Routledge Child Protection and the Care Continuum: Theoretical, Empirical and Practice Insights

This important new book critically examines the complex policy and practice issues surrounding child protection, including the impact of theoretical orientations, contemporary debates, policy initiatives and research findings, and maintains an emphasis on the ethics and values underpinning child welfare interventions. The book introduces policies that are central to understanding the position and needs of children and young people, and how policy and practice have been influenced by developments including the children’s rights agenda. It also explores the most significant issues in child welfare. These include: the experience of maltreatment by children, the systems of child protection to safeguard them, the methods and challenges of risk assessment, and the wide range of policy and therapeutic interventions to respond to children’s needs. The book also examines family support to promote children’s wellbeing before considering provision for children and young people who are looked after in out-of-home care. There is also a final section that focuses on best practice in communicating and working with children and young people, drawing on participatory, rights-oriented and resilience-based approaches, and supporting foster and adoptive carers and biological parents. Contributing in a substantive and clear manner to a growing international conversation about the present function and future directions for child welfare in contemporary societies, this textbook will be of interest to undergraduate and postgraduate social work students and those from allied disciplines, and professionals who are engaged in child welfare services. Review "Packed with cutting-edge evidence and insights from experts across the field, this remarkable book will inform thinking and practice in child protection for years to come." Professor Robbie Gilligan, School of Social Work and Social Policy, Trinity College Dublin. "This is an excellent collection of significant international relevance. The book’s twenty chapters bring together leading scholars from across the globe to address critical issues in child welfare and protection. Chapters cover key elements of the child protection process, whilst at the same time underscoring the central role that family networks play in providing care and protection for children. Given the book’s comprehensive scope, it will be of considerable value to social work educators, students and practitioners alike." Professor Karen Broadhurst, Director: Centre for Child and Family Justice Research, Department of Sociology, Lancaster University, UK. "This carefully curated volume includes an impressive array of internationally renowned scholars who grapple thoughtfully and constructively with the theoretical and practice dilemmas inherent within the child protection and child care continuum. The accomplished editors pull the diverse threads of knowledge, theory and practice together to achieve better understanding, assessment and decision making for children and their families, not just in Australia but globally." Marian Brandon, Professor of Social Work and Director of the Centre for Research on Children and Families, University of East Anglia, UK. "This book is essential reading for practitioners and students working with children, young people and families involved with child protection systems. The editors present contributions from leading international researchers to offer an evidence informed and practice based approach to better practice from early intervention to protective care. The approach is child centred, family inclusive and culturally sensitive. I strongly recommend this book." Professor Karen Healy, AM, Head of Discipline for Social Work and Counselling, The University of Queensland , Australia. About the Author Elizabeth Fernandez is Professor of Social Work, School of Social Sciences, University of New South Wales, Australia. She teaches courses in Life Spa