Introduction
In the lion share of cases the life perception, its values and strategy are determined for individual in one’s parent’s families. Thus, it is critically important to maximize the probability for each particular child for living with one’s parents, and address the existing pitfalls of the institute of family with corresponding policies. This paper would be dedicated to representation of the core aspects of the family policy -as an intentional course of action for minimization of the need of engagement the child protective services into the process of assistance of the children, who fall into the group of risk in terms of neglect or abuse. This statement would be supported by the fact that the child protective services may have some negative impact on the psyche of a child and furthermore, decrease one’s ability of becoming the full-grown member of society.
Problem Statement: Child Protective Services vs Family Policy
Child protective services are developed for assisting those children, who fall into the group of risk in terms of neglect or abuse. The responsibility for the practical implementation of such type of services lies on the Departments of Job and Family Services. Such departments investigate the entire set of abuse’ allegations as well as the issues pertaining to dependency and neglect are also addressed by them through providing neglected and/or abused children with the corresponding services and finding the adoptive families for them.
It is essential to note that the caseworkers are provided with the options of freedom of choice of the alternative approach by differential repose in the process of investigation of the particular reports of neglect and abuse. It is reached by substitution of traditional form of investigation (which may be set in an automatic manner). The country agencies are provided with the possibility of investigation and assessment of the needs of a neglected child or one’s family in non-adversarial and non-threatening way, and afterwards, offer the set of corresponding available services, which has the potential of fulfillment these particular needs – such as practical; implementation of the specially-tailored family policy.
Such approach creates an option of focusing on the overall needs of the family instead of considering the particular circumstances of the incident of abuse. It means that the alternative response has the set of advantages in comparison to the traditional form of response – as it acknowledges the fact of existence of different circumstances in different families, which vary in terms of their severity and thus, may be addressed in different ways. It is obvious that there are cases when the only way of protecting a child from one’s rights violation is the traditional response, while there are still the cases when the issues may be resolved more effectively in a prompt and easy way while less disruption is made for the life of a child – in such cases the alternative approach is applied into the practice (Departments of Job and Family Services, 2016)
Historical background of the child protective services may be represented in the following way – in 1960s, Vincent De Francis has claimed that there was no Child Protective Service program on the state of community level for addressing the service needs of the entire set of the child neglect’ reported cases. After 1962, the child abuse has become a national issue and afterwards this type of services has become available across the country and significant monetary funds are currently allocated for this purpose – when thousands of professionals work on provision of assistance to the vulnerable children and struggling parents (Blau and Abramovitz, 2010).
Currently existing system of child protection works 24/7. One of the pitfalls of this process is that child protection’s successes are seldom represented to the public, as in a majority of cases, only the failings of such system are reported. This trend undermines the confidence in the system. While referring to the histriy of the system existence, it is possible to see that the entire set of the efforts for children’ protection cannot be referred as the story of failure. It is clear that the child protection system is still not perfect, but significant number of questions is already addressed in a successful manner - through development of corresponding policies and procedure of their practical implementation for each particular case (Myers, 2009).
As for now, the system works in the following way - as soon as the report regarding the actual or possible child abuse is received by such agency, the assessment is conducted by the caseworker. In the case if it is determined by one that there is no further options for the child for remaining safely at one’s home, the corresponding procedures are conducted by the case worker with the family members of such child. In the case when there is no solution for the problem, the alternative safe placement is found by the agency, it is obvious that the preferred options in such case are the following: placement of the child with one’s relatives or other familiar setting – such as family friend, neighbor, or another family in the same area - so the child may attend the same school or kindergarten.
In the case of neither of above listed options is found, the caseworker collaborates with the local court system in terms of putting such child into the county’s PCSA’ protective custody. Furthermore, such child may be placed by the PCSA into the foster family.
A Family Policy as an Intentional Course of Action
First, it is essential to represent the attitude of public towards the program for enhancement of the role of parental activity in the education of children. Experts from the Pew Research Center (2010) have conducted investigation regarding the importance of family life and the attitude of the public towards this issue. The following results were obtained - almost 94% of U.S. respondents have indicated the family life as an essential component of individual upbringing. In the scope of the poll, conducted in 2010 and dedicated to future of institute of marriage and other critical aspects of social life, it was indicated that U.S. people have shown the most optimistic attitude towards the family’s future (among the set of the other critical aspects – such as future of economic system of the country, its culture, foreign relations and the educational system) (Pew Research Center – as cited in Bogenschneider, 2014). Also, high rates of happy marriage were reported by the respondents.
The individualistic paradigm makes the direct impact on the ways of practical implementation of the significant number of programs and policies. For instance, in the residential centers, where the treatment is provided or the youth, the critical role belongs to the family support in terms of recovery process. At the same time, while referring to the statistical data, almost 88% of the personnel of such settings is not familiar with the core principles of the family-centered treatment or at least need to enhance their awareness and advance practical skills in this area (Bogenschneider, 2014).
In the area of education, there is a solid pool of the practical evidence of the role of family engagement. For instance, in the case of active participation of parents in the schooling, the higher success rates are represented by children. More than that, such positive impacts are more evident in those families, where children grow up in stress and some other disadvantages.
Currently, less than 10% of federally funded education and childcare programs integrate the exhaustive approach and involve the parental support, family, social services as well as referrals and medical care (Reynolds & Temple- as cited in Bogenschneider, 2014). As soon as the kindergarten is entered by child, the core characteristic of the parent’s engagement into this process are characterized as too impersonal, too late and too cursory for reaching significant and long-lasting effect. In the timeframe of the K-12 years, the engagement of the family members into the process of education is usually too common and aspirational. While referring to the practice, only three states have developed the requirements for the specialized training of the administrators, teachers or other personnel staff in the case of involvement of the parents into the educational process.
While discussing the core reasons of marginalization of the families in the policymaking process, it is essential to refer to the fact that it is the unlucky culmination of the set of converging forces: its major stakeholders – public, policymakers and professionals and significant changes in social perception of the family life and its social role; role of the government in family life, and insignificant number of the professionals, who are able to advance the family policy, while referring to the evidence-based facts and considerations (Bogenschneider, 2014).
Major Players
The policy would be represented in the form of the program for enhancement of the role of parental activity in the education of children. The following groups are engaged into the process of the policy development and its practical implementation – citizens, educational establishments and Departments of Job and Family Services, Children’s Defense Fund, the Family Research Council, the National Organization of Women and Department Of Economic Development
Family Research Council as one of the major player of the policy development has claimed that the family relations are critically essential for social life in US. Thus, the corresponding role should belong to the family education in the context of children abuse’ management and prevention.
It was claimed by Department of Economic Development that there is one more issue, pertaining to the role of family in childcare -is its economic aspect, as the real value of the family in the role of child and one’s righty s protection, is represented by the following daily activities: food preparation, childcare, educational activities, basic healthcare etc.
There is no clear understanding of the total amount of monetary funds, which is enough for satisfaction of the child’s needs. This aspect is critically important for the mother’s employment, for instance, those women, who have the status of single mothers (who are not married or bring up children without husband), usually face with the situation of being financially strapped. Because of the deficit of monetary sources, such children grow up with the compromised mental health and this trend, in turn, reduces their chances for getting proper education and furthermore, forming the suitable unions for themselves.
Departments of Job and Family Services claim that in the process of development the policies and their practical implementation through the corresponding program, there is a need of taking into account the fact that the timing means everything and thus, it is essential to view the aspects of the policies from the perspective of the family impact (DiNitto and Johnson, 2016). Among the other factors, contributing the families’ marginalization in the process of policies development and practical implementation, it is possible to outline the following: skepticism regarding the governmental role in this process; global changes in the pattern of the family life as well as the deficit of the professional training of the policy makers in the practical implementation and maintenance of the family policy, which is grounded on the scientific and practical evidence.
National Organization of Women has supported the need of corresponding policy development, as it was indicated that there is a direct interrelation between the rate of education and the marital status of mothers (in 2000, less than 7% of highly educated mothers have given a birth to their children outside of marriage, while the same index for the less educated counterparts reached 43% ). It is obvious that the quality of life and further education of children, who rise in the families with single less educated mother, are under the question, as well as the frequency of child abuse dramatically increase in the families of such type (because of the lack of awareness in legislative aspects of child’s rights, low quality of life, etc.) (Bogenschneider, 2014)
In addition, the involvement of fathers into the educational process should be aimed for promotion of the social and cognitive development (Walden University and Human Services, 2014). Bogenschneider (2014) has claimed that in the timeframe of last 30 years, the active engagement of fathers into the education of their children has led to the significant increases of completed college education among children, who have followed the life experience of their parents.
The core concern, which emerges in this case, is that the lion share of the policymakers is not oriented on enacting a rule or passing the law, while not taking in consideration the economic effect of such action. It means that the family-related issues are not taken in consideration within the framework of policymaking. As soon as some economic questions emerge, the consultation of the economist is needed – one assesses the corresponding data and evaluates possible outcomes of each particular decision. In the case with child protection policies neither consultation with the family authorities is done nor is the family research conducted. Such trend leads to passing of the piecemeal legislation, which is able to address some family needs, but at the same time, does not provide the complete vision for the situation improvement in terms of supporting families. One of the possible reasons for that is the fact that the notion of family policy is still not used in a wide set of cases by public, journalists or policymakers. More than that, neither the status of economic policy has been achieved by it, nor it has been recognized as the social policy’ subfield.
The core purpose of development and practical implementation of the policy is to integrate the social life of an individual with the family life and in such manner, to minimize the frequency of child abuse cases, prevent the occurrence of these cases - when the active engagement of the family members in the life and educaion of their child has the potential of establishment and maintenance of the strong and mutual family relations.
Such policy would have the positive impactions both or the family order and social life - as its major porpoise is to educate the further generation, which, in turn, would set the new social norms and follow them.
Conclusion
The program of the offered policy is mainly grounded on the importance of the strong and vital society for minimization of the child neglect or abuse. The policy is urgent as the family-related considerations are still not incorporated into the corresponding policies.
Among the major contributing forces of the social changes and increased rates of child abuse and neglect, it is possible to define the rapid changes in the philosophy and practice of the family life, which have taken their places in the timeframe of last 30 years. In addition, currently social and economic life has divided the families for haves and the have-nots. This trend has challenged the policymakers in making the correct decision regarding the support provision to the particular families, its type and the scopes. There are still some uncertainties among US population regarding the role of the government in the family lives as well as the policies, which may contribute the strong family relations and support them.
Thus, it is possible to state a fact that the major emphasis of the offered program is put on maximization of the available resources for children (such as maternal age, maternal employment and involvement of fathers into the process of education), which are more available for the more-educated mothers. The second emphasis is put on minimization of the negative impact, made by such social phenomenon as divorce and single motherhood (which are more frequent among the less-educated mothers) and create the fertile background for the child neglect or abuse.
The offered program is in compliance with the strategies of Family Research Council; Departments of Job and Family Services and National Organization of Women, while some deviations from the postulates of the Children’s Defense Fund and Department of Economic Development still exist.
References
Blau, J., Abramovitz, M.(2010) The Dynamics of Social Welfare Policy. Oxford University Press
Bogenschneider, K. (2014) Family Policy Matters: How Policymaking Affects Families and What Professionals Can Do. Routlege
Departments of Job and Family Services (2016) Child Protective Services. Retrieved from: http://jfs.ohio.gov/factsheets/CPS_factSheet.pdf
DiNitto, D.M. and Johnson, D.H. (2016) Social Welfare: Politics and Public Policy. Pearson Education
Myers. J.R (2009) A Short History of Child Protection in America. Retrieved from: https://www.americanbar.org/content/dam/aba/publishing/insights_law_society/ChildProtectionHistory.authcheckdam.pdf
