Child Welfare: New Directions in the Field and Their Implications for Education

Abstract

Trends over the last two decades reflect a movement away from a clinical model for social work practice in child welfare, toward a legal or rights model. In this article, changes in the field of practice are reviewed and their implications for education are discussed. The dominant treatment orientation in child welfare courses does not fit with the realities of practice and may contribute to ongoing deprofessionalization and worker turnover. It is suggested that case management models emphasizing the development of new skills for information management may be the direction for future educational efforts.