Social Worker Ethics

Paper Summary:

The paper discusses the need for a code of ethics for social workers and foster parents. The paper describes the Community and Family Services Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to foster parents who are committed to caring for abused and neglected foster children ages 0 to 18. The paper explores the strict confidentiality rules, the need to avoid dual relationships, the challenge of multiculturalism and the broad ethical issues dealing with permanency for a child. The paper concludes with the writer's personal reflection on these issues.

Outline:
Abstract
Introduction
Description of Work Environment
Social and Cultural Composition
Confidentiality
Permanency for Foster Children
Guidelines for New Professionals
Conclusion
Self-reflective Statement

From the Paper:

"Foster Care is a protective service for abused and/or neglected children, ages 0-17, who come from all ethnic, social and economic backgrounds. The primary goal of foster care is to reunite families or to ensure the child will leave foster care for a permanent placement. Until that time these children are in need of temporary substitute family care.
"Before family foster care, children in need of care were viewed by many cultures as being the responsibility of the tribe, clan, or extended family. Early Judaism and Christianity required care of dependent children as a duty under law (Downs, Costin, & McFadden, 1996)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Barth, R., & Barry, M. (1988). Adoption and Disruption: Rates, Risk, and Response. Hawthorne, NY: Aldine DeGruyter.
• Comas-Diaz, L. (1996). Cultural considerations in diagnosis. In F. Kaslow (Ed.), Handbook of relational diagnosis and dysfunctional family patterns. New York: Wiley.
• Corey, G., Corey, M. S., & Callahan, P. (1998). Issues and ethics in the helping professions (5th ed.). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole.
• Crumbly, J. (1999). Transracial Adoption and Foster Care. Washington, DC: CWLA Press, 3-4.
• Downs, S.W., Costin, L.B., & Mcfadden, E.J. (1996). Child Welfare and Family Services Policies and Practice. New York: Longman Publishers, p. 264.

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