For those working in child services, an understanding of family situations is vital in being able to
help improve child welfare. Fortunately for those agencies, utilizing the right social services
software can help streamline processes and effectively “humanize” the various situations.
The goal is to always be improving child welfare through various services, responses and
interventions, and with the right social services software on your side, the tasks can become
easier to track and perhaps even more simple.
Common situations faced
The most common thing faced by child welfare workers is the removal of children from their
homes. These children could be getting placed in out-of-home care, including options like
treatment, residential, medical placement or with relatives or in foster care.
One of the most problematic issues you can run into if the correct systems are not in place is not
knowing where the kids are. If you can’t track where the children have been placed, the
day-to-day job is harder to do and, obviously, it is a huge problem and major safety concern.
With my background in Nebraska’s Child Protective Services, I know that caseworkers here are required to do monthly face-to-face visits with the youth, and depending on the case plan, possible the family as well. Child welfare and a better understanding of a family’s situation can be attained through the organization and staying on top of things. In fact, using the correct social services software should be able to help improve things almost instantly.
Issues caseworkers handle
A caseworker is there to help make sure the youth and family are getting what they need, which
includes referrals to services and agencies that will be beneficial for all.
With social services software, such as FAMCare, you have the ability to track referral
information and service information. This means that not only can you see the history of the
family or youth, but you can easily view all the details. These details can include items like
agencies that have worked with them prior and the success rates. One thing a caseworker
doesn’t want to do is re-refer a service or agency that wasn’t helpful for the family and their
situation.
How social services software can help
You’ll find that the importance of social services software comes from the data and
organizational aspects it provides for caseworkers. The software is vital in tracking clients and
their cases and can include information such as:
- Demographic information
- Services needed/used
- Placements
- Case information and notes
- Case history
Not only is the software helpful in understanding the child and family’s needs, but it can also be helpful in tracking information about other agencies or foster parents. You can track what type of placements they will take, youth they will take, licensing level and training, which helps the caseworkers better match youth with foster parents. Overall, this is helping to better meet the child’s needs.
Most importantly, the right software is there to help make a situation more than just a case
number. With FAMCare, you can put the youth’s picture in the programming, which puts a face
to the name. They are no longer a number - there is a real-life child behind all the data and that
is something that motivates all caseworkers.
Understanding family situations and the needs of children can be difficult, but fortunately for
caseworkers, the process can be helped by using the right software. At the end of the day, it all
comes down to providing ideal care and solutions for children, so they may have the best
possible lives.
By Mandy Frary
FAMCare Project Manager
