The Influence of Mongolian Social Workers’ Backgrounds on the Acceptance of Protective Factors for Young Children

Summary Social work is a relatively new profession in Mongolia. Mongolian social workers have made significant achievements and faced challenges for the past 29 years. Similar to the development of the profession, the positions of social workers were created for the government grassroot offices of Ulaanbaatar. From the beginning, their legally accepted positions play an important role in addressing grassroots social issues. However, Mongolian government child protective agencies recruit non social workers to professional social work positions. In examining social workers' perceptions of protective factors for children under 6 years of age, the study used a mixed methods approach collecting quantitative from 254 and qualitative data from 30 grassroot social workers of Ulaanbaatar. Data were collected via survey and interview and analyzed using the socio-ecological model to understand the relationships between social workers' background training and their perceptions about protective factors at various levels of human ecology. Findings There was no clear difference in social worker's perspectives because of their background or qualifications. Findings revealed that from 20 protective factors, those most agreed upon were family and community related. Social workers' application of protective factors appeared more informed by their own social and family contexts rather than their education in social work/welfare. Applications Formal social work education should include topics about understanding the child's context and focus on protective factors and strengths. These should be used for prevention and advocacy in the child protection system. Only qualified social workers should hold social work positions for an effective protective practice.