The foster care system in the United States was developed to help and bring reprieve to socially disadvantaged children. It is undisputed that the foster care system has helped move children away from the street by giving the essential and necessary support needed. Unfortunately, the foster system results in numerous hidden harms to children. There are policies and strategies to help children who have "aged out" to transition back to society. Many youths leave the placements offered in the foster system without a sense of direction and purpose. Support is provided to ensure that the youths have a stable place to live, get employment, or go to school. Some of the social welfare agencies that strive to alleviate such problems include the Administration for Children and Families (A.C.F.), 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC), Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB).
The agencies serve several clients, including children and their families, youths, and communities in general. Most clients of the agencies claim that the agencies have been instrumental and pivotal in providing services, such as child support enforcement and welfare. The staff members are supportive. However, the majority of staff members claim that clients lack knowledge about the specific services the agency is restricted to offer; thus, constant disagreements and confusion often arise. I arranged to face interviews and questionnaires with both clients and staff of the agencies to find out their thoughts about the efficiency of the agencies in delivering the needed services. The participants of the interviews were generally responsive and collaborative throughout the interviewing period. Unfortunately, some of the staff members were unresponsive, citing the fear that divulging information about the number of people their agencies have helped could undermine their jobs. Gaining an understanding of the strategies used by social welfare agencies and policy is important to the sociological study as it helps ascertain the relationship between the government and its citizens. Understanding the existing relationships can contribute towards developing vehicles of change that advocate for equity, social justice, social integrity, and promote human dignity.
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Description of the Setting
Administration for Children and Families (ACF)
A.C.F. was formed to provide leadership services and resources to empower families and individuals to attain economic independence and productivity to improve access to services through planning, reform, and integration, and address the needs of vulnerable populations. I talked to staff members from A.C.F.'s Division of Economic Independence (D.E.I.). I held a one-on-one conversation with Hilary Bruck. Bruck is the senior social science research analyst at D.E.I. Bruck is responsible for leading employment and training research interventions for low-income individuals. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from Georgetown University and an M.P.P. from McCourt School of Public Policy from the same University.
I interviewed Sarah Jones, a widow, and one of the clients of A.C.F. Jones is a middle-aged woman of African American descent. She owns a bakery, thus earning her living from selling bread and cake. Sarah has been living with her two sons and daughters. As a breadwinner of the family, Jones has been experiencing financial strains, thus making it difficult to provide for her two children and unable to service her mortgage. She complains that she is about to be thrown out of her house for late payments. Jones has been relying on the leadership support provided by A.C.F., in an attempt to increase her economic independence. Jones's social location was similar to mine. She belonged to the minority group and belonged to the American lower class. She was struggling, and the environment she lived in was not conducive to business because of insecurity issues. Being a woman from an African-American minority group and her advanced age had limited her employment opportunities offers.
Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB)
FYSB was founded to ensure that people who have experienced violence, neglect, and trauma are taken care of by promoting the safety, stability, and well-being of those in need. FYSNB has several divisions include the Division of Adolescent Development and Support and Division of Family Violence Prevention and Services. Each division has several subdivided programs that cater to the specific needs of individuals. My focus was on Runaway and Homeless Youth (R.H.Y.) programs found under the Division of Adolescent Development and Support. Through street outreach, R.H.Y. strives to provide emergency shelters and long-term transitional living programs to protect young and homeless people. Through its Basic Center Program (BCP), R.H.Y. makes an effort to reunite young people with their extended lost families. The organization offers youths living on streets alternative placement. Other services provided by R.H.Y. include recreational programs, aftercare services for youths after they leave their shelters, and survival aid.
One of the staff members of FYSB that I talked to is Kate Flannery, the Director of Development and Community Relations. Flannery is a middle-aged white woman. She has a bachelor's degree in Sociology from Boston University. Flannery also has a master's degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois, Chicago. She looked motivated in her work and was very cooperative and encouraging during the interviewing session. Her job role entails, creating awareness of the significant contribution of the agency.
I talked to Jong Yeng, a Japanese American and one of the beneficiaries of FYSB's Runaway and Homeless Youth program. Yeng is tall and looks a little bit skinny and emaciated. However, she has a friendly smile, which acts as a symbol of hope. Yeng is 19 years old. During our discussion, Yeng revealed that he was under foster care but left after he "aged out." He narrated how it was difficult for him to secure employment and decent shelter, thereby resorting to living in the streets for one year. Getting a decent meal was a challenge. Yeng said that the conditions in the streets were dire, and he slept hungry more than on. Yeng is very positive about the contribution and assistance FYSB has offered to him. He can now easily access food, clothing, and medical care. Through its transitional living program, FYSB has placed Yeng in group homes, which are safe and have stable living conditions. The social location of Yeng is different from mine. I can say that I come from a strong knit family that believes in the spirit of togetherness. Less fortunate family members are helped by those who are blessed financially. It is, therefore, difficult to find a member of the family living in the street. Yeng also comes from a minority group. Members of minority groups experience difficulty in accessing employment. Some employers still discriminate against them when offering employment opportunities. Most of them are therefore locked out of employment, hence forced to live in the streets.
Description of Findings
Looking for help was a very hectic process. I had self-doubts whether the process will be successful. Fortunately, I was lucky because those I interviewed were generally cooperative and understanding. However, both Jones and Yeng were very shy at the beginning of the interviewing session. They were reluctant to open up and share intimate details about their personal lives and experiences with the respective agencies. I assured them that their confidentiality would be maintained, and the information they give will only be used for academic purposed and not distributed without their consent. Jones said that A.C.F. was very encouraging. Some of the staff visited her business premises and offered advice and training on how she can manage her business effectively to generate maximum revenue. Yeng, on the other hand, said that in FYSB, everyone is treated equally with respect and dignity regardless of race or religion. Yeng is happy with the essential services FYSB is extending to ensure his survival. The staffs of the two agencies I interviewed were also very supportive and understanding. The staff gave me a tour of the premises and also offered me coffee. The staff permitted me to interview anyone I wish on the premises provided that people use the data I get for academic purposes only.
My social location almost hindered the findings, especially when interviewing Jones and Yeng. I experienced no challenge during the interviewing session with the staff. I come from the majority group and have enjoyed some little privileges in life. I come from an affluent family, and my dress code shows it all. Therefore, accessing healthy food, shelter, and money for transactional purposes has never been a problem. Jones and Yeng, on the other hand, were members of the minority group. Ethnicity and class differences created a barrier and prevented Jones and Yeng from opening up at the onset of the interviewing process. They were shy and looked judgmental that their shared experiences would distribute to corporations who will end up gaining at their expense. Age difference also acted as a barrier. I assured them that people would strictly use their responses for academic purposes only. I also assured them that I would not mention their full three names when writing the report to conceal their identity and maintain confidentiality. The experience shaped my thinking about life. A lot of people are suffering, and people should come together to help the less unfortunate in society by providing financial assistance to social welfare agencies.
The experience and the whole process of finding help went down smoothly. The participants were very supportive and understanding while sharing their experiences. I bonded with them during the interviewing process imagined the experiences and the problems they were experiencing. The process of seeking help was, however, different from my past lived experiences with getting help regarding a research project on contributions of business in bringing societal change. Most of the staff and employees I interviewed during the research project were reluctant to divulge information, looked down on me based on skin color and dress code, and were generally insensitive when discussing gender-related issues.
Literature Review
Patti, Rapp, & Poertner (2014) argue that that the core of social welfare organizations is managing for service effectiveness. However, the shrinking economy has led to budget cuts, thus pushing agencies to reorganize to deal with the threats. Social welfare agencies are hence forced to manage for survival. Financial strain inhibits the effectiveness of social welfare agencies in service delivery. Brady & Bostic (2015) assert that inherent challenges in social welfare management have led to the "paradox of redistribution of strategies of equality." Social welfare agencies will be in a position to solve the arising issue in welfare administration by adopting a universal social policy to reduce poverty and issues rather than social policies targeted at the poor. Social welfare agencies adopt "poverty eradication" as their public policy. By eradicating poverty, the society will be self-sustainable, thus reducing the burden placed on the limited resources that are at the disposal of Social Welfare agencies (Bertram, Blase, & Fixsen, 2015).
Conclusion
Social welfare agencies and programs aim to provide support to the less fortunate members in the community to improve their living conditions. Individuals seeking help from social welfare agencies also hope that social welfare programs will offer support indiscriminately, irrespective of social class, or ethnicity. The success of social welfare programs depends on their ability to involve the community in its mission to attain maximum support. Despite the financial limitations and constraints, most social welfare agencies are striving to bring good to society.
References
Bertram, R. M., Blase, K. A., & Fixsen, D. L. (2015). Improving programs and outcomes: Implementation frameworks and organization change. Research on Social Work Practice , 25 (4), 477-487.
Brady, D., & Bostic, A. (2015). Paradoxes of social policy: Welfare transfers, relative poverty, and redistribution preferences. American Sociological Review , 80 (2), 268-298.
Patti, R. J., Rapp, C. A., & Poertner, J. (2014). Managing for service effectiveness in social welfare organizations . Routledge.
