Lay Forums in Child Welfare

Child Welfare:

“…Social workers engage cooperatively with families to address their needs (Freymond & Cameron, 2006). The court's role is to investigate abuse and negotiate consensusbased agreements with families wherever possible (Freymond, 2001;Hill et al, 2002). In France, for example, judges are trained in child welfare and are supported by a corps of social workers, rather than legal personnel (Waldegrave, 2006).…”

“…In France, for example, judges are trained in child welfare and are supported by a corps of social workers, rather than legal personnel (Waldegrave, 2006). In the juge des enfants approach, parties (families) tend not to have legal representation (Freymond, 2001), even where the parents are mandated to attend against their will (as when they are suspected of child abuse). French judges also advise on child welfare matters relatively early in proceedings compared to other legal systems (Bilson & White, 2005).…”

“…Mandatory reporting, a core feature of the "child protection" model, is not consistently required across continental Europe. For example, in Belgium and the Netherlands, the "Confidential Doctor" system allows families to discuss concerns with a doctor without risking judicial involvement (Freymond, 2001;Hill et al, 2002). Children may self-refer and confidentiality is maintained as long as this is what the child chooses (Hill et al, 2002).…”

“…Families in trouble are thus able to access services in a non-threatening manner. In such systems families frequently seek help and become engaged with professionals on a voluntary basis, rather than being coerced to do so (Freymond, 2001).…”

“…A more collaborative approach to child welfare is captured in the "family services" and "community care" models, respectively typical of Europe and of aboriginal communities in "developed" countries. It should be noted that the limited literature on child welfare systems operating in "developing" countries implies that services mostly conform to a "child protection" approach as they tend to be residual, deficit based and treatment oriented, and are heavily skewed towards residential care options (Pilotti, 1999;Stockholm University, 2003;Xiaoyuan & Xioaming, 2003). Indigenous helping approaches co-existing with these systems have typically been overlooked.…”