Should Social Workers have a voice in adoption reform?

Question

This is an answer to a recent question:

"Why do you think social workers should have a voice in whether adoption ought to be maintained as it is currently practiced? This is an obvous confict of interest"

I'm just learning about the particulars of adoption reform and am surprised by the view that social workers should not be involved in improving the system. They work with hundreds of families, they know the beauracracy, they struggle with lack of resources. They make right and wrong choices and hopefully learn from them. They see what works and what goes terribly wrong. Nobody knows the system and its weaknesses better than social workers.

If you want to reform the criminal justice system wouldn't you want police involved? If you want to reform the medical system wouldn't you want MD's involved?

There obviously is a lot of animosity toward SW's on this site, but do those who support reform really believe that they have nothing valuable to add to the cause?

Answer 1

The truth is, most adoption workers do not have degrees in social work.  In fact many people who work in the adoption industry do not have degrees at all.

In most cases, there is a big difference between and adoption case worker and an actual degreed social worker.  It is not the same thing at all.

Honestly,  I trust the majority of degreed social workers to have a voice in adoption reform.  Unfortunately, due to my own experiences as well as those here on Y!A with adoption case workers soliciting young pregnant women to make a comission, I do not trust adoption case workers.

Answer 2

That is kind of like asking if Pimps should be involved in reform for s*x-workers.

Answer 3

Oddly enough, adoption workers were the first adoption reformers! They put a stop to using children simply as apprentices and hauling them across the country on orphan trains, began the practice of homestudies, and ensured that the first laws for the best interests of the child were made. I think social workers are often the front line and see what does and does not work (this may not be the case with private agencies, however) and so they should have some input. As far as making out as a result, are you kidding? With a masters degree, these folks still qualify for food stamps most of the time. I'm not saying they should be the solitary voice, but they certainly should be heard. (Many are family preservationists and do their utmost to keep families together, by the way.)

Answer 4

Hi Cruzgirl.

I am also a social worker and neither me nor my colleuges make personal money from adoption at all! We make the money we are paid hourly and that is it. I hate that social workers are labled on here to be money grabbing people. Not all of us are like that.

However, I think that social workers should be there as support at all times. The adoptee still makes their own choices, but us social workers are there if needed. I never have pushed anyone into needing me if they dont. Adoption is a personal thing between the adoptee, bio and adoptive parents and that is the way it should stay. I just think that social workers can be great FREE OF CHARGE! support. Well I dont charge anyone to confide int me!!

Answer 5

I don't really see how they could be involved in reform openly.

They work for agencies that make money through the successful separation of mothers and children. If they don't got no babies  to hand over, they don't got no money. No money, no profit, no ability to pay employees (ie: social workers). The SWs wouldn't be an asset to the agency and I imagine they would be "let go".

This link has been posted before and I think it's an important point of view from a social worker:

http://paragrahpein.wordpress

.com/2007/10/

Scroll down to "An Insiders Perspective on Bethany's Practices"

Here is a section from that piece...

"The type of work I do not miss are the staff meetings. The review of the numbers of placements, adoptive families, prospective birth parents (who of course were not called “prospective”). The reality of the revenue… the risk of job cuts “if the budget (read: placement #’s) are not met. The marketing contacts."

I just don't see why they would be interested in reform - wouldn't that just put them out of work?

Answer 6

I was a county social worker for the Department of Children and Family Services.  I worked with families in crisis, including those with children in foster care.  Some of these childrens' parents would end up tpr'd.  

No, I do not think social workers have a say in adoption reform.  The have a say in whether or not the child should be removed/returned to the parents.  They have a say in where the child can be placed.  But, they have no need to have a say in how agencies need to be regulated or adult adoptees getting their equal rights returned to them, for example.  

Social workers, however, aren't the ones living adoption unless they happen to be adopted, an AP or a first parent.  In that case, they only have a say as an adoptee/AP/first parent.  Having a say as a social worker is a conflict of interest.  After all, for adoption social workers, adoption is how they make their living.  I have absolutely nothing against social workers.  I do have a problem with any social worker who tries to overstep his or her bounds, however.

eta:  

Opposing or various viewpoints?  I think this board is proof alone that those who live adoption provide those already, since everyone has his or her own ideas about reform.

Answer 7

hahaha surely you jest....social workers have much to gain from pushing through adoptions.

When they receive more funding based on the amount of adoptions they help facilitate I think it's akin to the fox watching the hen house.

Besides when has Congress ever consulted a group of people they were actually writing the bill for??? We see this in all areas of government. In fact most politicians do not even read the entire bill they sponsor....that's what their staffers do.

I will never forget when my cousin gave birth in the hospital she made a comment on the baby going with our family.

The social workers were "swarming" to scoop this baby up.

It was not until our lawyer contacted the hospital and provided the necessary paperwork they backed off. I swear they were salivating over the opportunity to find a "more suitable" home for the baby. But it really hindered her the opportunity to spend time alone with her daughter not to mention how rudely some of the staff treated her. We have a long way to go.

Adoption was chosen by my cousin for personal reasons and she was never coherce by a so called "agency".

Answer 8

No. All this time everyone is crying out for reform..the social workers have known what we have been saying all along. They choose to be silent while victims surfer, claiming nothing is wrong. They are a huge part of what is wrong with the system. this c**p has been going on for over 125 years .. I think they had their say long enough... letting this mess get to the point where children are 10th to 14th generation  foster children..

Answer 9

I don't believe that they should.  In some states, there is financially gains to be made by social workers.   With adoption agencies/attorneys and social workers, they should not have any say in adoption reform.  Its the adoptees and their families that should be making these laws. The laws affect them.  When I have seen agencies and attorneys manipulate the laws to their advantage I take issue with it.  I am not saying all are bad.  I have met one or two that are good people working to make difference.  The social workers, adoption agencies, and attorneys make the laws that affect us.  They need to step out of it and let us decide.

Answer 10

absolutely!! They see a variety of situations leading to pregnancies, relinquishments, assistance and parenting, etc.  They have first hand knowledge of all of these issues.

they see people on drugs and people who have cleaned up for the love of their children.

they see young people in h.s. pregnant and dropping out to parent (which probably leads to a vicious cycle of welfare dependency).

they see young people in h.s. pregnant who work hard, stay in school and raise great kids.

they see people who have gotten pregnant and just don't feel they can parent for whatever reason and choose adoption.

they see so many different angles that we don't.  we see OUR view and that's it -- SW's see so much more; they see what works and what doesn't.

Their voices should absolutely be heard and considered during any type of reform.

Answer 11

If adoption were reformed the way I, and many other adoptees feel it should be, thousands of them would be out of a career.

They're going to protect their interests first, it's human nature.

Answer 12

my wife is a social worker and she tells me about all the hard choices is makes everyday  we have a spoiled 8 year old boy Jackson that we tell him every day that he is lucky to have a mom and a dad some have one and some don't anyone some families cant afford a lot for there children like food or video games if you want to talk more email me

Answer 13

things that SWs do:

-provide non-biased counseling

-assist with finding resources.

-offer emotional support.

-provide advocacy, especially with navigating complex systems (judicial, medical, educational...).

-et al.

things that adoption SWs do:

-encourage women to place.

-discourage women from parenting.

-provide limited information (or none) about available services to parent.

-get paid based on the income from women who place.

--------------------------------------...

a few of my friends are social workers (MSW, LSW/LCSWs); and really think that adoption SWs are bottom feeders.

Answer 14

So I've been thinking about this and my conclusion is "no" for social workers involved in agencies and adoptions, and I'm still undecided about the others because I don't know about them and can't make a fair judgement on a guess.

Basically unless the social worker supports unconditional access to records for adoptees and a system that puts child rights first I'm not routing for their voice to ever be heard. I mean, I'll here it, but why would I want them in on reform if it hurts my side and my cause.

They are making money off of children. I don't want their invested interest vote.

Answer 15

Yes, they should. Everyone involved in adoption should have a voice.

Thanks in advance for the thumbs down!

Answer 16

Assuming you're including any and all social workers who have anything to do with adoption (including the ones who work for the state, and the people who work at agencies but contract directly with the state, like our social worker), then yes, they should be involved.  The case workers for the kids can give a lot of insight into what won't work.  Social workers in agencies...wow...ok, maybe not.  I'm sitting here trying to think of what a social worker in an agency would be able to contribute that wouldn't be biased and wrong, and I can't think of anything.  Our social worker only matches special needs foster care children with PAP's who are seeking those specific kids.  I think she has a lot of insight into the system and the way it works because of her unique position.  But a social worker in an agency who is working on infant adoptions, or even international adoptions...I just can't see any ethical input they'd have.  The #1 priority of adoption reform is the rights of the child...but a social worker in an agency only has input in the process at a point of time when the child has NO rights, and the social worker's job is not concerned with the child's rights.  So, unless I'm missing something, I can't think of anything they'd have to contribute.  I suppose there's no reason for them NOT to contribute, but they'd be giving a very biased point of view.