Social workers, child welfare workers, and law enforcement officers are generally trained to handle reports of child abuse. But even these skilled professionals are not always adequately trained in how to properly remove children from their homes in severe cases.
The video reenacts a case handled by a social worker and a police officer in which two children must be removed from their home due to abuse by their mother. It walks viewers through every aspect of this process, from how to prepare before going to a home to the actual removal.
The scenes are narrated with straightforward tips and techniques, and interviews with child welfare and law enforcement experts are interspersed between the reenactments. This insightful training tool reminds viewers to handle each step of the process in a highly sensitive manner, as if seen through the eyes of a child.
The video answers important questions professionals may ask themselves before handling such challenging cases, including what to say to parents, what to say to children, and where to bring a child once removal has occurred. The video stresses the benefits of family cooperation and relatives taking in children, so as to make the process less traumatic for the child. Common situations encountered by caseworkers are reenacted, including how to handle the emotional reactions of children and families.
