Child Welfare
Format: MLA volume: 4 pages Type: Essay An Evaluation of Child Welfare Supervision Program For Social Support Chapter 2 Literature Review (375 words) Chapter 4 Purpose of Study (100 words) References
Chapter 1 Introduction and Background (200 words)
Many diverse challenges face the children of the world today. This truth is the case when it comes to the social support and the dynamics in their lives. It is for this reason that governments and institutions have gone ahead to create child protection and child welfare services to ensure that the underprivileged children have a place to call home. However, some challenges grapple these particular setups. Kelly and Sundet (2007) are keen on the fact that insufficient practice and techniques among the child supervisors have compromised the level of care and child welfare in general. This observation by Kelly and Sundet (2007) is correct, and it compels the desire to evaluate the systems in place and assess how effective they are to ensure child welfare. Collins-Camargo and Millar (2012) are of the opinion that a shift to clinical approach will come a long way in making child welfare practices better. It is for reasons such as these that the need to evaluate the programs in place arises. Following an evaluation, it is possible to recommend improvements and prune the programs of their inefficiencies to ensure that all the children reap the very best from the child protection and child care services.
The current approach when it comes to child welfare is far from what a clinical model encompasses. A clinical model will ensure that the assessment of child protection is in a wholesome manner, and the burden on the supervisors will also be lighter. Jones, Washington and Steppes (2007) present the fact that most of the supervisors are overwhelmed, and they are also inexperienced like the work that they do. Similarly, Kelly and Sundet (2007) highlight the fact that the child supervisor has insufficient practice, and this compromises their ability to change child welfare. While these authors raise a legitimate concern, the bigger question remains, “What can be done to alleviate the status of child welfare programs?”
According to Murphy and Goodson (2007), the best approach should be evidence-based. They continue to explain that designing a program that generates knowledge among the supervisors is a strategy towards an evidenced-based evaluation of the programs in place. Collin-Camargo and Millar (2012) put forth the fact that a shift to clinical practice will lay the foundation for models that will facilitate practice, organization and client outcomes. This approach is the only sure way to assess the quality of child welfare. Murphy and Goodson (2007) emphasize the need to evaluate the process and the outcomes. Contrary to this idea by Murphy and Goodson (2007), Kelly and Sundet (2007) are keen on the fact that evaluation can take a personalized approach. They insist on the fact that evaluating the work done by individual supervisors and using the information for planning can improve child welfare programs. Similarly, Jones, Washington and Steppe (2007) are of the opinion that the best practices revolve around teaching the supervisors good practices. On the other hand, Murphy and Goodson (2007) put into consideration the fact that mentoring the supervisors is one way of improving child welfare programs. With regards to the suggestions by Murphy and Goodson (2007), Kelly and Sundet (2007) propose that feedback, mainly positive feedback, is a means of encouraging the supervisors to improve their approach to child welfare programs. The arguments presented by these authors merely affirm the fact that there is a need to take a different approach to ensure that evaluation of child welfare supervision is done with the due diligence it deserves.
Chapter 3 Research Methods (150 words)
This study focuses on people, their behavior and their approach towards child welfare supervision. For this reason, both quantitative and qualitative research methods will be put into practice to facilitate data collection. The use of questionnaires will be the primary method of data collection in this study. The quantitative research methods will facilitate the acquisition of data that will provide the basis of this being an evidenced based study. Qualitative research methods will bring a broader understanding of where the current programs stand and what can be done to improve them. A mixed questionnaire with both open-ended and closed-ended question will be useful in collecting data. In addition to the use of questionnaires, literature by authors on the same subject will also provide information to support the data gathered through the surveys. The need to have an evidence-based research is what will drive both the qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
This study will be a reference point when it comes to assessing the standing of child welfare services. The reason behind conducting this study to provide information and evidence on the fact that the only way to improve child welfare supervision is by making changes in the programs that already in place. This information will provide an avenue for the supervisors to be better trained, more experienced and to have mechanisms to cope with the demanding nature of their jobs. By having ways to evaluate child welfare practices, it is possible to weigh the outcomes and customer satisfaction in a bid to ensure that the children who benefit from protective services receive sufficient care and nurturing.
Collins-Camargo, C., & Millar, K. (2012). Promoting Supervisory Practice Change in Public Child Welfare: Lessons from University/Agency Collaborative Research in Four States. Child welfare, Volume 91, Pp.101.
Jones, J. L., & Cho, S. (2006). The impact of organizational culture on intention to remain in public child welfare: A case study in Tennessee. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT-PHILADELPHIA-, Volume 9, Pp.78.
Jones, J. L., Washington, G., & Steppe, S. (2007). The role of supervisors in developing clinical decision-making skills in Child Protective Services (CPS). Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, Volume 4, Pp. 103-116.
Kelly, M. J., & Sundet, P. (2007). Using 360 degree evaluation to improve clinical skill development by first line child protective services supervisors. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, Volume 4, Pp. 145-161.
Murphy, S. Y., & Goodson, J. (2007). Numbers alone do not tell the whole story: A program evaluation designed to generate evidence-based knowledge and practice in child welfare supervision. Journal of Evidence-Based Social Work, Volume 4, Pp.81-101.
