As a practice method, permanency planning has been on the scene long enough to require re-evaluation of its underlying theory and implications for social work. The authors therefore offer a comprehensive definition of permanency planning and describe its major features in detail.

Concern about the phenomenon of drift in foster care has given rise to the practice called permanency planning — the process of taking prompt, decisive action to maintain children in their own homes or place them permanently with other families. This is an important movement in child welfare, and there is a continuing need to clarify its meaning so as to promote its development in theory and practice. Following a brief review of the literature, we therefore propose a comprehensive definition of permanency planning and delineate its major components.

Every child is entitled to share in, and be part of family life. Where the child’s natural family is unable to offer that family experience society is obligated to provide a substitute family. Family group home care should not be regarded as substitute family care. However, if agencies conducting family group home programmes are aware of the limitations of this model, the positive aspects of family group home care may be optimised.

In a series of two articles, the author presents a socio-environmental model which provides a framework for assessing the needs of abusing families. In the 2nd article (to be published in the Spring Issue) she looks at the application of the model in practice.

The phenomenon of child abuse was unexplored in Greece until the late 1970’s when the legal, social and medical professions became aware of the growing problem which resulted in the passing of a new law. Studies on child abuse are almost non-existent at present. Maroulis claimed that corporal punishment in the Greek culture can be perceived as an acceptable way of shaping a child’s behaviour. As yet there is very little, if any, research undertaken in Australia on Greek people and their awareness to child abuse. Masselos’s 1981 account of the Greek Community in Brisbane cites only three cases of child abuse as having occurred. This account cannot be viewed as indicating a low prevalence. Education is regarded as one of the essential factors in making people aware of the problem of child abuse and teaching them what the needs and the requirements of children are. Two of the three authors of the present study are from the Greek community, and were most concerned to ascertain the sensitivity to child abuse in the largest ethnic community in Melbourne. This study was undertaken in the year of the campaign “When Love is Not Enough” was launched, 1982. In this study 240 subjects, 40 Greek second year university students and their parents and 40 Greek early school leavers and their parents were given a questionnaire to fill out. The questionnaire contained questions of awareness, attitudes and opinions to child abuse. The aim was to see whether these selected samples of Greek people in Victoria were aware of the problem of child abuse.

In Victoria at the present time a major review is being undertaken into child welfare practice and legislation. The importance of this task is two-fold. Not only do children have to gain from a sensitive and workable final Report, but families too could find that they will be offered the support they need to assist in the difficult task of raising children today. It is hoped that the Review Committee will not concentrate solely on the rights of the child, but will also give due recognition to the rights of the family to a caring and protective environment.

The Victorian Government was the first state government to adopt a family policy approach to dealing with the child. This was confirmed by the Norgard Report (1976) and formed the basis of a submission by the Victorian Minister of Social Welfare to the Federal Minister of Social Security (1977) which culminated in the Family Support Services Scheme being set up the following year. This joint federal/state program officially recognised the interaction of children’s rights and needs with those of their parents.