Professional Community: Policies, Standards, Children and Families

The following global ideas guide the design and delivery of this course:

• An examination of current issues in child welfare, education and youth justicestimulates the development of, and reflection on, personal and professional values.
• Child welfare, youth justice and education legislation and policies are based on guiding principles that contain value statements and assumptions about the needs of children, youth and families. As child and youth care workers examine these values and assumptions, they develop an understanding of the meaning of their work, an ability to evaluate current policy and an informed opinion from which to engage in the change process where necessary.
• Knowledge of specific policies, legislation, organizational procedures and structures of specific child welfare and educational systems facilitates effective child and youth care work. Practitioners who understand the systems in which they work are able to access resources and make effective use of the network of services and agencies.
• Knowing the history of child and youth care field is necessary to understand what has been, what is, and what is to come.