Parental Perceptions of the Authority of Public Child Welfare Caseworkers

Few efforts have been made to understand the experiences of “involuntary clients” who become involved in child protective services. Qualitative research interviews were conducted with 13 parents receiving mandated protective services from a public child welfare agency. Parental perceptions of the authority and “power” of child welfare caseworkers and the agency are documented. Caseworkers must realize the consequences of any use or abuse of their authority, respect parental rights, and not undervalue or disregard legitimate client dissent if families are to be fairly treated and children effectively protected when left in, or returned to, their own homes.