Describes external influences on the decisions of child welfare case workers as they assist racially and ethnically diverse families, and presents a set of questions to guide the key decisions and critical considerations for each step of the casework process. Frontline child protection case workers juggle a myriad of demands as they make case decisions: compliance with federal, state, local, and private laws and regulations; coordination of economic, legal, substance abuse, and mental health services for ethnically diverse clients within budget constraints; capturing data to measure the efficacy of services; and managing the variety of responses based on the clients??? cultural norms. Combining the diverse cultural values and beliefs of each family with child protection mandates is complex and requires case workers to make decisions that will have a profound, life-long effect on children and families. A framework guides case workers through the goals and a series of questions to make key decisions for each step of the casework process – report taking/intake, safety and risk assessment/investigation, family assessment, case planning and implementation, progress evaluation, and close. Additional questions related to key considerations for racially and ethnically diverse families are provided for each step. The goal is to develop culturally competent case workers who can sensitively serve diverse families and ensure the safety of children while protecting family unity. (IP)
