What Is a Child Advocate?  A child advocate is a social worker who helps and support to children in difficult family situations, often involving neglect and abuse. Their responsibilities include spending time with a child, interviewing their teachers, doctors, and family members, and attending court hearings. Advocates may also provide counseling, recommend substance abuse programs, or help find a child foster placement. After reviewing the case file, they suggest the best step for the child’s health and safety.  What is a Child Advocate? Child Advocates perform child advocacy functi ..read more

Child advocacy consists of individuals, professionals, and advocacy organizations who speak out about children’s best interests. An individual or organization engaging in advocacy seeks to protect children’s rights, which may be abridged or abused in several areas due to several circumstances, including domestic, physical, and sexual abuse and neglect. The Idea: The birth of Child Advocacy Centers (CACs) began when former congressman Robert Cramer identified the lack of communication between social services and criminal justice services in cases of abused children. His idea spread and ultimate ..read more

Social work is built into American society as we know it. It provides resources that help disadvantaged communities receive what they need to live safe, healthy lives and pursue the American dream with dignity. Social workers work directly with some of the nation’s most vulnerable populations to address a wide range of issues. In doing so, they can provide practical, empathetic, and complex insights into their needs, translating into policy proposals and expanded social support for needy people.  So, how did social work begin? And how did social work become a profession?  The evoluti ..read more

The bottom line is of utmost importance for every non-profit organization. As an NPO, you must maximize the money acquired through grants and donations to further your cause. One of the crucial ways to streamline expenses is through smart decision-making. You need to know how your data affects your decisions.  For example, with fundraising: do your donors respond better to emails or when called on the phone? These little nuances maximize the time and money spent. However, the literature reveals that non-profits don’t know how to utilize Power BI reporting because of a lack of experience ..read more

In today’s tech-savy world, new technologies are revolutionizing the future of home-centric senior care.  Despite the increased use of technology in the senior-care field, the growing number of senior citizens, combined with the decrease of people going into senior healthcare, are generating concerns amongst the industry.   The ratio of available healthcare assistants for every senior citizen is dwindling. This downward drift is attributed to the increasing demographic numbers of those over 60. This cohort will experience impending growth in the next decade at speeds that are 56% hig ..read more

Technology is advancing rapidly, with people quickly adopting innovations. The first iPhone came out in 2007, and now there are 6.94 billion smartphones worldwide. This accounts for 85% of the global population. Similar to smartphones, technology for social good is another growing area. This type of technology works toward helping people holistically. It’s not just about delivering services to a client for social workers; it’s tackling complex social issues beyond a service.  This type of technology focuses on the public interest and what will benefit society as a whole. This is different ..read more

Case managers are the backbone of healthcare, foster care, veteran’s care, homelessness care, and more. They work on behalf of overlooked groups in society to ensure they receive the treatments needed for optimal quality of life. Unfortunately, more people need help than there are case managers who can serve them. High caseloads plague the industry, causing high turnover rates. The average state has a case manager turnover rate of 14-22%. This can be costly on multiple levels. It raises costs for agencies, with the estimate of replacing a case manager at 30-200% of their salary. Plus, it inter ..read more

Correction of behavior and a better life are the purposes of sending people to prison.  Unfortunately, incarceration often plays out like a hereditary disease. Those imprisoned once show a predisposition towards being incarcerated again. Reentry programs help prevent recidivism and allow clients to become integrated, productive members of society.  These programs focus on breaking down barriers recently incarcerated individuals might encounter and helping them find employment, affordable housing, healthcare, and family support. Because reentry is not a simple process and has so many ..read more

Health insurance is the number one way to protect yourself and your family from high, unexpected medical costs. However, for many low-income individuals, the prices of standard marketplace care are out of the question. The average annual health insurance premium for an American individual is an astronomical $8,435. For anyone living paycheck-to-paycheck or struggling to remain housed, this extra fee could put them over the edge into homelessness. Luckily, the high costs of health insurance were partially addressed in the Social Security Amendments of 1965, which created Medicaid. A joint progr ..read more

Food banks and pantries work tirelessly to tackle hunger and provide food security to their community. Whether you’re a large food bank that collects and distributes food to hunger relief organizations or a smaller agency that provides direct community assistance, we at PlanStreet understand the unique challenges facing food-based charitable organizations. Food banks and pantries are a critical part of the social safety net and are dedicated to nurturing their communities. Having a robust food bank management software can solve many of the common challenges faced by your organization. The purp ..read more