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Morgan Shafer
Agency Report
SW 4441
Wayne State University

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Mission Statement
The Ennis center for childrens mission statement is the following: With the
support of the community, we preserve families when possible and create new families
when necessary. The Ennis Center has been helping with abuse and neglected children
for over 35 years. The center helps over 300 children in the foster care program on any
given day, serving from four different agencies located in Port Huron, Flint, Greenfield
and Pontiac. Ennis Center is the leading agency in finding adoptive homes for children,
even children with special needs. The agency also works with delinquent teens, helping
them be safe and stay on track with becoming an adult in the real world.
Population
My experience so far has been with clients of a lower social economic status that
have a drug and/or alcohol problem or domestic violence issues. Some of these parents I
have noticed are good parents, but they just cant stay away from the drugs or alcohol,
which has resulted in losing their children. Ive encountered a population where they
abuse their children or allowing someone else to abuse their children, a mother
prostituting her son being the age of four years old. The population of the agency has
other barriers I have noticed that have become an issue to parenting and having a safe
environment for their children to be in.
My Role
My role at my agency keeps me engaged and learning different and new things
every time I step in the door. I have been watching parenting time visits for clients, Im
involved with the family team meetings that are held with the client and case manager

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where I just observe what has to be done or what has already been done. They may talk
about the clients goals that have been met or goals that need to be met in order for things
to progress. I go to court with the case managers where I also just observe and see what
happens with the hearing and listen to what the case managers have to say to the judge
and put in their reports. When there has been down time in my agency I have learned how
to do contacts, which I would do for the case managers when there isnt a home visit or
parenting time visit. At the home visits, I tag along with the case manager and I am just
becoming comfortable with filling out the paperwork for the case manager, asking the
foster parents about concerns with the child, safety or discipline issues, strengths within
the child and also hobbies that the child is interested in. My role at the agency is part of
the team, I havent felt like Im doing anything because the case managers dont want to
do it or they would rather have the intern do it and do something else. I have had an
amazing experience this far during my roles in the internship. I like being trusted enough
to watch parenting visits by myself and have control over that certain situation, but
knowing that if anything happens I dont feel comfortable with or dont know what to do
there is always someone right there for me to ask questions to. My role as tagging along
to the court hearings and home visits have made me aware of many different situations
that the clients go through and the troubles the children go through because of things that
may have happened. I like that I am able to just sit back and observe sometimes because I
feel as if I can take more from a situation being an outsider looking in. I have a lot of
different roles within the agency, sometimes I have a lot of responsibility while watching
a parenting time while another time Ill have no responsibilities and just being an

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observer. I like all the different roles though, I feel as if it has made me realize all the
different things these social workers do on a daily basis and the way I would do things
differently or the same when I become a social worker hopefully in this kind of agency.
Other Disciplines
Disciplines within the agency that have to do with the clients could be involving if
they are on probation, or having contact with a significant other when it is court ordered
not to have contact. Coming across some of these issues that may be violated the case
manager has just confronted the client, just letting the client know that the issue is
known. Another discipline would be getting kicked out of the services that are to be
completed by the client in order to have reunification with the children. If the client is not
participating in the services they will get kicked out and will not be making any progress
towards that goal of reunification. When this happens the case managers talk to the client
about these missed classes, ultimately it does not look good when going to court and the
judge decides what the next step is with the parent.
Enter the System
From my understanding someone makes a call to CPS regarding an issue, CPS
decides to make a complaint or not make a complaint. If they make a complaint and see
that the children are in danger, or not living in a safe environment they will be removed
from the parents. If the parents rights are terminated the child will become a permanent
ward of the state and will be put up for adoption. If the parents rights are not terminated
the child is placed in a foster home until the parents complete all there services and are
reunified or the child is adopted.

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Progress through the system

In order for the parents to gain custody of their child/ren back they have to
complete a number of services as to why their children got taken away, such as domestic
violence classes, anger management classes. The clients also have to show their rent or
housing information along with the bills to the case manager proving that they can
provide for their children. The parent may also have to do a drug or alcohol test a few
times a week if necessary, all of them hoping to be reporting to be clean. The child/ren
may have to go to therapy or counseling during the transition, which helps them cope
with the situation and the problems that may be occurring.
Clients leave/terminated
For clients to leave the system the parents rights must be terminated and the child
would then be put in a permanent home to be adopted. This takes several months to reach
this goal. The case manager takes the case to court and is usually always reviewed in
thirty days. If the parent is not complying with court orders such as dropping for alcohol
or drugs or not completing services there rights will be terminated. When parents get their
children removed they have to show the case manager and the judge they can provide a
stable and safe environment, if this is not done the child will be put in a foster home,
waiting for a forever home through adoption. Adoption also has rules and regulations that
are to be followed before getting adopted, like making sure the childs room is big
enough and there is a support system for the family planning to adopt. If a child does not
leave the system by getting adopted, sometimes the child becomes an adult age or
chooses that they dont want to be adopted, they have options that consist of moving to

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assisted living places such as houses or apartments, some may rent rooms, where they are
still under supervision, but are on their own doing things they would do in the real world.
Some of these children learn how to do these things in foster homes were they have
resided until they have become old enough to move out on their own. The child learns
what its like to be a grown up like paying bills, doing their on laundry, etc. since they
have reached the age that they no longer can be adopted.
Commitment to Community
Ennis center for children serves children in four different counties which includes;
St. Clair, Wayne, Oakland and also Genesse. Enniss team members work hard to keep
the children they are assigned safe and provided with the things that are necessary for a
healthy living style. Ennis does a number of things with the communities they are
involved with such as Prospective Foster Parent Orientations, Pride Training, Halloween
bowling bash, golf outings and numerous of other events. Ennis strives to find
outstanding foster parents to take in the children that are placed in the foster care system,
by finding people to help foster these kids will give the children a chance at a better life
and a better future for themselves. No child picks their parents, they shouldnt be placed
in the foster care system because their parents didnt know how to overcome certain
barriers or just werent ready to have children in that time of their life. Just today in my
internship I had to label a room with the alphabet so when presents arrive before
Christmas the children will be able to go under the first letter of their last name and get
their presents. This company goes above and beyond for the children that are in the
system, making sure they are getting the best to the ability of the worker. Just because
they are in the system doesnt mean they should struggle through life, having companies

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like Ennis doing what they do for the children and the help from others within the
community and other organizations makes everything possible for these kids.