Rural Child Welfare Practice: Stories from the Field

Rural Child Welfare Practice provides students and practitioners with case studies about rural people as a diverse group. Drawn from real stories of rural child welfare practice, this text displays lessons learned from people working in the services "field" of child welfare, while set within the geographic expanses of the "fields" of rural land. The casebook has 18 chapters illustrating rural child welfare practice rewards, challenges, strategies, and practice wisdom. Case vignettes include racial, ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, and rural diversity, with particular attention to working with Native Americans/American Indians as well as First Nation (Canada) and Aborigine (Australia) people. The book also covers a wide range of child welfare services - such as protective services, kinship care, and adoption - through a variety of perspectives. It is particularly useful for students, professionals, and educators exploring what today's rural child welfare experts say must happen to engage in effective rural child welfare practice with children and families.