Politics should have no place in child welfare decision-making, says Social
Work Prof. Graham Riches
by Prof. Graham Riches Social Work and Family Studies
Now that the highly politicized and, one might say, media-driven decision
has been made to return the two foster children cared for by the Draayers to
them, let us hope that the long-term best interests of the children are secure.
Also let us hope that never again will such a `custody’ dispute be settled
by the public authorities responsible for child welfare and protection in B.C.
with such scant regard for the privacy rights of the children and foster parents
and for the social work professional code of ethics which seeks to safeguard
the confidentiality of service users.
The question is how much confidence the public can have in child protection
policy-making based on crisis management and political `fix-it’ solutions? These
may work in the short term, but is not an acceptable way to develop policy.
In light of the Ministry of Children and Families high child protection staff
vacancy rate it is certain this would seem to be inevitable.
To restore public and professional confidence two issues need to be addressed.
How to get the politics of Victoria out of child welfare decision-making? And
how to provide and support sound professional practice?
Two possibilities, both foreshadowed in Judge Gove’s report five years ago,
suggest themselves.
The first is to ensure that child welfare and protection are conducted at
arm’s length from central government.
This is not to deny the provincial government’s responsibility for overall
policy and legislation, but it is to make the case that the administration and
practice of child welfare would be better conducted by duly constituted regional
or community controlled boards, or children’s aid societies as in Ontario, and
their professional staff.
These would be more responsive to community needs and would be able to develop
the preventive child welfare and health services which are much needed.
The second is to ensure the development of sound and accountable professional
practice and decision-making.
This requires the support by government for a strong professional social work
culture at all levels within the Ministry, as currently constituted. This would
go a long way to ensuring the retention of professional social workers and provide
internal and external accountability.
In other professions such as teaching, medicine, the law and nursing, such
expectations of government would go without saying.
Recruitment and retention of qualified social workers are imperative.
To be fair, the Ministry is trying to do something about recruitment. However
the Ministry’s child protection recruitment policy is not restricted to qualified
social workers and is at odds with Judge Gove’s recommendation that Ministry
social workers who provide direct services to children and their families should,
at minimum, be required to have a Bachelor of Social Work degree as a basic
qualification with a Master of Social Work being preferred.
Why has this recommendation not been fully supported?
The Ministry has also commissioned a report on the regulation of social service
professions including social work.
This is a long overdue step in the right direction if the public interest
is to be protected and child welfare and protection is to be informed by professional
knowledge and expertise and not by continual political and bureaucratic scuffling.
Yet, Judge Gove’s recommendation for a professional college for social workers
still awaits legislative mandate.
Unfortunately, it would seem that unless there is a long-term commitment to
building a strong and supportive professional social work culture, whatever
government is in power, the political misfortunes of child protection in B.C.
are likely to continue.
As the public is all too well aware, health and education require provincial
resources but so, too, do the province’s vulnerable children. The choice is
the cul-de-sac of the past or the path of the future. Graham Riches is the
director of the School of Social Work and Family Studies.
Reading List
The B.C. Ministry of Children and Families
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