Roberta Motieciene

This article investigates the family and child welfare system in Lithuania in terms of social sustainability, with an emphasis on children’s rights. The conceptual framework of Gilbert et al. (2011a) on child welfare was used as the substance of the research, identifying the problem frame, aim and mode of intervention, and parent–state relationship as the main dimensions for analyzing configurations of the child welfare systems. The analysis in this article focuses on how the family and child welfare system is observed in everyday professional practice in Lithuania by linking it with the social sustainability concept. The quantitative research sample comprised 501 respondents from Lithuania, representing different professionals of the family and child welfare system. An online questionnaire was distributed across regional municipal social services departments and to the national service of the State Child Rights Protection and Adoption Service. Explorative factor analysis and multidimensional scaling were used for data analysis. The research demonstrated that family and child welfare dimensions are meaningfully related to the social sustainability concept through the rights of a child such as the child’s best interests, accessibility to services, the right to be heard, protection against violence, child identity, development assurance, and so forth. The research indicates the need for awareness raising, including education and training for professional actors regarding child and family welfare, as an integral part of the concept of social sustainability.

Šioje monografijoje autoriai, remdamiesi progresyviose šalyse išplėtotais konceptualiais modeliais ir tarptautiniais vaiko teisių standartais, konstruoja vaiko ir šeimos gerovės sampratą kaip nuoseklią vaiko teisių apsaugos ir socialinių paslaugų šeimai architektūrą. Remdamiesi atlikto tyrimo rezultatais, autoriai sistemiškai ir kritiškai įvertina vaiko teisių apsaugos ir socialinių paslaugų šeimai sistemos nuoseklumą bei veiksmingumą Lietuvoje. Monografijoje vaiko ir šeimos gerovė modeliuojama kaip tarpusavyje sąveikaujančių vaiko teisių apsaugos ir socialinių paslaugų šeimai sistema. Autoriai identifikuoja priemones vaiko ir šeimos gerovės gerovei Lietuvoje stiprinti, tokias kaip vaiko teisės būti išklausytam užtikrinimas, geriausio vaiko intereso nuostatos įgyvendinimas, paslaugų įvairovės vaikui ir šeimai prieinamumo sukūrimas, negalią turinčių vaikų ar tėvų kritinės būklės sprendimai, vaiko ir šeimos gerovės paslaugų sistemos dalyvių sąveikos ir funkcijų harmonizavimas, vaiko ir šeimos gerovės paslaugų specialistų profesinis pasirengimas, bei vaiko teisių pripažinimas dėl tvaraus vaiko ir šeimos gerovės vystymosi.

[full article and abstract in English] The aim of this study was to shed light on family social work through analyzing the insights of Lithuanian social workers about the ethical questions that emerge during their daily practices. Social workers’ ethical consider­ations are analyzed in the framework of “doing ethics.” Ethics work also pays attention to the broader political and social contexts behind the processes that happen within families. Our qualitative research was carried out in three of the largest Lithuanian cities: Vilnius, Kaunas and Klaipėda. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 25 family social workers. The research findings showed that family social workers construct ethical questions through discursive themes, such as the dignity of the client and societal inequalities – especially poverty issues and social control and support. Ethical dilemmas arise in the settings where social workers do evaluations and make decisions, and where actions require professional knowledge.

Publishes articles on social work and social policy.