THE ROLE OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN INTERNATIONAL LEGAL COOPERATION IN FAMILY & CHILD LAW WORKING TOGETHER TO SERVE THE BEST INTEREST OF THE CHILD October 2011.

THE

ROLE O

F SOCIA

L

WORKER

S IN IN

TERNAT

IONAL

LEGAL C

OOPERAT

ION IN

FAMILY

& C

HILD L

AW

WORKIN

G TOGETH

ER TO S

ERVE THE B

EST IN

TEREST

OF TH

E CHILD

October 2011

TODAY’S TALKING POINTS

1. Overview of the role of social work in child protection

2. The role of social workers when implementing policy, laws, and treaties

3. How to build capacity of social workers to protect children in international contexts

4. Improving cooperation and collaboration between social workers and legal/judicial partners in child protection

5. Recommendations for mutually supportive, sustainable international social work and legal cooperation

INTR

ODUCTION

ISS-U

SA AND T

ODAY’S

PRESENTE

RS

TODAY’S PRESENTERS

ISS-USA: WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

Vision:Vision: ISS-USA envisions a world in which all interested parties have access to the technical, structural and practical support to achieve the best interest of children, adults and families separated by international borders

Mission:Mission: The mission of ISS-USA is to promote resolutions in the best interests of children, adults and families separated by international borders. ISS-USA accomplishes its mission through the provision of intercountry social services, research, training, technical assistance and advocacy.

ISS-USA

...provides case management, technical assistance, and serves as a

key resource for obtaining and understanding necessary information to

support the family plan, child placement and permanency options

ISS GLOBAL NETWORK

ISS-USA SERVICES• Tracing for family members• Tracing needed documents including birth, death and marriage

certificates• International home studies• International mediation for custody and visitation• Post-placement follow-up• Criminal and Child Abuse Registry Checks• Child Protection Alerts• Repatriating U.S. citizens from abroad, including unaccompanied minors• Technical Assistance on a wide variety of international child welfare

issues• Training for legal and social service personnel working with children

with international dimension to their case.

WHAT ISS-USA DOES NOT DO...

ISS-USA does not provide :

1. Translation of documents into the language of the country to where they will be sent;

2. Translation into English of documents received from ISS Units abroad;

3. Funds for child welfare staff to travel to visit a child in living abroad;

4. Funds to bring children back to the US after an overseas placement;

5. Funds to bring family members from abroad for court hearings or to take custody of a child involved in the child welfare system;

6. Legal advice;

7. Home studies in Hague adoption cases.

THE R

OLE O

F SOCIA

L

WORK IN

CHILD

PROTE

CTION

AN OVERVIE

W

SOCIAL WORKERS ARE CRITICAL

When working with children and families, the primary focus for the social worker is finding solutions in

the best interest of children.

SOCIAL WORKERS ARE CRITICAL

SOCIAL WORKERS PLAY MULTIPLE ROLES

• Social Analyst• assess the situation and help people understand

their options

• Social Catalyst• responsible for the provision of services that will

bring about change for the individual, family, community, or system

• Social Activist• working through social relationships to sustain

change

IMPL

EMENTING P

OLICY,

LAW

S, AND T

REATIE

S

THE R

OLE O

F SOCIA

L WORKERS

IMPLEMENTATION OF LAWS & CONVENTIONS

Social workers are key to effective implementation of current

domestic and international laws and conventions on child welfare

issues

ROLE OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN INTERNATIONAL CONVENTIONS

• International Hague Convention on International Adoption (1993)

• U.N. Guidelines for Alternative Care of Children

• International Hague on Abduction (Hague 1980)

• Child Protection Convention (Hague 1996)

ROLE OF SOCIAL WORKERS IN DOMESTIC LAWS

• Fostering Connections Act of 2008• Wrongful separation of children

from their parents in the U.S.

HOW T

O BUILD

CAPA

CITY

OF SOCIA

L WORKERS

PROTE

CTING C

HILDREN

IN IN

TERNAT

IONAL C

ONTEXTS

BUILDING SOCIAL WORK CAPACITY

Building the capacity of social workers both in the U.S. and other

countries needs to become a priority and resources need to be devoted to the social work profession to ensure

the protection of children in international contexts.

WHAT NEEDS TO HAPPEN?

• Capacity needs to be increased in both the U.S. and other countries

• Graduate-level programs need to integrate the notion of transnational families into the general curriculum

• Attention needs to be paid to the recruitment and retention of professional social workers

• Financial, training, and content-specific resources needs to be increased for child welfare workers

IMPR

OVING C

OOPERAT

ION

AND COLL

ABORATIO

N

BETW

EEN S

OCIAL W

ORKERS AND LE

GAL/JU

DICIA

L PART

NERS IN C

HILD P

ROTECTI

ON

COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION

In order to have an effective system of child protection in any one

country, regionally, or globally, it is imperative that all the actors are working cooperatively with the single aim of ensuring the best

interest of the child.

COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION

• Social workers can step in where the law ends in order to best meet the needs of the child

• Both the social work and legal professions need to partner with governmental and non-governmental organizations at every level

• Judges can be instrumental in facilitating the cooperation between social workers and lawyers

COOPERATION AND COLLABORATION (con’t)

• It is important to work with the Central Authority as soon as is warranted

• Non-governmental organizations often have expertise on international child protection issues and can provide services and promote awareness

• Regional collaboration on child protection issues can lead to improved outcomes for children on a much larger scale

RECOMMENDATIO

NS

HOW T

O ACHIE

VE MUTU

ALLY

SUPPORT

IVE,

SUSTA

INABLE

INTE

RNATIO

NAL

SOCIAL W

ORK AND LE

GAL COOPE

RATIO

N

RECOMMENDATIONS

1.The child as the focus2.All of us are social analysts, social

catalysts, and social activists3. Joint consideration of policy and practice4.Appropriate training and resources5.Dialogue and knowledge-sharing between

social workers, lawyers, and judges6.Collaboration among stakeholders7.Understanding the big picture

RESOURCES

SAVE THE DATE: ISS-USA CONFERENCE

The focus of this conference will be on the need for cooperation among, and coordination between, the legal, judicial and social service partners in cross-border child protection. Key activities will include:

• Examining the push-pull factors that lead children to move across borders

• Identifying the existing, and needed, legal and social work frameworks required to resolve trans-national child protection issues

• Exploring what programs and systems are needed to protect children and families and how we can build the capacity of these systems to meet the growing needs of vulnerable children and families.

November 3, 2011 - 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.Lohrfink Auditorium, Georgetown University

Washington, DCFor more information or to Register:

www. iss-usa.org

CONTACT US

QUESTIONS