Research Paper on Systems of Care: Mezzo Initiatives for Social Workers & Families.

Introduction

Systems of care and child welfare have been one of the mezzo initiatives adopted by social workers across many states in the US, especially New York, through the public policy and systems change (Child Welfare Information Gateway). The operations of care have been underlined through sharing of responsibilities, resources, and full participation by the multiagency involving professionals, youth, and families, coupled with community stakeholders who underscore actors' partnership in funding, planning, implementing, and evaluating the outcomes of the systems and services. The mezzo initiative systems of child welfare and care enhance cross-agency child welfare coordination of services involving children, families, and youth irrespective of how and where from which they entered the system. Mezzo initiative works strategically in partnership with both the formal and informal sectors in addressing the unique needs of the children through natural ability in agreements in the spheres of goals, principles, and guiding values coupled with the development of a shared infrastructure that coordinates efforts towards safety, wellbeing, and permanency. The developed common infrastructure also ensures the availability of evidence together with promising supportive services to families and the protection of children from maltreatment as their well beings and stabilities are promoted in their permanent homes. Mezzo level initiatives in the reams of child systems and welfare are, therefore, essentials services in meeting the needs of children and preventing them from maltreatments through a service delivery approach.

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History and Development of Mezzo Initiatives on Child Welfare

The history of such initiatives underscored the shift of themes between the safety of children and the preservation of families. That was prevalent in the 1970s that informed the need for the reduction of children in foster care and put them in permanent residences. Through the adoption of Safe Family Acts (Child Welfare Information Gateway).The Safe Families Act juxtaposed the initial stages when issues on permanency were enacted in the legislation that was vital in changing the child welfare practices in the landscape. The law underlined a clear demonstration that both safety and permanency were crucial aspects in achieving the wellbeing of a child. The US was therefore mandated to ensure the improvement of the safety of children, promotion of adoption, and other permanent homes for children and families (Marble). In 2008, the Social Security Act was amended by the Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoption Act in the quest to improve children's outcomes in foster homes and supportive caregivers coupled with offering incentives for adoption (Gordon). Mezzo level initiatives for child permanency and policy have since then continued to evolve as policymakers, professionals, families, and agencies work towards achieving a balance that ensures the safety of children, prevalently in their permanent residencies.

Limitations and Strengths of Mezzo Initiatives on Child Welfare

The common challenge often faced by this initiative with regards to child welfare is that most agencies find it challenging to move from pathology-based models to individualized strengths-based models. That is following the threats on the safety of children and the risk factors involved like addiction, physical and sexual abuse. Additionally, most families engaged in child protection may be non-compliant to the regulations, thereby interfering with the working alliance of the caseworker and the family. Moreover, the child welfare staff often face the obstacles of implementation of individualized strength-based approaches, coupled with excessive workloads and high staff turnover that decrease staff morals. However, despite the challenges, the initiative has been successful in interviewing grants by supervisors, coupled with the provision of all grant training on approaches that are strength-based in conjunction with child-serving agencies (Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect). Moreover, there has been collaboration and networking, and implementation of strength-based approaches in servicing the needs and welfare of children. Similarly, there has been the training of welfare supervisors to allow them to identify and explore their strengths to ensure a positive work environment and employee satisfaction (Ringel, Shultz, & Mendelsohn).

The Collective Efforts and the Effectiveness of Mezzo Initiatives in Human Trafficking

I have learned that the collective efforts of Mezzo initiatives concerning child welfare and protection have been effective in ensuring that it prevents maltreatments before they happen, keeping children within their extended families, in their permanent homes, and improving children's lives (Irving). That has been achieved through investment of child welfare through Rands, coupled with investigations of maltreatment in children at homes and foster homes. Similarly, they have invested more in preventing programs as well as putting children in their homes rather than foster care and reducing the number of children suffering from abuse and neglects. Mezzo initiative in the realms of child welfare has reduced child trafficking through the protection of neglect and abuse, both physical and sexual. That has also achieved that through the provision of permanent homes with extended family members as they reduce the number of foster homes.

Conclusion

Mezzo initiative as a social work program has ensured child protection through the provision of services and goods via their agencies, thus ensuring that children are free from maltreatments and both physical and sexual abuses. It has also assured that the welfare of children is protected, coupled with the provision of permanent homes from them as opposed to foster care. That is in conjunction with community stakeholders, caregivers, and families. Despite the challenges faced like ineffective cooperation and noncompliance with the regulations by families, together with workers well being overwhelmed, the initiative has succeeded in accomplishing its goals of child protection and taking care of children's needs.

Works Cited

Child Welfare Information Gateway. "Systems of Care and Child Welfare." Children'sBureau, 2020, https://www.childwelfare.gov/topics/management/reform/soc/socchildwelfare/

Gordon, Linda. "Child Welfare: A Brief History." Social Welfare, History Project, 2011,https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/programs/child-welfarechild-labor/child-welfare- /

Irving, Doug. "How The Child Welfare Systems Could Protect More Kids as Save Billions ofDollars." Rand Corporations on Objective Analysis and Effective Solutions, 2018,https://www.rand.org/blog/rand-review/2018/04/how-the-child-welfare-system-couldprotect-more-kids.html

Marble, Lynn. "Initiatives to Improve Child Welfare Outcomes." Office of Juvenile Justice andDelinquency Prevention, Oct.1999, https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/ojjdp/fs99119.pdf

Ringel, Jeanne, Shultz, Dana, and Mendelsohn, Joshua. "Improving Child Welfare Outcomes."Rand Health Quarterly, Mar 2018,https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6075810/

Understanding Child Abuse and Neglect. "Interventions and Treatments." The NationalAcademies Press, 1993, https://www.nap.edu/read/2117/chapter/9