Policy And Practice Organizations of Child Abuse - Coursework Example

Running Head: SAFECHILD; CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION PROGRAMS AND SERVICES Policy and Practice Organizations Name Course Institution Date Introduction Child abuse and neglect is a serious issue in the society today. It cuts across all social, economic and ethnic groups. In the Wake County, cases of child abuse and neglect are in the increase according to studies. Child victims of physical and sexual abuse suffer trauma and physical injuries which need to be addressed (McClennen, 2010). Besides, families of the involved children need to be involved in order to solve the issue of child abuse in a holistic manner (Abdulrehman & De Luca, 2001). SAFEchild is the sole non-profit child prevention agency in Wake County. It is dedicated to minimizing, protecting and preventing child abuse and neglect in the county. Established 20 years ago, the agency has helped over 900 families and 6000 children annually. Nevertheless, cases of abuse seem to be on the rise as the agency is sometimes forced to turn away clients as their programs are always full. The nine programs established by SAFEchild are categorized into four main groups, home-based, group-based, school-based and center based programs. These programs are grouped into such categories as SAFEchild is dedicated to ensuring that every child has the right to grow in an abuse free environment. To achieve this, all the stakeholders are included in the various programs to ensure that the organization meets its goals. The organization is headed by a board of directors spearheaded by its president. The board is main role is to oversee the general progress of the organization, seek funding and allocate finances to the various programs. The management at SAFEchild is mainly decentralized which allows autonomy to coordinators in running of their programs. The agency operates on a budget of $1.2million half of which is obtained from grants-Medicare. It also relies on 250 volunteers annually to assist in running its diverse programs. History SAFEchild was founded in the year 1992 by the Junior League of Raleigh as a development of the organization’s established commitment to children and families. To fill a gap in human service contribution in Wake County, the Junior League agreed to form a child abuse prevention support, founded on its public stand statement which emphasizes that “every child has the right to grow in an environment free from physical abuse and emotional neglect” (SAFEchild, 2012). The League collaborated with Wake County Social Services and other state and private organizations in the county to incorporate SAFEchild as an autonomous agency and supplied the initial funding that was required to develop programs, hire human resources as well as procure office space. In Wake County, there were 7,618 reported cases of child neglect or abuse in 2011, which is an average of 21 cases per day. Of these cases, 43.1 percent (3,285) of the cases were recommended for various services in the agency (SAFEchild, 2012). According to current studies, the rate of abuse in the county could be alarming at 7 times as high. Children who were brought up in an abusive family are at risk of growing up and abusing their own children than children from non-abusive families. Child abuse is indiscriminate of social class, race, ethnicity, and education background and hence affects a large number of families. Child abuse has adverse effects on the economy as lots of money is used for remedial services, treatment of abused children as well as imprisonment of abusive parents. Since its establishment, SAFEchild has been helping 900 families annually. In addition, the organization through it Funny Tummy Feelings program reaches 5,000 first graders yearly (SAFEchild, 2012). The agency purchased a residence on West Morgan Street and created a strong money raising process which entails collaboration with agencies, corporations, foundations and even individuals. The agency’s main areas of concern include parent/caregiver education, individual and group support. Families are referred to the agency from Wake County Human Services which include mental health and health department, children protection services, the judicial system, doctors, teachers and guidance counselors, as well as self-referred. The demand for SAFEchild services is stretched far beyond its capacity. Every day, the agency is forced to turn away clients seeking help as all their programs are usually full. This is an element experienced by not-for-profit organizations as they lack the financial freedom of a commercial enterprise as it relies on resource providers that are not involved in a mutual transaction. (Blazek, 1996). The resources given to these organizations are used in providing services to other clients, other than the resource providers. This makes it difficult for the non-profit organization to have financial flexibility to enhance their services. The agency has 15 staff members and relies on 250 volunteers every year to be able to execute its responsibilities (SAFEchild, 2012). SAFEchild has an annual budget of $1,120,596. For every 0.89 dollar generated is spent on direct program services while the remaining $0.11 is spent on administration and fundraising activities, which according to non-profit standards is an excellent ratio (SAFEchild, 2012). The aim of SAFEchild is to assist as many families in the Wake County as possible regardless of their monitory power. No fee is charged for services provided due to the need to reduce stress on families. Therefore, the agency relies on grants and donations from individuals, corporates, and government agencies. Grants and Medicare is a major funder of the agency and offers 52% of the budget, 38% comes from private funding such as church donations, private businesses, corporates and individuals; 5% coming from insurance reimbursement, 4% from previous year’s revenue and the remaining 1% obtained from program fees (SAFEchild, 2012).All the funds at SAFEchild are exempted from taxation. The organization has various policies governing its operations including SAFEchild Donors Bill of Rights, Conflict of Interest Policy, and SAFEchild Travel Policy among others (SAFEchild, 2012). Being the only non-profit child prevention agency in the Wake County, the facility’s budget is expected to increase. Of the 1.2 million budget, 90 percent goes into programs, fundamentally for the group coordinators and staff, who have knowledge in social work, with majority having masters qualifications. The management of funds at SAFEchild is undertaken seriously (SAFEchild, 2012). This is as suggested by Blazek (1996). Blazek argues that, financial management of non-profit and profit organizations are similar in many ways. However, there are some main differences that emerge in a not-for-profit manager. While a manager of a-for-profit organization focuses on profitability and optimizing shareholders’ value, a non-profit enterprise’s main focus is on providing some socially desirable need on a continuing basis. The management and reporting activities at SAFEchild demonstrate high stewardship for the donated funds. The staff also demonstrates that the money is used as per the donor’s wishes. Mission Values and Philosophies The mission statement for SAFEchild states that; “SAFEchild is committed to eliminating child abuse in Wake County by helping adults and children create nurturing environments free from abuse and neglect” (SAFEchild, 2012) According to Joanne (2012), a mission statement should be short with a few precise words that can easily be easily used across the media. Great mission statements express both the genuine drive of the charity and work as a foundation of its branding and marketing. Besides, Joanne adds that, a good mission statement should be readable and inspiring when still answering the why, how and for what or whom the charity exists. This has been achieved in SAFEchild’s mission statement which is very clear to the point. Netting, Kettner, and McMurtry (2008) support that; a good mission statement is specific to the issues or problems to be advocated for, the concerned population and the anticipated outcome. SAFEchild’s mission clearly stipulates the problem and the population of interest as well as the expected results of its service. Consequently, SAFEchild keep to their mission statement in regard to eliminating child abuse and ensuring that they become successful. As stated by Padolfi (2011), a mission statement must be a clear explanation on the direction the organization has taken to its future that succinctly separates it from other bodies and makes a persuasive case for the need it fills. SAFEchild works closely with families to assist them be achieve in a world full of challenges and impediments. According to Padolfi (2012), for a mission statement to be effective, it has to be supplemented by vision statements, a list of goals/objectives and beliefs. Its vision entails; honoring families as the basis of a healthy, resilient, multicultural society; offering support and education that gives stratagems for creating fostering environments; the organization serves as a link to resources and opportunities developed on knowledge, trust, and obligation for children and adults; respecting the influence of each member in this process (both the providers and participants) is exceptional and produces results that contribute long time, positive enablement. The SAFEchild also reinforce their commitment to their mission statement through the agency’s goals which include to completely eradicate cases of child abuse, enabling parents and caregivers to embrace healthy family relations by shunning negative family upbringing patterns and finally to educate and create awareness about the issue of child abuse. Further, SAFEchild have well stipulated philosophies to reinforce its mission statement as suggested by Pandolfi (2012). These beliefs entail that; Every child every kid has the right to grow in an abuse and neglect free environment Ill-treatment of a child should never be condoned or tolerated under any circumstances Diversity of families should be respected Families can grow and change. With adequate help, knowledge and community resources, majority of parents and caregivers are able to create safe, nurturing environments for their kids. All families have experiences of stress and conflict at some point, and not every family is unfailingly able to create an abuse or neglect free environment. Seeking information, support, and encouragement and community resources is a sign of individual or family strength. Ultimately, the mission statement of SAFEchild is short and precise, while encompassing all the major elements as described by Joanne (2012). The vision statements, goals and beliefs are well stipulated and are all in line with the mission statement. They are outlined to make the mission statement more effective. Organizational Structure SAFEchild is a non-profit organization that is led by a board of directors. The agency is led by Charles Raynal, who is the president, Vice president Leslie Marshall; Eric Belanger is the secretary and Dain Mickalities the treasurer, and nine program coordinators. At SAFEchild, management is decentralized. Each of the nine child abuse prevention programs are delegated to a coordinator who is solely responsible for the running of the program. Nevertheless, the top directors are responsible for the overall operations of the agency. They are responsible for seeking funding, budgeting and allocation of funds to various programs as well as ensuring that the agency is focused to its mission, vision and objectives. This is centralized management that has been endorsed for non-profit entities. This mode of management allows for effective communication between the program coordinators and the directors which result to sanity in the running of an organization. According to Anheier (2000) there is a complex situation in the case of non-profit organizations. Some parts of the organizational task situation are best centralized, such as fund raising or controlling while other tasks with greater ambiguity and uncertainty require decentralization such as program coordination and implementation (Anheier, 2000). This has been obtained at SAFEchild as programs have been delegated to a team of highly skilled social workers that ensure the mission of the organization is alive. Thus, there is a great need for SAFEchild to deploy various management styles. In addition, SAFEchild have embraced cultural diversity in it organization. There is no discrimination in hiring of employees or volunteers. The agency is open to every person. This is a culturally competent approach, which is defined by Hepworth, Rooney, Rooney, Strom-Gottfried, and Larsen (2010) as taking into consideration ethnic, racial ideas, values, beliefs and views while dealing with clients. Programs and Services SAFEchild have various programs that are oriented towards reducing, eliminating and preventing children from abuse. These programs are diversified in nature and encompass children, parents and the Wake County community at large. Most of the programs are aimed at informing the various stakeholders by social workers and volunteers at SAFEchild. There are nine main programs that are run at SAFEchild. They include; Welcome Baby is a program dedicated to new first time mothers. In this program, mothers receive mentoring and support from experienced mothers during the first year of motherhood. Crianza Con Cariño; is a 48 hour family training program for Spanish families with kids below age five. This program translates to “raising children with love and tenderness” (SAFEchild, 2012). MENS program is a court ordered program which involves teaching communication skills, positive discipline and anger management to men who have been charged for domestic violence. Nurturing Program is an education program for parents and children which entail helping parents embrace positive discipline approaches, boost their empathy, and develop their anger management strategies, as well as establish appropriate expectations for their children with regard to their stages of development (SAFEchild, 2012). This program is meant for all families with children of all ages. Strengthening Families Program is a program for children and parents that assist in developing family bonding and minimize conflicts. It is dedicated to families with children between ages 3 to 5 years (SAFEchild, 2012). Funny Tummy Feelings is an hour interactive activity which teaches students in first grade, the necessary skills to protect themselves from sexual and physical abuse (SAFEchild, 2012). It is a programs meant to assist children understand and express their feelings to be safe from any form of abuse. SAFEchild Advocacy Center is a community based facility which offers integrated, inclusive, effective and efficient services for children who have suffered serious physical abuse and sexual violence. Advocacy centers provide positive support for children victims and their families; through organized partnership from agencies and community associates (SAFEchild, 2012). SAFEchild employs four main strategies in implementation of child abuse prevention programs for child victims of physical/sexual abuse or neglect. They include; home-base, group-based and center-based and school-based programs. See fig 1. Basically, SAFEchild aims at teaching parents on positive discipline approach, empathy for children, communication skills, apposite parent/child roles, anger stress management, and expectations for various child developmental stages (SAFEchild, 2012). Through its diverse programs, children learn various skills and strategies including communication, boosting self-esteem and how to express their emotions rightfully. Organizational Culture The culture at SAFEchild is very organized, formal but relaxed. This is to help people feel free to participate in the different activities at the agency. The environment at SAFEchild is conducive and allows for professional growth. Most of the board members, directors, program coordinators, and staff are well trained individuals in social work and most of them have help managerial positions in other profit making organizations. This have made the culture at SAFEchild to be more formal and dedicated towards achieving its objectives. However, there is low turnover especially at the top management level which may hinder the agency from getting more dedicated staff for fear of career stagnation (Slater, 2012). The morale of employees at SAFEchild is high as they are well rewarded, which is one of the reasons why even volunteers find it a good experience to work with SAFEchild. Besides, the culture at the agency is flexible to changes. Staff members are free to make any adjustments that they believe are effective in achieving the objectives of the organization (Jaskyte, 2004). Organizational culture is an effective way of motivating and guiding the solution of unprecedented problems. The author believes that, culture, not just structure, is fundamental for organizing for innovation. Organizational culture also promotes individual creativity (Jaskyte, 2004). Consequently, creativity is the basis of innovation. When creativity occurs in the right organizational culture, the end result is innovation. Conclusion Although SAFEchild have various programs of ensuring children in Wake County grow in a neglect free environment, there are many challenges that impede their mission. The fact that the organization relies largely on donations and volunteers is a great obstacle. The large numbers of clients turned away every day may have a negative impact on the agency’s main focus. The organization being one of its kind in the Wake County has a very small budget. The budget is bound to increase but funding is still a major problem. The top management is doing very little to enhance funding for the organization. The organization also embraces diversity in the society as evidenced by the presence of Crianza Con Carino, a nurturing program for Spanish-speaking families. The organizational structure at SAFEchild is well structured with management being decentralized. This enables for smooth operation and communication between the coordinators and the board. The autonomy in the organizational culture allows for flexibility, creativity and innovation. The writer believes that this organization can enhance its services through increasing fund raising activities. FIG. 1; SAFECHILD’S PROGRAM STRATEGIES FIGURE 1. References Abdulrehman & De Luca (2001). The implications of childhood sexual abuse on adult social behavior. Journal of Family Violence, 16(2), 193-204. Anheier, A. K. (2000). Managing non-profit organisations: Towards a new approach, Civil Society Working Paper 1. Blazek, J. (1996). Financial Planning for Not-for-profit Organizations. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Hepworth, D. H., Rooney, R. H., Rooney, G. D., Strom-Gottfried, K., & Larsen J. (2010). Direct social work practice: Theory and skills (8th ed). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole. Jaskyte, K. (2004). Organizational Culture and Innovation in Nonprofit Organizations, NSF Annual Report. http://kjaskyte.myweb.uga.edu/nsf/NSFAnnualReportI.pdf Joanne F. (2012). How to Write a Nonprofit Mission Statement: From Mundane to Memorable, http://nonprofit.about.com/od/nonprofitbasics/a/mission.htm (Accessed August 15, 2012). Netting, F. E., Kettner, P. M., McMurtry, S. L. (2008). Social work macro practice (4th ed). Boston, MA: Pearson. Pandolfi, F. (2011). How to Create an Effective Non-Profit Mission Statement, http://blogs.hbr.org/cs/2011/03/how_nonprofit_misuse_their_mis.html (Accessed August 15, 2012). SAFEchild (2012). Child Abuse Prevention Programs and Services, http://www.safechildnc.org/giving/index.html Slater, L. (2012). Social work practice and the law. New York: Springer. McClennen, J. (2010). Social Work and Family Violence: Theories, Assessment, and Intervention. New York: Springer Publishing Company. Read More

In Wake County, there were 7,618 reported cases of child neglect or abuse in 2011, which is an average of 21 cases per day. Of these cases, 43.1 percent (3,285) of the cases were recommended for various services in the agency (SAFEchild, 2012). According to current studies, the rate of abuse in the county could be alarming at 7 times as high. Children who were brought up in an abusive family are at risk of growing up and abusing their own children than children from non-abusive families. Child abuse is indiscriminate of social class, race, ethnicity, and education background and hence affects a large number of families.

Child abuse has adverse effects on the economy as lots of money is used for remedial services, treatment of abused children as well as imprisonment of abusive parents. Since its establishment, SAFEchild has been helping 900 families annually. In addition, the organization through it Funny Tummy Feelings program reaches 5,000 first graders yearly (SAFEchild, 2012). The agency purchased a residence on West Morgan Street and created a strong money raising process which entails collaboration with agencies, corporations, foundations and even individuals.

The agency’s main areas of concern include parent/caregiver education, individual and group support. Families are referred to the agency from Wake County Human Services which include mental health and health department, children protection services, the judicial system, doctors, teachers and guidance counselors, as well as self-referred. The demand for SAFEchild services is stretched far beyond its capacity. Every day, the agency is forced to turn away clients seeking help as all their programs are usually full.

This is an element experienced by not-for-profit organizations as they lack the financial freedom of a commercial enterprise as it relies on resource providers that are not involved in a mutual transaction. (Blazek, 1996). The resources given to these organizations are used in providing services to other clients, other than the resource providers. This makes it difficult for the non-profit organization to have financial flexibility to enhance their services. The agency has 15 staff members and relies on 250 volunteers every year to be able to execute its responsibilities (SAFEchild, 2012).

SAFEchild has an annual budget of $1,120,596. For every 0.89 dollar generated is spent on direct program services while the remaining $0.11 is spent on administration and fundraising activities, which according to non-profit standards is an excellent ratio (SAFEchild, 2012). The aim of SAFEchild is to assist as many families in the Wake County as possible regardless of their monitory power. No fee is charged for services provided due to the need to reduce stress on families. Therefore, the agency relies on grants and donations from individuals, corporates, and government agencies.

Grants and Medicare is a major funder of the agency and offers 52% of the budget, 38% comes from private funding such as church donations, private businesses, corporates and individuals; 5% coming from insurance reimbursement, 4% from previous year’s revenue and the remaining 1% obtained from program fees (SAFEchild, 2012).All the funds at SAFEchild are exempted from taxation. The organization has various policies governing its operations including SAFEchild Donors Bill of Rights, Conflict of Interest Policy, and SAFEchild Travel Policy among others (SAFEchild, 2012).

Being the only non-profit child prevention agency in the Wake County, the facility’s budget is expected to increase. Of the 1.2 million budget, 90 percent goes into programs, fundamentally for the group coordinators and staff, who have knowledge in social work, with majority having masters qualifications. The management of funds at SAFEchild is undertaken seriously (SAFEchild, 2012). This is as suggested by Blazek (1996). Blazek argues that, financial management of non-profit and profit organizations are similar in many ways.

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