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The Impossible Imperative brings to life the daily efforts of child welfare professionals working on behalf of vulnerable children and families. Stories that highlight the work, written by child welfare staff on the front lines, speak to the competing principles that shape everyday decisions.
List of contents
- About the Book
- 1. Child Welfare: Perilous Territory for Those Who Care
- Xander, by Freny Dessai
- Parker and Winona, by Trudi Frazel
- 2. Screening and Assessment: Who Do We Serve?
- Children in Need, by Maria Burch
- 3. Are They Safe (Enough)?
- Josiah and Jaden, by Leslie Laughlin
- Bill and Jane's family, by Erika Altobelli
- 4. The Oldest Debate in Child Welfare
- Tonya, by Socorro Reynoso
- Terry, by Viviana Colosimo-Blair
- 5. When We Say 'No' to Family
- Shannon, by Alyssa Barkley
- 6. Fighting for "Hard-to-Place" Kids
- Danny, by Monica Montury
- Luke, by Wendy Wiegmann
- 7. The Quest for a Forever Family
- Ethan, by Hanna Rashkovsky
- Olivia, Ronald, Vanessa, Chloe, and Nathaniel, by Traci Bernal
- 8. Culture Clash and the Power of the State
- Mario, by Angelica Rodriguez
- Pablo and Yessi, by Sasha McGowan
- 9. Whose Voice Counts?
- Alison, by Freny Dessai
- 10. Contested Principles on the Front Lines
- Joaquin, by Veronica Perez
- Glossary
- About the Authors
- Notes
- Index
About the author
Jill Duerr Berrick, PhD, MSW, is Zellerbach Family Foundation Professor in the School of Social Welfare at the University of California, Berkeley. Dr. Berrick's research focuses on the relationship of the state to vulnerable families. She has written or co-written ten books on topics relating to family poverty, child maltreatment, and child welfare. Her interests target the intersect between poverty, early childhood development, parenting, and the service systems designed to address these issues. Berrick's research approach typically relies upon the voices of service system consumers and providers to identify the impacts of social problems and social service solutions on family life.
Summary
The Impossible Imperative brings to life the daily efforts of child welfare professionals working on behalf of vulnerable children and families. Stories that highlight the work, written by child welfare staff on the front lines, speak to the competing principles that shape everyday decisions.
