I have always been interested in learning more about child welfare and the rights of the child, and this booklet, “Understanding the Child welfare System in California,” was really helpful in breaking down the different agencies and services involved with the process. After reading this booklet, I have a better understanding of the Child’s Welfare System, and the valauble information that I obtain will be helpful in the future. Some goals of the Child’s Welfare System are to protect children from abuse, neglect, and stability in children’s living situations. As future educators, I believe that teachers should withhold judgement and do what it takes to help the children, whether it’s a physical, mental, and/or emotional times of their lives, we should not neglect the children. The school’s responsibility toward their students, regardless of their bakground, race, or ethnicity, is to be accepting of all students and create a comfortable environment where the student feels safe to be and learn. I think that the information from this book is very important for educators, because they will be working with students that comes from all different backgrounds. According to Reed & Karpilow (2009), over half of the child abuse and neglect reports were filed by mandated reporters and even further, 16.5% of those were teachers. Educators should take their eyes and ears open, because they have the responsibility as a mandated reporter. All students deserve to feel respected, safe, and welcomed at school.
There are specific categories for child abuse and neglect. The four most common categories are physical abuse, physical neglect, sexual abuse, and emotional or physiological abuse. Our country has a history of child neglect and maltreatment. In the previous centuries, children were expected to be just as useful as their parents were. During the industrial revolution, children began to find employment in factories. Even thought they were still young, they...