Child Welfare and Child Service - Essay Example

There are even some who have grown to consider the victims as part of their own families. Another source of satisfaction, for me, is having a job. I think with the United States still reeling from the recession I would feel very pleased that I am not one of those applying for aid due to unemployment. Having a job gives an individual a sense of purpose to go to work every day. Knowing that my job would empower me to help other people better their lives is an additional perk of the job. As with all jobs, there are also frustrations that come with being a children’s service worker in a California county.

An example is the bureaucracy that comes with working for the government. Workers have complained about not having enough time to interact with children and their families because of the time-consuming tasks they are required to do. The degree of support that child protection workers are giving the Munro review is a manifestation of how worse the red tape has become. The Munro review aims to give more time for child protection workers to do face-to-face work and fewer administrative tasks. (Workers hope for Munro reform) Another source of frustration maybe when the victims themselves are not amenable to change or help.

Based on available literature and media, there have been instances when the families and even the children themselves refuse the assistance being offered to them. Even if it is quite understandable that families want to keep problems among themselves, the urge to help is innate in everyone, especially I believe, in individuals who decide to go into social work. As expected, parents would not be willing to put their and their children’s lives in someone else’s hands. In some occasions, though, this decision can be crucial to the safety of the children and a service worker must deal with this obstacle in the best and most appropriate way possible.

As a children’s service worker, I would also like to see relevant changes in the children's protection program. Despite laws in the country and individual states protecting children, the number of abuse and neglect cases is still at high. (Lindsey) It is my hope that the government will review the program and enforce stricter rules and penalties in an effort to curb this anomaly. Children were given to their families to be cared for. It seems improbable that a country known as a world power and fiercely protects its allies cannot have a stronger program to ensure the safety of its youngest member.

Moreover, there should also be proper training for existing service workers. Indeed, the immediate concern of children's service workers is to remove the victim from the disturbing atmosphere. However, at times it should be remembered that the children’s first source of comfort comes from their families. Intervention in these situations requires utmost professionalism so as not to traumatize the children. The government should also look into ways to increase the resources available to child protection program(s).

The limited resources of the agencies restrict them in their activities. As such, protection is primarily given only to the most severe cases. This proves to be a big problem because those children who are already in trouble albeit not as serious must suffer longer as they are not given attention.