COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to give the student a comprehensive study of
the principal child welfare services. The history of the development of
child welfare services is traced and the current socioeconomic context
in which they operate is described. Various models and strategies of prevention,
intervention, and treatment are explored.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
The student should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the historical
development of child welfare services as a field of practice within social
work. The student should develop a conceptual framework for understanding
the nature of child welfare problems in terms of role theory. Specifically,
the student should be able to:
1. Outline the historical trends in child care leading to the development of protective services for children.
2. Specify various problems related to current changes in demographics trends in the United states such as: relative decreases in the size of the child population, changes in child dependency ratios, family disruption caused by the increase in divorce rates, prevalence of poverty in the United States, and ideological changes regarding the nature of the family.
3. Differentiate between supportive and supplementary services as the first and second lines of defense in order to support, reinforce, and strengthen the ability of parents and children to meet the responsibilities of their respective statuses. Specifically, explore services for children in the school system.
4. Understand current societal problems and their impact on children. Specifically, review current child welfare policies and how those policies address current problems.
5. Discuss issues surrounding the values and ethics of the child welfare system and child welfare professionals and their commitment to services on behalf of children.
6. Analyze and discuss the substitute services that are required when the situation is so damaging as to require parent child relationship i.e., protective services, foster care, and adoption.
7. Demonstrate an awareness of the current status of the child rearing institution in the US.
8. Demonstrate an awareness of child welfare services in other countries and among other ethnic groups.
REQUIRED TEXTS
Kadushin, Alfred. Child Welfare Services. New York: Macmillian Publishing Company, 1988.
Cohen, Neil A. Child Welfare: A Multicultural Focus. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1992.
SUPPLEMENTARY TEXTS
Crosson-Tower, Cynthia. Exploring Child Welfare: A Practice Perspective. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1999.
Besharov, Douglas J. Recognizing Child Abuse: A Guide for the Concerned. New York: The Free Press, 1990.
American Association for Protecting Children. Understanding The Medical Diagnosis of Child Maltreatment. Denver: The American Humane Association, 1995.
Stein, Theodore J. Child Welfare And The Law. New York: Longman, 1991.
Costin, Lela B. and Charles A. Rapp. Child Welfare Policies & Practice. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1984.
COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING POLICIES
1. One of the basic goal of a social work education is to assist students in the process of becoming more human and humane. Self-understanding is an important part of that process. Early childhood is a time that is often vaguely remembered, if at all. for the earliest parts of it, you have to rely on input from others. Gathering those bits and pieces of information into a coherent pattern can facilitate self-understanding. Thus, you will be encouraged to develop a "Conception to Age 10 Biography".
Since this biography is personal and meant to benefit you, I assume that the real benefit of such a biography lies in the doing of it. The value to you will depend on how thorough and how much reflection you put into it. Rather than grading the content, points will be awarded on the basis of the overall quality of the project. They will be collected on March 17th . Points will be awarded on the following basis: (Extra credit points)
Minimal ------- 10 points
Average ------- 20 points
Outstanding ---30 points
2. Each student will be required to read 5 child welfare articles during the semester and write a one to two page response to the article. Articles must be current and related to the subject area of the required research paper. Each article summation is worth 5 points.
3. Each student will be required to do a Bibliography of child welfare literature. You will do a library search and review journals that address children and family needs. Your bibliography was include at least 100 citations with 50 of the citations being no more than 5 years old. The bibliography is worth 50 points.
4. Each student will be required to write a 20 page research paper on a current societal problem and it’s impact on children and families. You will be required to present the paper to the class and create a creative activity that will involve the entire class. This assignment is worth 150 points.
5. There will be only one exam, a midterm exam. The exam will cover readings and materials covered in class.(100 points)
Week 1 Introduction to course/Review of Syllabus
Read and Discuss the Mary Ellen Story
Open Discussions about Child Welfare
Week 2
No Class-MLK Holiday
Exploring the History of Child Welfare in the Unites States
Readings: Kadushin, chapters 1,2
Cohen, chapter 1 and 2
Week 3 The Changing Family and the Impact of Culture on Families
Readings: Cohen, chapters 4, 5, 6
Week 4 What are the facts of poverty and it’s Impact on children
in the U.S.
Readings: Crosson-Towers, chapter 3 (Lecture)
Class Exercises
Week 5 Current Societal Problems and their Impact on Children
Movie: Losing Isaiah
Readings: Crosson-Towers, chapter 4 (Lecture)
Movie cont.......
Week 6 Services to Children outside of their Homes (ie., foster
care, adoption, and residential settings).
Readings: Kadushin, chapter 7, 9
Lecture cont.....
Week 7 Serving the Developing Child: Daycare
Readings: Crosson-Towers, chapter 5 (Lecture)
Kadushin, chapters 3, 4, 5
Movie: Where Innocence is Lost
Week 8 Serving the Developing Child: School Social Work
Readings: Crosson-Towers, chapter 6
Midterm Exam
Week 9 No Class - Spring Break
Week 10 Counseling for Families and Children: Family Centered
Services
Readings: Crosson-Towers, chapters 7, 8
Class Exercises - Extra Credit Assignment is due
Week 11 Overview of Child Abuse and Neglect
Readings: Crosson-Towers, chapter 9
Kadushin, chapter 6
Cohen, chapter 7
Case Discussions of Protective Services Cases
Week 12 Movie: Homecoming
Movie cont......
Week 13 Court Services on Behalf of Children
Readings: Crosson-Towers, chapter 10
Class Exercises and Lecture cont....
Final Research Papers are due (each day late subtract 5 points)
Week 14 Presentation of Research Papers
Presentation of Research Papers
Week 15
Child Welfare in other Countries (Handout)
What is the future of Children?
Readings: Crosson-Towers, chapter 15
Cohen, chapter 9
Kadushin, chapter 11
Presentation of Research Papers
Week 16 Presentation of Research Papers
Presentation of Research Papers
Week 17 Final Exam Week: No Final Exam
Note: Other readings will be assigned throughout the semester