Examination of the major policy and program questions of child welfare with a focus on child care and protection, adoption and foster care, juvenile delinquency, service delivery, and concepts of treatment in public and private programs.

This course introduces students to advanced concepts in child welfare with an emphasis on child maltreatment assessment and child protective services. The course addresses emerging assessment practices, data informed child protective service provision, the role of technology in child welfare practice, and workforce development.

Majors are placed in a social welfare setting for a minimum of 225 hours; individual arrangements with faculty coordinate. (No credit toward a minor).

This weekly seminar, held concurrently with Social Welfare Experience I, integrates the internship experience with social work theory and concepts learned throughout the curriculum by class discussion, exercises, readings and written assignments. Seminar I provides an opportunity for orientation to the internship placement, an overview of internship requirements, review of the NASW Code of Ethics, and use of small group discussion for problem solving. Students learn to use supervision effectively, to participate in the helping process, and to manage their own stress. Students learn to assess the impact of policy on the client system, agency and worker and to use research to inform practice.