Child Welfare League of America - Research Proposal Example

Social Work ID: Word count:2,513 Table of contents Introduction..2 Child Welfare League of America.......5 Problems faced....10 Conclusion...11 References...12 Introduction: Child welfare has existed in America since the 1800's when eight institutions existed to help abused and neglected children. (Burns, 1977). Children were denied their rights and forced to work in mills and industries without any ages since the age of ten. However, in the 1980's the United States was amongst the leading nations that helped shape the Convention of rights on the child. It was adopted by the United Nations in 1989 and America became a signatory nation in this Convention in 1994. However, the United States fails to ratify it because according to this Convention, an 18 year old cannot be tried, despite America trying sixteen year olds as adults in special circumstances. So far, there is no move made by America to accept this accord (Yurchyck, 2008). But this doesn't stop America from recognizing and appreciating the rights of children. A number of organizations have run to protect the innocent youth from a variety of crimes that can be committed against them. The definitions of child abuse and neglect are long and varying (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2007). Physical abuse: any non-accidental physical injury to a child or an action that leads to the impairment of the child. Neglect: The deprivation of adequate food, shelter, clothing, medical care or any other basic necessity. Sexual abuse: This varies from state to state depending on specific or general type of sexual abuse. But all agree that it's forcing a child into prostitution or production of pornography. Emotional abuse: Injury to the psychological capacity and or emotional stability of a child: anxiety, depression, withdrawal or aggressive behavior. Parental substance abuse: Exposing by a mother of an unborn child to illegal substances, manufacturing an illegal substance or storing it in a place where a child is present Abandonment: A child whose parents' identity or whereabouts are unknown or when the parent has been unable to provide the child with reasonable support. If the child is subjected to any of these then an individual has the right to report this to child protective services. This is where the role of child services comes into play. A lot of welfare organizations feel that poverty is one of the main causes of poor child care. One of five American children have been said to live in poverty in 2000 (Children's Defense Fund). This was despite the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996 which gave subsidies to poor families with children. Many child advocates feel that this should include food stamps, Medicare, housing, transportation and childcare at a federal and state level. Some have the hope that there might be long-term effects of this plan. Often welfare organizations encourage home visitor programs, parenting programs, community counseling and social services, and other forms of family support to help prevent child abuse and neglect (Encyclopedia of Public Health). Child welfare is a long and tasking job. Because of the variety of crimes that can be committed against minor it is but necessary to dissect the welfare work into different factions. There are three main bodies that control child welfare: child protective services, family services and adoption services. Most child protective programs run seven days a week and twenty four hours a day. They have the responsibility of investigating into any case that has the child coming to neglect or harm. If they have proof then the child is removed and placed into protective custody. They are then taken to family courts who then decide the future for this child. Family services provide on-going social services to those families and children who undergo abuse and neglect. They also provide support to children in need of mental health services. Adoption services generally have a specific amount dedicated to them by the welfare organization they are part of. The adoption section manages the money and provides services to families who wish to adopt. They have the added responsibility of visiting the new adoptive families. A lot of effort is also put in by this faction to answer queries by adult adoptee, as is the law in many states of America. Thus, child welfare in itself is a difficult and complicated process, set out to achieve the best for children in America. Child Welfare League of America (CWLA): CWLA drew up a definition of child welfare in 1957. The main reason behind specifically defining the term was to remove any ambiguous meanings so the word could be stated with a scientific knowledge (from various fields: psychology, sociology, genetics and child development). Thus the idea "primary and unique need of a child was parental care" (The Adoption History Project, 1957) was introduced. The biggest social problem is said to be the deprivation of parental care. This agency is one of the oldest welfare organizations in America with their creation dating back to the 1920. With regional offices in 50 states, the policies, programs and practices held by this expert and innovative group are felt all over the world. While reviewing the history of this organization it is evident that they feel strongly about "making children a national priority" (Child Welfare League of America). This organization worries about how millions of American children are denied basic necessities like nutrition, housing and healthcare. Not only does this deny many children the vast realm of opportunity open to the ordinary American citizen but it also ruins the future of successful and positive generations in America. According to statistics researched by this institute, 2002 saw the death of a phenomenal number, ranging to more than 2.8 million children, from abuse and neglect. This research also showed the death of 3 children from malnutrition everyday. This organization feels that in a developed country like America where the probability of an ordinary citizen achieving success is high, it's unfair when the worthy youth is denied their fair share. It feels that the biggest role it can play is to ensure the needs of the child are met. What makes the Children Welfare League of America so successful is there belief that it is not the institute alone that can help better the lives of children. They aim to bring together families, neighborhoods, communities and the government to help achieve their goal of a safe haven for all children. This means that anyone who believes in the cause is invited and welcomed to help. Unlike many other welfare organizations, no differences are made between an ordinary helper and a social work degree holder. With factors like these, many feel themselves an important part of the organization and are motivated into helping. Those who have the expertise in this group have been divided into factions: some help maintain and run local agencies in different states, some go to statehouses to promote policies that will help better the lives of children and punish those who bring them harm, some try to develop new approaches to dealing with children and families and some who use and implement the approaches that have already been accepted by the agency. The result is a coordinating and well-run body that is made up of lawyers, social workers and concerned locals. The money needed to run such an extensive body comes from: consulting fees which are often offered by families who wish to adopt or even assistance to any human service organization, publication sales in the form of greeting cards, children's voice magazine and children welfare journals (all of which can be subscribed to online), grants and contracts from federal and state governments, foundation and corporate grants, and individual contributions. Also, this organization offers memberships which if accepted require the member to pay. All this goes into the functioning and improving of this welfare and its numerous agencies. CWLA feels that if an ordinary citizen saves up on a dinner in a restaurant and instead gives it to their organization, this small fund could make a big difference. Children Welfare League of America is now working with innumerable will now pair itself with philanthropic athletes and entertainers to raise awareness and generate funds for a variety of children issues. As Youth Ambassadors they will be powerful voices with their accomplishments for the children and their families alike. These Ambassadors are being encouraged to participate in the causes they feel most strongly about. Thus apart from all their other earnings, CWLA also works to encourage famous and righteous people who can influence and help ones in need. The programs set up by CWLA are vast and numerous. Entire factions are dedicated to child care and development, child mental health, baby abandonment, child protection and adoption. However, CWLA does not limit itself. They aim not only to better the lives of children but of society as a whole. Thus, sexual orientation, juvenile justice, homelessness and pregnant and parenting adolescents are also welcome at this agency. CWLA opens its doors to people of all classes, ages and race. No factor deters them from helping in any way possible. Proper bodies supporting cultural competence have been created. It is the ability to understand and respect different classes, ethnic backgrounds, races and religions (Children Welfare League of America, 2001). When asked how this could be done, they said a commitment to expand knowledge about cultures in your region should be made. They also asked for a safe and supportive environment to be created for members of the varying cultures and those who wished to study more about them. Personally, the agency sets out to do their own part by hiring people from diverse cultures. They also recruit locals from the area to provide a more personal perspective on any idea and to help resolve any conflicts. Apart from reducing cultural differences, CWLA also feels that children of color are overrepresented in statistics. A few examples of these are: Research indicates that the average African American child is not at any greater risk for abuse and neglect than the average Caucasian child (Sedlak & Schultz, 2001) and African American, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander children have a disproportionately higher rate of maltreatment investigations when compared to whites (Fluke, 2002). Thus CWLA sees the need to conduct further research and in-depth analysis to finish a disproportion in policies and practices that might create to a problem in the welfare system. So, unlike most organizations that see African-American or Hispanic children as in far more need than the average American, CWLA stands against these claims and seeks a fair share and equal benefits for every abused and neglected child. With headquarters in Washington DC, they have their finger on the heart of child care and protection policies. Also regional offices in Boston, Los Angeles, Chicago, Baltimore and a number of other cities allows them to reach to a massive array of different people in need of assistance. CWLA is quick at hiring any help that comes its way. No distinctions are made. But it can be said that they are eager to hire social workers with the proper experience, which are always a dearth in the country. It also offers internships to undergraduate, graduate and law students. These internships are offered in fall and spring and can last for five months or longer. Because CWLA is a welfare organization, the employees hope that the internees apply with a true human conscience that aims to better the lives of humanity. This or the lack of sufficient funds might be the reason CWLA refuses to pay its internees. Training is provided to everyone by the Albert E. Trieschman Center, renowned for its training programs that joined CWLA in 1998. This includes a yearly conference known as Finding Better Ways that is held at a national level to bring together administrators, clinicians, supervisors and trainers to discuss and view innovative ideas for practices in child welfare. Also, training is held in the form of different departments. This includes Parent Resources for Information, Development, and Education (PRIDE) which is created to help improve the quality of services provided to adoptive parents through in-service training or professional development. Other training plans include, Effective Supervisory Practice, Workforce Development, Professional Development Institutes and more. For consultation, CWLA has departments like Juvenile Justice Consultation (Juvenile Justice Division) that provide help to innumerable jurisdictions seeking to help youth serving systems. Problems faced: According to the United States General Accounting Office (GAO), ninety percent have difficulty in recruiting and retaining child welfare workers (GAO 1995). Much of this is because of the low salaries offered to the workers, the high workload, inadequate supervision, risk of violence and insufficient training. CWLA claims that in Florida, a staff worker without preparation for child welfare work leaves in a year of being hired. Caseloads can range from 10-100 per worker, despite CWLA claiming that no worker can manage more than 12-15 at a time. Theses workers also have to face verbal abuse, physical violence and threats which can be quite frightening for many. CWLA pays its staff around $ 27,000 which they say is much lower than what is paid to employees in safe and secure environments: teachers, counselors and nurses. 28 percent of child welfare staff holds either bachelor's degrees in social work (BSW) (15 percent) or master's degrees in social work (MSW) (13 percent). (Lieberman, 1988). Thus CWLA claims that it only requires around 15% of their staff to hold a degree in social work. Children Welfare League of America feels lesbian, gay and bi-sexual parents are as capable of raising children as heterosexual couples. This has given rise to great controversy throughout America where many states still feel same-sex marriages to be illegal and claim that position of CWLA reduces the sanctity of marriage and family. CWLA maintains its claim that children raises in these families are just as healthy and capable of fitting in society as any other individual. This because no evidence or data has been found to show that: children growing up in same-sex families have different health, parenting or psychosocial growth from children growing up in heterosexual families. Thus despite all the argument, CWLA checks on same-sex parents up for adoption in the same way as heterosexual ones: the ability to parent a child and not based on sexual orientation. Conclusion: Child welfare is a topic many Americans choose to discuss but do little about. Age, race, religion and ethnicity are blamed for abused and neglected children. Nobody stops to consider or prevent the circumstances that allow such atrocities to take place. By taking up Child Welfare League of America, research proved that it is an agency worthy of its long and established name in the world of child welfare. Instead of aiming to make profits or create further distinctions of class, race or even sexual orientation, CWLA aims to bring together society as a whole. It is accepting of anyone who needs its services. Visits to the agency showed a dedicated and loyal staff, working efficiently and quickly to achieve as much as they could. Despite knowing the never ending task set out in front of them, they are positive a change will come. References: Burns, M. (1977) I Am Not a Short Adult! Getting good at being a kid. New York: Little, Brown and Company. p 100. Childrens Defense Fund (2000). Families Struggling to Make It in the Workforce: A Post Welfare Report, Retrieved May 01 2009 http://www.childrensdefense.org/CMPreport.pdf. Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2007, Definitions of Child Abuse and Neglect, Retrieved May 01 2009 http://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/laws_policies/statutes/define.cfm Child Welfare League of America, History, Retrieved May 1 2009, http://www.cwla.org/whowhat/more.htm Children Welfare League of America, 2001, Cultural Competence: About this area of focus, retrieved May 01 2009, Encyclopedia of Public Health, Child Welfare, Retrieved May 01 2009, http://www.answers.com/topic/child-welfare-1 Fluke, J., Yuan, Y., Hedderson, J., & Curtis, P. (2002). Disproportionate representation in child maltreatment, Retrieved May 01 2009 http://www.cwla.org/programs/culture/disproportionatestatement.pdf General Accounting Office. (1995). Child Welfare: Complex Needs Strain Capacity to Provide Services, Retrieved May 01 2009 www.gao.gov Juvenile Justice - Child Welfare Technical Assistance, Juvenile Justice Division, Retrieved May 01 2009 http://www.cwla.org/programs/juvenilejustice/jjpubstainitiative.htm#Consultation Lieberman, A. A., Hornby, H., & Russell, M. (1988). Analyzing the Educational Backgrounds and Work Experiences of Child Welfare Personnel: A National Study. Social Work, Retrieved May 01 2009 http://www.socialworkers.org/advocacy/updates/2003/082003_a.asp PRIDE, retrieved May 01 2009 http://www.cwla.org/programs/trieschman/pride.htm Sedlak, A., & Schultz, D. (2001), Race differences in risk of maltreatment in the general child population, Retrieved May O1 2009 http://www.cwla.org/programs/culture/disproportionatestatement.pdf The Adoption History Project (1957), Child Welfare League of America, "Definition of Child Welfare," Retrieved May 01 2009 http://darkwing.uoregon.edu/adoption/archive/CwlaDCW.htm Yurchyk, B. (2008) "The United States' Compliance Decisions with Regards to the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Two Optional Protocols: Reflections on the Theories of International Law," Ohio State University, Retrieved May 01 2009, https://kb.osu.edu/dspace/bitstream/1811/32208/1/2nd_Draft.pdf Read More