Rapid Ethnographic Assessment of Pandemic Restrictions in Child Welfare: Lessons from Parent and Provider Experiences

Abstract

This paper analyzes policy and practice changes implemented by the child welfare system in Miami-Dade County in response to the COVID-19 crisis. Rapid ethnographic assessment (REA) was used to capture multiple perspectives during a rapidly unfolding pandemic. We identified system vulnerabilities and opportunities for lessening the impact of crises on vulnerable families with children in foster care. The assessment highlights how system fragmentation complicates effective responses to public health emergencies, while the transition to remote services provides insight into ways that traditional accessibility barriers may be alleviated beyond the pandemic. We provide recommendations for improving family experiences and preparing for future crises, envisioning ways that peer specialists, in particular, may offer a model for enhanced family support. This study emphasizes the unique benefits of anthropological theory and applied methods in assessing and improving public sector systems.

Accessibility of transportation to child‐welfare involved parents and the related impact on court‐ordered service participation

“…Following the Covid‐19 pandemic, it also seems relevant to investigate the accessibility and effectiveness of virtual service delivery options, including virtual court participation, to understand their viability for continuing use. Emerging research suggests child welfare‐involved parents may have benefited from reduced logistical barriers with the shift to virtual service access during the Covid‐19 pandemic (e.g., Callejas et al, 2020). While these may not be accessible for all parents or appropriate for all service types—for example, family visitation (e.g., Pisani‐Jacques, 2020; Singer & Brodzinsky, 2020)—they may provide opportunities for more equitable, cost‐effective service delivery in situations where transportation access is a barrier.…”

Challenges and opportunities in rapid disaster research: lessons from the field in New Mexico and Vanuatu

“…Recent REA and other similar rapid research models on COVID-related experiences highlight the ways in which rapid research must be flexible and adaptable to quickly changing circumstances, while also maintaining fidelity to appropriate research practices. Key ideas include a focus on capturing voices not commonly heard to ensure that the experiences of those most affected by COVID-19 are known and addressed (Callejas et al, 2020 ), more rapid data analysis cycles that strategically utilize the resources of the team rather than relying on one individual (Callejas et al, 2020 ; Moloney et al, 2020 ; Palinkas et al, 2020 ) and conducting multiple stages of data collection and analysis simultaneously (Freidus et al, 2020 ; Vindrola-Padros et al, 2020 ; Luciani et al, 2021 ), a strategic focus on key areas in need of intervention rather than a broad comprehensive analysis (Callejas et al, 2020 ; Richardson et al, 2021 ) particularly during rapid rollout of public health interventions (Collins et al, 2022 ), operationalizing theoretical models to aid in rapid data analysis (Palinkas et al, 2020 ; Collins et al, 2022 ), and utilizing existing networks and collaborations to quickly deploy research strategies (Moloney et al, 2020 ; Luciani et al, 2021 ; Richardson et al, 2021 ; Collins et al, 2022 ). Others note that it is critical to continue the collaborations built during crises such that community voices continue to be heard in efforts at recovery and mitigation of future crises (Simpson et al, 2021 ) as well as to be responsive to the changing circumstances of collaborators (Richardson et al, 2021 ).…”

The Impact of COVID-19 and Immigration Enforcement on Service Delivery for Immigrant Origin Families Involved in the Child Welfare System

“…We do get questions about you know undocumented immigrant children and families (Disney et al, 2022;Falicov et al, 2020;Garcini et al, 2020;Clark et al, 2020). This study builds on that work (Callejas et al, 2020;Goldberg et al, 2021) by probing deeper into how the child welfare system has responded to immigrant children and families' needs during the pandemic.…”