HYPOTHETICAL SITUATIONS
1. The social worker learns that the mother of two toddlers (2 & 3) is extremely depressed, often
staying in bed sleeping the entire day. The children fend for themselves eating cereal and playing
together in an unsupervised setting. The social worker tries to persuade the mother to care for
the children, but the mother is unable to do so.
Should the social worker remove the children?
Are there steps the social worker could take to safely prevent the removal of the children?
What might a safety plan look like in this situation?
What kind of information would you want to know about the family?
What procedure(s) might the social worker use in order to engage family members in safety
planning?
Can professionals (social workers, in-home support persons, nurses, etc.) provide the
necessary elements of a safety plan for this family?
Could the court order services that would prevent removal? If the agency failed to follow
through with those services, what finding could the court make?
Would your analysis be different if this were an Indian (Native American) child?
2. The 19-year-old parents of a newborn are both intellectually limited and socially immature. They
have been unable to safely care for the baby, mishandling the baby and treating it like a doll.
Neighbors have called the social service hot-line several times reporting that the baby cries a great
deal and that the parents do not seem to know how to care for her. After learning that the
parents dropped the baby, the social worker removed her from their care.
Would you agree that the baby is in danger of serious harm while in the care of the parents?
What else would you like to know about this situation?
What services might have prevented removal?
What is the goal in this case?
What would you expect the case plan to include?
Is parental attitude towards court/social service intervention an important factor?
3. The police received a call of a domestic disturbance. They responded to the house and discovered
the house was in shambles. The mother had been beaten, was bruised, and was crying. She was
under the influence of alcohol. The father was screaming at the mother. He apparently had been
beating the mother. The 6 year-old child was huddled in a corner, too frightened to speak. The
father was arrested. A social worker was called to the scene.
Now in court the social worker is asking that the child be removed from parental care, stating she
is fearful that the mother will return to the father when he is released from custody.
Would you remove the child from parental care?
Is exposure to domestic violence a sufficient basis for removal of a child from parental care?
What else would you like to know about the family and this situation?
What safety plan might the social worker have created to permit the child safely to remain with
the mother?
What services would you recommend for the child?
4. Back to Hypothetical #2. During the reunification period, what visitation schedule would you
establish?
What would you want to know before authorizing unsupervised visits?
5. Returning again to Hypothetical #2. The case is on for review. The social worker recommends
that the child, now 8 months old, be returned to the parents. She said the parents have
completed the parenting class successfully.
Do you agree the social worker’s recommendation?
What additional information would you want?