The following resources provide information for supervisors and caseworkers on ethical child welfare practice. It is important for supervisors and caseworkers to keep in mind that relationships with clients and colleagues should be based on mutual respect, commitment, honesty, cultural humility, and the right to privacy. Supervisors should work to promote a climate of cultural responsiveness, diversity, and racial equity. Supervisors must also be prepared to assist caseworkers who are dealing with ethical situations and understand how to promote ethical practices among staff. The resources for caseworkers can help address ethical dilemmas that may occur when working with children, youth, and families. Use these resources to learn to address ethical issues equitably and effectively.
Supervision
Code of Ethics for Child Welfare Professionals (PDF - 303 KB)
Illinois Department of Children and Family Services (2022)
Shares a code of ethics for child welfare professionals that covers responsibilities in supervision along with general responsibilities for all professionals, working with clients, engaging foster parents, responsibilities to the courts, ethical research, and more.
An Introduction to Ethics in Child Welfare Supervision [Video]
Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (2017)
Provides practical applications of ethical decision-making during child welfare supervision.
Learning, Leading, Changing: Advancing Workplace Equity [Webinar]
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2022)
Offers a webinar for child welfare professionals that reviews how leadership can work to advance workplace equity.
Promoting Antiracist Child Welfare Practice
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2022)
Presents strategies from child welfare administrators across the country who have been successful in promoting racial equity in child welfare.
Supervising for Quality Child Welfare Practice
Using a Culturally Responsive Leadership Framework (PDF - 594 KB)
National Child Welfare Workforce Institute (2022)
Explores the development of a culturally responsive leadership framework to help leaders create inclusive environments for diverse stakeholders. The paper explains the process of cultural competence as becoming more culturally aware, skillful, knowledgeable, and grounded in equity, diversity, and ethics.
What Are Diversity and Inclusion Climates?
Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (2022)
Explains diversity and inclusion climates, why they are important, and how child welfare supervisors and other employees can work to improve them.
Casework Practice
8 Ethical Considerations for Responding to Social Injustice
National Association of Social Workers
Examines what is required by the National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics in the face of social injustice, racism, and inequity in child welfare and society.
Ethics Education and Resources
National Association for Social Workers
Offers topic-specific resources to inform child welfare casework practice.
Eye on Ethics
Reamer (2020)
Social Work Today
Discusses the benefit of reflective casework practice in child welfare, as defined by self-analysis in decision-making.
The Future of Ethical Decision Making in Child Welfare
Scharenbroch (2019)
Evident Change
Explores the use of the Structured Decision Making risk assessment to help with ethical decision making when it comes to identifying families in need of services.