation, ongoing consultation with the child and with his or her
parents/carers, ongoing monitoring of the implementation of short- and long-term goals
and supervision and support.

Objectives of child protection and welfare training

Training in child protection and welfare has a number of objectives:

 Personnel are to be equipped with appropriate skills, expertise and values to

promote an effective service to children.
 The personnel must be aware of relevant legislation, national guidelines and
local child protection procedures and protocols
 To translate learning into a better service for children and families in
collaboration with other service providers
 To strengthen relationships through interagency training

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Approach to child protection and welfare training

Professional staffs of specific agencies need specialized training which depends on

their level of involvement while dealing with child protection and welfare work.

Specialized training should be offered emphasizing on the signs of abuse and

immediate actions to take.

a) Basic-level Training
This type of training aim to train officer with expertise of specialized child
care legislation, national and local agency policies, procedures and
protocols (as well as an expertise of the local network within which they
operate and skills in the use of these.
Such basic training use a multidisciplinary interagency basis which
incorporates discussion and the sharing of knowledge, experience and
perspectives across disciplines and services.
The basic-level training in child protection and welfare target personnel
who usually have constant indirect or direct contact with children and
families.

b) Advanced- level Training

This training focus more on providing the personnel with a great deal of
expertise that will enable them to carry out their specific role in specialized
areas of policy and practice.
For instance, risk assessment and working in partnership with
parents/carers.
Again a multidisciplinary interagency approach is needed as training of
experts whose main duties is to monitor or practice child protection or
support services to children and families.

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 c) Training for managers:
This training aims to target managers of child protection who have no
professional proficiency or experience in the areas concern.
Such training help to implement decision connecting to planning
resources, staffing, budgeting and management oversight.

Family Support Services

Family support services are community based services that support parents in their daily roles as
caregivers.

These services are in various forms depending on strength and needs of each family.

Yet, their central goal is to promote optimal child development in a suitable setting together with
good parental assistance. Support are given to parents and families that helped them to enhance
their parenting skills and resolve problems in their care-giving roles.

Main target group for family support program focus on general population and some ethnic and
cultural minorities, adolescents’ parents, kinship caregivers, families facing health, mental health
or substance abuse issues.

Family Support Approach - Supporting Young Parents

Young parents program aims to bring fun in family life by supporting young parents to rear up
their children.

Adolescent parenting is not an easy task rather a challenging one which entails maternal and
infant health problems, poverty, lack of education, inadequate family support and increased risk
for domestic violence and child abuse and neglect.

As such, young parents are found to be in great need of social support services like improved
knowledge about parent, enhanced parent-child relationships, increased economic self-
sufficiency and reduction in family violence.

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Other programs to support pregnant or parenting teens are adapted to the parental
developmental level, target health care and child development needs. Thereby, connecting teens
to a comprehensive array of services.

Promoting intergenerational relationships among family members should be part and parcel of
such programs.

Referral and linkage to resources

Families need support and assistance to meet basic needs and in securing community-based
family support services.

Program developers must be professional in their approach so as to form a continuum of support

and services for families.

Shared Family Care:

In shared family care, parents with their children live together in the home of a host family where
they learned skills and supports care for their children independently. Shared family care (SFC) is
widely used for a number of reasons like;

i. Preventing out-of-home placement

ii. Providing a safe and convenient place for the reunification of a separated family
iii. Helping parents for permanency potions including relinquishment of parental rights.

Goals for family-centered services

The child welfare field has specially set up to support the well-being of families and their children.

Families centered services in child welfare section id grounded on beliefs and principles that
endorse the rights of both families and children.

The key principles for the family integrity are as follows:

1. Families are the best social institution to raise children, irrespective of its forms.
2. Families have a lawful access to necessary resources and opportunity for the proper
functioning of the family and child rearing and,

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 3. Families have rights to privacy unless children are endangered.

The principles of Family Support

Principles of Family Support were outlines by Gilligan (1995). For him, Family Support is a way to
recognize and to response to families’ needs, mainly in times of hardships. Rationally, family
support must be supportive, and non-threatening nor alienating. “Pram-Pushing” distance seem
to be effective in family support. It operates on a norm of consent rather than coercion.

In short, Family Support should aim to enhance confidence and helped its members in best ways
possible in times of dire need.

Issues in the evaluation of Family Support and Family preservation programs

The setting up and the growth of family support preservation programs are possible by the
contribution made by the practitioners, administrators, program planners and academics. The
family support programs include Evaluated program models, random assignment, evaluation
approach, program implementation and goals and outcomes. The family preservation includes
evaluated program models, program implementation and goals and outcomes.

Reflection. Role of family support services in child protection plan along with the child
protection principles. Discuss.

Summary:
This unit provides a clear picture on need of child protection and family support.

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 Unit 5
Fostering, adoption and aftercare

Overview
Unit 5 describes the fundamental principles of fostering and adoption services.
Objectives
 Familiarising students with fostering, adoption and aftercare services.
 Understanding the principles of fostering and adoption services.

Learning outcomes
At the end of this unit, students will be able to understand fostering, adoption and aftercare
services

Foster care
Foster care is a kind of arrangement that are being made for a child to live, usually on a temporary
basis, with unrelated family members.
A child is placed in a family unit, sharing same identity, community connection, be it in an
extended or with someone with whom he known or even in a foster care where there is no option
left out.
1) Foster care lasts on a short as well as a long-term basis, depending on the needs of the
child.
2) Group foster care does not involve parental care and children are given care and
protection like a family.
The main aim is to provide personalized care and promoting a sense of belonging and
identity, through the family like and community based solutions.
3) Group Foster care is a temporal arrangement of children who have picked up from streets
before placing them in an individual faster care.
Fundamental principles of Foster care

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 1. Family unit or family like environment is most appropriate place for every child to grow.
2. Siblings and twins should live together in one family, sharing close kinship ties.
3. Recognizing that every child has the right to grow in a family environment, every attempt
must be made to reunite the child with his biological family by strengthening the
biological family through a planned process.
Adoption

 Adoption is a process whereby a person takes the responsibility of parenting of

another biological or legal parent, mainly a child.
 Adoption involves permanent shifting of all rights and responsibilities, together
with filiation from biological parents or carers.
 It’s can be even explained as a change in status and require societal recognition,
either through legal or religious sanction.
 In ancients’ times, there specific laws governing adoption, as compared since
the20th Century, procedures for adoption process are governed by comprehensive
statuses and regulations.
Aim of the Adoption Service
Adoption is very useful to people who need a permanent substitute family as birth
family find it difficult to meet the needs of their children and young people.
Principles of the Adoption Services
The Adoption Agency should reach the family and read in the context of the Council’s main
principles of the family and child care policy:

 It is best for children, wherever possible, to be brought up by their own birth family;

 When this is not possible, timely permanence plans will be made;

 Adoption is a service for children. The child's welfare, safety and needs will be at the
centre of the adoption process;

 The child’s wishes and feelings will be actively considered and fully taken into account at
all stages;

 Delays in adoption can have a severe impact on the health and development of children
and should be avoided wherever possible;

 Children’s ethnic origin, cultural background, religion and language will be fully
recognised and positively valued and promoted when decisions are made;

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  The particular needs of disabled children will be fully recognised and taken into account
when decisions are made;

 The role of adoptive parents in offering a permanent family to a child who cannot live
with his or her birth family will be valued and respected;

Aftercare
The primary aim of aftercare service is to offer and assist the variety and continuum of services
to young needy people so that while leaving the home care they are compliant and independent
as an adult to fit the society.
Appropriate aftercare is effective when there’s constant assessment and care planning with
young people prior to leaving care.
The transition between care and aftercare represents a challenge for many young people. They
usually faced development problems while leaving home without the security of a stable
background for support.
The aftercare is even a challenge for service providers. Many young people while leaving the care,
they claim that they are independent of State Services they are unwilling to engage with the
service.

Exercises:
Define foster care and give two examples to show your understanding.
Discuss among classmates about the procedures to be followed when a person decides to
adopt of a child is done in Mauritius.

Summary:
This unit provided a picture on fostering, adoption and aftercare services.

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 Unit 6
Family engagement strategies in child welfare

Overview
Unit 6 describes the family engagement: partnering with families to improve child welfare
outcomes, the benefits of family engagement, ways to achieve meaningful family
engagement, strategies for engaging families at the practice level, encouraging father
involvement and challenges to family engagement.
Objectives
 Familiarising students with Benefits of Family Engagement.
 Introducing different ways to Achieve Meaningful Family Engagement.
 Discussion on Strategies for Engaging Families at the Practice Level

Learning outcomes
At the end of this unit, students will be able to understand family engagement strategies in
child welfare.

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Family Engagement

Engaging families in casework process generates safety, permanency and well-being of children
and families in the child welfare programs and contributes a lot to successful practice.

Family Engagement is a family-centered and strength-based approach to decision-making,

setting goals and achieving desire outcomes for children and families. This involves partnerships
between caseworkers and families based on principles of communicating openly and honestly
over issues like culture, family dynamics, personal experiences among others.

The benefits of Family Engagement

Experts who are devoted for family engagement approach develop solutions to support and
encourage families to ensure child safety as well as to improve outcomes for children and
families.

Family engagement represents a mindset and approach that can produce extensive benefits like;

 Family preservation- Involving family members early in the casework process may
eliminate the need for a child to be placed outside of the home.
 An enhanced helping relationship- A family’s belief that all its members are respected—
and that its strengths, challenges, concerns, and cultural differences are recognized and
accepted—strengthens the relationship with the caseworker. This creates a confidence in
the process that increases the chances for a successful intervention.
 Increased family buy-in- Families are more likely to commit to achieving case goals when
they help to make decisions about a plan that will affect them and their children.
 Expanded options- The inclusion of kin and extended family members early in case
planning increases the number of individuals willing to help with child care,
transportation, etc., and expands placement and permanency options for children when
in-home care is not feasible. The caseworker should defer to the family to identify
potential helpful connections, recognizing that some people who play an important role
may be “fictive kin”—those who may not be related, but who have an emotionally
significant relationship with the family or child.

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  Improved quality and focus of caseworker visits- The partnership developed between
the family and caseworker enhances the assessment process and the level of
engagement, resulting in more constructive meetings and more positive outcomes
(Gladstone et al., 2012).
 Enhanced family decision-making skills- Involvement in a strengths-based decision-
making process— where appropriate approaches to problem-solving are modeled—gives
family members new strategies for communicating and problem-solving.
 More targeted services- In a collaborative partnership, caseworkers and family members
are better able to identify a family’s unique needs and develop relevant and culturally
appropriate service plans that address underlying needs, build on family strengths, and
draw from community supports (Pinsoneault & Fiermonte, 2013).

Ways to achieve meaningful family engagement

There are a number of child welfare agencies that work devotedly with engaging families on a
daily basis. This entails lots of challenges in terms of resource limitations, high caseloads and
reliance on traditional practices.

Yet, these challenges, can be minimized by integrating family engagement into the agency’s child
welfare practice model and implementing key elements at the systems and casework practice
levels.

6.4: Key systems elements:

Here we shall state some key elements that have been identified as significant to achieve
meaningful family engagement. Not every element will be achievable in every instance while
some will evolve over time.

Key elements involve:

 Agency leadership that demonstrates a strong commitment to family-centered practice

and champions family engagement as a primacy
 Organizational culture that copies desired behaviors, actions, and communication among
managers, supervisors, and frontline caseworkers

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 Systems change initiatives and Program Improvement Plans with detailed strategies for
achieving family and youth involvement
 Policies and standards that clearly outline expectations, identify requirements, and
reinforce family engagement in case practice
 Trained supervisors who explain agency policies that apply to family engagement, offer
coaching to caseworkers, and provide support and feedback
 Manageable caseloads and workloads allowing caseworkers to attend to the time-
consuming efforts of building rapport, engaging families, actively participating in team
decision-making meetings, and maintaining frequent, meaningful contact with children
and families
 Defined roles for planning and facilitation of team decision-making meetings to ensure
that the meetings are timely (with reasonable notice to all parties), well facilitated,
focused on the family and children’s strengths and needs, goal directed, and inclusive of
all team members
 Skillful facilitation, which in some agencies is carried out by external facilitators or
coordinators who guide engagement activities such as family group conferences and
make sure that all points of view are perceived
 Availability and accessibility of diverse services that can respond specifically to the
family’s identified needs and conditions
 Identification of service gaps and new ways to develop the community services that
families need
 Training and coaching to build family engagement skills among child welfare caseworkers
and supervisors, and to help birth families, foster families, caseworkers, administrators,
and other helping professionals work together effectively
 Systematic documentation of caseworker/ family interaction and communication, and
family involvement
 Individualized performance review systems that reward staff for family engagement
efforts and provide ongoing feedback regarding performance

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  Quality assurance and case review processes that monitor effective implementation of
family engagement and measure its effects on safety, permanency, and well-being
 External assistance in the form of training, consultation, and technical assistance from
recognized family engagement experts
 Monitoring of family engagement activities and family progress against mutually agreed-
upon goals

Strategies for engaging families at the Practice Level

Comprehensive family engagement improves outcomes and is a best practice in a child welfare
case. The steps are in numbers and help to partner with families.

The basics of practice-level engagement:

Quality family engagement starts at the practice level. Steps need to be effective, collaborative
case planning and these include:

 Gathering and assessing information in order to visualize the family system.

 Identifying behaviors and conditions that need to change.
 Matching strengths and needs with solutions and services.
 Reviewing, tracking, and acknowledging progress regularly.
 Determining readiness for key case transition points, such as reunification.
 Marshaling supports for relapse prevention as needed.
 Preparing for case closure

Barriers to Engagement:

 Ongoing relationship difficulties with the mother

 Substance use problems
 Lack of a valid address or working phone number for contact purposes
 Distrust of agency and/or caseworker

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Steps to Engagement

 Use diligent efforts to identify, find, communicate with, and engage fathers
 Offer fathers the same services and supports that mothers receive, and treat them equally
 Address father-specific needs (community services, father support groups, counseling,
housing and employment services, etc.)
 Ensure a constructive caseworker-father relationship

Challenges to Family Engagement

Engaging birth parents and extended family members on a regular basis, entails challenges.

 Family members may be uneasy and mistrusting the child welfare system and fear that
they might lose their child permanently.
 Caseworkers feel that they are working on a one-way traffic since family tend to be
unresponsive to services and to programmes.

Other factors that are likely to impede engagement include poverty, single parenting,
substance use and mental health, and lack of cultural competence.

Reflection. Family engagement is a family-centered and strengths-based approach to

partnering with families in making decisions, setting goals, and achieving desired outcomes.
Discuss.

Summary:

In this Chapter, we have explained family engagement, its benefits, barriers and few challenges.

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