Deck 9: Policies and Programs for Children and Families

Question 1

The attitude of U.S. social policy regarding child maltreatment can be characterized by:

A) care and concern for this most valuable resource, from the beginning of the nation
B) little action until the mid-19^th century and few formalized structures until the 1960s
C) a reluctance to infringe on parents' rights to discipline their children
D) desire to let the federal government take control

Answer 1

B

Question 2

Which of the following is a true characterization of the juvenile justice system?

A) the juvenile justice system parallels the adult criminal justice system, with the only difference being that the offenders are younger
B) juvenile offenders are becoming progressively more violent, which requires programs to adopt new intervention methods
C) despite declining levels of youth crime, public sentiment continues to insist on harsh treatment of juvenile offenders
D) to address the failure of incarceration in reducing juvenile crime, more states have increased their emphasis on rehabilitation; fewer now process juveniles in adult justice systems

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Among the reasons that the Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 is considered a particularly important piece of federal legislation is its:

A) emphasis on family preservation as a major goal of the child welfare system
B) granting of authority over the disposition of Native children to tribal entities
C) radical restructuring of the financing of child welfare activities
D) redefinition of the standards for abuse and neglect

Answer 3

A

Question 4

The main impetus for the Indian Child Welfare Act was:

A) extremely high rates of child abuse and neglect among Native communities
B) disproportionate out-of-home placements for Native children and their implications for loss of Native sovereignty
C) high costs for foster care for Native children
D) need for greater incentives to recruit more foster care families to take custody of Native children

Question 5

The Family First Prevention Services Act:

A) raised the standard social workers must meet before removing children from their birth parents
B) provided more money for states to train social workers in culturally-competent child welfare practices
C) allowed states and tribes to utilize Title IV-E funds for prevention services that allow at-risk children to remain with their parents or other relatives
D) ended the practice of using foster parents other than kinship placements

Question 6

Today, threats to the Indian Child Welfare Act include:

A) allegations that it discriminates based on race
B) insufficient funds to support tribes' implementation efforts
C) continued high levels of need for child welfare services in many Native communities
D) All the above

Question 7

Which of the following is NOT a component of the Child Support Enforcement program?

A) establishing paternity and locating noncustodial parents
B) establishing child support obligations where they are not already in place
C) collecting child support directly for families
D) augmenting child support collections up to the federal poverty line

Question 8

As reauthorized in 2004, the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 requires states to:

A) mainstream all students with disabilities into 'regular' classrooms
B) exempt all students with disabilities from the requirements of the No Child Left Behind legislation
C) meet children's educational needs in the "least restrictive environment"
D) standardize services provided to students with disabilities, across the states

Question 9

Evidence on privatization within child welfare has demonstrated that:

A) outcomes for children are far superior in a privatized environment
B) social workers are more satisfied with their child welfare work in private agencies
C) private agencies can protect children much more efficiently than public agencies
D) it is still unclear whether client outcomes are maximized in privatized arrangements

Question 10

The National Association of Social Workers (NASW)'s policy stance on child welfare workers can be characterized as:

A) given the constant cost pressures of child welfare agencies, they should utilize para-professionals and other indigenous workers whenever possible
B) child welfare workers should always be of the same race and ethnicity of the children with whom they are working
C) an undergraduate or graduate degree in social work should be required for the administration of public child welfare services
D) they should be paid more than other social workers, since they do more difficult work

Question 11

Which of the following could be an example of trauma-informed agency policy?

A) requiring a client to explain their story to all workers, so that everyone understands what they have gone through
B) keeping lights low so the environment looks calm
C) disclosing workers' own experiences with trauma, to create common ground
D) none of the above

Question 12

What changed in the 1960s that attracted more attention to the problem of child abuse?

Question 13

How would you analyze the effects of the Adoption and Safe Families Act from an intersectional perspective?

Question 14

Describe at least two demographic changes related to the child population that will impact social policy for children.

Question 15

How do recent changes in juvenile justice policy illustrate the concept of 'policy windows of opportunity', described in earlier chapters of the text?

Question 16

Describe at least one significant evolution in child welfare policy over the past 30 years.

Question 17

How do traditional beliefs about families and child development contribute to relative lack of policy action to address childcare affordability, availability, and quality?

Question 18

From a strengths perspective, what policy changes would be most beneficial in preventing child maltreatment?

Question 19

You are a social work policy practitioner making an appeal to the state legislature for a policy that would increase funding for alternatives to incarceration for juvenile offenders. What arguments could you use, in addition to your strengths-based social work values, to effectively make this case?

Question 20

As a child welfare social worker, what would be 2-3 of your priorities for TANF reform?