Engagement in Child Welfare Services

Engagement in Child Welfare Services (CWS) is an abstract construct that is given immense significance in child welfare. In California’s CWS system, the importance placed on engagement is augmented by the implementation of the statewide Core Practice Model (CPM). Review of literature highlights the tendency to study and understand engagement in CWS as a product measured by families’ participation and compliance with in services. However, principles of the CPM emphasize an alternative way to look at engagement in terms of fostering strong working relationships with families via practices that focus on the process of service provision. Humanistic theory and approaches to practice reinforce the idea of engagement as a process, specifically a process that focuses on establishing an environment of warmth, empathy, and genuineness. Therefore, the purpose of this phenomenological study is to explore CWS workers’ descriptions and experiences with engagement as a process. Additionally, this study explores skills conducive to environments of warmth, empathy, and genuineness through the perspective of parents involved with CWS and in-depth interviews with current CWS workers. Data analysis produced four theme clusters from the workers’ descriptions: communication; relationship and human connection; cognizance, empathy, and validation; and encouraging self-determination. From these themes, relevance to the CPM and humanistic theory is discussed as well as implications for practice and future considerations.