SOWK 360 - Child Welfare Services

3 hours
This course is strongly recommended for students who desire to work with children and youth in the foster care and adoption system. The course examines contemporary child welfare policies and practices in the State of Illinois and the United States. Course content will prepare students for child welfare licensure in IL and provide a strong foundation for students working in child welfare services in other states. It explores the rights of children, the rights and responsibilities of parents, society, and the points of conflict between them. Additional course topics include: the nature and impact of child maltreatment, the ways in which society prevents child maltreatment, and the system of response to child maltreatment. This course is presented through a partnership between the Olivet Nazarene University Social Work Program and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (IL DCFS). Content from the IL DCFS Placement/Permanency Foundation Training Curriculum for Caseworkers is integrated throughout the course. Online IL DCFS content focusing on the fundamentals of child welfare practice in IL is also included. Students will take the Child Welfare Employee Licensure (CWEL) Exam and the Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) Exam as part of the course. Both exams are required for professionals providing direct child welfare services to Illinois families with children placed in substitute care. UG