The Handbook on Child Welfare Practice, 1st ed. 2021

This unique, multidisciplinary resource incorporates cutting-edge research and best practices in child welfare into a text that aims to teach and refine advanced child welfare skills for aspiring child welfare professionals. Featuring real-life examples and stories from the field, the handbook discusses existing methods and challenges in the field of child welfare practice. Chapters also include materials for instructors to use in classrooms or training settings.

Among the topics covered:

• Overview of child welfare policies and how the child welfare system works
• Assessment tools and strategies used to identify various types of child abuse and neglect
• Individual, family, and community-level approaches to preventing child maltreatment and preserving families
• Promoting stability after foster care placement
• Effective collaboration while working with special populations
• Clinical supervision in child welfare practice
• Strategies for healthy professional development of child welfare practitioners

The Handbook on Child Welfare Practice is a valuable resource as both a textbook in child welfare practice courses and a practical reference for child welfare professionals. This book will help develop a more knowledgeable and skilled child welfare workforce prepared to address the significant public health concern of child maltreatment.

Introduction   

Child Welfare Systems           

Systems’ Historical Response to Child Maltreatment           

Key Federal Child Welfare Policies in the United States       

Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 

Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA)        

Federal Child Welfare Policies Addressing Racial and Ethnic Disparities      

Indian Children Welfare Act of 1978 (ICWA) 

Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 (MEPA) and Interethnic Placement Act of 1996 (IEPA)

Safety 

Permanency   

Well-being     

Child Maltreatment Prevention         

Protective Factors      

Child Welfare Practice as a Profession          

Characteristics of a Child Welfare Professional        

Professional Responsibilities 

Mandates       

Empathy in Child Welfare      

Managing Bias and Navigating Professional Identity

Outline of the Book    

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References

Chapter 2: How the Child Welfare System Works

Introduction   

Current Child Welfare System Description    

Intake 

Case Management     

Law Enforcement Investigations        

Professional Partners 

Mandatory Reporting

Services          

Privatization   

Roles in Child Protection and Foster Care     

Navigating the Dependency Court System    

Preparing for and Testifying in Court

Parents’ Rights           

Children’s Rights        

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References     

Chapter 3: Child Development and Well-being

Introduction   

Domains of Child Development         

Factors that Impede or Delay Normative Development       

Supporting Healthy Child Development        

Developmental Monitoring, Screening, and Evaluation       

Attachment, Bonding, and Development      

Attachment Theory    

Parent-Child Bonding 

Attachment Disorders

Family Roles   

Parenting Styles         

Child Discipline          

Challenging Child Behaviors  

Difficult Developmental Phases         

Supporting Healthy Parent-Child Relationships        

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References     

Chapter 4: Identifying Child Maltreatment

Physical Abuse

Signs and Symptoms of Physical Abuse

Sexual Abuse  

Sexual Abuse Disclosure        

Signs and Symptoms of Sexual Abuse

Emotional Abuse        

Signs and Symptoms of Emotional Abuse     

Neglect           

Signs and Symptoms of Neglect        

Polyvictimization

Understanding Maltreatment

Risk Factors    

Protective Factors      

Consequences of Maltreatment        

Consequences of Physical Abuse       

Consequences of Sexual Abuse         

Consequences of Neglect      

Societal Consequences           

Prevention      

Cultural Considerations         

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References     

Chapter 5: Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Practice

Introduction   

What Is a Traumatic Event?   

How Does Trauma Affect Individuals?           

Signs of Traumatic Stress       

Preschool and elementary school-age children        

Middle school and high school-age children 

Triggers and Trauma Reminders       

Impact of Trauma      

Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs)         

Assessment Tools and Strategies for Children who have Experienced Trauma       

Engaging Families in the Screening Process  

Reducing the Trauma Associated with Child Investigation, Removal, and Out-of-Home Placement          

Overview of Treatment of Trauma    

Evidence-informed Interventions to Address Trauma in Children   

Using a Trauma-informed Approach 

CDC’s Guiding Principles to a Trauma-Informed Approach   

Trauma-informed Child Welfare System       

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References     

Chapter 6: Child and Family Engagement in Child Welfare Practice

Introduction   

Engagement   

Strengths-based Practice in Child Welfare    

Family-Centered Practice in Child Welfare   

Building Rapport and Developing an Alliance with the Family         

Connecting with Children      

Culturally Grounded Engagement in Child Welfare  

Child Welfare Professional as Change Agent

Solution-Focused Approach in Child Welfare

Motivational Interviewing in Child Welfare Practice

Managing Difficult Encounters with the Family        

Substance Abuse        

Intimate Partner Violence (IPV)         

Mental Illness 

Promoting Collaborative Practice in Child Welfare  

Working with Substitute Caregivers 

Working with Kinship Placements

Working with Residential and Group Home Placement Staff           

Working with Law Enforcement        

Working with Attorneys and Court Personnel          

Working with Medical and Behavioral Health Providers      

Working with Educators and the School System       

Child and Family Teams         

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Additional Resources 

References     

Chapter 7: Child Maltreatment Prevention and Family Preservation

Introduction   

Child Maltreatment Prevention         

History of Child Maltreatment Prevention    

Prevention Strategies

Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) Strengthening Families

CDC Essentials for Childhood 

Child Maltreatment Prevention Models        

Home Visiting Programs        

Parent Education Programs   

Community-level Interventions         

Policies Supporting Child Maltreatment Prevention 

Family Preservation

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References     

Chapter 8: Assessment in Child Welfare Practice

Introduction   

Assessing Safety and Risk      

Safety Assessment Goals       

Assessment Tools       

Actuarial and Clinical-based Approaches      

New Ways to Identify Families in Need of Services  

By Abuse Type

Assessment in Different Contexts      

Skills for Assessment in Child Welfare          

Conducting Family and Home Assessments  

Understanding Families         

Child Assessments      

Forensic Interviewing

Documentation          

Writing Effective Case Notes

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References

Chapter 9: Foster Care Placement

Introduction   

Child Removal and Placement Process          

Trauma of Removal   

Placement Ideals        

Least Restrictive Environments         

Family/Kin      

Siblings           

Culturally Appropriate Settings         

Proximity        

Types of Placement   

Relative/Kinship         

Non–Relative Family Placement        

Pre-adoptive Homes  

Supervised Independent Living         

Emergency Foster Care         

Placement Trends      

Relevant Policies        

Services for Children in Foster Care  

Services for Foster and Kinship Care Providers         

Services for Parents with Children in Foster Care     

In-Home Services and Family Preservation Services 

Recruiting, Training, and Licensing Foster Parents

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References     

Chapter 10: Permanency in Child Welfare Practice

Introduction   

Permanency Planning

Principles Guiding Permanency Planning      

Permanency: Policies and Laws         

Permanency Goals     

Adoption         

Guardianship  

Concurrent Permanency Planning     

Achieving Permanency          

Permanency Planning for Older Youth          

Family-Centered Practice      

Foster Care Re-Entry

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

Chapter 11: Special Populations in Child Welfare Practice

Introduction   

Children and Youth with Disabilities and Special Needs       

Achieving Permanency for Children with Disabilities

Youth Aging Out/Transition-Age Youth         

Supporting Youth During the Transition        

Immigrant and Refugee Children and Families         

Siblings in Foster Care

Conclusion      

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References     

Chapter 12: Supervision and Professional Development in Child Welfare

Introduction   

Supervision in Child Welfare Practice

Importance of Supervision in Child Welfare 

Clinical Supervision    

Trauma-Informed Supervision           

Solution-Focused Supervision

Group Supervision     

Maximizing Supervision         

Agency Responsibility for Supervision           

Supervision Practices and Strategies 

Professional Development for Child Welfare Professionals  

Professional Goals     

Ethics and Legal Issues           

Racial Equity and Cultural Humility   

Licensing and Certification    

Child Welfare Practitioner Safety      

Retention and Job Satisfaction          

Burnout and Secondary Traumatic Stress     

Self-Care        

Developing a Self-care Plan

Discussion Questions 

Suggested Activities   

Additional Resources 

References

Jennifer M. Geiger, PhD is an Assistant Professor at the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois Chicago. Her research focuses on promoting access and success for youth in care and foster care alumni in higher education settings. She also conducts research to support and promote resilience among caregivers (kin and non-relative) for children and youth in care. Dr. Geiger has co-authored 35 peer-reviewed journal articles, and 6 book chapters on foster care and child maltreatment. She co-authored “Intergenerational Transmission of Child Maltreatment” and “Assessing Empathy” in 2017. 

Dr. Geiger received her Master of Social Work in 2004 and PhD in Social Work in 2014 from Arizona State University (ASU) in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Geiger was a Doris Duke Fellow for the Promotion of Child Well-being and continues to be an active member of the network. Prior to returning to work on her PhD, she worked at the Maricopa County Office of the Legal Advocate as a Child Welfare Specialist. She worked alongside dedicated attorneys appointed to advocate for the best interests of children in foster care and ensure their social-emotional, psychological, educational, and medical needs were met. 

Dr. Geiger is the Principal Investigator (PI) for the Cook County Permanency Enhancement Project (PEP), a statewide partnership with the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services, which provides technical assistance to action teams in Cook County to address issues related to racial disproportionality and disparity in the child welfare system and communities. She is the Co-Founder for the National Research Collaborative for Foster Alumni in Higher Education (NRC-FCA), a national research collaborative to promote access and success for youth in care and alumni in higher education. She helped develop and implement Bridging Success at Arizona State University and the Sparking Success Scholars Program, recruitment and retention pr

Offers an inclusive, broad approach to providing up-to-date, evidence-based practices in child welfare

Provides practical knowledge about child maltreatment, safety and risk assessment, and specific information about practice skill development and application

Includes skill-building activities and resources for students, professors, and training personnel

Presents realistic case scenarios