The Impossible Imperative: Navigating the Competing Principles of Child Protection

by Jill Duerr Berrick

The Impossible Imperative brings to life the daily efforts of child welfare professionals working on behalf of vulnerable children and families. Stories that highlight the work, written by child welfare staff on the front lines, speak to the competing principles that shape everyday decisions. The book shows that, rather than being a simple task of protecting children, the field of child welfare is shaped by a series of competing ideas. The text features eight principles that undergird child protection practice, all of which are typically in conflict with others. These principles guide practice and direct the course of policymaking, but when liberated from their aspirational context and placed in the real world, they are fraught with contradiction. The Impossible Imperative is designed to inspire a lively debate about the fundamental nature of child welfare and about the principles that serve as the foundation for the work. It can be used as a teaching tool for aspiring professionals and as motivation to those looking to social work to make a difference in the world.

Genres: Social Work, Social Science

260 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 7, 2017

Reviews

[Hazel Rainfall · Rating 4 out of 5]

The authors do an excellent job presenting information though it is in a biased manner. I've read other books on this subject that present information in ways that are much more opaque and still grounded in reality. This book is extremely intriguing and eye opening to anyone who does not know much about social work and its processes in the United States (but most specifically in California within this book).

There are some points within the text that I think lack actual scientific evidence to back up what the author(s) state. That being said this was an easy and pleasantly informative read. I would suggest this book to anyone looking to broaden their view. Keep an open mind and you'll definitely learn a lot as you absorb the information presented.

In particular I enjoyed the personal accounts describing social work, as it made the humanity in the work almost palpable. The personal stories brought the job of child welfare workers and the people the system affects to a tangibly emotional level, which is much needed in this day where many still dread the words 'Child Protective Services.'

[KateLynn Davenport · Rating 4 out of 5]

“There are a lot of really bad things that happen in the world, bad things that’s we all try really hard not to think about because it’s tough just to think about them. But these social workers, they pick a particularly bad one of those bad things and they try really hard to make it better. Every day, they keep at it. We should all be very thankful for what they do.”

[Ash · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved that this book included social workers' stories. It really helped me understand on a deeper level what each principle meant, and how they could be contradictory. It was a good break from content that could've easily turned boring and repetitive.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Put this book down for a while but am glad I finally picked it back up. Important book to read if you’re interested in child welfare!