Child Ethics
ETHICS OF CHILD AND YOUTH CARE PROFESSIONALS1 | |INTRODUCTION
CHILD AND YOUTH CARE - THE PROFESSION
North American Child and Youth Care has been developing as a profession. "Characteristic of professions are; a systematic body of theory, professional authority, sanction of the community, a regulative code of ethics and a professional culture" (Greenwood, 1957). North American Child and Youth Care has progressed in these areas. Ethics is the focus of this presentation.
The International Child and Youth Care Consortium developed a "Description of the Field" which has become widely adopted (NOCCWA, 1992, p. 83). The profession aims to address, as much as possible, the psychological, social, cultural, spiritual and biological needs of young people and their families. This may occur at different life stages or in a variety of circumstances. In multidisciplinary settings, as in mandated agencies, the profession is central in the care, custody and treatment of youth. Child and Youth Care centers on the client and utilizes skills and techniques which actualize the processes of development and change. It includes the necessary advocacy for youngsters and their families in powerless and often hopeless situations. It captures the root value of "caring" as an underlying factor and force vital in emotional growth, rehabilitation, social competence and treatment.
The ethics, norms and knowledge base of Child and Youth Care constitute the professional culture which is a source of identity for all who participate in the profession. The shared symbols and values bring together educators, direct care workers and administrators. Practice and research are articulated and validated in the journals and literature of the profession. The profession 's values underlie the mission and management of Child and Youth caring organizations, employers and the professional associations.
The development of a North American Code of Ethics for Child and Youth Care is a benchmark for the
CHILD AND YOUTH CARE - THE PROFESSION
North American Child and Youth Care has been developing as a profession. "Characteristic of professions are; a systematic body of theory, professional authority, sanction of the community, a regulative code of ethics and a professional culture" (Greenwood, 1957). North American Child and Youth Care has progressed in these areas. Ethics is the focus of this presentation.
The International Child and Youth Care Consortium developed a "Description of the Field" which has become widely adopted (NOCCWA, 1992, p. 83). The profession aims to address, as much as possible, the psychological, social, cultural, spiritual and biological needs of young people and their families. This may occur at different life stages or in a variety of circumstances. In multidisciplinary settings, as in mandated agencies, the profession is central in the care, custody and treatment of youth. Child and Youth Care centers on the client and utilizes skills and techniques which actualize the processes of development and change. It includes the necessary advocacy for youngsters and their families in powerless and often hopeless situations. It captures the root value of "caring" as an underlying factor and force vital in emotional growth, rehabilitation, social competence and treatment.
The ethics, norms and knowledge base of Child and Youth Care constitute the professional culture which is a source of identity for all who participate in the profession. The shared symbols and values bring together educators, direct care workers and administrators. Practice and research are articulated and validated in the journals and literature of the profession. The profession 's values underlie the mission and management of Child and Youth caring organizations, employers and the professional associations.
The development of a North American Code of Ethics for Child and Youth Care is a benchmark for the
References: Greenwood, E. (1957). Attributes of a profession, Social Work, 3, 2, pp. 44-55. NOCCWA (1992). The international leadership coalition for professional child and youth care:Milwaukee, 1992, Journal of Child and Youth Care Work, 8, pp. 69-83.