The FAMCare Blog

In the past twenty years, student debt has become a major social and political issue in our country. As government guaranteed student loans became more widely available, colleges began to raise their tuition rates to keep pace with the expansion boom that ready government financing created. More students required more professors and facilities to accommodate their needs, and colleges needed more money to pay for the growth. The result, of course, is that students borrowed more and more money to pay inflated tuition and fees and subsequently became burdened with overwhelming debt.

In a recent issue of Social Work Today, Kate Jackson reported this troubling statistic:

The Family First Act has become law! This is a very big deal for our caseworker colleagues who work in teen pregnancy and parenting. It represents the biggest change to the structure of federal child welfare finance since the establishment of the Title IV-E entitlement in 1980.

Came across an interesting guide last week that I wanted to share with you. The Ultimate Parent Guide for Child Safety on the Internet is a concise guide with great tips on protecting our children from the dangers of the Internet and protecting their safety.  As a boy scout leader - we teach the scouts how to be aware of online predators and other people who try to get a hold of your private information.  The guide covers some of those things and more.

The OJJDP-sponsored National Criminal Justice Training Center will hold Child Abduction Response Team Training: January 9–12, 2018 in Niceville, FL. 

Case workers involved in health and human services are in a unique position to be aware of families in the communities struggling to make ends meet. During the holidays, things often become even more difficult for low-income families, and it’s very common for the children in these families to go without during the holiday season. Working in health/social services gives you an insider’s look at who can really use help, and you’re in the perfect position to run a holiday toy drive for needy children in your community. It’s fun, easy, and it won’t take a lot of your time, especially if you get people in your office, friends, and family members involved. Use these tips to run a successful holiday toy drive that makes a difference in the lives of needy children and families this year.

OJJDP invites fifth graders to participate in the 2018 National Missing Children’s Day poster contest.

Preventing child abuse can be difficult.  Often times we feel helpless against widespread abuse. The folks over at Denmon | Pearlman created a resource guide to help promote child abuse prevention. 

FEAR is the social worker’s most formidable enemy. Vulnerable people at risk are the social worker’s constituents, and vulnerable people at risk are, of course, full of fear. Persistent fear always morphs into anger setting up a self-destructive spiral in the vulnerable. Whether working with a population of addicts, immigrants, children at risk, or the elderly, helping clients overcome fear is the first job of the social worker.

The world as we know it has changed and continues to evolve in many ways which are not always positive.  It is sometimes filled with violence and trauma, as evidenced by the recent attacks in Manchester England, but there are things we can do to provide comfort and healing when these events occur.