Child Welfare

The course focuses on social work with children, young people and families living in difficult and marginalized life situations. The course offers students the opportunity to understand and analyse the role of Child Welfare Services (CWS) double sided roles as both a helper and a controller. We pay particular attention to the organization, role and mandate of the Norwegian CWS. The course is also designed to develop students skills in practical decision-making processes. We pay particular attention to deliberative decision-making, emphasising the importance of childrens, parents and families involvement.

Knowledge - The candidate has knowledge about

• the role of family in children's individual growth and development and in the provision of informal social care and support
• he role of the Norwegian Child Protection and its legal framework
• the normative and cultural dimensions of childhood and parenting practices
• the elementary phases of the decision making processes in Child Welfare Services
• complexities and power issues associated with the assessment and helping processes in Child Welfare Services

Skills - The student

• identifies children and families in need of child welfare services within the legal framework of the Norwegian Child Welfare Services
• suggests possible measures that might help children and families in need
• communicates with children, youth and parents about their everyday life and involves them in decision-making processes
• identifies and discusses complexities that might come to matter in child welfare workers decision making
• reflects on how social policies impact on the provision of CW measures to children and families

General competence - The student

• critically analyses the ethical dimensions of child welfare and identifies ethical dilemmas in practical assessment and helping processes
• recognizes the complexity associated with child protection decision-making, including the limits and possibilities of CWS
• reflects on CWS double sided role as both a helper and a controller
• reflects on how social categories such as gender, ethnicity, religion, class, sexuality and disability come to matter in a child welfare context

The course is conducted through lectures, workshops, practice skill development, reading, writing and group work focused on case analysis. Teaching approaches are designed to encourage active learning and the development of critical analysis.