Reach children and families and help them navigate the childwelfare systemCase planning is one of the fundamental steps in working withdependent children, yet it is also one of the most challenging.Essentials of Child Welfare presents the key information clinicalsocial workers, child advocates, family law attorneys, and otherhuman services personnel need to work successfully with childrenand families in the child welfare system.Essentials of Child Welfare is packed with step-by-step guidelinesfor intervening proactively with foster care children and theircaretakers. Techniques are presented for handling a number ofrelated topics, including attachment issues, substance abuse,sexual abuse (victim and perpetrator), suicidal ideation, eatingdisorders, learning disabilities, juvenile delinquency, domesticabuse, and many more.As part of the Essentials of Social Work Practice series, this bookoffers a concise yet thorough overview of child welfare, numeroustips for best practices, and a prioritized assembly of all theinformation and techniques that must be at one's fingertips topractice knowledgeably, effectively, and ethically. Each concisechapter features numerous callout boxes highlighting key concepts,bulleted points, and extensive illustrative material, as well as"Test Yourself" questions that help you gauge and reinforce yourgrasp of the information covered.

Series Preface.One. Introduction.Two. Essentials of Protective Investigations.Three. Essentials of Child and Family Assessment.Four. Essentials of Case Planning.Five. Essentials of Foster Care.Six. Essentials of Specialized Care.Seven. Essentials of Reunification.Eight. Essentials of Adoption.Nine. Essentials of Independent Living.Ten. Essentials of Cultural Competence in Child WelfarePractice.References.Annotated Bibliography.Index.About the Authors.