links to readings: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2004-02-01/features/0402010544_1_soybeans-illinois-department-forensic
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/23/magazine/23welfare.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1

Zavala questions
Give a timeline of the major events in Nicolas Zavala’s life.
Specify all of the people or entities who were responsible for Nicolas Zavala’s quality of life. Give the percentage of responsibility that each person or entity holds and why.
Who is responsible for Nicolas Zavala’s death and why? If you believe the responsibility is shared, give the percentage each person or entity holds.
If you were given authority to make decisions regarding Nicolas Zavala, what would you have done differently? What do you think should have been done for Nicolas throughout his life?
If you were to speculate, what do you think happened to Nicolas? What caused his death?
Johnson questions
Explain your understanding of the concept of parens patriae as it relates to American social services today.
What do you feel should be done with Marie and her kids? What about her unborn child? What do you think the fact that Marie is pregnant yet again says about her?
What do you think is more accurate:
a) The state has the responsibility for providing services to make it possible for a parent to improve his/her skills enough to make reunification possible.

b) The parent has the responsibility for making the necessary changes in order to make the state feel it is safe to place the child(ren) with him/her.

Provide a rationale for your choice.

Johnson notes toward the later stages of the case that she thinks of her job now “as saving children’s lives, not just helping families.” What do you think is the distinction between those two ways of thinking about her work?
The article notes correctly that there is a huge disparity in the frequency of removal of children from minority homes and Caucasian homes. What do you think needs to change in order to address that problem?
Overall questions

What is your opinion about reuniting children with their family of origin? What should be done in cases like those of Marie’s children, or Cindy’s?
Analyze the way the child welfare system is portrayed in each article. Note similarities and differences. In your opinion, which article’s way of looking at the system is more accurate? Explain your answer.