Assessments of foreign language-speaking children’s well-being in Finland: a frame analysis of child welfare and family service supervisors’ accounts

ABSTRACT

This article examines accounts given by child welfare and family service supervisors about the assessment of foreign language–speaking children’s well-being following the receipt of a child protection notification or other referral. The data in this study consist of 17 interviews with supervisors across Finland conducted in 2021 and 2022. Using frame analysis, we identified four frames that represent multiple ways of describing assessment work with foreign language–speaking families. First, we identified and named three frames that emphasize special features of this work, which were language, culture and integration. In addition, we identified and named a universality frame, within which supervisors brought up general features of child welfare and assessment. Within this frame, interview participants expressed that, despite many differences, assessment practices are similar for everyone. Using different frames, the supervisors described their job from various perspectives and reflected upon the practical issues they face during the assessment process.

KEYWORDS:

• Child welfare services
• family services
• assessment
• foreign language–speaking children
• Finland

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. By foreign language speakers, we mean persons whose mother tongue is a language other than Finnish, Swedish or Sámi. We chose to use the concept of foreign language – speaking clients because language is a concrete factor that influences interactions between clients and social workers, yet we acknowledge that other factors, such as migration, are often related to it as well. We also recognize that many of these foreign language speakers are multilingual. At the same time, we recognize that encountering clients who cannot use Finnish, Swedish or Sámi is a permanent feature of the Finnish welfare services, and every professional should be prepared to face it.

Additional information

Funding

The work was supported by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, Finland .