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An essential aspect of
social work practice is the support and preservation of
the family unit. Building and empowering strong, resilient families
is a focus of social work practice within organizations and communities.
Social work research is an
integral aspect of working with families. The research component of social work
is essential to providing effective policies, programs, and services to support
and empower families.
As a social worker, you
need to be equipped with the knowledge and skills required for effectively
working with families for child welfare. You also need to interpret and
evaluate research findings involving family and child welfare.
For this Discussion, review
this week’s resources. Consider the role of family preservation in
child welfare, the research regarding family preservation, and the
assumptions about foster care. Think about whether you agree with the research,
and whether there are any gaps in your state foster care system that might
contribute to the assumptions. Reflect on the benefits and shortfalls of
permanency planning and family preservation and which approach
you prefer.
By Day
4
Post an explanation of the role of family preservation in child welfare. Then, explain whether research supports the assumption that foster care is harmful for children, as presented by the cornerstone argument for family preservation. Be sure to include whether you agree with this assumption and why you agree or disagree. Subsequently, identify the gaps in your state foster care system that contribute to the idea that foster care is harmful to children. Then, compare the benefits and shortfalls of permanency planning and family preservation. Finally, provide a description of whether you prefer the permanency or the family preservation approach as a child welfare social worker and why you prefer it.
Learning Resources
Required
Readings
Popple, P. R., &
Leighninger, L. (2019). The policy-based profession: An introduction to
social welfare policy analysis for social workers (7th ed.). Upper
Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education.
·
Chapter
10, “Child Welfare: Family Preservation Policy” (pp. 214-244)
Plummer, S. -B., Makris,
S., & Brocksen, S. (Eds.). (2014). Sessions: Case histories.
Baltimore: MD: Laureate International Universities Publishing. [Vital Source
e-reader].
·
Part
1, "The Hernandez Family" (pp.3–5)
Required
Media
Laureate Education
(Producer). (2013). Sessions: Hernandez family (Episode 3 of 42) [Video
file]. Retrieved from https://class.waldenu.edu
Discussion
Post: Family Preservation
Family
preservation entails efforts of keeping children at home and close to their
families. It plays the role of retaining children in the care of parents and
other close family members and designing children risk mitigation mechanism in
the context of child welfare. Edwards, Bryant, and Bent-Goodley (2011) noted
that family preservation assists child welfare by identifying children’s needs
and developing alternatives. In this case, family preservation aims at maintain
social and family bond between children, their parents, and other siblings.
Additionally, according to the Department of Social Services, family
preservation plays the role of streamlining child welfare by upholding the key
child welfare policy of maintain children in their home as long as it is safe
for them. Finally, family preservation key roles are founded on the idea of
maintaining family units by solving social problems eminent among growing
children, just as it is the case with child welfare.
Research does not
support the assumption that foster care is harmful to children because unfit
homes have detrimental effects on children's growth. Research by Popple and
Leighninger (2019) indicates that children are better off living in children's
institutions than experiencing extreme poverty, child abuse, neglect, and other
negative experiences that children go through in their maternal homes. Even
then, Edwards et al. (2011) postulate that family systems play a key in
identifying children’s interest and aligning with family belief system, leading
to a better interaction between children, their parents and immediate members
of a family. Personally, I am also not convinced that foster homes are harmful
because children can experience love and attention. This assumption does not
appear accurate to me because foster homes act as alternative solutions incase
children experience unsafe environment under the care of their parents.
The main gap in my state foster care that contributes to the idea that foster care is harmful is the perception that foster homes or guardians cannot love a child as their parents would. While this position is not entirely true, people have a conception that a child can only be loved better by their parents. However, this has not always been the case; some children have to endure hunger, lack medical attention, being brutalized by their parents, among other vices, hence signifying the gaps. The exist of perception that foster care cannot replace family love has some extent of truth in it, but does not fully justify causes of actions necessary when social work recommend fostering as the only safe...
