Objectives: Concerns have been raised that child welfare systems may inappropriately target poor families for intrusive interventions. The term “neglect” has been critiqued as a class-based label applied disproportionately to poor families. The objectives of the study are: to identify the nature and frequency of clinical and poverty-related concerns in child neglect investigations and to assess the service referral response to these needs; to examine the contribution of poverty-related need to case decision-making; and to explore whether substantiated cases of neglect can be divided into subtypes based on different constellations of clinical and poverty-related needs. Methods: This study is a secondary analysis of data collected through the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS‑2008), a nationally representative dataset. A selected subsample of neglect investigations from the CIS‑2008 (N = 4,489) is examined through descriptive analyses, logistic regression, and two-step cluster analysis in order to explore each research objective. Results: Children and caregivers investigated for neglect presented with a range of clinical and poverty-related difficulties. Contrary to some previous research, the existence of poverty-related needs did not influence case dispositions after controlling for other relevant risk factors. However, some variables that should be, in theory, extraneous to case decision-making emerged as significant in the multivariate models, most notably Aboriginal status, with Aboriginal children having increased odds of substantiation, ongoing service provision and placement. Cluster analyses revealed that cases of neglect could be partitioned into three clusters, with no cluster emerging characterized by poverty alone. Conclusions: The majority of children investigated for neglect live in families experiencing poverty-related needs, and with caregivers struggling with clinical difficulties. While poverty-related need on its own does not explain the high proportion of poor families reported to the child welfare system, nor does it account for significant variance in case decision making, cluster analysis suggests that there exists a subgroup of “neglected” children living in families perhaps best characterized by the broader notion of social disadvantage. These families may be better served through an orientation of family support/family welfare rather than through the current residual child protection paradigm.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Toronto, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 101-111).

Thesis (M. Soc. Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-140).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, June 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (M.Soc.Sc.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 134-140) Also available in print.

The issues about child protection have become a global concern. With the increase in cases of child abuse, neglect and mal-treatment, this study sought to address such issues in the South African context. The government through the Department of Social Development introduced various statutory requirements to ensure the protection of vulnerable children in South Africa. Through the use of a qualitative approach, this study investigated the duties of social workers working within statutory interventions to ensure the safety of abused and neglected children in two distinct areas in Amathole District, Eastern Cape. Semi-structured interviews from the study indicated that, social workers play major roles to ensure that vulnerable children are catered for. Their duties which are guided by law have seen so many abused children being removed from their place of abuse to better places of safety. However, despite the vigorous work done by social workers, statutory interventions still faces many challenges which make them ineffective.

This study is concerned with the evaluation and comparison of a portion of the laws and practices relating to the care and protection of children in five nations: Canada, the United States, Denmark, Italy, and Greece. The subjects discussed include administrative differences, compulsory education, child labour regulations, adoption, the welfare of handicapped and crippled children and grants to needy dependent children. To some extent in the evaluating and in the comparing processes, the factors causing differences in standards of care and protection of children are brought to light. Comparisons have been made in two ways, e.g., by measuring one nation's laws -and practices against another, and by measuring the standards of each nation against international standards and principles. Although it has been found that all five nations have weaknesses in these provisions for the protection of children, a vast difference of strength is shown between Canada, Denmark, and the United States on the one hand -and Greece and Italy on the other. It is the conclusion of the author that these differences show the necessity for international action and help for nations unable to provide adequately for their children without outside help. Considerable difficulty was experienced in finding material for research. Generally, four sources were used for the compilation of relevant information. These were: The University Library, national and international agencies and offices, friends working in the field of social work in the countries studied, -and an amount of material and information gathered by the writer while working in three of the countries involved. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

Increasingly; child welfare authorities have become involved with families where domestic violence is an issue. This has been the result of improved understanding of the impact of witnessing domestic violence on children. However, child welfare has been criticized for the oppressive nature of the interventions with families where domestic violence has occurred. Critics have argued that an absence of understanding about domestic violence by social workers in child welfare has resulted in oppressive practice towards women and children. This study explored the perceptions of social workers in British Columbia's Ministry for Children and Family Development - South Fraser Region about the barriers to best practice in cases of domestic violence. An extensive literature review revealed eight barriers to best practice that contradict current best practice guidelines for cases of domestic violence. The findings of this study revealed that social workers identified that similar barriers to best practice exist in the South Fraser Region, thereby confirming the concerns in the literature. The use of factor analysis revealed that social workers are attempting to work with non-offending parents in amore supportive manner, but there continue to be systemic problems associated with child welfare services that impede workers ability to practice in a non-oppressive manner. Recommendations for improvement of service provision are outlined and discussed. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

In 2012, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reported an estimated 686,000 victims of child abuse and neglect. Forty-nine states reported a total of 1,593 fatalities. This quantitative research study examined the relationship between the variables: age of child, gender of child, age of parent/caregiver, prior substantiated reports of abuse, and incidents of abuse in Philadelphia at the Department of Human Services using risk practice model (RPM) and safety practice model (SPM). Although child welfare practitioners have examined the relationship between family and societal factors that affect child abuse; few researchers have examined the correlation between service delivery practice models and incidents of abuse. The findings of this quantitative study examined 34,761 components of variable data from the Department of Human Services revealed that the age of the child, age of the caregiver, and incidents of abuse are statistically significant predictors of abuse, whereas the gender of child had minimal effect on incidents of abuse. The most accurate predictor of child abuse is prior substantiated reports of abuse. The study shows that reports received in 2007 using the RPM were 9.6% more likely to have a valid report; likewise, every report received during the years 2007 and 2012 increases the probability of a valid report by 94.2%. Development of a comprehensive assessment tool that combines the principle tenets of both RPM and SPM is recommended. The implications for social change include developing a practice model that can increase safety probabilities while diminishing incidents of abuse by using a more comprehensive assessment tool.

The purpose of the research study was to assess the job satisfaction of child welfae workers specifically working for San Bernardino County Department of Children's Services.