The major policy influences on child and family services in Germany and Ireland. Comparison and contrast

Document from the year 2007 in the subject Social Work, grade: keine, , language: English, abstract: Over the years the image of 'the family' changed a lot due to political, historical, socio-economic, cultural, religious, demographic, social and many other influences and circumstances. It is not possible to talk about the family anymore or give an explicit universal definition, as various family forms exist in our modern society nowadays. A common term used to describe this state is 'Plurality of Family forms', meaning that family not only consists of married couples with children but also relatives, non-marital partnerships with or without children including same sex couples, marriages without children, lone parents and many more. The Family can be understood as a dynamic social system.1 In order to draw a clear picture of how Social Work in child and family services works today and what it is influenced by, it is necessary to start from the very beginning. The first part shortly reflects on what is meant by the terms 'family' and family policy. The following two sections shall provide an insight into the German as well as the Irish history of politics and policy making for this target group. We learn about the differences of the two systems especially in relation to policy influences on child and family service provision in connection with Social Work. The essay concludes with a comparison of the two state's policies. This work's main focus lies in contemporary policy influences on Social Work within child and family services. It can only provide a superficial overview of definitions and historical changes. However, they need to be mentioned as they embody the basis of today's developments. It is beyond the scope of this essay to address all historical events and therefore the focus lies on the main developments from the last century until today. 1 Barabas, F. K.; Erler, Michael. 2002.