Fighting poverty is obviously a very important part of the social work profession. The first line of the National Association of Social Workers’ Code of Ethics’ preamble reads “The primary mission of the social work profession is to enhance human well-being…with particular attention to the needs and empowerment of people who are vulnerable, oppressed, and living in poverty (“Code of Ethics,” 2008). Thus many of a social worker’s effort is directed at fighting poverty. However more effort is needed in fighting poverty in children as it effects health, school achievement, and may cause behavioral problems (Lefmann & Combs-Orme, 2014). These consequences from poverty have the potential to effect a child for a lifetime and place a high burden
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Social workers should focus on reducing the consequences of poverty. Social workers can help direct children to various services that address any issues the children may have dealing with their mental health or education achievement issues, as they are particularly prone to these. They may even directly counsel children in these situations. This may help lessen the possibility of long-term issues. Unfortunately poorer communities might not have adequate access to educational and health resources (Lefmann & Combs-Orme, 2014). Social workers should advocate for resources for communities that do not have them, and better ones for communities that do. One area of where effort should be focused on is nutrition as many children in poverty are either obese or have malnutrition (Moore et al., 2009). Social workers can make a great deal of difference in preventing harm to children from …show more content…
The main way is to try to get the family out of poverty. This is important because children who grow up in poverty are more likely to be in poverty as adults (Moore et al., 2009). Stopping the cycle is a crucial part of preventing poverty. This can be done in many ways. One particularly successful method has been welfare to work initiatives have been very successful in the past (Moore et al., 2009). These programs incentivize finding work by only continuing welfare only if the individual is working. The more people working, the less poverty will exist, including child
Social workers should focus on reducing the consequences of poverty. Social workers can help direct children to various services that address any issues the children may have dealing with their mental health or education achievement issues, as they are particularly prone to these. They may even directly counsel children in these situations. This may help lessen the possibility of long-term issues. Unfortunately poorer communities might not have adequate access to educational and health resources (Lefmann & Combs-Orme, 2014). Social workers should advocate for resources for communities that do not have them, and better ones for communities that do. One area of where effort should be focused on is nutrition as many children in poverty are either obese or have malnutrition (Moore et al., 2009). Social workers can make a great deal of difference in preventing harm to children from …show more content…
The main way is to try to get the family out of poverty. This is important because children who grow up in poverty are more likely to be in poverty as adults (Moore et al., 2009). Stopping the cycle is a crucial part of preventing poverty. This can be done in many ways. One particularly successful method has been welfare to work initiatives have been very successful in the past (Moore et al., 2009). These programs incentivize finding work by only continuing welfare only if the individual is working. The more people working, the less poverty will exist, including child