Re: Researched reasoning for relative contact

[Sherrill Clark <sjclark@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Dear Rolf and others:  I guess I'm having some trouble with this one 
and I am responding to the list to perhaps initiate a conversation 
about our field and about the uses of social research in general.

In this instance it seems to me that we "know" that relatives are 
preferred especially when safety is accounted for, why do we need 
"research" to back this up?   Is research being used in a very 
conservative (political) way to slow decision making or to drive 
policy?  Should it?

Rolf:  Thanks for asking the question and the list.

>Dear Colleagues,
>
>I have been asked to provide (for a court action), some fundamental 
>reasoning based on current research which explains or reasons why :
>
>1	Children in CPS (foster-care) must / should have (safe) 
>contact with relatives
>
>2	Children in CPS (foster-care) must / should be placed 
>(safely) with satisfactory / suitable caring relatives in preferance 
>to fostercarers
>
>I have 15 years experience in the field and I am a regular here on 
>the .... BUT the question has stumped me in terms of recent research 
>to base my usual frameworks on!!
>
>Please help if you can.
>
>Thank You in anticipation.
>
>Rolf Nilsson
>Department of Families, Queensland
>AUSTRALIA
>
-- 
Sherrill Clark, A.C.S.W., Ph.D.,Executive Director
California Social Work Education Center
University of California at Berkeley
School of Social Welfare
120 Haviland Hall
Berkeley, CA 94720-7400
phone: 510-642-9272
FAX:  510-642-8573