This study explored decision making by child protection social workers in the province of British Columbia, Canada. A factorial survey method was used in which case vignettes were constructed by randomly assigning a number of key characteristics associated with decision making in child protection. Child protection social workers (n = 118) assessed…

This article describes the experiences and perspectives of child welfare workers and maltreated children living in Japanese state care. Japanese adults emphasize supporting children's emotional well-being and empowerment through developmentally and ecologically focused socialization strategies. One developmental goal articulated by caregivers of…

The education, recruitment, training, and retention of a quality child welfare workforce is critical to the successful implementation of public policy and programs for the nation's most vulnerable children. Yet, national information about child welfare workers has never been collected. The National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being is a…

Compared families referred to county child welfare agency for child neglect who were known to agency for 3+ years (chronic group); recently referred and substantiated (newly neglecting group); and referred but not substantiated (unconfirmed group). Found significant differences among groups in family size/composition, numbers/kinds of problems,…

After brief history of development of mandatory reporting laws to protect children from maltreatment and evaluation of assumptions underlying use of these laws for case finding, analyzes costs and benefits of reporting laws for four stakeholders (state, professionals, families, and children) and concludes that costs of laws outweigh benefits.…

Child welfare struggles to manage child abuse and neglect and to seek permanency for children, while being culturally responsive to the communities it serves. Family group conferencing, piloted in New Zealand and now used in the United States and other countries, is a strengths-based model that brings together families and their support systems to…

The disproportionate number of racial and ethnic minority children in the child welfare system concerns many child welfare professionals. Few studies have investigated how neighborhood processes may contribute to this disparity. This study examined how neighborhood characteristics are associated with rates of child maltreatment for black,…

In recent years, child abuse has emerged as a social priority of national importance, largely through physicians' efforts to make it so. Grafting a medical approach onto what has been a social work concern has had serious, perhaps unfortunate, consequences for social work policy, practice, and education. (Author)

Suggests that the concept of the case review board is potentially useful for increasing the availability of administrative due process for child protective service workers and supervisors. (Author)

Provides definitions of social advocacy and case advocacy for child advocates, child welfare workers, and social workers so as to clarify the concepts and the roles in the protection of children. Presents a historical account of advocacy efforts, along with an analysis of current advocacy efforts. (RJM)

Taking children away from their parents is risky business. Child protective services (CPS) workers are charged with monumental tasks and ever-increasing caseloads. As a countywide CPS supervisor in New Mexico, the author shared the pain of one caseworker who experienced daily stress, knowing that her sibling set of three young children had been…

Examined school-age children after leaving child welfare foster or group care. Instability in placements significantly increased risk of transition to probation foster care. Among children exiting placements, those who first entered care at ages 12-14 or were first removed because of sexual abuse or neglect were at greater risk of probation…

The abuse of adolescents is a problem endemic to the institutional and cultural structure of American life and is not an ephemeral phenomenon. Presents information and theories concerning such abuse as a basis for offering the best strategies to meet the needs of these youths. (Author)

The Cincinnati Children's Hospital treated preadolescent children for symptoms, signs, or complaints of sexual abuse. The alleged abuser was known to the children in 72 percent of the cases. Describes the hospital's procedure for identifying these children and the follow-up services necessary for their protection and emotional adjustment. (Author)

The passage of the Indian Child Welfare Act has caused concern and misunderstanding among social workers. The Act is seen as a victory for tribal sovereignty but must be viewed within the context of American Indian culture and child rearing practices. (Author/JAC)