Social Work Planning for Child Abandonement

Social Work Planning for Child Abandonement Since the earliest times of humanity, the social issue of childhood abandonment, and further the social planning for this problem, has been a reality. The issue, although a fairly common occurrence in society, is a rather understudied trend. Additionally, children are a particularly vulnerable population who are often thought to be the property of their parents. This fact alone makes children of less importance in research as they are thought to be under the care and guidance of their mother and/or father. On the contrary, however, most prevalently documented in existing reports on children is the variations of abuse and neglect, even though physical abandonment is just as relevant, if not more important. For example, Who speaks for Joshua? was a question raised by Supreme Court Justice Harry Blackmun in his discussion of the plight of three-year-old Joshua DeShaney who had been beaten by his parents until permanently disabled (Ashby, 1997). What people should be asking, but arent, i s who speaks for the millions of orphans? Adults can speak for them, of course, but with varying interests and agendas and usually not within the interest of the actual children (Ashby, 1997). There is a much stronger focus on the physical, sexual, and emotional abuse of children than on their complete desertion. This problem is of particular importance because the number of children looking for families in orphanages, foster care, and on the streets is astonishing. It is also concerning that the children who are orphans have no control over their current situation, destiny, or fate. Sociological research has shown family to be one of the most important foundations of life; it is the first social group an individual is a part of, and the impact of the family system on an individual is crucial and wide-ranging. Social workers should better acquaint themselves with the issue of social planning for abandoned children to improve the current and future practice and policy in this area. Introduction Currently there is no one central source which monitors the number of children abandoned across America (Edwards, 2000). While the parental reasons for abandonment are wide ranging, the act of desertion most often results in the child becoming a responsibility of the state, in a child welfare agency, or can at times end in death. Childhood abandonment does not have one clear all inclusive definition. The act of abandonment itself can be as harsh as leaving a child on a door step, in front of a hospital or church, or simply leaving them on the streets to fend for themselves. It could also be seen as parents neglect of a child over an extended period of time (Mason, 2009, p. 29). While the issue of childhood abandonment remains a vast problem in itself, the social planning for abandoned children is also of immense concern. Children can no longer fend for themselves on the streets; orphanages and foundling homes are not sufficient for the individuals attention and stimulation either (Bu rstein, 1981). Thus, the move from the streets to foster care, relative guardianships, or adoptive families is necessary, yet remains extremely difficult for a variety of reasons to this day. There are many problems and difficulties encountered within orphanages, foster care, and ultimately the adoption of a dependent child that need be addressed by current policy. History The social issue of childhood abandonment has been prevalent throughout history and is quite possibly the most extreme form of child neglect. There have been accounts in ancient Greece, from the Hebrews, from Europe and many other ancient civilizations (Burnstein, 1981). In the book History of Childhood (1974), author Lloyd Demause, concluded that love for children did not exist in ancient society; he stated child abandonment was common among the poor until the fourth-century B.C. Perhaps one of the earliest documentations of child physical abandonment is with Moses, who was left by his mother in a conscious effort to save his life (Burnstein, 1981, p. 214). Childhood abandonment can be seen in virtually every society. As early as the colonization of North America, homeless, orphaned children were already running rampant. As much of the literature illustrates, social planning for childhood abandonment was not considered a problem until the nineteenth-century. LeRoy Ashby notes in his book Endangered Children: Dependency Neglect and Abuse in American History (1997), concerns about endangered and needy children have been particularly evident during times of social stress (p. 2). He also notes that most often those who discovered childhood abandonment were only concerned of the disorder and squalor of the growing cities and not the children themselves (Ashby, 1997). This is because children were the hope-or threat-of the future and thus need to be protected (Trattner, 1998). The recognition of neglect like child abandonment was not seen in North America for some time, mostly due to the fact that children remained indentured servants and property of their parents; childhood was not considered a crucial development phase (Trattner, 1998). A transformative view of children came in the 1700s when society beg an to see children as innocents whoà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦deserved special attention and protection (Ashby, 1997, p.16). Much of the initial response by the colonies in child welfare matters was the result of the 1601 Elizabethan Poor Law, which had significant implications for dependent children (Ashby, 1997). Similarly, the doctrine of parens patriae affirmed the state is the ultimate parent of every child (Ratliff, 2000). However, throughout the colonial and early national times, the extent of laws against child neglect crimes, and furthermore social planning for dependent children, remained rather unclear. Some literature suggests that abandoned children have always been a concern in this country, but this fact is not well documented. The social problem of planning for these neglected children is not well recorded or detailed by any particular person or group of individuals seeing as its existence dates as far back to the earliest man. From the time of mans arrival in the western world, indenture and outdoor relief dominated the seventeenth- and eighteenth-centuries policies regarding child dependency (Ashby, 1997, p. 14). However, for orphan and needy children in the 1700s, officials, fellow citizens, and familial networks responded with sympathy and concern; although their first interest remained with their own families and affairs (Ashby, 1997). Almshouses were established few and far between in the 1700s as small, emergency-only, traditional forms of child welfare (Ashby, 1997). The introduction of such almshouses and orphanages demonstrated that, by the nineteenth-century, new res ponses to child dependency were apparent. Many social work researchers would attribute the recognition of the social planning for dependent children to early-nineteenth century reformers who saw children as the possibility for constructive altruism (Trattner, 1998, p. 108). It was at this time that the child welfare movement swept into the beginning of the twentieth-century (Trattner, 1998). Although indenture systems were the way of early colonial times, they also contained suggestions of child welfare strategies which integrated a shift in values towards foster care and adoption (Ashby, 1997). Values Societal Institutional Arrangements Values played a large role in identifying both the problem and possible resolutions with the issue of social planning for abandoned children in early America. First, the sensitive realization of children as more than property has been essential to the steps toward planning for dependent, neglected children. A change in early America came when society began to recognize children as posing a sort of social problem [that can]à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦produce legal responses (Dingwall, Eekelaar, Murray, 1984, p. 208). Charles Brace, the nineteenth-centurys most effective helper of children on the streets, was quoted in saying the child, most of all, needs individual care and sympathy (Olasky, 1994, p. 46). Although Brace is cited much more recently in the literature on dependent child, his thoughts and values are the same upon which the first institutions combating child dependency were founded. In addition, Fredrich Froebel posed that children needed to exercise their minds and bodies (Trattner, 1998, p. 111). Reformers began initiating institutions, such as the orphan asylum, as a solution for the mounting crisis of parentless children (Ashby, 1997). Society had finally begun to recognize the special needs of children and unearthed a new concern for the best interests of the child. The recognition of family values and the family as an elemental social institution also helped interventions, which came about on behalf of the welfare of the child. Charles Braces goal was to find adoptive homes for the orphans to get them under the combination of love and discipline that parents can provide (Olasky, 1994, p. 46). Childhood abandonment is actually first mentioned in the literature in relation to providing basic care for parentless children (Burnstein, 1981, p. 214). Herein lies the fact that social planning for abandoned children has been an issue for many years. In 1729 the first orphanages in the United States were founded by nuns to provide care for a group of children whose parents died in an Indian massacre (Lewis Solnit, 1975). This institution, as well as many others that have since developed, served as a somewhat replacement family for poor neglected children. In some instances, almshouses served to keep poverty stricken families together, allowing families , most often mothers and children, to sleep in the same ward (Ashby, 1997). Many more social agencies similar to these were formed all over North America throughout the 1800s. Another value set forth in this revolutionizing era was that of reforming poverty and unrest in society. Children sheltered in the orphanages were supposed to learn virtue and pietyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦industry and cleanliness, they were educated and taught the importance of hard work (Ashby, 1997, p. 17). Religious values were also on the rise at this time; evangelical religious beliefs and humanitarian attitudes began sweeping across America (Trattner, 1998). Of the 150 orphanages founded between 1820 and 1850, nearly all were tied to religious groups (Ashby, 1997). The combination of the familial, societal, and religious values assisted in the institutions established for the abandoned children in society. Both the values and social institutional arrangements have influenced the understanding of this problem. Family, one of the most fundamental institutional arrangements for a young impressionable child, is nonexistent to an orphan. This has contributed to our understanding that each child is entitled to grow up within a family, they need a safe, nurturing environment with at least one adult figure (Rosenberg, 1992, p. 171). As a society that respects the welfare of children, it is thus the responsibility of individuals to set up well-running safe havens for these orphans. Furthermore, it is societys responsibility to provide the utmost care and protection for neglected, dependent children; whether this is in an orphanage, foster care, or with an adoptive family (Rosenberg, 1992). Due to the familial focus of the almshouses and orphanages, society further realizes that these small, drab institutions are no place for a dependent child to spend their entire young life. Institutions set f orth to house dependent children, as described previously, were intended to provide basic care for parentless children. Furthermore, it thus comes to ones attention that these institutions can quickly become overcrowded and fall short of a real family. Many almshouses, as described by historians and social work researchers, were vile catchalls for victims of every sort of misery [and] misfortuneà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦herded together and badly mistreated (Trattner, 1998, p. 113). In fact, most orphanages began as temporary homes for children who had lost one or both parents (Ashby, 1997). This raises the question of what to do once institutions wont suffice as home to an orphaned child or is not a safe place for a youth to reside in; the issues with social planning for orphaned children are wide-ranging and never ceasing. Our understanding, therefore, is that the social planning for dependent children needs revamping. Further Descriptions of the Problem The problem of childhood abandonment affects over 400 million children who live on their own on the streets of hundreds of cities around the world (ISK). The Department of Social Welfare and Development documents over 100 abandoned children turned over to them every 2 months (100 kids abandoned every 2 months). It has also been recorded that a child becomes an orphan every 2 seconds, leaving the number of dependent children looking for families and homes at an alarming, increasing rate (ISK). The population most affected by the social planning for abandoned children is most directly the orphans themselves; however, the problem also affects society at large. With an ever increasing number of dependents, the state has an obligation to care for the growing number of parentless children. Organizations and institutions must sustain their moral values and keep up their work while at the same time receiving and/or raising adequate funds (Rosenberg, 1992). Agencies can often wither away from lack of finances and loss of morale; it is important to remember the welfare of the child and attempt to sustain almshouses, orphanages, and foster homes (Dingwall, Eekelaar, Murray, 1984). Mothers of abandoned children are also being affected, psychologically and emotionally, dealing with the loss of a child they could not afford, did not plan for, or simply could not keep. The future of society is also affected, many fear that if the practice and policy surrounding child welfare does not improve, it is feared that the destiny of America is a national catastrophe; after all, children, even dependent, neglected, and poor children, are todays future (Trattner, 1998). The problem of social planning for abandoned children is namely impacted socioeconomically, by societal values, and by power, or lack thereof. The problem of childhood abandonment tends to persist most often when mothers are frightened that they simply cannot provide for their offspring (Burnstein, 1981). In this case, they will desert the child due to a lack of resources to sustain the childs well-being. Similarly, the state struggles to afford the cost of the ever increasing number of orphans who are turned over to their care (Dingwall, Eekelaar, Murray, 1984). The issue is initially presented, however, because society values family and the protection of parentless children. Furthermore, lack of power in society, related with economic problems can create a less than desirable outcome for caring for these dependent children. Varying child welfare agencies including almshouses and orphanages have continually struggled for funds to support orphan children, and furthermore, foster hom es are few and far between for a variety of reasons. There is a serious lack of families willing and wanting to adopt, therefore leaving orphans to permanently reside in institutions that were meant to be only temporary. The problem of social planning for the abandoned child originated mainly because of the lack of sufficient funds and the power to raise these funds. It is difficult to make a difference, or even bring the problem to the attention of powerful individuals that could make a difference, thus perpetuating the issue. Societal values, as mentioned before, have contributed to the impact of childhood abandonment; family values and the welfare of society are both concerns that sparked the onset of social planning for dependent, neglected children (Ashby, 1997). Societys Response to the Problem In response to the problem of social planning for abandoned children society has long had a desire to help the immense number of boys and girls floating and drifting about our streets (Ashby, 1997, p. 39). In terms of governmental action, several policies have been designed to remedy the social problem. From the year 1641, legislation has continually been passed to protect the rights and lives of innocent dependent children (Ashby, 1997). In the 1700s dependent children and orphans were not cared for but, on the other hand, were considered indentured work for families (Ashby, 1997). The first establishment of orphanages, as stated previously, came about from religious institutions in the 1800s; half a century later, concern about growing up in orphanages, private agencies began placing orphans in foster families (Murray Gesiriech, 2004). Starting in the early 1900s, the first state laws preventing child abuse and neglect were passed and the first federal childrens bureau was establi shed (Murray Gesiriech, 2004). Mainly, the transformation of social services at the start of the early 1960s has affected the social planning for dependent children (Gilbert Terrell, 2010). Since the first gain of financial support in 1962, there have been changes concerning social allocations, both selective and universal, aid in functioning and economic independence in families, income maintenance, and financial grants for services (Gilbert Terrell, 2010). However, most of the continual of these policies focus has been on maintaining the family unit (Gilbert Terrell, 2010). The Social Security Act of 1935 authorized the first federal grants for child welfare services, under what later came to be known as Subpart 1 of Title IV-B of the Social Security Act (Murray Gesiriech, 2004). More recently, in 2008, the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008, P.L. 110-351 was enacted. The purpose of the Act is to amend certain aspects of Title IV-B (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) of the Social Security Act in order to connect and support relative caregivers, improve outcomes for children in foster care, provide for tribal foster care and adoption access, improve incentives for adoption, and for other purposes (Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008). The major provisions of the Act are as follows: Allowed states to provide payments, and Medicaid, for kinship guardianship assistance under title IV-E for children whose relatives were taking legal guardianship and hence removing them from foster care Provided stricter criminal background checks, including child abuse and neglect registry checks of relative guardians, and adults living in the guardians home. Allowed services to continue for youth who left foster care, kinship guardianship, or adoption after age 16 by amending the Chafee Foster Care Independence Program Helped at-risk children in foster care reconnect with family members through a variety of programs authorized by grants to state, local, and tribal child welfare agencies and Doubled the incentive payment amounts for special needs adoptions to $4,000 and older child adoptions to $8,000 by extending the Adoption Incentive Program to the year 2013 Obliged child welfare agencies to notify all adult relatives of a child within 30 days of their removal and inform them of the options to become a placement resource for the child, and also required siblings to attempt to be put in the same placement Required that all children receiving foster care, adoption, or guardianship payment to be enlisted in school full-time unless they were otherwise incapable due to a documented medical condition Demanded the integration of healthcare services for children in foster care, including dental services and mental health Required that caseworkers develop a personalized transition plan as directed by the child, 90 days prior to the childs emancipation (Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act of 2008) The coordination and focus of this policy, along with other statutes currently in place to combat the issue of social planning for abandoned children alleviates some of the adverse effects on the children. In conclusion, the problem of the increasing number of abandoned children is neither a new issue, nor is the concern of social planning for orphans something newly relevant to the times. The historical overview of the social problem, including who first identified the issue, can provide a context with which to understand and provide groundwork for new directions possible in practice and policy. By examining the role of values and societal institutional arrangements, the problem can be better understood and combatted.

A Pregnancy Project : A Memoir Essay

I watched a movie about a college girl gave birth. The film was really interesting. It gives a lot of moral lessons especially to the college girls like us, those who have no idea what it’s like being a teenage mom and yet willing to take the risk. The film is very powerful, to think that it was based on true story. The main character in the story who pretended to be pregnant for her project, was smart and brave enough to think of something really interesting and then do it. Based on the movie, pretending to be pregnant is problematically hard and tormenting. It’s like the whole world will turn back down on you and everything in your life will get ruined. Her mom was very supportive. Even though her mom knew that it was going to be hard pretending to be pregnant, she still aided and assisted her. The moment she presented her project in front of all the students during the general assembly, I felt nervous and anxious as if I was really there. For me, I think the whole movie was really about the project, how people would react and to break down the stereotypes. I think she is a powerful woman who had opened the eyes of the teenage girls. I would kill just to get a friend like her. I’m an optimistic person and one of my dreams is to change the bad things in the society, one sequin at a time. I want to change how some teenagers act. Let’s say, for example, some girls are more focused on their boyfriends rather than focusing on their studies. Some are just influencing their friends to do bad things. Even I admit it, sometimes I focus on texting, facebook and sound recording when in fact, I should be studying and focusing on getting high grades. But the difference between my situation and the situation in the movie is that, I truly like what I have been doing and I’m committed to it and also, I know that I will benefit a lot from it. Compare that to doing a project that would slightly ruin your life.

The New Fuss About College English Essay Name Samples

The New Fuss About College English Essay Name Samples What You Need to Know About College English Essay Name Samples Being in college might be a tiny struggle for some. For college applications, you can want to have a 10-step course on college application essay writing to learn more. Writing a college essay can arrive in various forms and styles based on your taste. Writing the college application essay can be among the most daunting components of applying to college. Name essay aids in our private identification. The essay may be one of the most daunting aspects of a university application. In that case, your essay wants a title. A self-introduction essay might be among the easiest essays to get started. They may be the letter important elements of your applicationthe essays. And they're the 2 keys to any amazing essay. Reflective essays are personal parts of the writer they've translated into words. This kind of essay on names can thought of as a discourse, and just a legacy of sorts. A self-introduction essay, since the name suggest, is a portion of essay containing the simple details about the writer. You ought to have a plan, an established structure, once you are writing an essay. The title should not just sell your essay in a couple of words but in addition give a notion about the most crucial point which you're going to make through the essay. Here's a checklist of questions that will allow you to analyze and think about the other essays that we've collected. Make sure in any academic paperwork you do, never forget the significance of coherence, essay analysis of ideas, and last, creativity. Try to remember that a high degree of detailing is a feature of all fantastic narrative essay examples. The opportunity to decide that you would like to increase your grade is after the very first essay, not after your final. Name essays are a fantastic resource for research, especially in genealogy. You'll discover our essays below, and if you're searching for more application essay assistance, you'll come across plenty in the articles here. Let EssayEdge help you compose an application essay which gets noticed. Writing your essay will be a lot simpler if you work out the entirety of it first and just then return and work out precisely the way that it should start. It would truly be nice company if you're also there. In the meanwhile, if you require some finance, do not be afraid to inform me frankly. Before you grow to be a worldwide student it's important to locate a medical insurance plan you can depend on. You may even select an available writer to communication panel, which gives an immediate communication between the author and the customer. It is very important to remember that a few of these statements could possibly be using prompts that are no longer accepted by colleges. Paying to study in the usa isn't effortless, especially since obtaining a degree back home can be not as expensive. Whether you must locate a strategy to fulfill your school or visa requirement, or simply to supply you with the coverage you require, start looking so that you may locate a plan and get same-day coverage! In addition to its growing cultural and ethnic diversity, State University is turning into a master at developing a niche for every single student.

Slavery Made A Huge Impact On America s History - 991 Words

Slavery made a huge impact on America’s history. It has been exactly 150 years since Abraham Lincoln abolished slavery. Before that, life for any slave, man or woman, was extremely rough. They tried their best to make life easy for themselves. Some became fed up with their treatment so they overtly and covertly rebelled. Overt being the open and more dangerous of the two. Covert rebellions were more of snide comments towards their master. The life and rebellions of slaves were extremely difficult, but they made do with what they had. All across early America, corn, sugar, rice and cotton were grown. Cotton being the triumphant, grew very rapidly and needed to be handled by the slaves. Cotton became very high in demand across the colonies, so the need for slaves grew immensely along with their prices. When families able to be sold together, they lived in small cabins called â€Å"the slave quarters.† Their master provided clothes, but only for winter and summer. There we re many slaves who were not so fortunate, and were separated from their families. A man born as a slave, John Jefferson Smallwood, had been separated from his mother at only five months old. In the attached article, Smallwood found out he was kept by his master until the age of twenty one, did not agree with that so he took his master to trial, but lost the trial. Later, in 1890, Smallwood found his mother again when freed men were trying to bring separated families together. Once a young slave reached the age ofShow MoreRelatedHarriet Tubman s Impact On America1011 Words   |  5 PagesOctober 2015 Harriet Tubman s Impact on America Many people throughout history have had an impact on America today. During the civil rights era, a long list of people took part in actions that shaped America s ideas of slavery and racism. 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