Maping social organization of child welfare systems : An exploration of how parents' point of view is excluded

Child welfare interventions are mainly based on a medical model (Firestone, 2009; Gingras & Lacharité, 2009) adopting a posture of authority while giving a passive role to the families. This hierarchical relationship does not... [ view full abstract ]

Child welfare interventions are mainly based on a medical model (Firestone, 2009; Gingras & Lacharité, 2009) adopting a posture of authority while giving a passive role to the families. This hierarchical relationship does not give much consideration to the families’ point of view in the assessment of their situation (including children’s needs) and in the elaboration of an intervention plan. Grounded on an institutional ethnography approach, this study examines how the perspectives of families involved in a child neglect situation are excluded of the child welfare systems. First it aims to describe how actual practices in child welfare systems regarding child neglect are anchored in a dominant, expert approach. Second it aims to describe the social organization that structures these practices of intervention. To do that, we first participated to and observed five meetings between frontline workers and parents involved in a child neglect situation. Then we conducted individual interviews with 15 of the workers involved in these meetings. Also, we analyzed the texts, documents and guidelines that have been identified by the workers as important references for their practice (such as youth protection act and court reports). We finally conducted interviews with three clinical supervisors. All data were analyzed using a qualitative approach. Results suggest that practices based on a medical model are supported by texts and institutional mechanisms that contribute to the reproduction of this kind of intervention. Findings highlight how actual practices in child welfare are still anchored in a dominant approach. Taking into account the growing consensus on the importance of considering families’ perspectives, these findings raise questions such as: how can we give more relevance to the voice of families? In our discussion, we propose some recommendations to promote a participatory approach with families involved in child welfare systems.