Legal consultation for child welfare workers.

Abstract

Legal consultation to child welfare workers can improve child welfare practice by promoting permanent planning for children and their families, protecting clients' rights, improving the effectiveness of child welfare worker in court, and facilitating improved interprofessional relationships. Standards for selecting and using legal consultants are developed in a framework of child welfare objectives and tasks. Child welfare service areas are explored for their legal ramifications, and appropriate legal consultation is described. An exemplary state legal consultation program is illustrated and analyzed as to its benefits and implications for staff deployment and training, office practices, child welfare record-keeping and agency policy, and research needs in legal matters directly affecting the rights and protection of clientele. (Author abstract, edited)