Parenting Assessments in Child Welfare Cases: A Practical Guide

The ability of child protection workers to remove children from a home environment they perceive to be unsafe has long been challenged, both legally and culturally, based on scepticism about the criteria used to make such a dramatic decision. Parenting Assessments in Child Welfare Cases seeks to clarify the matter, offering a model of factors that contribute to parenting adequacy and providing concrete assessment strategies. The result is an indispensable and practical guide for mental health practitioners who assess the capacity of parents to meet their children’s needs. Terry Pezzot-Pearce and John Pearce guide assessors through the steps of assessment, from negotiating the initial referral, through data collection and report writing to court testimony. Additionally, they alert assessors to practice issues they are likely to encounter as they approach these complex evaluations. Specific sections of the book also address issues of concern to people who seek or use these assessments, such as when to make a referral for parenting assessment and how to determine if the completed assessment is appropriate. This thoroughly up-to-date guide will be essential reading for social workers, psychologists, members of the legal profession, and family therapists.