Creating a Web-Based Resource for a Population At Risk

Running Head: FAMILIES AT RISK 1

FAMILIES AT RISK 2

Creating a Website Families at Risk

Pamela Weems-Baker

EDU 644: Child & Family Welfare (MTS014DS)

Dr. Andrea Hayden- Davis

April 13, 2020

The content of the Website

Name of the website: Professionals helping families with vulnerabilities

Link to the Website: https://raisingchildren.net.au/school-age/safety

The purpose of creating a website to support families at risk is to ensure that families at risk get assistance with regards to their children wellness from the content of the Website. Anyone can create a website; however, not everyone can create a website that achieves its intended objective. The most crucial aspect of any website is usability (Garett, Chiu, Zhang & Young, 2016). Attaining usability will involve choosing a website title that can easily be picked up by search engines, and easy to navigate while accessing information by the user.

The process of assisting the at-risk families would not be successful without the understanding of what at-risk family means. Websites have a page providing explanations on the concepts, so the user reads the content on the Website; they will have a clear understanding of what the page is all about. In this case, the homepage will define at-risk families as those with difficulties in keeping their children safe (Sylvia, 2020). The wedsite page will also describe what child safety means. A child's safety will not be the only items mention, as there are aspects linked to keeping a child safe.

Poverty is one aspect that affects the ability of a family to keep children safe (Lin & Seo, 2017). The Website will also have a page featuring how poverty affects the parent's ability to care for the children. In this case, the page will give the relationship between poverty and safety with regards to the provision of basic needs; food, clothing and shelter. Without the satisfaction of these needs, a child's safety is not guaranteed. From the home page, there will be a link to this page.

Following the many incidences of issues facing children in at-risk families, there has emerged childhood protection services.

Childhood maltreatment is experienced to date, and information on how to handle its occurrence is crucial in supporting at-risk families, (Sylvia, 2020). At the Website, there will be a link the leads to the page dedicated to providing detailed information on what maltreatment constitutes, and child protection services.

Apart from within a family setting, children also face maltreatments when they are homeless. Homelessness refers to stay in housing that is beneath least possible standard. Sometimes, it would even involve living without parents. When children are living in such a condition, they are at a high risk of experiencing maltreatment and harsh conditions (Dwomoh & Dinolfo, 2018). Abuse and harsh conditions are very critical information to be availed in the Website so that those in bid to support such families understand the whole scope. From the homepage, there will also be a link leading to this page.

Students have also exposed maltreatments in one way or another. Providing information on the forms of these maltreatments and how to respond to them is very important. First to note is that not only in a home setting do minors experience maltreatments, but also within the context of their public institutions. The Website will also provide the details with regards to student safety, and how to handle any deliberate of unintended harm that comes their way.

To be able to support at-risk families, a website that is easy to navigate through, with easily understandable information is essential. Most of the times, people do not even know that they or people they know are in at-risk families. The first step, therefore, involves making the Website visible by using an appropriate website title and making the site easy to use.

Reference

Dwomoh, I., & Dinolfo, E. (2018). Effects of Homelessness on Children. American Academy Of Pedriatics, 39(10), 530 - 532. doi: org/10.1542/pir.2018-0047

Garett, R., Chiu, J., Zhang, L., & Young, S. (2016). A Literature Review: Website Design and User Engagement. Online Journal Of Communication And Media Technologies, 6(3), 1 - 14. doi: 10.29333/ojcmt/2556

Lin, Y., & Seo, D. (2017). Cumulative family risks across income levels predict deterioration of children's general health during childhood and adolescence. PLOS ONE, 12(5). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177531

Sylvia, D. (2020). Families at risk. Retrieved April 8 2020, from https://childhood.org/this-is-childhood/children-that-childhood-wants-to-reach/families-at-risk/