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10 MAY 2010
NO 1575
Defining our field
Defining the field of Child and Youth Care and describing it to other professionals, even those with similar backgrounds like teachers, has been an ongoing dilemma throughout my career. It has posed both personal challenges and a challenge for the profession. Social conversation almost inevitably turns to “What do you do for work?” and answering the question with "I’m a Child and Youth Care practitioner” has frequently required a follow-up explanation. Educators and professional associations have tried to help new practitioners with this task by creating definitions of the field. As you begin a career in Child and Youth Care you need ways to describe what you do and to help others to understand your work and the value of working with children and youth who are often cast off or ignored by adults in today’s society.
Attempts to define Child and Youth Care practice have been ongoing since the 1970s. These debates are part of our evolution and are also found in other professions; we are not unique in our struggle for identity. Debates about how to define the profession have helped to promote and develop the field of study and the field of practice adding to its knowledge base.
The term "child care work” first emerged consistently in North American literature in the 1960s, around the same time that training and educational programs began to develop. Terminology eventually expanded to “Child and Youth Care" work in recognition of the different ages and stages of childhood. Training and education for workers were necessary since the children and youth who were removed from home and placed in mental health and juvenile justice institutions were challenging to work with and had significant needs beyond just care and supervision. Early training and writing in North America focused on residential treatment, even though practice subsequently expanded beyond the residential setting; "educateurs” were the European equivalent to Child and Youth Care and were involved in residential care, streetwork, and community settings from the beginning of their development.
CAROL STUART
Stuart, C. (2009). Foundations of Child and Youth
Care. Dubuque, IA. Kendall Hunt. pp. 3-4.
