IdahoChild.org - A Gateway to Children's Services & Information

Are you looking for information on child services available in Idaho? Whether you live in the capital city of Boise or up near the Canadian border around Boundary County, it is important to protect the children of Idaho. The Idaho Department of health and welfare is committed to protecting children and strengthening families. That is why we are putting together information pertinent to protecting children throughout the state. Families going to stressful times often need a little help to get through it. One of the many functions this department can help families to get through.

This department can help with several aspects of the child's life. If the parents have divorced, the Idaho Department of Health and welfare can help collect back child support would appear that neglects to make the payments. The Idaho children health insurance plan, also known as CHIP, enables families with a low income to get a full range of healthcare services for the children in their families. This department can also help mothers before they have babies get prenatal care vital for a healthy child. All of these are just a sampling of the child services available through the state of Idaho.

Most people think of children's services and automatically think of the state taking children away from parents. In some extreme cases, parents are going through situations where children might be in danger. No one wants to take a child away from his or her parents. Only in cases where the child is in eminent danger does the state remove them from the household. However, it becomes a priority after this point to remove the danger from the household and reunite the child with the parents. It is only in extremely rare cases, that the court orders the child permanently removed from a parent.

Look at the many services available from the Idaho Department of health and welfare. You may find a surprising number of options for getting help for your child or your family. You can set up a college savings program for your child or grandchild. You can find children who are waiting for adoption or need foster care. You can find programs to help children developmentally delayed. There are also programs to help teenagers get through pregnancies. The intention of all these services is to help the citizens of Idaho live fuller richer lives and keep the children safe at the same time.

As you become familiar with available services, you come to appreciate the role of Idaho social workers in the support of needy families. Ideally, every one of our state's families would be supportive and stable. It would be wonderful if every child was happy at school and at home. But because the truth is not so perfect, Idaho social workers step in to help children and families face daunting challenges.

Some of these challenges have no easy solutions: teen pregnancies, troubles with parents or grandparents, drug and/or alcohol abuse - the list is endless. And so is the need for a new generation of social workers to help children, families, and schools help kids get back in the groove and have the possibility of living healthy, happy lives. These social workers assist families in coping with the psycho-social problems that arise at home and school.

Idaho encourages the education of new social workers to help with the constant need for family and child support. Social workers do more than just sit in offices, talking with clients and filling out paperwork. They also are constantly going out to the field, visiting clients and attending meetings at various locations, including homes and schools. As a successful child social worker, you must be ready to:

• Provide counseling to all sorts of people from different backgrounds and who have different problems.
• Refer families to available services and programs.
• Maintain up-to-date records on each case.
• Interact with other professionals in support of children and families.
• Protect yourself from overwork and burnout, so that you can remain an effective advocate for your clients.

As you can see, it helps to be someone who is empathetic and non-judgmental, yet is strong enough to fight for your clients to ensure they receive needed services. But how does Idaho recommend you start down the road to child social work. Well, there are several things you can do while still in high school to see if you have the potential for performing this important job:

• Become a peer counselor at your school.
• Talk with your school's social worker about college and career paths.
• Perform volunteer work as a home aide for needy families.
• Take a class in psychology to study emotions and human development.
• Read the biographies of famous social workers.

In summary, Idaho is concerned with both sides of the social problem spectrum: helping needy children and families, and encouraging the grooming of a new generation of social workers to continue providing vital children's services. IdahoChild.org is your gateway to this important swatch of our social fabric.