SWTP 632 - Social Work & Policy: Childcare and Parental Addiction

This literature review examines the intersection of social work and public policy, focusing on the challenges faced by mothers with drug addictions whose children are repeatedly taken into care. It analyzes an article by Povey (2018) that advocates for supporting these mothers to reduce the number of children entering care, contrasting it with an Australian government report on 'Care Leavers' and 'Protecting Australia's Children.' Both articles highlight the prevalence of child neglect due to parental issues like mental illness, substance abuse, and domestic violence. While Povey emphasizes the trauma experienced by mothers and the need for family-centered support, the government report focuses on addressing abuse within care homes and ensuring child safety. The review concludes by discussing the persuasive techniques used in both articles, highlighting the importance of rehabilitation for addicted parents and child safety.

Running head: SOCIAL WORK AND POLICY
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Social Work and Policy
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Social Work and Policy
This literature is going to focus on the piece by Povey, Povey (2018) which talks about
what happens to mothers who are drug addicts when their children are repeatedly taken to care. It
is an investigation by a paranoma program of the BBC, which looks at the struggle the women
are going through to get their babies back. According to this article, the only right thing to do is
to help the mothers. Helping them according to the author will also reduce the number of
children going to care. Further, the author asserts that the system abandons the mothers of the
children, once the children are taken into care. Further, according to the article, the number of
children going into care has been steadily rising since the 1990's. The children's court reported
up to 64% increase in the number of care applications made since the 1990's. The sharp rise is
attributed to major factors, mainly the death ‘of baby p' Peter Connelly after abuse for several
months. This was despite several visits by the authorities. The death of baby P placed a spotlight
on child protection decisions and the professionals involved in making the decisions. After this
case, local authorities used different strategies to respond to similar cases, however, care
application cases were still rising in subsequent years (Swain & Rice, 2014).
Under the Australian Department of Social Services, the post by the Government called
‘Care Leavers' and ‘Protecting Australia's Children' makes an inquiry on why children are always
neglected and abused and makes recommendations on what should be done, Just like the article
by Povey. The post by government asserts that almost everyone in Australia is related, knows
someone who experienced out-of-home care or works with them (Hoghughi,2014). The
government article categorizes the children as forgotten citizens. The article further describes
why the children were placed in the child-care homes. The reasons are similar to the news article
and include being orphaned, neglected by the parents, abuse, divorce, domestic violence,

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poverty, and born of a single mother and hardship due to inability to cope with the child. This
similar to our main news article because the same reasons together with mental illness are
contributing factors towards child neglect and child abuse (Tsanfteski, 2014).
Both articles show that most children are removed from parental care due to neglect. This
neglect is caused by the underlying needs of parents which include mental illness, abusive
relationships and drug and substance abuse (Arney, 2013). Sometimes assessments can be
carried out on a woman before birth when a social worker has concerns regarding the pregnant
woman. If evidence suggests that the unborn child is at risk of significant harm, an application is
made so that the child is removed from the care of the mother, right after birth. Different
timescales and tools are used in the assessments of the risk and in determining whether the child
should be removed from the others care.(Faeda, 2015).
Both articles also advocate for proper handling of childcare.When children are removed from the
care of their mothers, it is always a traumatic experience according to Povey (2018). When
women had multiple pregnancies, then the child is removed they usually feel the intense
intervention by the social work. After some time they also feel abandoned. Povey suggests that
there is need to change the way social work and how child protection is carried out. The focus
should be supporting the children to remain in their families other than making parent displaying
unacceptable behavior go though risk assessments and interventions. Too much pressure is
placed on social workers, coupled with making things wrong. This makes them have less time to
devote to the case. Most of the decisions made are based on fear of getting things wrong and
reducing the risk of bad decision making. Such lack of focus on the parenting is not a new
phenomenon. This is a total contrast to the initiative of the government on troubled families
which aims at supporting parents in homes with multiple problems. On the other hand, the

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government publishing has sentiments on abuse of the children in care homes; hence need to
transform the system on how children are handled in the care centers. Accordingly, the article by
government advocates for change in how childcare is carried out in the care homes. The
government article talks about how many children are abused by the care givers hence need for
change.
In contrast, while the government article is focused on giving solutions to the children,
Povey's article is focused on caring for the mothers who are left feeling empty after their children
are taken from them. The article by the government is also focused on how to avoid such
problems in future while preventing mistreatment of the children. Also, the government's article
exposes the negative sides of the child-care centers where sometimes they are neglected and
exposed to further abuse (Robinson & Roberton, 2014). Povey's article, on the other hand, is
more focused on the mental well being of the mother after a child is taken from them. Povey's
article offers solutions which advocate for the well –being of both the child and the mother. It
recommends a healing process where the family is kept together. She further recommends long-
term contraceptives to prevent recurrent births. On the other hand, the government article makes
recommendations requesting churches and the government to state their responsibilities in such
social care systems. It also recommended providing counseling services for the abused children
while dealing properly with the allegations of abuse and neglect. He government article offers
solutions and a vision for 2020.
The media, in this case, persuade the reader by giving examples of women whom
children have been snatched and even quotes them saying how horrible they feel. The author
gives different views of real-life women and their experiences. Many women spoken to, in this
research felt abandoned in many ways. They go through the justice system and are not able to

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counter the decisions made by professionals. Povey persuades the audience regarding the
helplessness of the women, and as one reads the piece, they are convinced that the women need
help. Povey believes that it is an important value that a child grows with their mother. Povey also
uses the death of ‘baby P' to appeal to the reader's emotions. The mothers attract sympathy to a
certain extent because they are helpless when their children are taken away from them. These
appeals to the reader's emotions making them want to do something about the situation. Also,
generally despite mother being drug addicts, they should be allowed to grow with their children.
The government, on the other hand, persuades the audience using real statistics; they show statics
in the 1990's of children who were abandoned, immigrants and even show how the government
has not contributed much in helping the children in care facilities. The article shows real facts
and even finishes by apologizing to those affected in the care homes.
The government article, on the other hand, does not agree with this view, especially when
a child is in an abusive environment. The government supports child removal from places which
they become abused, or they are not properly taken care of. The government does not care much
about the relationship of the child to the parents but the safety of the child when they are in an
abusive environment.
While the issue of safety of children is a public policy concern, it is important that the
government also offers rehabilitation to ensure that the parents who are addicted can be able to
take care of their children in future.

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References
Arney, F., & Scott, D. (Eds.). (2013). Working with vulnerable families: A partnership approach.
Cambridge University Press.
Australian Government, Department of Social Services. (n.d). Families and Children.
Faedi Duramy, B., & Gal, T. (2015). International Perspectives and Empirical Findings on
Child Participation.
Hindman, H. D., & Hindman, H. (2014). The world of child labor: An historical and regional
survey. Routledge
Hoghughi, M. S., & Long, N. (Eds.). (2014). Handbook of parenting: theory and research for
practice. Sage.
Povey, L. (2018). What Happens To Mothers Whose Children Are Repeatedly Taken Into Care.
The Conversation.
Robinson, M. J., & Roberton, D. M. (Eds.). (2014). Practical paediatrics. Saunders.
Swain, P. A., & Rice, S. (Eds.). (2009). In the shadow of the law: The legal context of social
work practice. Federation Press
Tsantefski, M., Gruenert, S., & Campbell, L. (2015). Working with Substance-Affected Parents
and their Children: A guide for human service workers. Allen & Unwin.