A Social Worker Visiting Alcatraz

5. Social worker’s report. If the events in the novel merit it, write up a report as a social worker would on the conditions in the home and whether or not it’s a good environment for a child. For example, if a social worker went to the McNabs’ house in Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli (1990, Little, Brown) how would she describe the home and parenting style of Mr. McNab? What would her recommendations be?

The Flanagan's situation is an interesting one, and it leaves me in a difficult situation. The boy, Moose, is 13 years old, going through a lot of changes in his life as an adolescent. He has reached the age of puberty, he has just moved to an island with convicts, and has a sister with a disability. He seems to be handling the change well enough, but he is not who I am really worried about. While living in such close proximity to convicts is not safe for anyone, it is especially not safe for a child with a disability. Natalie is 16 years old, but is severely disabled and unpredictable. She requires constant attention that her parents are unable to give her. Mrs. Flanagan and Moose attempt to split the babysitting role everyday, but I don't think it's appropriate to leave a 13 year old in charge of her. Moose is very talented and patient with her, but it's a lot of responsibility and there's a lot that could go wrong. For example, one night, Moose fell asleep while watching Natalie, and woke up to the house on fire. She has tantrums that get violent, including physical abuse and throwing objects. She has also snuck off to visit convicts. How is Moose supposed to control that kind of behavior? Even her parents struggle with it, and although her mother has hired a tutor for her, it seems as though she is in denial most of the time. She even tried to convince me her daughter was 10 when I came for the visit. I understand this is hard, but handling the problem in the way she does only creates more tension.

There are a couple positives, however. Natalie has improved since working with her tutor. She can now use pronouns, and her fits have come few and far between. In addition, although her mother may be harsh at times, it is not necessarily poor parenting. Mrs. Flanagan is working on her acceptance of things and does most of what she does out of love. It is because of this that I am not taking the children from this home as of now. I have left the Flanagan's with one month to fulfill my requirements. Moose will need to see a therapist once a week and someone must be hired full time to work with Natalie and watch her. I am not requiring them to relocate, as I know the job is important to Mr. Flanagan, however, if Natalie is in contact with another convict one more time I will make sure the children have a new home. I am hesitant with making this decision, but I feel as though this family has been through a lot together and deserves one last chance.