scholarly journals Narrative Child Protection in Hungary. The Importance of Knowing the History of the Families in Need in the Social Work with Children

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 95-114
Author(s):  
Andrea Rácz ◽  
Ernő Bogács
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Hungarian Academy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Causal Link ◽  
Professional Attitude ◽  
The Family ◽  
Research Scholarship ◽  
Families With Children

AbstractThe study is reflecting on the nature and features of social work with families with children, attempting to discuss social work as assistance and apprehension and to detect whether there is any causal link between the efficiency of social work and the narrative approach and the “unstoried”, “faceless” condition of the families. We argue that professional attitude aimed at providing child protection support is not possible without knowing the story of families with children. Without a helping attitude, no real social work is possible, and thus the client remains invisible and faceless in the process of child welfare or child protection interventions. Besides the actual situations of story-based intervention in social work (micro level), narrativity is also important for the transparent and adequate functioning of the system (mezzo level); moreover, it can become a factor of paradigm shift in social and political discourse on social work and its target groups (macro level). The study is based on the research entitled Child Protection Trends Supporting Children’s Well-Being carried out within the Research Scholarship granted by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences (2017–2020). The research focused on the family concept of child protection professionals and their views of the clients that can be deducted from this concept. The research also examines the notion and functions of the family from the viewpoint of children, young people and their parents as well as the professional attitudes and interventions determined by these perceptions. Research results show that due to the diversity and complexity of the problems of families in the purview of the child protection system one cannot reflect on professional solutions along types of problems. Successful functioning and efficient child protection rely rather on revealing individual and specific needs. All this indicates that child welfare and child protection work is possible only if built on personal stories.

scholarly journals New ways towards a service-oriented, participatory child protection in Hungary

2019 ◽  
pp. 13-30
Author(s):  
Andrea Rácz
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Local Community ◽  
Field Work ◽  
Internal Resources ◽  
Social Work Training ◽  
Work Training ◽  
The Family ◽  
Service Oriented

The core aspect of the child welfare and protection thought focusing on the family and channelling community resources is that in order to preserve the unity of the family, it is necessary to widely introduce from the local community the services into the family’s life, thus mobilizing the internal resources of the family, and acknowledging parenting, as a social value. Integrative child protection is a multidisciplinary and multidimensional process. The research examines how the Hungarian child protection professionals in child welfare services and centres, child protection institutions and foster care system reflect on the professional work, and on the dysfunctions identified in child protection field work. I also examine how social work training and practice can help to incorporate professional values into field work. I analyse how social assistance can be adequate in general, and how social work became asocial in the late modernity and in a rapidly changing, unpredictable service environment.

scholarly journals Child Protective Services and University-Based Partnerships: A Participatory Action-Based Model for Creating and Sharing Knowledge

2020 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 118-128 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randall L. Waechter ◽  
Christine Wekerle ◽  
Bruce Leslie ◽  
Deborah Goodman ◽  
Nadine Wathen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Health Research ◽  
Aboriginal People ◽  
Research Impact ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Professional Staff ◽  
Participatory Action ◽  
University Partnerships ◽  
Key Factor

This paper presents one model for building and sustaining a research partnership between researchers and professional staff in child protection (CPS) agencies. The Maltreatment and Adolescent Pathways (MAP) study was designed to assess the health and well-being of the population of adolescents involved in the child welfare system of a major urban area. The study involved the collaboration between university based researchers and a range of child welfare staff, from administration to front-line workers. A key factor supporting collaboration was reciprocity with expertise, with CPS practitioner knowledge yielding intervention-relevant study queries and constructs, and researcher knowledge on health content and best practices yielding tailored training opportunities and increased climate for knowledge uptake. The MAP study combined a Participatory Action Research (PAR) model with a traditional, scientific positivist model, including the scientific elements of standardized measures, explicit evaluation of the participatory process, and research impact on the community members. This study: 1) provides information on the process of creating effective researcher-CPC agency partnerships, 2) considers key ethics issues, such as the participant’s reactivity to research of child welfare- involved clients, and 3) examines the implications of implanting a PAR approach in research with Aboriginal CPS agencies, as per the required use of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Guidelines for Health Research Involving Aboriginal People for future community- university partnerships.

Ethical decision-making in internet research – Investigating protest groups against Child Welfare Services on Facebook

2018 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 301-317
Author(s):  
Edda Stang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Ethical Decision ◽  
Ethical Decision Making ◽  
Internet Research ◽  
Child Welfare Services ◽  
Welfare Services ◽  
Insight Into

At a time when both extensive international and national protest and criticisms are directed toward the Norwegian Child Welfare Services, it is of great interest to researchers to gain insight into the viewpoints presented in protest groups on social media. The paper aims to give insight into the ethical judgement involved in research on digital communities where it is difficult to decide whether certain material is public or not. In addition, the paper reflects on the social consequences of understanding some participants as vulnerable versus understanding them as citizens, in a social work/child protection context on social media. A considerable amount of literature focuses on ethical questions in Internet research. There is also literature on the ethical considerations connected to resistance and protest groups on social media. There is, however, less existing research about the ethical decision-making within the field of social work, child protection and client protests on the Internet. This paper analyses certain experiences from a qualitative research project regarding Facebook groups protesting Child Welfare Services in Norway. The paper concludes that in some social media research contexts, as the one presented here, taking extra care to anonymize participants in publications is sufficient to secure privacy, and covert collection of data is possible without jeopardizing ethical guidelines. Further, by developing practical ethical judgement, we can – in some social work contexts – avoid putting people into categories like “vulnerable” and instead approach the participants in public Facebook groups as citizens with socio-political opinions.

Early detection of social neglect in economically disadvantaged families as a direction of family policy

2020 ◽  
pp. 55-66
Author(s):  
Tatyana Anatolievna Mikhailova
Keyword(s):  
Social Policy ◽  
Early Detection ◽  
Early Identification ◽  
Economically Disadvantaged ◽  
Family Policy ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Children And Families ◽  
The Family ◽  
Families With Children ◽  
Disadvantaged Families

One of the directions of social policy is to improve the situation of children and families with children. The main objectives of family policy are related to improving the well-being of the family. In this regard, it becomes obvious that there is a need to develop a system of measures for early identification of families in crisis.

Instrumentation to Understand the Child Protective Services Decision-Making Processes

2020 ◽  
pp. 81-108
Author(s):  
Alan J. Dettlaff ◽  
Dana Hollinshead ◽  
Donald J. Baumann ◽  
John D. Fluke
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Improved Outcomes ◽  
Welfare Systems ◽  
Decision Making Processes ◽  
Child Welfare Outcomes

When children come to the attention of the child welfare system, they become involved in a decision-making process in which decisions are made that have a significant effect on their future and well-being. The decision to remove children from their families is particularly complex, yet surprisingly little is understood about this decision-making process. As a result, instrumentation has been developed and adapted over the past 20 years to further understand variations in child welfare outcomes that are decision-based and, in particular concerning the removal decision, in order to provide a more thorough understanding of the intersecting factors that influence caseworker decisions. This chapter presents research and the development and use of this instrument, drawing from the decision-making ecology as the underlying rationale for obtaining the measures. The instrument was based on the development of decision-making scales used in multiple studies and administered to child protection caseworkers in several states. This effort is part of a larger program of research that seeks to better understand decision-making processes in child welfare systems in order to promote fairness, accuracy, and improved outcomes among children and families.

scholarly journals Coronavirus Pandemic (Covid-19): Delayed Consequences for the Prevention of Social Orphanhood

2021 ◽  
Vol 2 (1) ◽  
pp. 47-59
Author(s):  
G.V. Semya ◽  
E.S. Garifulina ◽  
N.V. Freik
Keyword(s):  
Social Services ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Expert Assessment ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Expert Analysis ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Families With Children ◽  
Delayed Consequences ◽  
The Impact

The article presents an expert analysis of the impact of the restrictions imposed to prevent the spread of a new coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Russia on the situation of families with children and the children, as well as the delayed consequences for the social orphancy system in Russia. The expert assessment is based on the results of sociological surveys of the child protection representatives, their opinion on the impact of the pandemic on the well-being of families with children and children in 9 regions, the analysis of individual organizations for orphans and children left without parental care. The data on the difference in the assessment of the situation of specialists and representatives of the non-profit sector are correlated. Conclusions are drawn about the strengthening of the “medical approach” in assessing the well-being of a child against social and personal needs, the lack of flexibility in organizing the work of the subjects of the orphancy prevention system during restrictive measures, as well as objective limitations of the remote form of providing social services and the unavailability of such services for certain family categories. The research was com- missioned by the Elena and Gennady Timchenko Charitable Foundation.

scholarly journals Strengths and problems of families in contact with child protective services during the COVID-19 pandemic

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susanne Witte ◽  
Heinz Kindler
Keyword(s):  
Child Protection ◽  
Child Protective Services ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Protective Services ◽  
Daily Work ◽  
The Family ◽  
Child And Youth Welfare ◽  
The Face ◽  
Adaptation Response ◽  
Perceived Effects

Objective: The study investigates the dynamics within families in contact with child protective services in reaction to the Covid-19 pandemic as perceived by social workers. Based on the Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response (FAAR) model, strengths and problems are outlined. Background: Following the first lockdown of public life in March 2020, concerns about children’s well-being have been raised. Practitioners and scientists alike worried that particularly children in families with multiple problems would suffer severe abuse and neglect. However, it remains unclear how these families have actually been affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and the measures to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2. Method: Child protection caseworkers from 40 child and youth welfare authorities across Germany were interviewed twice via telephone. The first interview was conducted during summer 2020, and the second interview two months later. Caseworkers were questioned about their professional experience in their daily work since March 2020. Moreover, they provided information on the perceived effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on families in contact with child protective services. Results: The interviews were analyzed using content analyses. Six overall challenges for families were identified. Families reacted differently to these. The caseworkers reported problems in families like increased parental conflict, media use, and alcohol consumption during the first lockdown. Nevertheless in some families, the caseworkers also perceived there to be less stress and tension during the lockdown in March 2020 due to fewer school requirements. Furthermore, some families were able to establish routines, activate resources, and find solutions for problems on their own. At the time of the second interview, some families’ problems had increased, particularly regarding children’s difficulties at school due to insufficient homeschooling. Conclusion: The results show that the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on child protection families are positive and negative. Some are resourceful in the face of adversities, and others show an aggravation of problems. The results are discussed in light of findings on family dynamics during the Covid-19 pandemic in other countries.

scholarly journals Editorial: The social work voice – doxa and dissent in neoliberal times

2016 ◽  
Vol 28 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-6 ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Keddell ◽  
Deb Stanfield ◽  
Ian Hyslop
Keyword(s):  
Social Work ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
The State ◽  
Special Issue ◽  
Aotearoa New Zealand ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Family ◽  
Critical Responses

Welcome to this special issue of Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work. The theme for this edition is Child protection, the family and the state: critical responses in neoliberal times.

scholarly journals CLINICAL ORIENTATION OF SOCIAL SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN IN DIFFICULT LIFE SITUATIONS

2021 ◽  
pp. 236-243
Author(s):  
Оксана Александровна Малашенко ◽  
Светлана Александровна Куликова
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Work ◽  
Professional Activity ◽  
Life Situation ◽  
Unique Case ◽  
The Family ◽  
Clinical Orientation ◽  
Families With Children

Рассмотрен феномен социального сопровождения семьи с детьми в контексте концепта клинической направленности социальной работы. Обоснована детерминированность поиска и привлечения ресурсов и способов преодоления сложного жизненного сценария семьи как уникального случая. Охарактеризована интегративная мультидисциплинарная организация помогающей практики, многоаспектность профессиональной деятельности специалиста, реализующего функции социального сопровождения семьи с детьми в трудной жизненной ситуации. The article considers the phenomenon of social support for families with children in the context of the concept of clinical orientation of social work. The determinism of the search and attraction of resources and ways to overcome the complex life scenario of the family as a unique case is justified. The article describes the integrative multidisciplinary organization of the helping practice, the multidimensional nature of the professional activity of a specialist who performs the functions of social support for a family with children in a difficult life situation.

PROJECT ACTIVITY AS A FORM OF REGIONAL SUPPORT OF THE FAMILY, MOTHERHOOD AND CHILDHOOD

2019 ◽  
pp. 57-63
Author(s):  
N.V. Zakharkina ◽  
I.V. Iljin
Keyword(s):  
Social Support ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Special Role ◽  
Project Activity ◽  
Country Level ◽  
The Family ◽  
Women And Children ◽  
Families With Children ◽  
Health And Well Being

Social protection of motherhood and childhood is a subject of special attention of the state as through the care about health and well-being of women and children the country’s healthy pop-ulation increase is guaranteed. Project activity plays special role in effective social support of families with children at the country level in general and at the level of its separate regions. In the article the authors study project initiatives on the family, motherhood and childhood regional support on the example of Lipetsk region.

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