Canadian Non-Profits in Crisis: The Need for Reform

This paper examines recent changes in the relationship between the Canadian state, at both federal and provincial levels, and those non-profit organizations concerned with social welfare. The 1995 federal budget marked a turning point for Canadian non-profit organizations as the federal transfer payments to the provinces were simultaneously restructured and reduced. This, in turn, meant that provincial funds flowing to non-profit organizations would also be cut, or terminated, and restructured as service contracts continued to replace grants. This followed a review of government funding to non-profit agencies initiated the previous year and came on top of a growing critique of non-profits as unaccountable, unrepresentative, professionalized, "special-interest" groups, who used public funds largely to sustain themselves, and pursued causes that should not be subsidized by government. At the same time non-profit organizations were increasingly expected to provide core social welfare services not only on the basis of "more for less" but also through charging for their services and increased corporate and individual fund-raising. All of these events took place in the context of the election to government, in 1993, of the Liberal Party, that had previously been strongly identified with the advance of a Canadian social agenda but now chose to adopt its conservative predecessor’s deficit reduction strategy through public expenditure cuts. For many Canadian commentators, such events have thrown non-profit organizations into crisis and during the past two years there have been attempts to bring together the diverse interests within the sector and build a stronger sense of identity and voice. However, there is also a strong argument to suggest that the vulnerability of such non-profit organizations has resulted, in part, from their over-dependence on government during the previous twenty-five years and the absence of a strong popular base. This paper explores the changing relationships between the Canadian state and non-profit organizations, and highlights what could be very similar dilemmas for their UK counterparts as government increasingly looks to non-profits to fulfil what has during the postwar period been its service-providing role.     

Searching for Local Solutions: Making Welfare Policy on the Ground in Ontario

Over recent decades welfare dependency has played a powerful role in defining the welfare “problem” and in passing appropriate “solutions.” One result has been the proliferation of short-term, low-cost employment programs and training programs that have emerged as critical sites for challenging and reforming the attitudes and behaviors of welfare recipients. By exploring work-readiness programs in four communities in Ontario, Canada, we provide insight into how these programs relate to the lived realities of those compelled to attend them. The research shows how dependency discourse informs program rules and content, raising expectations about both the benefits and the immediacy of work. This focus risks individualizing blame and ignoring the structural realities of labor markets and the systemic forces that create poverty and unemployment. Although the particular empirical focus is on Ontario, the approaches used and their outcomes resonate with strategies that are evident wherever neoliberalism has made its mark.     

Working with Me,Working at Me: Fathers' Narratives of Child Welfare

This article examines the experiences of fathers involved in the child welfare system. Fathers who were interviewed as part of a multiyear Canadian project were atypical in that they were actively engaged with the child welfare system. Their stories show how, although not always physically present, child welfare's ghostly form is still very much a part of the daily lives of fathers and their families. These fathers had to be resourceful and resilient as they endeavored to look “promising” to the child welfare system. The critical analysis offers insights into a more father-inclusive approach to child welfare that has implications for policy and practice development.     

Social Democratic Programs: What Is Worth Modeling (for the United States)

This article argues that the United States could improve social welfare outcomes by adopting effective and efficient elements from nations that excel in social welfare areas of employment, education, health care and income support. Using secondary data for comparison the article explores four foreign model programs that are worth modeling for the United States, which include employment in Norway, education in Finland, and health care and income support in Sweden. Each program is framed within its national context and is qualitatively described and linked to three essential social democratic values: universalism, equality and comprehensiveness     

Child-Rearing Effectiveness of Divorced Mothers:

The association of coping strategies and social sup- port to maternal distress and parenting style was investigated. Inter- views were conducted with 58 divorced mothers of preschool chil- dren. Results indicated that use of active behavioral and cognitive coping strategies was associated with feelings of control in child- rearing situations and with authoritative parenting. Reliance on cop- ing strategies that involved distancing, escape/avoidance, and social support was associated with symptoms of distress. Availability of family members for social support was generally associated with less authoritative parenting behavior, but also with less distress. Availability of friends was related to more authoritative behavior, but more distress. Coping and social support by friends contributed significantly to authoritativeness and distress beyond the variance contributed by mothers' education, financial stability, time since separation, and geographical region.     

Family Foster Care,Kinship Networks,and Residential Care of Abandoned Infants in Egypt

While infant abandonment has occurred in all segments of society, on all continents, and across all generations, the motivations for this practice are varied and depend upon the social norms of a specific geographic region at a given point in time. Western approaches addressing the care of abandoned infants focus on terminating parental rights and placing the child in an adoptive home. The child assumes the family name and is privy to all rights and responsibilities as biological children. In Egypt, Islamic family law does not allow for adoption of an infant by a nonbiological individual. Nor does the country of Egypt allow assignment of guardianship or fostering of a child by a non-Egyptian parent. Therefore, models of care cannot simply be transferred from one context to the other, although they may learn from each other. Egypt's system of family foster care, kinship networks, and residential (institutional) care are models that are consistent with the cultural values and customs of this population. The family foster care model and kinship networks have been shown to provide the most positive psychosocial outcomes for the child. The purpose of this article is to compare and contrast culturally acceptable approaches to caring for abandoned infants in Egypt.     

Peer Support Groups for Child Welfare–Involved Families

Studies on risk factors and circumstances related to child maltreatment have continuously emphasized the important role of social support. As a result, peer support groups have been gaining attention and recognition in recent years in the field of child maltreatment prevention. However, little is known about the benefits that child welfare–involved parents receive in peer support groups, as well as the distinctive service elements that make these groups successful. By examining child welfare–involved parents’ experiences participating in peer support groups, this study provided a better understanding of the perceived beneficial aspects of peer support groups, specific types of supports offered to and by peers, and unique characteristics of these groups.     

Family Unity Meetings: Decision Making and Placement Outcomes

ABSTRACT

The sample consisted of all families (747) who were invited to receive a Family Unity Meeting from a Public Child Welfare Agency in a large urban county. Data was derived from the review of agency case files. The design was a retrospective case review with an embedded prospective study. This study describes factors that distinguish between CPS clients who accept an invitation to participate in a Family Unity Meeting (FUM) and those clients who decline to participate. The meeting process is described, and logistic regression is used to identify variables that predicted successful outcomes FUM meetings.

Families with reunification as a goal were the most likely cases to agree to participate followed by Voluntary and Permanency Planning cases. Cases with severe neglect were the least likely group to participate in a meeting process. Approximately nine people attended an average meeting. Maternal relatives were more likely to attend than paternal relatives.

Empirical evidence was found to support the notion that FUM expands the notion of family. Only 38% of children were placed with a parent after a meeting, but 82% of children were placed with a family member. Children were not placed with either the parent or family if the social worker had placement as a goal before the meeting. Cases with permanency plans were also less likely to be placed with the family. Social workers were more likely to agree with a placement with relatives if they had a concern about parental drug abuse. Having a maternal aunt in attendance at the meeting was predictive of having a child placed with the family.

Social workers and families stated concerns prior to the meeting diverged. Families were more concerned with economic and financial issues than were the social workers. Social workers were more concerned with child protective service issues (type of abuse, placement issues, etc.) and the behavior of the parent (substance abuse, mental health, etc.) than was the family. Paying attention to family issues such as finances may be a necessary precursor to families focusing on more complex matters like substance abuse or parenting practices.

Placement outcomes were consistent with worker's goals stated before the meeting. If a social worker said they wanted to place a child with the family before the meeting, that placement was most likely the outcome of the meeting. Social workers may be guiding the decisions of the family. If this interpretation is correct then it raises questions about who makes decisions at the meeting. An alternative conclusion is that the social workers are good diagnosticians who know prior to the meeting if placement is necessary, and know what decisions the family will make.     

Part I: A Review of the Literature on Multisystemic Treatment Within an Evidence-based Framework: Implications for Working With Culturally Diverse Families and Children

One key step in the evidence-based practice process directs practitioners to pose client-oriented, practical, evidence-search questions (COPES), seeking the truth about what will help their client (Gibbs, 2003 Gibbs , L. ( 2003 ). Evidence-based practice for the helping professions ; Pacific Grove , CA : Brooks/Cole-Thomson Learning . [Google Scholar]) and inform policy (Gambrill, 2006) and not to take a “one method fits all” position. Literature focusing on providing services to minority children and families in the child welfare system strongly supports this approach (Cohen, 2000 Cohen , N. ( 2000 ). Child welfare: A multicultural focus ; Needham Heights , MA : Allyn &; Bacon . [Google Scholar]; Lum, 2004 Lum , D. ( 2004 ). Social work practice and people of color: A process-stage approach ; Boston : Brooks/Cole . [Google Scholar]; Samantrai, 2004 Samantrai , K. ( 2004 ) . Culturally competent public child welfare practice . Belmont , CA : Brooks/Cole-Thompson Learning . [Google Scholar]). This article poses an effectiveness question, locates and evaluates existing evidence, and then presents implications for working with families and children from diverse backgrounds. The effectiveness question posed is, “If families and children from diverse populations experiencing mental health problems receive Multisystemic Therapy, will they have similar outcomes across race and ethnicity?”     

What About the Kids?

ABSTRACT

Although rhetoric about family-centered services and breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty has survived many failed public welfare strategies, few meaningful collaborative efforts between school systems and the public welfare system have emerged. The following case study describes the processes in which a county DSS director successfully engaged the school system to change the educational trajectories of its children in poverty by using the university as a bridge partner. Capitalizing on the freedom associated with using block grant funds for innovative programs, the collaborating partners redefined the relationship between the two systems through a common goal. Successes, barriers, practice implications and lessons learned are identified and discussed in the case example.