CHILD WELFARE SERVICES TODAY: AN OVERVIEW AND SOME QUESTIONS

In: The annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, Band 355, S. 1-8

Abstract

The field of child welfare is distinguished by the multiplicity & variety of programs it encompasses. These develop at very diff rates & are offered under many widely differing auspices, both public & private. Co-operation & COMM are both feasible & desirable, but too close a co-operation has disadvantages. Attempts have been made to distinguish public & private functions. These have been attended by some success & also by some unresolved questions. The basic philosophy of the field has never been clarified, & trends toward both fam-centered & child-centered work are observable. The problem is complicated by the too frequent assumption that children's & parents' 'rights' are of the same nature & that one must choose between them. The question has implications for society, for the training of practitioners, & for practice itself. A major need in the field is the clarification at law of the rights & responsibilities of parents, children, & agencies. AA.