1. Objectifs

Intentions :
«The current study aims at highlighting this inherent reality of social workers during the process leading to the placement of a young child within child welfare services.» (p. 734)

Questions/Hypothèses :
This study aims to answer the following questions: «[w]hen is it decided to place a young child and to choose the type of foster family? How do social workers make their decisions, and how do they deal with the multiple strategies, actors, and other aspects involved in this process?» (p. 738)

2. Méthode

Échantillon/Matériau :
L’échantillon est composé de 39 travailleurs sociaux et travailleuses sociales de la protection de la jeunesse provenant de 3 régions administratives du Québec.

Instruments :
Guide d’entretien semi-directif

Type de traitement des données :
Analyse de contenu

3. Résumé

According to the results, the «decision to remove the child from his/her family and choosing a foster family are part of a complex and dynamic process. Admittedly, decisions linked to placement are based in part on the clinical judgment and values of the social worker, but since they are made under certain guidelines (legal and clinical) and with the help of different types of professional consultation (collaboration, consulting experts), they are collectively addressed and redirected toward a more interactive process. The multiple exchanges between the different players involved, as well as the evolving nature of the child and family’s situation, should be more considered in studies on the decision-making process in child protection. Results also show that it is important to prioritize some conceptual models that can situate the social workers as key players in decisions regarding placement, but especially as players working with others, in a situation where collaboration and professional consultation are ever-present. In clinical practice, setting up organized spaces for discussions and deliberations between social workers and other professionals from different backgrounds also seems to be a determining issue: Integrating collaborative mechanisms is probably necessary to ensure a balance between the multiples dimensions in the decision-making process surrounding placement.» (p. 748)