Family and school represent the primary institutions that structure children’s lives. When family is not able to provide the safety and stability a child needs, that child’s school performance may suffer. Social workers are called to bridge the worlds of school and home with the role of ensuring that families have the support needed for their children to be able to succeed in the academic environment.

To prepare consider the following scenario: Jon, a 9-year-old African American boy, was removed from his home due to maltreatment and placed in a foster home headed by a Caucasian lesbian couple. The social worker is considering permanency planning. The foster family loves Jon and would be willing to adopt him. Jon likes his foster family but wants to return to his biological family. Due to his biological parents’ substance abuse, it is not clear whether or not they will be able to regain custody.

• Explain the developmental and ecological factors that need to be taken into consideration when serving this child and family.
• What might be the role(s) of a social worker in supporting Jon and both his biological and foster families?

 Segal, E. A., Gerdes, K. E., & Steiner, S. (2019). An introduction to the profession of social work: Becoming a change agent (6th ed.). Boston, MA: Cengage Learning.