ALT-1 So you want to be a Child Protection Worker
You have chosen one of the greatest professions ever- seeking to ensure the well being of those children who are living in an environment in which they are endangered, unable to function normally, or at some point and time at risk.
A child protection worker must be a very sensitive person, as well as perceptive. When talking with, or visiting the homes of clients, the worker must not only be trained to know what to look for, but must be able to lift up the threads which are not visible to the naked eye in the child's case. Often it is what is not said that makes a difference in deciding if the child is in danger or not.
Child protective workers should have a solid background in social work, psychology, as well as communications. The worker must be able toadequately record or relay what is going on in the case of each client. The worker must know the proper channels and protocol to use in each case, but must be cautious not to stick to one certain pattern for all cases. As the childprotective worker becomes more experienced, he/she will be able to more quickly make the proper decisions on behalf of children's well-being.
Many professionals in this field, choose this field because they, or someone they know or have known has had occasion to utilized the services of a protective worker. This makes them even more sensitive to the issues at stake, and can be a more driving force in helping them to be fair and good in what they are called upon to do.
A child protection worker must not be afraid to go into places and environments where many would not go. Bravery, tenacity, the ability torelate with all kinds of people is therefore a pre-qualifying virtue. Wisdom, combined with knowledge must attend the worker in each episode, and a blend of the human side with the legal side should weigh equally on the scales of justice.
Confidentiality, the ability to get to the core of a matter quickly, and acting in time on behalf of a client is essential. The job is a tough one because it sometimes calls for the worker choosing to remove children from one bad environment, only to have only a few options for placement at the time. It is difficult also to place older children who, through no fault of their own are in harm's way. Many foster homes. Fewer foster homes are available or open to older children. Sometimes children are sent to another city or even out of state. The tearing away from all that a child knows or has known brings sadness to everyone's heart who cares.
We need good child protection workers in every state of America. There will never be a time when this service will not be needed. In the past, thegreatest problem these workers have declared guilty of committing is not being able to adequately represent and defend every child on his/her caseload. Also there has been a certain "looking away" from some conditions in which the clients are placed after being removed from their homes. The foster care systems must be frequently evaluated to ensure that they are delivering the quality and type of care needed for each individual child. This, in the past, has been a weak thread in the fabric of child protection.
Well, congratulations to you, dear future child protection worker! May you be that dedicated, sought after worker who sees each child as his/her own, thus deliberating in each case as though the child in crises belonged to you.
