Vol. 27, No. 1
January 2024

Building a Family's Safety Network

Child welfare is a constant balancing act of policy and practice. To assess reports of child abuse and neglect based on policy, we must effectively engage caregivers. Effective engagement helps build safety networks and strengthen protective capacities in families to reduce the risk of future child maltreatment. In our interview with two NC Division of Social Services Policy Consultants, Amanda Hubbard and Jadie Baldwin-Hamm, we delved into what creating strong safety networks truly means and how we do that in practice.

In their roles as Policy Consultants, Hubbard and Baldwin-Hamm are committed to weaving family engagement into every facet of child welfare. A safety network is made up of family, friends, and involved professionals who care about the child and family, engage in planning with us, understand the concerns, and are willing to do something to support the family to keep the child safe. Safety networks are a key component of the Safety Organized Practice model being implemented in North Carolina. Hubbard and Baldwin-Hamm have been conducting training and webinars and providing policy guidance around this topic. Here are some of the insights they shared to empower social workers to identify and build safety networks.

1. Boosting Protective Capacities: Safety networks increase protective capacities within families. When these capacities are elevated, families become better equipped to safeguard their children, leading to fewer encounters with the child welfare system.

2. Empowering Communities: It's not just about families; it's about building up entire communities. Exploring safety networks not only strengthens families but also bolsters the community. It's a win-win that creates a wider safety net for children.

3. Investing Time to Save Time: While time may seem like a constraint, it's an investment that pays off in the long run. Putting in the effort up front to help families identify their safety networks can ultimately streamline the child welfare process, reducing the need for intervention in the future.

4. Overcoming Resistance: Resistance can be a roadblock when working with families to unveil their safety networks. Remember, what's masked is not necessarily unknown. Building rapport and demonstrating genuine care for the family's well-being is the key. Focus on the common goal of ensuring the children's safety to navigate these challenging conversations.

5. Children's Insights: Don't overlook the little voices in the room. Children often have unique insights that caregivers or professionals might miss. Pay attention to who the children mention, such as friends, family members, teachers, and community figures, as they could be valuable additions to the safety network.

6. Engaging Non-Resident Parents: Children can also provide invaluable information when it comes to engaging non-resident parents and family members. Leveraging technology and social media can be powerful tools to unearth the hidden gems of family safety networks.

7. Thinking Creatively: Sometimes, unexpected support can make the most significant difference.

Hubbard shared a poignant example of a family that faced transportation and childcare challenges. By tapping into the resources of an uncle who could provide transportation, they not only solved an immediate problem but also expanded their safety network. By providing transportation, the uncle was contributing to child safety within his capacity to do so and the family and social worker could then focus on further expanding the safety network to include childcare and supervision.

Using a Safety Circle Diagram is one tool social workers can use to explore expanding safety networks with families. This tool helps workers think about what questions to ask and how they can work together to move someone from the outer circle to the inner circle of support for the family.

Inner Circle: With whom do the children feel the most connected? Who are the first people you call when you are in need? Middle Circle: Who supports you a little? With whom do your children feel a connection? Outer Circle: Who have you reached out to, but could see yourself reaching out to in the future? Who is willing to support you, but you don't feel comfortable asking for help? What's holding you back?

Also, consider asking the following questions of caregivers as well as collaterals. Doing so will engage them to help find out more about a family's protective capacities.

Questions for Caregivers

Caregiver Resilience:

• What do you do to take care of yourself?
• What kinds of frustrations or worries do you deal with throughout the day? How do you solve these problems as they come up?
• How are you able to meet your children's needs when you are dealing with stress?
• What are your dreams and goals for yourself and your family? What steps are you taking toward those goals?

• Do you have family members or friends nearby who occasionally help?
• Would you be interested in meeting other parents who also [have a new baby, have a teenager, like to cook, sing in a choir, etc.]?
• What kind of support would you need to be able to get out for an evening?
• How do you and your spouse or partner support each other?

• What do you need to be able to [stay in your house, keep your job, pay your heating bill, etc.]?
• How have you handled this problem? What is working well and what's not?
• Are there community groups or other local services that might be able to help?
• Did you know that [local program] provides [free job training, meals on weekends, low-cost childcare, etc.]? What kind of help do you need to get to these services?

Questions for Collaterals

• In your opinion, what would it take to make the child(ren) safer?
• What do you imagine us doing to make the child(ren) safer?
• Do you think any other agency might be able to help with the situation?
• What do you think this family should do? What are they capable of doing?
• It sounds like this has happened before. What have you seen the family do to resolve this before?
• Can you tell me what is happening when the situation is OK? What is different about those times?
• Are there times when the caregiver is attentive rather than neglectful? Can you tell me more about those times? What did the caregiver/child do instead? What do you think contributed to the caregiver/child responding differently?
• You said that the child always seems withdrawn. Are there any times when you have seen them come out of their shell?
• Are there times when they call on other people to help them with problems? When do they do that? Who do they call on?
• What do you see as positive about the relationship between these caregivers and their children?

In child welfare, it's not just about policies and procedures; it's about fostering connections, strengthening families, and empowering communities. Safety networks are a lifeline, offering hope and resilience to families in those times when they need it most.

Click on Using Safety Circles to Build Safety Networks for Families for further practice guidance and tips.

References for this and other articles in this issue