Course

Child Welfare Social Work

Faculty
Applied Community Studies
Department
Social Work
Course code
SOWK 3233
Credits
3.00
Semester length
15 weeks
Max class size
35
Method(s) of instruction
Lecture
Course designation
None
Industry designation
None
Typically offered
To be determined

Overview

Course description
This course provides an overview of the historical, social, philosophical and political foundations of Canadian child welfare social work. Students will analyze child welfare systems from anti-oppressive, decolonizing, anti-racist and feminist perspectives and consider the impact of factors such as class, disability and sexuality. British Columbia's current child welfare legislation, policy and approaches will be examined and critiqued. Students will explore the knowledge and skills required to provide effective interventions to families, children and youth. Common child welfare assessment and planning tools will be applied.
Course content

Course content will be guided by research, empirical knowledge and best practice. The following values and principles, consistent with professional standards, inform course content.

  • Child welfare systems have been used as a tool of colonization and caused significant harms, particularly to Indigenous children, families and communities.
  • An understanding of anti-oppressive, decolonizing, anti-racist and feminist perspectives, and of the role of factors like class, disability and sexuality, is necessary if children, youth and families are to be supported adequately. 
  • Interventions to prevent child abuse and neglect can help children, youth and families.
  • Strengths-based, culturally-grounded, family-centred, community-based and systems approaches can be useful in child welfare assessment and intervention.
  • Child Welfare Social Workers require:
    • A critical self-evaluation of personal values and beliefs about child welfare.
    • A working understanding of relevant legislation, policies and systems (e.g. legal, kinship and community, foster care) and an ability to collaborate between systems.
    • An ability to support and empower diverse families. 
    • Current knowledge, informed by relevant research, to effectively recognize, assess and intervene in situations of abuse, neglect and trauma.
Learning activities

Lecture
Group exercises
Student presentations

Means of assessment

Evaluations will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College Evaluation Policy and will include both formative and summative components. Instructors may use a student's record of attendance and/or active participation in a course as part of the student's graded performance. Where this occurs, expectations and grade calculations regarding class attendance and participation will be clearly defined in the Instructor Course Outline.

Examinations
Research papers
Presentations
Participation
Attendance

 

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course the student will be able to:

  1. Identify major historical, ideological, legal and professional themes that inform child welfare policy and practice in Canada, including the disproportionate impact on Indigenous Peoples.
  2. Critique child welfare systems using anti-oppressive, decolonizing, anti-racist and feminist perspectives and concepts of class, disability and sexuality. 
  3. Describe core elements of the current child welfare system in British Columbia, including legislation, policies and practice approaches.
  4. Identify different forms of abuse, neglect and trauma and their indicators and impacts.
  5. Describe ways to assess and support children, youth and families, including strengths-based and culturally-grounded approaches.
  6. Apply assessment and planning tools in a child welfare context.
  7. Analyse one’s personal values and beliefs in relation to child welfare work.
Textbook materials

Textbooks and materials are to be purchased by students. A list of required textbooks and materials is provided for students at the beginning of the semester.            

Requisites

Prerequisites

SOWK 2333

Corequisites

None

Equivalencies

None

Course Guidelines

Course Guidelines for previous years are viewable by selecting the version desired. If you took this course and do not see a listing for the starting semester / year of the course, consider the previous version as the applicable version.

(Current)

Course Transfers to Other Institutions

Below are current transfer agreements from Douglas College to other institutions for the current course guidelines only. For a full list of transfer details and archived courses, please see the BC Transfer Guide.

Institution Transfer details for SOWK 3233
Simon Fraser University (SFU) No credit

Course Offerings

Winter 2026

CRN Days Instructor Status
Maximum seats
35
Currently enrolled
0
Remaining seats:
35
On waitlist
0
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D1019
Times:
Start Time
8:30
-
End Time
10:20
Building
Coquitlam - Bldg. D
Room
D1019
Times:
Start Time
12:30
-
End Time
14:20
Section notes

SOWK 3233 001 is restricted to BSW students.