Child Welfare Basics
What is the main goal of child welfare services?
To protect children from harm and promote their safety and well-being.
What does CPS stand for?
Child Protective Services
In motivational interviews, what kind of questions encourage clients to share their thoughts and feelings?
open-ended questions
What is the name of the temporary care arrangement for children who cannot safely remain at home?
Foster care
What does the word ethics mean in social work?
Principles that guide responsible and professional behavior
What does permanency mean in child welfare?
Ensuring a child has a safe, stable, and lasting family environment.
Term used to describe those who are required by law to report suspected child abuse or neglect
Mandated reporter
What is one example of a goal a social worker and client might set together using cognitive behavioral therapy?
Improving sleep, attending class more regularly, or practicing a coping skill
What is the legal process of permanently becoming a child's parent?
Adoption
What professional organization publishes the Code of Ethics for social workers in the United States?
The National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
What are the two main types of child maltreatment that social workers commonly respond to?
Child abuse and child neglect.
What is reunification?
Focusing on a child reuniting with their biological parents
A client is unsure about reducing substance use. Instead of pressuring them, the social worker helps them talk through the pros and cons. Which intervention is being used?
Motivational interviewing
What is one common goal when a child enters foster care?
Reunification with their family when it is safe and appropriate
Name one core value of the social work profession
Service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, importance of human relationships, integrity, or competence
What is the difference between child abuse and child neglect?
Abuse involves causing harm or risk of harm, while neglect involves failing to meet a child's basic needs or provide appropriate care
What is the minimum salary that a CPS worker makes in West Virginia?
$49,000
In cognitive behavioral therapy, a social worker helps a client examine the thought “I always fail” and consider other explanations. What skill is the client practicing?
Identifying and reframing unhelpful thoughts
What is the role of a foster care social worker in helping a child adjust to a new placement?
To provide support, monitor the child's well-being, connect them with needed services, and help ensure the placement is safe and stable
What was one way children in need were supported before modern child welfare systems developed?
Through religious organizations, charitable groups, and community-based assistance.
What are three major goals of family and child welfare social workers?
Protect children, strengthen families, and achieve permanency for children.
What is kinship?
Placement that prioritizes placing a child with relatives
Why might a social worker adjust to an intervention instead of using the same plan with every client?
To account for each client’s goals, culture, strengths, circumstances, and barriers
Why should social workers consider poverty and other environmental factors before judging a parent's circumstances?
Because systemic barriers and limited resources can affect a family's ability to meet its needs, and families may need support rather than blame
Why did child welfare systems develop beyond charity-based approaches?
Growing recognition of children's rights and the need for more organized protections, public oversight, and responses to abuse and neglect helped shape modern systems