UAA researchers hope to move child welfare away from separation and toward community building

by Alaska Public Media  |   

Photo of Yvonne Chase
Human Services Professor Dr. Yvonne Chase co-authored an article that explores alternative child welfare strategies to limit family separation. (Photo by James Evans, Chief of Photography and Videography, University of Alaska Anchorage)

Human Services Professor Dr. Yvonne Chase and Social Work Assistant Professor Dr. Jessica Ullrich were featured in an Alaska Public Media article about a study they co-authored in the International Journal on Child Maltreatment, titled "A Connectedness Framework: Breaking the Cycle of Child Removal for Black and Indigenous Children." The study explores alternative child welfare strategies to limit family separation.

According to the article, their proposed framework is built around empowering families and communities, rather than removing children from their homes. That means acknowledging past trauma, working to get families the resources they need, and shifting the focus towards reunifying families.