child welfare

Child protection is used to describe a set of usually government-run services designed to protect children and encourage family stability. These typically include investigation of alleged child abuse, child protective services, foster care, adoption services, and services aimed at supporting at-risk families so they can remain intact.

Most children who come to the attention of the child welfare system do so because of any of the following situations, which are often collectively termed child abuse:

• Neglect including the failure to take adequate measures to safeguard a child from harm and/or gross negligence in providing for a child's basic needs
• Emotional abuse
• Child sexual abuse
• Physical abuse
• Psychological abuse

The United States government's Administration for Children and Families reported that in 2004 approximately 3.5 million children were involved in investigations of alleged abuse or neglect in the US, while an estimated 872,000 children were determined to have been abused or neglected and an estimated 1,490 children died that year because of abuse or neglect.

History

The concept of a state sanctioned child welfare system dates back to Plato's Republic. Plato theorised that the interests of the child could be served by snatching children from the care of their parents and placing them into state custody. To prevent an uprising from dispossessed parents:

"We shall have to invent some ingenious kind of lots which the less worthy may draw on each occasion of our bringing them together, and then they will accuse their own ill-luck and not the rulers." [1]

Usually the responsibilities are stated within an act of a provincial legislature of provincial parliament. This then empowers the government department or agency to provide services in the area and to intervene into families where child abuse or other problems are suspected. The government agency that manages these services has various other names in different provinces, e.g., child and family services, children's aid. There is some consistency in the nature of laws, though the application of the laws may vary across the country.

Worldwide

Please help improve this article or section by expanding it. Further information might be found on the talk page. (March 2009)

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom has a comprehensive child welfare system under which Local Authorities have duties and responsibilities towards children in need in their area. This covers provision of advice and services, accommodation and care of children who become uncared for, and also the capacity to initiate proceedings for the removal of children from their parents care/care proceedings. The criteria for the latter is 'significant harm' which covers physical, sexual and emotional abuse and neglect. In appropriate cases the Care Plan before the Court will be for adoption. The Local Authorities also run adoption services both for children put up for adoption voluntarily and those becoming available for adoption through Court proceedings. The basic legal principle in all public and private proceedings concerning children, under the Children Act 1989, is that the welfare of the child is paramount. In recognition of attachment issues, social work good practice requires a minimal number of moves and the 1989 Children Act enshrines the principle that delay is inimical to a child's welfare. Care proceedings have a time frame of 40 weeks and concurrent planning is required. The final Care Plan put forward by the Local Authority is required to provide a plan for permanence, whether with parents, family members, long-term foster parents or adopters. Nevertheless, 'drift' and multiple placements still occur as many older children are difficult to place or maintain in placements. The role of Independent Visitor, a voluntary post, was created in the United Kingdom under the 1989 Children Act to befriend and assist children and young people in care.

In England, Wales and Scotland, despite the Children Act, there never has been a statutory obligation to report alleged child abuse to the Police. Northern Ireland is the exception to this legislative omission. In 2007 the DCSF (Department of Children Schools and Families) created the Local Authority Designated Officer, "LADO" to whom alleged abuse should be reported. The appointee is designated to act as an independent set of eyes and ears to assess situations prior to contacting any other agencies. However, there is no statutory obligation to report alleged abuse to this officer, and no sanction on any setting or organisation for failing to report. Working together to Sequestrate Children 2006 and the subsequent The Perversion of Childhood in England: A Progress Report [Laming 2009] now combine to create an abominable atmosphere of collaboration and non-consensual information sharing. This is under the false pretence of protecting children from harm but its net effect is to render children more vulnerable to paedophiles^{[citation needed]} and further reduce any privacy within family life. The CAF database has also been identified by a commission as being illegal under the Human Rights Act and Data Protection Act (both 1998) as it allows professionals to disclose information to each other without necessary safeguards being in place to prevent unlawful (eg without consent) or excessive use- and often contains subjective and therefore inaccurate data which subjects have a right to order for correction/deletion under the DPA.^{[citation needed]}

A child in suitable cases can be made a ward of court and no decisions about the child or changes in its life can be made without the leave of the High Court.

Effects of early maltreatment on children in child welfare

The National Adoption Center found that 52% of adoptable children had symptoms of attachment disorder. A study by Dante Cicchetti found that 80% of abused and maltreated infants studied exhibited signs of disorganized attachment. Lessons from research on maltreated infants’ attachments to their caregivers. An organizational perspective on attachment beyond infancy.

Children with histories of maltreatment, such as physical and psychological neglect, physical abuse, and sexual abuse, are at risk of developing psychiatric problems.^[1][2] Such children are at risk of developing a disorganized attachment.^[3][4][5] Disorganized attachment is associated with a number of developmental problems, including dissociative symptoms,^[6] as well as depressive, anxiety, and acting-out symptoms.^[7][8]

Children who have experienced such early chronic trauma often require extensive and specific treatment to address multi-dimensional problems experienced by these children.

Disproportionality & Disparity in the Child Welfare System

In the United States, data suggests that a disproportionate number of minority children, particularly African American and Native American children, enter the foster care system.^[9] National data in the United States provides evidence that disproportionality may vary throughout the course of a child's involvement with the child welfare system. Differing rates of disproportionality are seen at key decision points including the reporting of abuse, substantiation of abuse, and placement into foster care. ^[10] Additionally, once they enter foster care, research suggests that they are likely to remain in care longer.^[11] Research has shown that there is no difference in the rate of abuse and neglect among minority populations when compared to Caucasian children that would account for the disparity.^[12] The Juvenile Justice system has also been challenged by disproportionate negative contact of minority children.^[13] Because of the overlap in these systems, it is likely that this phenomenon within multiple systems may be related.

See also

References

Websites

http://users.resist.ca/~kirstena/machallinstitutionhistory.html (History of Child Protection in America by Kirsten Anderberg, Graduate History Student, 2009)

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/pubs/cm04 (accessed 8/4/06)

http://www.acf.hhs.gov/programs/cb/stats_research/afcars/tar/report11.htm (accessed 8/4/06)

http://www.childwelfare.gov/ (accessed 10/19/06)

v • d • e Social work and related concepts Primary concepts Social work · Qualifications for professional social work · Role of the professional social worker · Social work knowledge building Education Bachelor of Social Work (BA, BSc or BSW) degree · Socionom · Master of Social Work degree (MA, MSc or MSW) · Doctor of Social Work degree (Ph.D or DSW) · International Association of Schools of Social Work · Council on Social Work Education · Schools of social work Articles on social workers American social workers · British social workers · Canadian social work academics · Unclassified social workers Professional social work associations International Federation of Social Workers (IFSW) · National Association of Social Workers · British Association of Social Workers · Australian Association of Social Workers · Professional Social Workers' Association Types of social work Medical social work · Social work with groups · Social planning · School social worker · Barefoot social work · Forensic Social Work · Caseworker · Child Welfare · Social Work in the Military Other terms of interest Community practice · Community organizing · Settlement movement · Charity Organization Society · Jane Addams · Social justice These articles are supported by the Social Work WikiProject