The purpose of this study is to explore the impact of current child welfare policy, specifically the Adoption Assistance and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA), on the perceptions of child welfare workers about their decisions.

The purpose of this study was to identify salient factors contributing to the overrepresentation of African Americans in the child welfare system. This study seeks to examine whether or not public child welfare workers are biased in their assessments of African Americans, and if years of experience influence their judgment. By understanding some of the salient factors that contribute to these disproportionate numbers, Child Welfare Services can begin to revamp their programs and services to ensure that they are more culturally sensitive and equitable.

This research was designed to explore the challenges faced by community-based interventions for orphans and vulnerable children in Mutare, Zimbabwe. This study employed qualitative case study method which focused on the two community-based organisations, FACT and Simukai. Cross-case data analysis relating to research questions was done using transcriptions organised by themes and sub-themes from focus group discussions with volunteers, in-depth interviews with caregivers and staff from both CBOs. Findings show that communities are committed to the care and support of OVCs by offering their voluntary services. Despite volunteer/caregivers’ commitment to care and support OVCs, some challenges noted by caregivers were: caregiver fatigue, lack of material resources for OVCs during visits and lack of interest in young people taking up voluntary work. Simukai and FACT interventions were found to be mainly education, psychosocial support, medical assistance, project management, capacity building and financing of self help projects for OVCs and their families. / Sociology / M. A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

The purpose of this study was to measure whether or not a child welfare worker's education has an effect on their client's outcomes. It compares master's degree in social work caseworkers' rates of family reunification and the length of time children on their caseload spend in foster care to those of child welfare workers who do not have an MSW. This study sought to address this gap in the current literature by analyzing available case data from a public child welfare agency in a Southern California county.

The aim of this study was to investigate unaccompanied migrant children (UMC )experiences, challenges and coping strategies in South Africa as they navigate their lives with no parental care and protection in a foreign country. The continuous inflow of UMC remains a major challenge globally and more so in South Africa. The inflow resulted in unaccompanied migrant children facing adverse challenges such as exploitation, marginalisation, discrimination and violation of human rights. In response to this influx, the South African Government embarked on several commendable initiatives, notwithstanding the national guidelines by the Department of Social Development, which unfortunately could not provide adequate guidance for social workers, on how to respond effectively to challenges facing UMC. The study was qualitative guided by exploratory, descriptive, and contextual designs. A sample was drawn using purposive sampling. Participants sampled for data collection were UMC and social workers tending them, from two shelters; one in the Limpopo and one in the Gauteng provinces, respectively. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews and analysed using Tesch’s eight steps of data analysis in Creswell (2013). The findings confirmed that unaccompanied migrant children do not receive satisfactory services from social workers who are mandated by the Department of Social Development to look after all the vulnerable children in South Africa. In addition, the findings further confirmed the contradictions and misalignment of legal frameworks that make it difficult for social workers to provide effective services to the UMC, thus exposing the latter to a continued plethora of daily challenges. Despite the magnitude of challenges presented by the host country, it emerged that unaccompanied migrant children demonstrate a range of coping mechanisms to survive the challenges experienced within the borders of South Africa. Prominent in the findings was the dissatisfaction of social workers regarding lack of clarity and inconsistencies in the current Social Development Guidelines on; Separated and Unaccompanied Children Outside their Country of Origin in South Africa. Based on these findings, recommendations are made for practice and additional guidelines were developed to enhance service delivery to the UMC. / Social Work / D. Litt. et Phil. (Social Work)

This research was designed to explore the challenges faced by community-based interventions for orphans and vulnerable children in Mutare, Zimbabwe. This study employed qualitative case study method which focused on the two community-based organisations, FACT and Simukai. Cross-case data analysis relating to research questions was done using transcriptions organised by themes and sub-themes from focus group discussions with volunteers, in-depth interviews with caregivers and staff from both CBOs. Findings show that communities are committed to the care and support of OVCs by offering their voluntary services. Despite volunteer/caregivers’ commitment to care and support OVCs, some challenges noted by caregivers were: caregiver fatigue, lack of material resources for OVCs during visits and lack of interest in young people taking up voluntary work. Simukai and FACT interventions were found to be mainly education, psychosocial support, medical assistance, project management, capacity building and financing of self help projects for OVCs and their families. / Sociology / M. A. (Social Behaviour Studies in HIV/AIDS)

No description available.

No description available.

No description available.

This study examined the practices that are currently being utilized by San Bernardino County for Social Work Practitioners in Child Protective Services (CPS) concerning retention of social workers.