Abstract
The Administration for children Services as been around for over ten years. Their purpose is to ensure safety for all children in New York. Their service reaches out to children of all ages, from all race and social background. Their services includes assessing risk and safety based on reported allegations, protecting those in imminent danger, and providing preventative measures for those who might be at further risk. The works of ACS is interconnected with that of other agencies and individuals to bring about a positive change to the clients. The workers implement various theories to help them decide on the best services needed for each client.
In spite of all the services that ACS provides the workers are also in need of services for themselves and family members. Sexual harassment, violence on the job and difficult supervisors are some of the reasons why a worker would seek counseling. Still, the greatest risk that a case worker could face is that of a disgruntled client. A well trained and informed worker can make a difference in the life of a family in need.
Introduction
The Administration for Children's Services (ACS) was created on January 10th1996 and was the first agency created solely to serve children and their families. The mission statement of ACS is: "To ensure the safety and well-being of all the children of New York." (Division of Child Protection handout booklet).
To fulfill this mission ACS seeks to (1) protect the children by responding to, and investigating the allegations of child abuse and neglect, (2) help families by providing counselors, and referrals to drug and other preventive services, (3) recruit and train foster parents to provide safe and temporary homes for children, (4) assure that abused children are placed in suitable homes with birth parents, adoptive parents, or foster homes as soon as possible, (5) assist older children in preparation for adulthood with the help of Independent Living programs and other training programs,(6) provide assistance for mothers through family day care and center-based care, (7) ensures that absent parents plays an active role in the financial support of their children. Overall, this agency aims to bring a positive change to the lives of the adolescents seen everyday. ACS and Other Change Agents
The Administration for Children's Services is committed to providing the highest quality services to all children regardless of their race, color, ethnicity, religion, national origin, cultural heritage, disability, special needs, gender, age or sexual orientation. ACS, along with many concern citizens, organizations, business, foundations, communities and houses of worship are serving as change agents to ensure that every child is safe in a loving, permanent home. These changes are necessary in order to prevent further abuse and neglect and to help the abusers recognized, control and eliminate their abusive behavior.
Currently, hundreds of children in New York City have been adopted and are waiting to be adopted. Adoption have proven to be a positive way out for children who have been victimized due to abuse, neglect, abandonment and even illness or death of parents. Foster parenting has also helped to rescue thousands of children from destructive environment. Although foster parenting serves as a temporary measure, many children have been adopted by their foster parents or have spent their lives in and out of foster homes through to adulthood.
Through the help of volunteer workers children and their families have been able to bind their relations and heal the wounds that have once severed their relationship. Volunteers have used their abilities and life experiences to show abusers how to change and have a meaningful relationship with their children.
ACS have employed, trained and educate thousands of change agents whose services have been beneficial to many children and their families over the years. Workers such as Child Protective Specialist (CPS) have responded to, investigated and assessed the allegations of child abuse and neglect. They are responsible for many changes in the lives of New York City children. They are legally responsible for investigating these reports and intervening in confirmed cases.
When parents are unwilling or unable to protect their children from neglect and abuse or are themselves the cause of the maltreatment, ACS steps in to change this behavior on behalf of the children. The best way to protect these children is to provide services that can help parents or caregivers provide a basic standard of care for their children. Most parents can change their behavior with sufficient help.
In order to bring this change about in the lives of ACS clients, the caseworker must represent someone who is calm, helpful, knowledgeable, and able to empower the family away from crisis and away from the patterns of maltreatment. In order for the intervention to be effective the caseworker must enter into a non-judgmental relationship with the clients in order to convince and prove to them that they want to help. The experience of those who had been responding to the abuse and neglect of children for most of the century led to the commitment to help families rather than simply treat child maltreatment as a crime (Schene, 1996).
