Social workers of today work with complex families that may have multiple and intersecting problems on areas as drug/alcohol abuse, migration, mental health issues and child welfare (Kuronen et al., 2010). Comparative studies suggest that how social workers understand these families, may direct child protection work practices (Haugen & Klörudóttir, 2015; O’Neill & Gonzalez, 2015; Tembo & Oltedal, 2015). Moreover, different family-policy characteristics are prominent across countries; these may guide child welfare practices (Gilbert, 2012; Gilbert, Parton & Skivenes, 2011; Hantrais, 2004; Skivenes et al., 2014). This presentation focus on how children are visible in families and child protection work in the views of social workers and social work master students across national contexts. Among others, this topic may elicit crucial insight on children’s participation in child welfare interventions across national borders compound of diverse family-policy characteristics.
The objective of the presentation is twofold; first, preliminary findings from two data sources are presented. Second, the presentation deliberates differences and similarities between and within national contexts and discuss implications of these.
The relevant data material is: (1) focus group discussions among social workers in the three welfare contexts Mexico, Chile and Norway. Based on a vignette presenting a complex family case, social workers deliberate on how to approach the family and how they would intervene in their everyday practice. Thematic content analysis of child-focused statements investigate how children are visible in the discussions. Moreover, (2) data also derives from a dialogue seminar where social work master students deliberate on child visibility within the family and in child protection work practices in their home countries. The sample of master students represent a diversity of national backgrounds and can give insight to various understandings on the topic. The data material presented will serve as a pilot study for a PhD project at the University of Stavanger. The PhD project relates to the NORFACE project Family Complexity and Social Work in Different Welfare regimes. The NORFACE project seeks to compare social work with complex families across welfare regimes.
The preliminary results in the presentation will shed light on the interconnections between child visibility in families and child protection work. Moreover, results may elicit important insight and awareness of the potentials and barriers when it comes to including children in social worker’s everyday practice across welfare contexts.
References
Gilbert, N. (2012). A comparative study of child welfare systems: Abstract orientations and concrete results. Children and Youth Services Review, 34(3), 532-536.
Gilbert, N., Parton, N., & Skivenes, M. (2011). Child protection systems: International trends and orientations. OUP USA.
Hantaris, L. (2004). Family policy matters: Responding to family change in Europe. Bristol: The Policy Pres.
Haugen, A., & Klörudóttir, S. Y. (2015). The involvement of family in child protection cases in Iceland. Journal of Comparative Social Work, 10(1).
Kuronen, M. (Ed. 2010). Research on families and family policies in Europe: State of the art. Jyväskylä: Family Research Center, Jyväskylä University.
O’Neill, M., & Gonzalez, D. L. (2015). Tribal and Non-tribal Agencies: A Comparison of how Social Work with Families is Conceptualized in the United States. Journal of Comparative Social Work, 9(2).
Skivenes, M., Barn, R., Kriz, K., & Poso, T. (Eds.). (2014). Child welfare systems and migrant children: A cross country study of policies and practice. Oxford University Press.
Tembo, M. J., & Oltedal, S. (2015). Social work and families in child welfare in Malawi: Social workers considerations when placing a child outside the home. Journal of Comparative Social Work, 10(1).
Participation of children and families in child welfare interventions
