A Historical Analysis of Child Welfare in the United States

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Recommended: Legislation guidelines policies procedures for safeguarding the welfare of children

Life in the United States has been difficult for many children. Statistically speaking, there are four children who are killed by abuse each day (Allyn & Bacon, 2011). With numbers increasing over the years change is something that is starting to take place. There are many things that will affect the child welfare system in the future, such as the economic policies, political views, and the current policies set in place (child welfare information). The reason for the child welfare system is to help the children who are getting abused. In the past, there was not a policy set in place; however, this is beginning to change. One of the systems that have been set in place is the Children’s Bureau, an organization that does studies on the mental health of abused children (Thomas, 2012). Although this organization has no authority to develop federal regulations, they are one of the largest agency leaders in child welfare (Thomas, 2012). There are many problems with the economy and government that make it hard to maintain the child welfare system.

In the 1900’s the child welfare system is something that didn’t really exist. Although there were people who believed it was not good to abuse children, it was not enforced because of how common it was at the time (Alvord). It was not until the end of the 19th century that the upper class started to see the rights of children and wanted them to be treated with a certain level of care. They then believed it was the responsibility of the government to intervene when a child was treated unfairly. This is also when the Child Rescue Movement was set in place. The purpose of this movement was to protect children and make sure they were not being treated cruelly. The child welfare system originated ...

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...tics. Retrieved April 29, 2014, from https://www.childwelfare.gov/systemwide/statistics/

Mumpower, J., & Gary, M. (2014). Judgment & decision making. A signal detection theory analysis of racial and ethnic disproportionality in the referral and substantiation processes of the U.S. child welfare services system (Mumpower & Gary, 2014)

Popple, P. R., & Leighninger, L. (2011). The policy-based profession: an introduction to social welfare policy analysis for social workers (5th ed.). Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon.

Radel, L., Malm, K., & Vandivere, S. (2009, November 8). Adoption USA. Adoption USA:.

Retrieved April 30, 2014, from http://www.aspe.hhs.gov/hsp/09/NSAP/chartbook/chartbook.cfm?id=13

Thomas, M. (2012). Journal of public child welfare. One Hundred Years of Children's Bureau Support to the Child Welfare Workforce, (Thomas, 2012)

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