Child Welfare System Case Study

The Sanchez family migrated to the United States several decades ago undocumented when Hector became an immigrant agriculture worker. Hector was able to obtain a green card that awarded him with permanent residency in 1986. Hector also applied for the same status for his wife and their three children at the time. Today, Hector and Celia Sanchez have been married for forty years, have six children which three still live in their home, and one grandson that is has been placed in their care by the child welfare system. Recently, Celia’s undocumented nephew arrived in the United States and moved into the Sanchez home increasing the number of individuals living in the home to seven. After providing background information for the Sanchez family this

The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act ensures “A kinship navigator program to assist kinship caregivers in learning about, finding, and using programs and services to meet the needs of the children they are raising and their own needs, and to promote effective partnerships among public and private agencies to ensure kinship caregiver families are served” (Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2008). “The child welfare agency is often involved in providing services to children and families or making referrals to other groups that provide services” (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2010). The Sanchez family would benefit greatest from financial support programs that provide cash to the family including Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) if the family’s income meets the requirements, Supplemental Security Income (SSI) for Vicki, and if Hector is eventually laid off Unemployment Insurance (IU) (Chapin, 2014). The Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act provides families, such as the Sanchez family, with cash kinship guardianship assistance payments for one to three years (Speaker of the House of Representatives, 2008). Non-cash programs that would assist the family with meeting their needs include Supplemental

As the social worker considers the recommendation regarding the future placement of Joey the social worker, first and foremost, must consider the health, safety, and welfare of Joey. Consideration should be given to Emila’s ability to provide a safe and stable environment that meets the basic needs of Joey. Consideration must be given to Emila’s timeliness and compliance level in services including completion of substance abuse treatment to obtain and maintain sobriety, compliance in supervised visitation, parenting education, and gainful employment to provide for herself and Joey. “When children are removed from the home, the parents and guardians must actively participate in family support services to make return of their children to the home possible” (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012). An additional consideration would include the child’s age and the need for permanent placement. Studies establish, “It is important to provide an expedited placement procedure to ensure that all children, especially those under age 6, who have been removed from their homes are placed in permanent homes in a timely manner” (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012) to avoid chronic psychological problems and antisocial behavior in adolescences and adulthood due to lack of the critical