Policy Issues with Children and Families

Catalog description

The course examines state and federal laws that govern the funding and operation of child welfare systems; the history of child welfare policies; and, the legal, political, and social forces that influence the structure and function of child welfare systems in the United States. The course examines the knowledge base of child maltreatment- extent, incidence, causes, consequences, and the effectiveness of interventions and whether and how the knowledge base is applied to federal and state policies for children and families. Specifically, students will identify the features of child welfare laws that currently drive policies for children and families. Students will develop knowledge about the major challenges of providing safety, permanency, and well-being to children in foster care and the state and federal proposals designed to address those challenges.