scholarly journals Four essays on the child welfare system

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Hyslop ◽  
Emily Keddell ◽  
David Hanna ◽  
Claire Achmad
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
The State ◽  
Family Court ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Legislative Changes

The year 2019 represented a watershed moment for Aotearoa New Zealand’s child welfare system, as a public spotlight was shone on systemic ethnic inequities during ongoing legislative changes aimed at centering Te Tiriti o Waitangi and whänau, hapü, and iwi considerations in policy and practice. In the midst of this dialogue, Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Government hosted the “Children, Families, and the State”– a seminar series focused on the historical, current, and future role of the state in the lives of families and children. The seminars, and the discussion it generated, was due to the calls to action from speakers across the system, including leadership at Oranga Tamariki, within the family court, non-profit providers, commissioners and advocates, and academics. The following essays in this edition of Policy Quarterly capture viewpoints from several of the seminar speakers. Despite their different perspectives, common threads unite them. A greater recognition of the structural causes of the historical and current patterns of ethnic inequities in child welfare system contact, a commitment to whänau, hapü, and iwi-centred policy, practice, and partnership, the authors argue, are vital for a more just and empowering system.

scholarly journals Child welfare system

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Hanna
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
The State ◽  
Family Court ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Policy Practice ◽  
Role Of The State ◽  
Legislative Changes

The year 2019 represented a watershed moment for Aotearoa New Zealand’s child welfare system, as a public spotlight was shone on systemic ethnic inequities during ongoing legislative changes aimed at centering Te Tiriti o Waitangi and whänau, hapü, and iwi considerations in policy and practice. In the midst of this dialogue, Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Government hosted the “Children, Families, and the State”– a seminar series focused on the historical, current, and future role of the state in the lives of families and children. The seminars, and the discussion it generated, was due to the calls to action from speakers across the system, including leadership at Oranga Tamariki, within the family court, non-profit providers, commissioners and advocates, and academics. The four brief essays in this edition of Policy Quarterly capture viewpoints from several of the seminar speakers. Despite their different perspectives, common threads unite them. A greater recognition of the structural causes of the historical and current patterns of ethnic inequities in child welfare system contact, a commitment to whänau, hapü, and iwi-centred policy, practice, and partnership, the authors argue, are vital for a more just and empowering system.

scholarly journals Realising treaty-based protection in Aotearoa’s child welfare system

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire Achmad
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
The State ◽  
Family Court ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
United Nation Convention ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Rights Of The Child ◽  
Role Of The State

The year 2019 represented a watershed moment for Aotearoa New Zealand’s child welfare system, as a public spotlight was shone on systemic ethnic inequities during ongoing legislative changes aimed at centering Te Tiriti o Waitangi and whänau, hapü, and iwi considerations in policy and practice. In the midst of this dialogue, Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Government hosted the “Children, Families, and the State”– a seminar series focused on the historical, current, and future role of the state in the lives of families and children. The seminars, and the discussion it generated, was due to the calls to action from speakers across the system, including leadership at Oranga Tamariki, within the family court, non-profit providers, commissioners and advocates, and academics. The four brief essays in this edition of Policy Quarterly capture viewpoints from several of the seminar speakers. Despite their different perspectives, common threads unite them. A greater recognition of the structural causes of the historical and current patterns of ethnic inequities in child welfare system contact, a commitment to whänau, hapü, and iwi-centred policy, practice, and partnership, the authors argue, are vital for a more just and empowering system. In this essay, Claire Achmad discusses how Te Tiriti o Waitangi and the United Nation Convention on the Rights of the Child can be frameworks for policy change aimed at making the child welfare system both child-centred while reducing ethnic inequities.

scholarly journals Child protection, capitalism and the settler state

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian Hyslop
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Social Protection ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
The State ◽  
Family Court ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Role Of The State

The year 2019 represented a watershed moment for Aotearoa New Zealand’s child welfare system, as a public spotlight was shone on systemic ethnic inequities during ongoing legislative changes aimed at centering Te Tiriti o Waitangi and whänau, hapü, and iwi considerations in policy and practice. In the midst of this dialogue, Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Government hosted the “Children, Families, and the State”– a seminar series focused on the historical, current, and future role of the state in the lives of families and children. The seminars, and the discussion it generated, was due to the calls to action from speakers across the system, including leadership at Oranga Tamariki, within the family court, non-profit providers, commissioners and advocates, and academics. The four brief essays in this edition of Policy Quarterly capture viewpoints from several of the seminar speakers. Despite their different perspectives, common threads unite them. A greater recognition of the structural causes of the historical and current patterns of ethnic inequities in child welfare system contact, a commitment to whänau, hapü, and iwi-centred policy, practice, and partnership, the authors argue, are vital for a more just and empowering system. Here, Ian Hyslop highlights the ways in which New Zealand’s history of racism and colonialism has shaped the child welfare system today, and how a radical redistribution of power to whānau and iwi can help restore the social protection of children.  

scholarly journals case for an inequalities perspective in child protection

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Emily Keddell
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
The State ◽  
Family Court ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Non Profit ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Role Of The State

The year 2019 represented a watershed moment for Aotearoa New Zealand’s child welfare system, as a public spotlight was shone on systemic ethnic inequities during ongoing legislative changes aimed at centering Te Tiriti o Waitangi and whänau, hapü, and iwi considerations in policy and practice. In the midst of this dialogue, Victoria University of Wellington’s School of Government hosted the “Children, Families, and the State”– a seminar series focused on the historical, current, and future role of the state in the lives of families and children. The seminars, and the discussion it generated, was due to the calls to action from speakers across the system, including leadership at Oranga Tamariki, within the family court, non-profit providers, commissioners and advocates, and academics. The four brief essays in this edition of Policy Quarterly capture viewpoints from several of the seminar speakers. Despite their different perspectives, common threads unite them. A greater recognition of the structural causes of the historical and current patterns of ethnic inequities in child welfare system contact, a commitment to whänau, hapü, and iwi-centred policy, practice, and partnership, the authors argue, are vital for a more just and empowering system. In this essay, Emily Keddell reflects on how a lack of an inequalities perspective in policymaking has shaped New Zealand’s unequal child welfare system, and the ways in which this perspective can drive down the number of children who enter the system in the future.

Race, Gender, and Poverty Governance: The Case of the U.S. Child Welfare System

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kerry C Woodward
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
The State ◽  
Race And Gender ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Child Welfare Workforce ◽  
And Gender ◽  
The U.S

Abstract This article argues that the U.S. child welfare system is a primary institution of racialized and gendered poverty governance, operating at the nexus of the assistive and punitive arms of the state. With attention to the ways race and gender structure the child welfare system, I apply the concept of neoliberal paternalism to examine state efforts to reform “bad” parents into “good neoliberal citizen-parents.” I highlight the increasingly decentralized and privatized child welfare workforce and its effects on governance. Finally, I explore the contradictions around expectations of “self-sufficiency.”

scholarly journals Perceived Effectiveness of Parent Representation Social Workers by Legal Professionals Involved with Indigent Defendants

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-115
Author(s):  
Jeremiah W. Jaggers ◽  
Aurene Wilford ◽  
Ileana Anderson ◽  
Joanna Bettmann
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
Family Court ◽  
Foster Care System ◽  
Public Defenders ◽  
Legal Professionals ◽  
Number Of Children

The total number of children in the U.S. foster care system exceeds 428,000. Previous research indicates that when social workers and legal professionals work together, children and their families benefit significantly. Parents who effectively engage in the child welfare system are more likely to benefit from services and reunify with their children. The present study employed a phenomenological approach to explore how a parent representation pilot, which paired social workers with public defenders to better represent the needs of families in the child welfare system, was experienced by legal professionals. Judges and family court attorneys (n = 9) found the program to be helpful in reunifying families. Public defenders were able to leverage the social worker’s skills and experience to facilitate more positive outcomes, while reducing case burden. Challenges were also identified and included a lack of interdisciplinary training, potential overlap in ethical responsibilities, and role confusion. Structured intervention programs that encourage collaboration between social workers and legal professionals may improve case outcomes for indigent families involved in the child welfare system. It is advised that social work undertake a formal multidisciplinary approach in support of public defenders, which may serve to encourage positive case outcomes.

Independence or Interdependence: Rethinking the Transition from “Ward of the Court” to Adulthood

2003 ◽  
Vol 84 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-266 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jennifer Propp ◽  
Debora M. Ortega ◽  
Forest NewHeart
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Child Welfare ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
The State ◽  
Foster Care System ◽  
Self Sufficiency ◽  
Empowerment Model ◽  
Model Of Practice ◽  
Care System

Youth who transition out of foster care are often overlooked and unprepared for a life outside of the child welfare system. As youth begin to grow up in the foster care system, they are encouraged to move toward the goal of self-sufficiency. This article examines the idea of self-sufficiency as it relates to youth transitioning from the foster care system and proposes a different approach to the state of transition, an approach called interdependent living. Through this examination, the authors suggest a way to reshape practice approaches by emphasizing the values of interdependence, connection, and collaboration. Together these values lead to an empowerment model of practice for youth who transition from foster care.

What Counts as Evidence in Child Welfare Research?

2022 ◽  
pp. 104973152110695
Author(s):  
Emiko A. Tajima ◽  
Angelique G. Day ◽  
V. Kalei Kanuha ◽  
Jessica Rodriquez-JenKins ◽  
Jessica A. Pryce
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Lived Experience ◽  
Work Practice ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Social Work Practice ◽  
Child Welfare System ◽  
Welfare System ◽  
Policy And Practice ◽  
Services Research ◽  
Valid Evidence

In this commentary, we respond to Barth, R. P., Berrick, J. D., Garcia, A. R., Drake, B., Jonson-Reid, M., Gyouroko, J. R., and Greeson, J. K. P. (2021). Research to consider while effectively re-designing child welfare services. Research on Social Work Practice. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315211050000 and critique their premise that Western-based research with population-level administrative data is the best and only valid evidence on which to base child welfare policy and practice changes. We offer an alternative viewpoint on what forms of evidence should be brought to bear as we consider re-envisioning the child welfare system, highlighting the importance of lived experience and the need to consider the evidence regarding all marginalized racial and ethnic groups. We argue that evidence should represent the perspectives of those with lived experience and that collaborative child welfare research can strengthen the validity of analyses and interpretations. We hold that Barth et al. ask and answer the wrong questions. We press for deeper critical reflection, a more nuanced intersectional lens, and urgent action to address structural and institutional racism in the child welfare system.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document