Catholic Community Services Helps Poverty-Stricken Community in Utah

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Catholic Community Services Catholic Community Services of Ogden has been a front line social service agency since 1945. From that time on, they have provided relief to poverty stricken in the northern Utah community. This paper will look at some of the problems facing children in poverty today. It will explain some of the services provided by Catholic Community Services of Ogden, as well as, how those services relate to children in poverty. This paper will examine some of the generalist social work roles performed at Catholic Community Services of Ogden, plus any biases, transference, or counter-transference issues I might encounter if I worked there. Despite the fact that their funding comes completely through donations, Catholic Community Services is a significant part of the social welfare delivery system because they empower families, they provide parenting education to new mothers, and they work directly to relieve some of the pressures of poverty. Issues Relating to Children and Poverty In recent years, the number of children whose families fall under the line of poverty has risen at an alarming rate. Crosson-Tower (2013) postulated a reason for this increase when she said, “The recent weakening economy, a higher unemployment rate, unprecedented numbers of home foreclosures and a decline in the safety net for children and their families have resulted in a gradual continuing increase in children living in extreme poverty” (p. 57). Apparently, nearly every aspect of the United States’ crumbling economy affects a family’s ability to meet basic needs. The rise in single parent, mother headed families has not helped poverty statistics because of the lower earning potential of women. A major reason so many children liv... ... middle of paper ... ...Ogden. An additional solution to child poverty is parenting education to strengthen families, and strengthen child/parent relationships. Crosson-Tower (2013) explains this solution in the following: Parents who are supported in their caregiving role are better able to nurture their children, who have a better chance to grow up to be productive, contributing members of society. Research has demonstrated that programs such as parenting education, support groups, and home visiting are effective and produce positive, significant results for parents and their children. (p. 75) Catholic Community Services of Ogden offers a parenting class to new mothers. Babies do not come with instructions and the task of caring for a newborn can seem daunting. Catholic Community Services of Ogden provides support for new mothers through the process of transitioning to family life.

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