Child-centered approach in the context of the assessment of children in need: Reflections of child protection workers in Estonia

Toros, Karmen; Tiko, Anne; Saia, Koidu

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2013.03.011

Cited by 34 publications

(25 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…There is a strong case, therefore, for additional research premised on sociological models which 6 FERN position children as competent actors whose views will have a direct bearing on what happens (Winter 2006;Graham 2011). This is a developing focus for research which includes exploring participation of children in the child protection decision-making process (Sanders and Mace 2006;Vis, Holtan, and Thomas 2012;Toros, Tiko, and Saia 2013) and the processes which apply when they are in care (Winter 2010). …”

Section: Grown-ups Never Understand Anything By Themselvesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“Grown-ups Never Understand Anything by Themselves …”

Fern¹

2014

Practice

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This paper explores the ways in which social worker practitioners conceptualise childhood and the significance of this for developing social work practice. The data was generated through qualitative semi-structured interviews and group discussions with practitioners who were working directly with children in child protection or children's service centres in Iceland. The interviews formed an initial stage of an action research study, informed by young people who had interacted with social services, and designed to develop practice in line with the young people's views and expectations. The findings indicated there were contrasting and co-existing conceptualisations that had different implications for children. On the one hand, conceptualisations of children as problems and children as incompetent appeared, from practitioner's accounts, to have undermined children's ability to present their own concerns and maintain control over what happened to them. In contrast, conceptualisations broadly characterised as children active in defining problems and children participating on an equal footing appeared to assist practitioners in being prepared to promote children's active involvement in defining problems and finding solutions. The analysis suggested that how practitioners think about children is an important area of enquiry and highlighted the shift in thinking required to develop more effective participatory practice.

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Section: Grown-ups Never Understand Anything By Themselvesmentioning

confidence: 96%

“Grown-ups Never Understand Anything by Themselves …”

Fern¹

2014

Practice

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“…Social work interventions in a family environment are then often aimed at supporting motherhood [26]. This can lead to female workers focusing more on the needs of mothers than children, while children are considered incompetent [11]. Men are left out of interventions and the attention of social workers [27,28].…”

Section: Child Protection Approachesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The family-centered approach to child welfare was critically discussed at the beginning of the 21st century, especially in connection with its emphasis on preserving the family, which may not always be fully in line with the best interests of the child [9]. Therefore, in the international context, a child-centered approach has recently been promoted, with the child being perceived as an independent subject with his or her own interests and rights [10][11][12]. This new perception of the child's position in the system of child protection and welfare brings new challenges for setting up the whole system and for the work of social workers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Path toward a Child-Centered Approach in the Czech Social and Legal Protection of Children

et al. 2020

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Child protection was traditionally based on a presumption that the mother best knows what is in the best interest of her child. The discourse began to be questioned in the Czech Republic in the 1990s, followed by efforts to bring interests and needs of children into focus, as well as the ways in which they can be taken into account in the assessment process as a basis for intervention. This paper aimed to identify key features of the child-centered approach in the professional discourse of the Czech child protection and to analyze the conditions of its application. The goal was achieved through qualitative thematic analysis of professional texts in the area of social and legal protection of children since 1990 and also of legislative and methodological materials regulating child protection. This paper shows the changing of the paradigm in the social and legal protection of children and points out the shortcomings in social work practice. The reason for optimism may be the fact that an umbrella body of state administration for child protection is aware of shortcomings and, in the form of projects focusing on various topics of social work with families, works to improve competences and knowledge.

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“…Furthermore, there is some evidence to suggest that practitioners tend to focus more on a traditional deficit-based approach in their responses and less on capabilities and resources (Lai, 2009), which could be a holdover from child welfare during Soviet times (Toros et al, 2015). This could be why Estonian child protection workers have a reputation for punishment (Toros, 2012a; Toros et al, 2013).…”

Section: Child Protection In Estoniamentioning

confidence: 99%

Estonian child protection workers’ assessment perspectives: The need for competence and confidence

Toros

LaSala

2015

International Social Work

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After years of Soviet occupation, the country of Estonia is in transition, as are their newly developed child protection services. This quantitative study examines Estonian child protection workers' perspectives about child welfare work and assessment in the context of children in need. These findings indicate that workers seem to overly rely on a deficit-based, as opposed to a strengths-based approach and lack skills for understanding their role, conducting assessments and engaging in trusting relationships with children and families. These findings suggest a possible holdover from Soviet philosophies, but definitely indicate the need for further training.

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Child-centered approach in the context of the assessment of children in need: Reflections of child protection workers in Estonia

Cited by 34 publications

References 66 publications

“Grown-ups Never Understand Anything by Themselves …”

“Grown-ups Never Understand Anything by Themselves …”

Path toward a Child-Centered Approach in the Czech Social and Legal Protection of Children

Estonian child protection workers’ assessment perspectives: The need for competence and confidence

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