Answer: We have consulted with Wayne Holder for additional information from the National Resource Center’s perspective.  Please see his reply below.

 

It seems that the primary issue is whether there is substantive work which supports and justifies the concept of caregiver protective capacities.  The answer is yes. As you know the evidence base for any child welfare intervention concept and/or practice is limited. It's our experience that in the absence of significant research and evidence that a diligent and continuing effort is required to keep pressing forward to get at desired results and proof about what works.

Answer:

1. We have been actively studying adult functioning; parenting in general and disciplinary practices since 1985 through studies, intervention implementation and case reviews in order to better understand the effectiveness and limitation of those in primary caregiver roles. Since 1988 the focus of that kind of effort has been increasingly concerned with child safety and caregiver protectiveness.
2. Within the last several years we have conducted three separate literature reviews in search of studies concerned with caregiver protective capacities. While there is a dearth of information available in the literature in general on this topic we found pertinent information in the maternal-child psychiatric field. And of course the literature concerned with attachment; separation and loss has contributed to this work.
3. An important source of influence to us in the development of this concept is the work of Edwards and Turnall (notably concerned with The Signs of Safety which continues to be researched.) Incidentally at the same time as their work was proceeding we were working on Confirming Safe Environments which looked for indicators of safe homes. Their work along with what we were doing at the time stimulated us to move toward a more concrete way of thinking about specific personal characteristics that could be observed; understood and addressed during CPS intervention.
4. A practical yet profound fact is that this concept works in practice.
   South Dakota has been implementing this concept during safety assessment and safety planning and as part of their approach to case planning and service delivery. They've just completed their CFSR and the early impressions by reviewers and results among indicators which have relationship to caregiver protective capacities are remarkable. Effectiveness and usefulness in case practice is also supported anecdotally through case reviews, consultation and worker self reporting in other states where we are working.
5. There are two other tests that we know apply to use of this concept: logical fit and face validity. With CPS staff and with parents in cases we are finding that this simply makes sense. The use of caregiver protective capacities as the center piece to intervention promotes understanding; enhances communication; and encourages client involvement by reinforcing self determination.  We also regularly find that workers and caregivers translate and talk about these personal characteristics in their own terms - language and labels comfortable to caregivers and families. Such individualization is what supports this as culturally sensitive.

Answer:

1. This concept and associated practices are being implemented successfully in urban and rural settings; among populations comprised of various cultures.
2. We have consulted with tribal representatives who agree with it usefulness depending on how it is applied by CPS staff who use it.
3. We formed an advisory committee comprised of Native American child welfare professionals to guide in the development of a curriculum for Tribal CPS staff. Their responsibilities included review of all concepts and practices covered in the curriculum which included caregiver protective capacities. The advisory committee believed this concept was applicable to the Native American culture but also qualified that the over riding concern was how any of the safety intervention concepts are applied in actual practice.
4. We have been careful to position use of the concept of caregiver protective capacities within a Social Work ethics and values base which honors the worth of the individual and the importance of cultural context. Within CPS the caregiver is viewed as the authority of the family and, therefore, the best resource or guide to understanding the family, the specific family culture and the larger culture of the family; caregivers and families are individualized according to their uniqueness which includes cultural values and norms.  The concept is cross culturally relevant depending on how it is applied which is crucial to understand and appreciate.

ACTION has been promoting caregiver protective capacities as the centerpiece to a safety driven CPS intervention system now for more than a decade. The promise of this concept is powerful in terms of promoting and achieving the least intrusive approach to cases; encouraging client self determination; and providing a practical, understandable way of out picturing for a caregiver and the worker what the business of CPS is....restoring parents (caregivers) to their protective responsibilities.

 

You may be aware of our July 2008 article on the ACTION website about caregiver protective capacities. There are others there in the archives but this one is our most recent and was written to clarify caregiver protective capacities in relation to other related concepts: protective factors; family resource factors and family strengths. So in case you haven't seen that article I wanted to mention it.  You can access it at http://www.actionchildprotection.org

 

I think it helps also provide some understanding about cultural and family operations that serve to substitute for diminished caregiver protective capacities and helps us to understand why many families never come to our attention because people within the family network are taking care of business so that government doesn't have to get involved.

 

The link to the July, 2008 article provides excellent information and delineation of terms and concepts that we all have heard and used.

 

Our cultural competency staff has also reviewed the language that advises staff in the development and documentation of the case plan to ensure culturally competent case practice principles are incorporated into the development of the case plan.

^ top of page