Citizen review panels for Child Protective Services: a national profile.
Citizen Review Panels (CRPs) for Child Protective Services are groups of citizen-volunteers throughout the United States who are federally mandated to evaluate local and state child protection systems. This study presents a profile of 332 CRP members in 20 states with regards to their demographic information, length of time on the panel, and attitudes regarding the variables that promote and hinder collaboration between the panels and state child welfare agencies. Results indicate that the average review panel member tends to be a professional, middle-aged female with an advanced degree. Better communication (between child protective services and the CRPs) and clearer goals/objectives for CRPs were the most cited suggestions of how CRPs and child welfare agencies can work together. Lack of funding and the defensiveness of the child welfare agency were seen as the top obstacles to such collaboration. Policy implications and avenues of further study are discussed.
Jones
Blake L
BL
University of Kentucky College of Social Work, Lexington, Kentucky 40507, USA. Bljone00@uky.edu
Royse
David
D
D026683:Advisory Committees; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002648:Child; D003142:Communication; D003256:Community Participation; D005260:Female; D005581:Foster Home Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012947:Social Work / Q000458:organization & administration*; D014481:United States