HSL 4850 Human Services Programs Community Culture And Inter

Hsl 4850 Human Services Programs Community Culture And Intersection

Hsl 4850 Human Services Programs: Community, Culture, and Intersectionality Professional Development Plan Part II: Activism The goal of the Professional Development Plan is to 1) analyze aspects of professional ethical conduct, 2) articulate a specific area & areas of activism, and 3) Develop a professional plan for your career in this area. Part II will focus on your selected area of practice and advocacy within that topic area. For this assignment you will complete a paper of no more than 3 pages (not including your cover page and reference page) with three sections/headings, as seen below. Please use these headings in your paper to delineate sections.

Paper For Above instruction

Specific Area of Human Services

My chosen area of human services is child welfare, focusing on foster care and adoption services. This field entails supporting vulnerable children and families to ensure safety, stability, and permanency. Working within child welfare involves advocating for children's rights, family reunification, and securing permanent loving homes for children in foster care.

Identification of Specific Issue

A pressing issue within child welfare is the persistent shortage of foster and adoptive homes, especially in Illinois. According to the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), there are over 14,000 children in foster care statewide, with many facing long stays due to the lack of permanent placements (IDHS, 2022). Moreover, the adoption rate remains insufficient to address the number of children aging out of the system without permanence. Literature indicates that systemic barriers such as socioeconomic disparities, lack of resources, and racial inequities further hinder placement efforts (Jones & Williams, 2021; Smith et al., 2020). These challenges contribute to negative outcomes for children, including mental health issues, educational instability, and reduced life opportunities. Addressing these issues requires targeted policy reforms and community engagement to increase foster and adoptive home availability.

Ways to be an Advocate

One way to advocate is to develop community outreach programs aimed at recruiting foster and adoptive families, emphasizing the importance of diversity and cultural competence. By collaborating with local organizations and faith-based groups, I can organize informational sessions to dispel myths about foster care and provide resources for prospective families. Another approach involves advocating for policy changes, such as increasing funding for foster family training and streamlining the adoption process. Engaging in policy advocacy through testimony at legislative hearings or participating in advocacy coalitions can amplify the voices of children and foster families, influencing lawmakers to enact reforms that expand and improve the foster system. These targeted efforts can help address root causes of placement shortages and improve permanency outcomes for children in foster care.

References

  • Illinois Department of Human Services. (2022). Children in State Custody Report. https://www.illinois.gov/dcfs/aboutus/data/pages/default.aspx
  • Jones, A., & Williams, R. (2021). Racial disparities in foster care placements: Barriers and solutions. Journal of Child Welfare, 87(3), 215-234.
  • Smith, L., Davis, M., & Nguyen, T. (2020). Systemic challenges to foster care and adoption: Policy and practice perspectives. Social Services Review, 94(4), 569-589.
  • U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. (2021). The AFCARS Report: Preliminary FY 2021. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/research-data-technology/afcars
  • National Foster Parent Association. (2019). Recruitment strategies for foster families. NFPA Publications.
  • Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2020). Permanency for Children in Foster Care. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  • Ritz, L., & Lane, T. (2022). Improving foster care recruitment through community partnerships. Journal of Social Service Practice, 26(2), 123-138.
  • Brown, P., & Walker, S. (2018). Policy advocacy in child welfare: Strategies and challenges. Child & Family Social Work, 23(4), 545-553.
  • American Adoption Congress. (2020). Addressing barriers in the adoption process. AAC Reports.
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2019). Child maltreatment and foster care statistics. CDC Reports.

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