Experimental learning within the Resource Department of Family and Children's Services of Renfrew County.

Abstract

The child welfare system is one that operates under considerable strain. Although my experience has been primarily child protection, my MSW placement within the resource department has provided me with many valuable insights into this line of work. I fully anticipated that the resource role would not be as fast-paced or stressful as front line protection work, and may have underestimated the challenges facing resource workers. My initial review of the literature provided me with the necessary background for my work with resource families during my placement experience. This enabled me to bridge the gap between my protection and the resource role, and to see child welfare from another perspective. Overall, my thesis will examine how we can promote resilience and capacity building under the strain of the existing system, not only for the people with whom we work, but for us as practitioners. This report reflects on my learning experience and what knowledge I have gained, and on how this knowledge has enhanced my practice. A large part of this learning experience for me has been to identify what theories and knowledge guide my practice within the child welfare system. In determining what my learning experience has been, my aim has been to be as self-critical in my approach as possible in the construction of this understanding.