The Formation of Future Social Workers’ Professional Competence for Work with Children from Foster Families

Abstract

У статті розкрито найбільш поширені форми та методи професійної підготовки майбутніх соціальних працівників. Автором обґрунтовано зміст поняття «професійна компетентність» та охарактеризовано його складові, описано процес формування професійної компетентності майбутніх соціальних працівників щодо роботи з дітьми, які перебувають в сім’ях під опікою.

The article reveals the most common forms and methods of professional training of future social workers. The author substantiates the concept of “professional competence” and characterizes its components, describes the process of formation of professional competence of future social workers for work with children from foster families. Social work is a dynamic profession that at its core helps individuals, families, and communities to solve problems. Social workers in Ukraine have long been involved in legal issues. Social workers care about the well-being of families, and because of their training and experience, social workers can offer valuable services to family courts, particularly in matters of contested child custody. The field of custody evaluations has been developing over the years, and social workers have played a major role across the country. The problems and ways of future social workers preparation in the conditions of university are described. The author stresses that social workers have been appointed as custody evaluators by the courts and this field continues to be ripe for future social workers who want to advocate for children’s best interests: who, if not well-trained social workers could conduct a custody evaluation that would guide judges in making custody and visitation determinations better? Is it not the case that many future social workers have the skills by training and by experience to become excellent guides? What are the essential segments of a custody evaluation, and what specific social work skills are needed at each step? These questions are pointed out in this article.