To the Editor:
Cumberland Times-News
CUMBERLAND — March is Social Work Month and I’d like to tell you more about how Allegany and Garrett County social workers are providing a wide range of supports and services for local families of all sizes and descriptions.
In today’s society, family does not always mean the traditional model of married parents with biological offspring. In fact, less than half of America’s children live in a traditional “nuclear” family. Divorced, separated or unmarried parents who have individual or shared responsibility for children now factor into the family definition. So do grandparents caring for grandchildren, gay and lesbian couples with child responsibilities, and adoptive and foster parents. All these American family types come with special strengths, needs and challenges.
Social workers define “family” as two or more people who assume obligations and responsibilities generally conducive to family life. As such, all families deserve support systems that include access to economic resources, health care, employment, education, housing and social services. Poverty, homelessness, drug and alcohol addiction, abuse and neglect are key factors for families splitting apart. Social workers are equipped to help families cope with stresses of life and deal with problems associated with these situations. They work through support systems, counseling, coordinating resources and advocating for clients.
Supporting families involves many functions, including: counseling families to find working solutions to problems; placing abused children in nurturing homes; helping to find employment and housing for homeless families; helping pregnant women, adoptive parents and adopted children through states’ adoption systems; Helping those in need make best use of the public welfare system; and aiding women and their children who are victims of domestic violence.
Making the new American family stronger takes a family-centered approach along with a clear view of social problems and the many ways to address them. Social workers are there to help.
Monica Barnett
Adoption worker
Garrett County Department
of Social Services
