Kid's Family Assessment - Essay Example

Family Assessment Family Assessment of child Birth Address of Report Background Peter who is two andhalf years old is the first bone of a young couple. Both parents have had some issues in the past and are therefore known by the local authority. His father, John 24, and his mother, Natasha, 19 were both placed on child protection when they were young and they experience periods of multiple residential care and foster placement. His father John spent some time of his youth in a Young Offenders Institute during a turbulent period resulting in violence while under the influence of illicit drugs. Natasha on the other hand is has a history of vulnerability and has been violently treated in her previous relationship. She has, however, reestablished a relationship with her biological mother, who now wants to pay a very active role in the life of Peter her grandchild. The two John and Natasha met through an older friend of theirs. They currently live in an accommodation which is paid for through housing benefits. Both the parents do not work at the moment, John, the father, has expressed that he has unresolved and undiagnosed learning difficulty. This is evident in the fact that he started college five years ago in the hope of becoming a mechanic upon completion; however, he struggled with the academic part of the commitment and dropped out. He, however, periodically do odds jobs where he tends and finds short term employment. Natasha left school when she was 16 but had attended PRU for the last 18 months of her statutory education. She has an ambition of being a hairdresser or a child minder. It has to be mentioned that the couple is not hostile in the involvement of the local authority in their child’s wellbeing though they are skeptical. Assessment findings The assessment of the family and the needs of the child show that the family does not have a reliable source of income. Both John and Natasha are not working however, John sometimes secure short employment. The kind of money acquired through the unreliable short term employment is not enough to attend to the needs of the child. This includes manly the primary needs which are food, shelter, clothing and education. The shelter is provided for them by the Local authority. The other needs seem to be the responsibility of the family. There is however an indication that they have been providing that through the short term employment that John normally does. Being at the age of two and half years implies that peter is due t o begin attending school. The question that arises here is whether the wages that he gets is enough to educate the child while at the same time providing for the other primary needs. It has to be however noted that the mother Natasha has an ambition of getting a job as a hairdresser or child minder but she also do not have the skills to perform the job and therefore needs education so as to acquire the skills. When the social lives of the parents were analyzed, they both seem to be vulnerable and therefore may get a challenge when it comes parenting. John has a history of substance abuse and violent behavior which led to his spending sometime in the Young Offenders institute. The violent behavior can resurface any time if he encounters some disappointments. Moreover, we are not sure whether he still uses the illicit drugs that he used in the past. This implies that he could be a bad influence to the child as Peter grows since socially, children will always emulate the behaviors of adults around them. The vulnerability of the peter’s mother is also another aspect to be concerned with in the raising of the child. If a mother is vulnerable it means she can be swayed easily. This brings out a point that she may not be able to protect the child from bad influences from the other people surrounding including John and her biological mother. Vulnerable people also have low self esteem which is also dangerous for parenting. The past experiences with violence experienced by Natasha could also reflect negatively on her parenting. The consequences of violent relationship are depression and fear. This indicates her unreliability in the protection of the child. Both Natasha and John were brought up in a child protection and were experienced periods of multiple residential care and care by foster parents. They therefore, do not have experience of family love. They are therefore at risk of neglecting the child or failing to give them the love and care he deserves. Parenting is a virtue that people learn through observation and from the experiences they have. In a foster family a child is not well treated in most cases. Poor treatment will reflect badly on their parenting skills. Bearing in mind that both John and Natasha had multiple foster parents may reflect that they did not get the attention that they needed when they were young. However, Natasha has reconnected with her biological mother which implies she has family ties which are very important in parenting. The lack of education by the couple is another aspect to worry about in terms the child’s health. Children are vulnerable to diseases and the parents need a little knowledge so as to be able to read the signs and symptoms and know some of the first aid measures to take before they arrive at the hospital. The knowledge is probably lacking in this family. The presence of Natasha biological mother and her devotion to the child is a good thing in the family. This ensures that there is presence of one experienced person in terms of parenting since peter is the first borne child of the young couple. Recommendations In the above case, it is important to let the child stay with the parents. It is, however, recommended that there is close observation of the child development. This involves checking whether the needs of the child are met. It is important to note that this is a functioning family without any history of quarrels. The problems noted in the findings of the assessment can be resolved through the recommendations given below. The presence of Natasha’s biological mother in the family and her commitment helps to fill the gaps that arise due to the inexperience of the young couple. It is also important to know that socially, children are better with their parents and it is the right of every child to be brought up in a loving family. Every child according to the children’s act has a right t education and so is Peter. If he parents are unable to raise the money for education then it is the duty of the Local Authority to educate the child any available means, either through the child welfare department or by seeking grants from other willing organization. There is need to find out at his early stage the cause of John’s disability in learning. This will help to determine if the condition is inherited, and therefore determine whether there is a possibility that the peter inherited it. This will help to assign him to the right school at an early stage if he also has the condition. The local authority should help the young family to develop economically, this can be done by in two ways; one would be to educate Natasha, who has shown willingness and ability to study. Another option is to offer them a business loan which should be overseen by the finance department of the local authority. Financial empowerment is the key aspect that will enable the family to fully support the needs of Peter. The parents, John and Natasha should be enrolled in parenting lessons which will help them in the parenting. They are still young and inexperienced in terms of parenting and therefore some lessons would be very important for the well being of the child. Together with the parenting skills there is need also to include the basic health care education which is also important in the health promotion of the whole family and more importantly to Peter. Reference list Children’s Workforce Development Council. (2010)Early identification, assessment of needs and intervention, The Common Assessment Framework for children. A guide for practitioners available at www.cwdcouncil.org.uk Crain, W. (2011). Theories of Development: Concepts and Applications (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Education, Inc. Friedman, M. R., Bowden, V. R., & Jones, E. (2003). Family Nursing: Research, Theory, and Practice (5th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall. Mcgoldrick, M., & Carter, B. (1999). 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M., & Leahey, M. (2009). Nurse and Families: A Guide to Family Assessment and Intervention (5th ed.). Philadelphia, PA: F. A. Davis Company. www.dcsf.gov.uk/everychildmatters/strategy/deliveringservices1/caf/cafframework Read More