Welfare System

Child Welfare System

The child welfare system was formed as the need to speak to the basic needs and necessities of unfortunate children in the 19th century. Through the passing decades, the need to grant supportive services for these children and families was also a support. Among the agencies in charge for proving these services are state and county child protective services as well as adoption agencies and foster homes. One of the most important goals of these agencies is the protection of children who have experienced abuse from those who are in charge or responsible for their care such as parents, or guardians. The definitive goal is to have abused children reunited with parent or guardian when possible, or as soon as the danger of constant abuse has been controlled. The last decision would be to place children up for adoption but is often use as a last resort.

On the other hand, it is clear that children of minority groups are the ones most represented within the national child welfare system. Minority populations within the United States have always been at a considerable disadvantage socially and economically. These disadvantages amongst minorities go back to the initial colonization and subsequent development of this country. Many of these disadvantages have caused a social stagnation amongst subsequent generations within these groups. Unquestionably, the stress of disadvantaged families trying to achieve self- sufficiency or independences have caused numerous to experience behavioral issues as well as emotional issues.

The child welfare system in the U.S. has experiences many changes in last hundred years. Various factors have been the cause of why these changes have occur such as urbanization , industrialization, immigration, mass life- threatening illness, changes within family system, shifting social mores, and the ultimate availability of government financial assistances for individuals in need.

Concerned for orphaned and abused children has gradually transitioned from institutionalized care, to principally substitute family care, or foster care over the past 100 years. During the 1980's no children remained in institutionalized care in the United States, apart from group homes, treatment centers, as well as developmentally disable homes intended for children with disabilities. (Shughart & Chappell, 1998). Within the 1960's was when government public assistances programs develop. This reduces the inevitability for the removal of children from their homes due to poverty. Now single mothers had somewhere to go for monetary and financial support helping them raise their children.

Due to the numbers increasing of children placed in substitute care by the 1980's predominantly in most urban communities, these has been an increasing focus on early intervention along with prevention programs since the early 90's. Family preservation programs have