Persuasive Paper Part 1: Restructuring Child Welfare Regulations

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Persuasive Paper Part 1: Restructuring Child Welfare Regulations

Introduction

Child abuse, physical or psychological, results in increased mortality rates of thousands of innocent children every year. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the problem areas of certain extant problem in child welfare regulations. Child welfare regulations are a set of government regulations designed to protect the underage people and children, and to encourage the stability of a family. These regulations are aimed at providing support to children who are being negligent or abused by their families. Through promoting resilience in child welfare regulations, the several problems can be addressed, which are being the cause of child fatalities. There is an exigent need to make changes in the Child welfare regulations as the increasing rate of, physical and psychological, child abuse and negligence collectively is causing increased mortality and teenage pregnancy rates.

Discussion

History and Overview

The first Children's Aid Society was founded, to help the abandoned or orphaned children living in New York, in 1853. The children were made to live in the first ever 'foster' homes, in order to save them from living on the streets or becoming institutionalized. The intention was to help the children's families to work on their farms (Ellett & Leighninger, 2006). In 1874, the case of Marry Ellen was the first case of child abuse to be criminally prosecuted. This case outraged many people who initiated an organized effort against child abuse (Crosson-Tower, 1999). By the end of 1926, 18 states in the U.S had developed some extent of county child welfare boards in order to synchronize public and private child welfare work.

The 'Social Security Act' was signed in 1943, by President Roosevelt, in which the issues of child abuse and neglect were also addressed. The term 'Battered Child Syndrome' was then coined in 1961, to identify and research on intentional injuries in children with the help of improved medical technology. In 1974, the 'Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act' was passed focusing on the identification, prevention and treatment of child abuse and neglect. To manage the greater number of children in foster homes, the 'Adoption Assistance Act' was introduced in 1980. This led to the introduction of further services such as, home visiting models. However, all these policies lead towards the formation of the 'Adoption and Safe Families Act' of 1997, which guides the present practice of child welfare and protection, as well as, addresses the issue of developing permanency.

Problem 1: Child Abuse

Addressing child abuse issues is the prime responsibility of the states and local government, in the U.S. Restructuring of child welfare regulations are significant to save children from abuse-related cases. Child abuse is not only increasing the mortality rate in children, but also, increasing psychological disorders in children, which lead towards commitment of several crimes. Child abuse impacts strongly the abused children, which increases the probability of continuing the horrible cycle of abuse, as around 30% of the abused children will ...