Question

Read the case study, then answer the questions that follow.

Leanne coordinates a support program for parents of children recently diagnosed with developmental disabilities. The program includes information sessions, peer support groups, and referrals to early intervention and therapy services.

One of Leanne’s group facilitators, Lois, has come to see her because she is concerned about one of the mothers in her group. Mrs. Smith has a 10-month-old baby with Down’s syndrome. The baby is difficult to settle, has always been a ‘difficult feeder’, cries constantly, and rarely sleeps for more than a couple of hours at a time. Mrs. Smith has told Lois that she is ‘At the end of her tether’ and on several occasions has left the baby alone in the house while she goes out for a walk because she felt if she stayed she might harm her. Mr. Smith is a FIFO worker and Mrs. Smith’s family live interstate. Lois has noticed that the baby has some bruising on her upper arms. She is worried that reporting her concerns to child protection authorities will destroy her relationship with Mrs. Smith and cut her off from the supports offered by the program. The organization has a mandatory reporting policy.

Question

1. Identify the risk factors in this situation.
2. Identify the clear indicators of potential risk that Lois has become aware of.
3. What must Leanne and Lois do?
4. What could Leanne and Lois do to support Mrs. Smith?

Answer 1

1. Identify the risk factors in this situation.

The mother Mrs Smith informing her frustrations about caring the child, her statement “having no patience / no energy to cope with high demands of baby care”, and also observing her statement she goes alone leaving child behind, further statement of she would hurt the child if she stays and observation of some bruises on the child’s upper arm also indicate batter baby and lack of coping by Mrs smith.

1. Identify the clear indicators of potential risk that Lois has become aware of.

the clear indicators are

a. Mothers response of she is tired and frustrated of caring the baby day and night

b. The mothers avoidance of child / abandoning the child with fear of hurting the child

c. The bruises on child’s arm.

These are the clear indicators of potential risk that Lois has become aware of

1. What must Leanne and Lois do?

Leanne and Lois work for a support program for parents of children with disabilities, they should immediately inform the support group about the current scenario and arrange necessary alternatives for childcare

1. What could Leanne and Lois do to support Mrs. Smith?

a. Finding support assistance

b. Sharing knowledge and experience in regarding to rearing to child

c. Informing proper authorities about child being battered and necessary monitoring should be done

d. Provide instructional programs to care for the child

e. Narrow parenting briefing (only family involved) and broad parenting briefing (parents of similar children getting together) to be arranged.

f. If nothing works then child should be taken under federal laws and put to better caring facilities with parents being punished or fined