Foundational Perspectives for Children and Families in Systems Contexts

Undergraduate / Graduate

This overview course helps students to think across scales in the context of systems that serve children, youth, and families. We focus on three major service systems: Infant/Early Education, Child Welfare, and Education/ Schools. Students will be introduced to the major policies and historical foundations of these systems and learn how to navigate them to provide holistic and effective supports. In class, we will explore core challenges in these fields, and pair cutting-edge knowledge with practical information for social work practice across macro, mezzo, and micro scales. We emphasize collaborative, socially just work with families and stakeholders to address complex needs and promote well-being. The class will also take up core issues facing these systems, familiarizing students with the shifting trends (e.g., trauma, evidence-based practice) that synergistically shape the landscape of tensions, barriers, and opportunities for our work within these systems.