Critical issues in child welfare / Nora S. Gustavsson, Elizabeth A. Segal.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Gustavsson, Nora S.

Contributor:

Segal, Elizabeth A.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Child welfare--United States.

Child welfare.

United States.

Physical Description:

xi, 224 pages : illustrations ; 24 cm

Place of Publication:

Thousand Oaks : Sage Publications, [1994]

Summary:

This volume provides a clear and concise overview of the mental, emotional, physical and social conditions of children in the United States, and the current social concerns which threaten their well-being.

Traditional child welfare topics such as foster care, adoption, abuse and neglect are examined along with newer problems such as HIV and the increasing number of one-parent families living in poverty. The need for additional emphasis on proactive child welfare programmes and primary prevention is stressed throughout.

Contents:

Part I Caring for America's Children 1

1. The Rights of Children 3

Legal and Social Rights of Children 5

Balancing the Rights of Parents, Children, and the State 9

The Parens Patriae Power of the State 15

The Needs of Children 17

2. The Health of America's Children 21

Health Status of Children 22

Health Issues Facing Today's Adolescents 25

Health Care Services 29

Mental Health Status of Children 32

Policy Issues Related to Health Care for Children 35

3. Children and the Public Schools 38

Financing Education 38

Children at Risk for Educational Failure 40

Addressing the Inequities 47

Part II The Residual Nature of Child Welfare 53

4. The Juvenilization of Poverty 55

The Context of Poverty 56

Economic Conditions of Children 58

The Economic Decline of Families 60

The Consequences of Poverty 62

The Culture of Poverty and the Underclass 65

Social Services and Policies for Poor Children and Families 66

5. Child Abuse and Neglect 73

History of Child Abuse and Neglect 73

Definitions of Maltreatment 75

Incidence of Child Maltreatment 77

The Role of Child Welfare Workers 79

Indicators of Abuse and Neglect 82

Contributing Factors 84

Consequences of Maltreatment 85

Policies and Programs 87

6. When the State Intervenes: Foster Care, Adoption, and Permanency Planning 91

Foster Care 91

The Neglected Foster Child 95

Permanency Planning 99

Part III New Threats to Children 105

7. HIV and Chemical Exposure 107

Defining Chemical Use 108

Child Welfare Agencies and the Chemically Exposed Infant 113

HIV Infection and Children 116

8. Homeless Youth 122

Definition of Homeless Youth 123

Demographics and Characteristics of Homeless Youth 124

Unique Concerns of Homeless Youth 127

The Link Between Homelessness and Poverty 132

Societal Response to Homelessness 134

9. Violence and Children 137

Definition of Violence 138

Incidence 138

Violence and the Media 140

Community and Family Violence 141

Missing Children 146

Violence and Self-Esteem 147

Part IV Linking Research and Practice 149

10. Assessing Infants and Children: A Developmental Perspective 151

Infants as Active Learners 152

Children in Difficult Situations 154

Surviving Distressed Environments 158

Implications for Interventions 159

11. A Research Agenda for the Future 165

Knowledge Gaps 165

New Arenas for Research 172

12. Preventive Policies and Programs in Child Welfare 178

The Value of Preventive Social Welfare Policies 179

The Consequences of Current Policy 180

The Costs of Neglect 181

The State of Current Services for Children and Families 183

Early Intervention 185

The Role of Human Service Professionals 186

Policies Sensitive to Children and Families in Need 188.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 192-208) and indexes.

ISBN:

0803945043

0803945051

OCLC:

29600913