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Special guardianship is a new but rapidly expanding area of permanency planning that is increasingly popular with families and kinship carers. In 2017, 3,690 children left care for a special guardianship placement, and a further unknown number were granted orders in private proceedings. An integral feature of this new legal option is that where it is considered to be in the child's best interests, they should continue to have some level of contact with their parents, after the special guardianship order has been granted. Social workers have a duty to assess, plan and recommend what the nature of that contact should be. However there is virtually no policy guidance provided to them on how to undertake those duties. Positive contact with their birth parents can help a child maintain existing bonds, while making sense of how they are part of two families, in order to explore and develop their sense of personal identity. To a large extent it will also determine the nature and success of the child's future relationship with their parents. So these are vital decisions that will affect the child's physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing. Yet very little is known about the process that social workers undertake in order to decide what level and type of contact is appropriate in each special guardianship case. This study set out to investigate the planning and recommending of birth parent contact in special guardianship cases. The literature review demonstrated a paucity of studies of this field to inform policy and practice, although information was gathered from other fields where contact is held, such as kinship care and fostering. The research method comprised of an online questionnaire that was completed by 102 local authority social workers, two focus groups for social workers and two focus groups for special guardians. The results provided quantitative data on what social workers included in their recommendations, and the factors they considered in reaching their decisions. Qualitative data from practitioners described the difficulties in planning contact for the long-term in complex and fluid family contexts. Involving special guardians in the study gave a chance to include the different perspectives of the people who have to make the contact recommendations work, and contrast their views on contact planning with those of the professionals. The carers provided additional insights into the challenge of managing contact, and the problems they faced when the parents were not always reliable or responsible. Recommendations for addressing the issues raised included more use of reviews of contact, a scheduled move from the initial contact plan to the special guardian assuming full responsibility for contact decisions, keeping cases open for a 'settling in' period, proposals for all contact plans to include training, and a rebalancing of the responsibility for contact onto parents through the use of contact agreements. This study has provided understanding of a crucial area of child permanency planning that has not been investigated before, by including the large-scale involvement of social workers, and introducing the contributions of service-users.

This dissertation sought to explore social workers’ perceived levels of knowledge, self-efficacy, and awareness of perinatal mental health. This study looked at how identifying as a parent, different social work licensures, and having additional training on perinatal mental health affect social workers' knowledge, self-efficacy, and awareness responses. Utilizing a quantitative survey, this dissertation found having additional training on perinatal mental health to have a significant impact on social workers’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and awareness. Exploring social workers’ knowledge, self-efficacy, and awareness of perinatal mental health allows for self-reflection of one's own ability to assist this vulnerable population. Continued research in this specialty area is needed to explore social work and the impact social work can have on perinatal mental health.

There is a significant achievement gap for students in foster care, evidenced by low academic performance, high rates of absenteeism and disciplinary referrals, and an overrepresentation in special education programs. Research indicates that the difficulties students in foster care face span domains of social, emotional, behavioral, and academic functioning. Consequently, it is important for schools to recognize and respond to the unique needs of students in foster care to provide the necessary resources for academic success. The intention of this study was to examine and better understand what programs and support services elementary school principals believe are most effective in assisting elementary schools students in foster care achieve academically. The research was conducted within a southern California elementary school district and the research sample included eight interviewees. Participants responded to questions about perceptions of the current programs and support services provided to foster care students in their district and their insight on additional programs and supports needed to foster a positive learning environment and ensure their continued success. The participants revealed three major themes that they have experienced through their work with students in foster care. These themes included Social and Emotional Supports, Consistent Communication and Collaboration, and Continuous Professional Development. Future research in this area might provoke policymakers, district, and school leaders to assist in enhancing the educational experiences and outcomes of students in foster care by recognizing their differing needs and guiding teachers to ensure all students move forward in equitable ways.