SAFEGUARDING CHILD PLACEMENT L£ 9 ft7 /9 57 #S Oof l A Study of the Work of the Screened Intake Committee XU, Pftttl* Minnesota by ENID MABEL HECKELS Thesis Submitted in Part ia l Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree of MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK In the School of Social Work 1951 The University of Br i t i sh Columbia ABSTRACT This study examines the services rendered "by a committee composed of representatives of the Saint Paul case work agencies. These agencies were foraed i n 19^1 to coordinate the placement of c h i l d r e n outside t h e i r own homes, and to safeguard t h e i r welfare. The study has three purposes: f i r s t , to preserve i n available form h i s t o r i c a l information about the development of ' Screened Intake' i n the C i t y of Saint Paul; second, to review the purposes and functions of the Committee; and t h i r d , to evaluate the extent to which i t i n t e -grated and implemented the complementary p r i n c i p l e s of human r i g h t s and human needs of the family cases which were presented to the Com-mittee f o r 'Screening.' Material was c o l l e c t e d from a manual of minutes as recorded by the Screened Intake Committee from before i t s inauguration i n 19*+1 to 19^8; by personal interviews with the Sxecutive Director of the Family Service of Saint Paul and chairinan of the Screened Intake Com-mittee; and from others active on t h i s Committee. F i f t y i n d i v i d u a l cases were read. These were summaries prepared by case workers for presentation to the Committee. Spot checks were made of formal case records. From an appraisal of t h i s work, i t i s evident that many worthwhile changes i n the s o c i a l welfare programme for c h i l d r e n were accomplished. The Committee was responsible for a considerable de-crease i n the tota l number of c h i l d r e n being cared f o r outside t h e i r own homes - both for the State of Minnesota and more p a r t i c u l a r l y f o r the C i t y of Saint Paul. It was also responsible for eliminating the p r e c i p i t a t e f o s t e r home placement of c h i l d r e n . It c l e a r l y defined r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s between the s o c i a l agencies concerned, and was an assurance to the community that the welfare of both parents and children would be protected by s o c i a l agencies during the placement period. Althoogh the study ind i c a t e d that the s o c i a l case work agencies i n Saint Paul con-tinued to be somewhat unaware of the emotional components of the family s i t u a t i o n s , i n general the Screened Intake Committee performed valuable TO rk and the p r i n c i p l e s i t has established deserve continuous consider-a t i o n i n the future. TABLE OF (X)NTSMTS Chapter 1* Evaluation of Screened Intake General problems of c h i l d placement* The s i t u a t i o n i n Saint Paul. A survey committee (193S). Setting up of the Screened Intake Committee. Some basic p r i n c i p l e s * Chapter 2. Concerted Action between Family and Children's Agencies. Lack of community c o n t r o l . E x i s t i n g sources of r e f e r r a l . F a c i l i t i e s f o r wider c o n t r o l s . A suggested plan. Chapter 3» The Screened Intake Committee; Functions and Procedure Basic case summary. O r i g i n a l presentation of a case. Review of cases pr e v i o u s l y presented. Special kinds of placements. Chapter U» C r i t e r i a f o r the Study "Case work" and " c h i l d welfare" defined. Seven years of Screened Intake Committee work. Sele c t i o n of a sample. Schedule and c r i t e r i a u t i l i z e d to examine the sanple. Chapter 5- C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s of the Families Major reasons for presentation of cases. Problems presented by the f i f t y cases. Family status. F i r s t presentation of case to the "Screened Intake Committee. Cases presented f o r court j u r i s d i c t i o n . Chapter 6. Case Experience Reviewed Quali t y of the r e l a t i o n s h i p between agency and c l i e n t . Plans proposed by the agencies to the Screened Intake Committee. Awareness of underlying problems, by agencies and the Screened Intake Committee. Evaluation of . diagnosis and treatment made by agencies and Screened Intake Committee. C l a r i f i c a t i o n of clients.problems through case work assistance, Chapter 7* Strengths and Weaknesses Decrease i n t o t a l c h i l d population under agency care. C l a r i f i c a t i o n and co-ordination of agencies', functions. Value of presentation of written Screened Intake summary. Consideration of the t o t a l family s i t u a t i o n . Assurance of a good diagnosis regarding the family s i t u a t i o n . Continuing treatment plan. Appendices: A. Porm'used for Case Analysis B . Summary f o r Screened Intake C. Bibliography TafffiTrS IN THS TEXT Page Table 1. LiBt of the total problems presented by-sample cases Hi Table 2. Marital status of parents of children considered by the Committee, 19U2-13US. . U3 Table 3» Cause of parental inadequacy. . . . Table H. Number of children in agency foster homes in Saint Paul, Minnesota, in 1339-19U2. . 62 CHAPTER I EVOLUTION OF SCKSENED INTAKE General Problems of C h i l d Placement It i s recognised generally that most s o c i a l behaviour and adjust-ment problems of i n d i v i d u a l s represent, i n the l a s t analysis, problem f a m i l i e s . Many of our s o c i a l services, nevertheless, have been established to deal with end-products of f a m i l i e s with s o c i a l problems, rather than with t o t a l family s i t u a t i o n s of which i n d i v i d u a l s are a part.. This i s p a r t i c u l a r l y true i n regard to c h i l d placement. The range and the complexity of the problems con-f r o n t i n g s o c i a l agencies which must place c h i l d r e n away from t h e i r own homes are considerable. This i s w e l l exemplified by the findi n g s of the Screened Intake Committee formed i n Saint Paul i n 19*+1, with which the present study i s concerned. To have to grow up (or l i v e ) i n a home other than h i s own i s a traumatic experience f o r any c h i l d , not only because of the new adjustments necessary but also because of the inevitable c r i s i s which have preceded and necessitated placement. In a d d i t i o n to the problems thus presented to the c h i l d , there are al s o complicating int e r - r e l a t i o n s h i p s between the c h i l d and the parent or parents, and between both of these and the f o s t e r parents. Furthermore, grandparents and other r e l a t i v e s often play a more active r o l e . Because of these f a c t o r s i t i s an accepted case work p r i n c i p l e that the best place f o r the care, guidance, and control of the c h i l d during his years of immaturity and dependence i s i n h i s own home with h i s own parents. Thus, family agencies throughout the country are endeavouring. to strengthen marriage. As Dorothy Hutchinson says, "the best c h i l d welfare i s a happy marriage." Since the c h i l d i s the medium through which c i v i l i z e d l i f e i s c a r r i e d on from one generation to the next, his well-being becomes a primary 1 concern of organized society. When circumstances threaten the a b i l i t y of the family to provide s a t i s f a c t o r y conditions f o r the upbringing of the c h i l d , the f i r s t question to be explored should be the nBans by which the parents can be a s s i s t e d i n the task of the proper rearing of t h e i r c h i l d r e n . Moreover, good c h i l d placement endeavours to help a c h i l d adjust i n t o a home best suited to h i s needs. This i s not an easy task, as generally there i s a s c a r c i t y of good f o s t e r homes. Sometimes a home i s found which does b r i n g happiness to the c h i l d , but more often a c h i l d moves from home to home through no f a u l t of h i s own. Throughout the country we are grossly l a c k i n g i n proper treatment f a c i l i t i e s f o r c h i l d r e n - e s p e c i a l l y f o r those c h i l d r e n who must leave t h e i r own homes. We are not so ready as formerly to decide i n favour of placement. Hence, modern s o c i a l p r a c t i c e concentrates i t s major e f f o r t s upon measures c a l c u l a t e d to conserve the home. When, unfortunately, i t happens that for some s u f f i c i e n t reason a c h i l d must be cared for away from h i s own home, the most reasonable view i s that he must be offered something which i s better than what he has or which w i l l be of treatment help to him. Prom the standpoint of a family agency many chil d r e n are staying i n care because not enough pre-placement planning has been done with the c h i l d , h i s parents, and perhaps grandparents. Then, a f t e r the c h i l d i s placed, the parents are not a s u f f i c i e n t part of the plan to work toward having the c h i l d return home or to release him f o r more permanent placement plans. Agencies where l e g a l guardianship does not exi s t must cope with the problem