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Social Work Speaks Abstracts

Public Child Welfare

This policy statement identifies the relevance of public child welfare to social work practice, values, and concerns. Policy and practice issues that impede recruitment and retention of qualified professional social workers to provide these services are identified. Three principles to guide policy and practice are enumerated. Specific policies that address the impediments to professional social workers practicing in public child welfare are delineated. Finally, the policy statement reaffirms that professional social work practice in public child welfare is consistent with the profession’s values and mission to serve the most vulnerable populations.