Preparing Case Workers for Practice in Kinship Foster Care:

Abstract

A major policy shift has occurred in the field of child welfare. Today, abused, neglected, and dependent children are frequently placed with relatives who are also considered to be their foster parents. This type of service is known as relative foster or foster Because of the newness of this service and by virtue of their proximity to the caseworkers, supervisors play a primary role in preparing child welfare caseworkers for proactive in kinship foster care. In-depth interviews with eight supervisors and three program directors revealed the supervisor's dilemma in preparing caseworkers for practice in kinship foster care. Supervisors of kinship foster care services are faced with the challenge of facilitating the development of caseworkers' clinical and other practice skills within a child welfare system which is driven by legal mandates and procedural demands. Since kinship foster care is so new as a formal child welfare service, supervisors must also define the practice model as...