It’s no secret that child and family welfare work is viewed as controversial in our society. Terms such as “baby snatcher” pervade our vocabularies, and we generally regard the work as impossible or unimaginable. While the Indiana Department of Child Services has made dramatic changes during the most recent decade, our culture has not caught up. It is time for all of us to see the department in its true colors and to stop spreading unnecessary negativity.
There are many reasons for a person or family to fear the department. When a case manager is allowed into a home, he or she is entrusted with an incredible amount of personal information. Parents can understandably feel encroached upon and embarrassed. However, an ethical and quality worker will put considerations for the children and family first and immediately strive for a good rapport with the parents.
Negative perceptions of the DCS and its workers inevitably hurt the families involved. According to DCS Director Judge Mary Beth Bonaventura, the turnover rate for family case managers was 24.1 percent as of September.
One could indirectly link negative public perceptions to the turnover rate as a precipitating factor. Research by the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute has shown negative public perceptions of child welfare work cause low morale, a more difficult work environment and potential worker exodus. When case managers leave in the middle of their families’ cases, the rapport they had built is lost, and these families tend to spend a longer amount of time in the system.
DCS employees are drawn to the work because of the powerful force of good the department can be within their clients’ lives. Becoming involved in a family’s life can certainly be difficult, but a good case manager can work with the family at their position in life to achieve the solutions that work the best for them. The department provides families with a variety of services to facilitate progress, address needs and improve the well-being of the family.
The common belief that the department can take away children as they see fit is a complete fallacy. Removals must be presented before a juvenile court. That means the department’s decisions must be approved by a judge, and the parents have the right to present a defense.
Should a removal be deemed necessary, the department said they believe in the power of family attachment and virtually always works with the goal of reunification in mind. Removal from the home can often become a source of trauma for children and parents, so the department strives to make the process as up-front and smooth as possible. Moving forward, we all must stand up against the false information being spread about the Department of Child Services. Our state’s case managers need support in the work they do with Indiana families.
sjdickma@indiana.edu
@Samuel_Dickman
