Human services?

Question

what are some social policy that may affect your future position a a human service worker? How does public versus a private organization might address this policy differently? what would be some differences between state funded child placement agency and a private adoption agency in the way they deliver their adoption services?

Answer 1

In Australia, some states use private adoption agencies and others use the a government run agency. The private agencies are often more efficient in processing adoptions due to the fact that adoption is their area of expertise. State run agencies are often less efficient because adoption is one area of many that they are trying to handle under the umbrella of a larger department.

There are many different experiences of many different people who have dealt with both State run and private agencies. There are people who have moved state in order for their process to run more efficiently. Other people have had positive experiences with the State dept's.

In the end, the role of the human service worker here, is to assess the potential parents as to suitability to adopt. Perhaps this is the hardest part of the process, other than waiting, for the parents-in-waiting - to let someone else decide if they are fit to be parents.

Perhaps the relationship between the social worker and parents is more important than the relationship between agency and parents.

Answer 2

In both private and public agencies, social workers have different goals depending upon their job description.  In public agencies, the role of the social worker could be offering the parents (family) services so that the family can stay intact.  Where I live this is called a family preservaiton worker.  A child protective services worker investigates any reports received regarding child abuse or neglect.  There goal is to determine whether the child(ren) is safe and can be maintained in the home or whether the child should be removed.  If it is decided that a child cannot be maintained in the home and should be placed in foster care, then a foster care worker is assigned to the case.  That worker should provide reunification services to the family.  If reunification services fail and the child's plan is changed to adoption, then an adoption worker is assigned to the case.  Unlike what Gershom stated, in the US states are provided with adoption incentives to move children to permanence through adoption quicker.  If a child has been in foster care for 15 out of the last 22 months, then the state must put forth a compelling reason as to why the child's plan should not be adoption.

Private agencies, on the other hand, usually have a specific goal of placing children for adoption.  They charge a fee for their services.  However, a birthmother or birthparents seek these agencies out because they are thinking about placing their child for adoption or have determined that would be the best thing to do.  Good agencies should not only have adoption counselors for prospective adoptive parents but also birthparent counselors so that the birthparent can have someone to talk to in order to make sure that adoption is the best choice for them and their child.  Thus, depending on our role in these private agencies, you would deal either with the birthparent or with the adoptive parents, rarely (and I agree) that you should not be dealing with both the birthparent and adoptive couple at the same time.

Answer 3

private agencies are in it for the money, they've started a business on trafficing children only they do it....legally. state run don't have the financial incentive private agencies and lawyers do.