An exploration of child welfare workers' experiences with neglect cases

Objectives Child neglect continues to be a pressing concern; however, child neglect is often found to be more difficult to assess than other forms of child maltreatment. This study explored how child welfare workers... [ view full abstract ]

Objectives

Child neglect continues to be a pressing concern; however, child neglect is often found to be more difficult to assess than other forms of child maltreatment. This study explored how child welfare workers experience their day-to-day work with children and families, when neglect was the presenting concern. This presentation will educate participants about the complexities of working with child neglect as well as provide information to guide and support decision-making processes in neglect cases.

Methodology
This research was based on constructivist inquiry, which is the epistemological belief that findings are co-created between the “knower and the known” (Guba, 1990, p. 18). This study employed focus groups to gather data. The method of collecting data through focus groups aligns with the constructivist inquiry stance in understanding the social constructions of a group focused on a specific phenomenon – in this case, the decision-making process in child neglect cases. Focus group participants were recruited through convenience sampling. The participants in each of the focus groups had a wide variety or experiences as child welfare caseworkers. Each focus group transcript was individually analyzed using a constant comparison approach to generate codes and categories (Charmaz, 2010).

Results
Analyses identified four themes inherent in case workers’ experiences in neglect cases: a dirty house isn’t just a dirty house, professional judgment, different values, and ambivalence: compassion and frustration. Implications for practice and future research are discussed.

Conclusions
The child welfare workers in this study expressed a myriad of feelings about the system in which they work, and the children and families they serve. Child welfare work is demanding; knowing this, we (as a collective) have a responsibility to ensure that child welfare workers are equipped to handle the complexities of child neglect as well as guide and support their decision-making processes.