ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an integrative, child/family-centered conceptual framework for child welfare, along with selected implications for policy and practice. Family-centered social work services, of course, are consonant with the longstanding concern of social workers with families, particularly in the field of child welfare. The chapter presents a comprehensive conceptual framework for child-focused and family-centered practice consisting of ecological, competence, and developmental perspectives along with a permanency planning orientation. The ecological approach requires, first, that we maintain a principal focus on the child's well-being and safety within a family-centered context in child welfare. Among other aspects, this involves two major directions: emphasis on the family as the central unit of attention and emphasis on preservation of family ties or creation of a new legal family. The ecological perspective ultimately requires a shift to a society-centered approach to child and family welfare that focuses particularly on economics, employment, public health, and education.
