Welfare Reform on the Web (November 2000): Child Welfare - Overseas
THE KEY ROLE OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN PROMOTING THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN IN STATE CARE: A NEGLECTED DIMENSION OF REFORMING POLICIES
R. Gilligan
Children and Society, vol. 14, 2000, p. 267-276
Paper argues, from an international perspective, that the continuing central role of social work in the lives of children in care merits much more emphasis in policy and service delivery. The nature of the increasing demands on social workers in this area of work are explored. Possible strategies to build the capacity of social workers to respond to the needs of children in state care are discussed. Such capacity building necessitates government and agency initiatives to ensure realistic staffing levels, renewed training and adequate support for social work services to children in state care.
ONE IN SIX
Anon.
New Review of the Low Pay Unit, no. 64, 2000, p. 15-17
Summarises the content of a UNICEF report on child poverty across the industrialised world, and draws lessons for the British government.
WON'T CARE, DON'T CARE, THAT'S AMERICAN CHILDCARE
A. Adiga
Financial Times, Aug. 31st 2000, p. 11
Childcare facilities in the US are expensive and mediocre. In order to raise standards, the pay and training offered to childcare workers needs to be improved. In order to do this without increasing the financial burden on working families, private sector employers will need to contribute more. Neither US political party proposes easing the financial burden of day care and after-school care for working parents.