Maintaining contact between parents and children in the public care

Children looked after by local authorities are at risk of losing contact with parents and significant others despite emphasis in the Children Act 1989 on partnership and promoting contact. Work to maintain contact should address losses before as well as during care. Contact declines over time with lower rates for children in foster care and as social work support for families diminishes. Contact after adoption is increasing; methods of indirect contact developed by adoption agencies may help to maintain contact for looked after children. Lost contact can be restored with social work support.     

Consulting the Children: Interviews with Children Using Residential Respite Care Services

The Children Act, 1989, requires that services for children are provided in partnership with parents and that the wishes and feelings of the child and his/her parents are ascertained and given due consideration (sect. 22). As part of a research project assessing the quality of services to children with disabilities under the Children Act, the authors carried out evaluations of six residential respite care services. The services were used mainly by children with learning difficulties, some of whom had little or no speech. Staff at the schools attended by the children were asked to interview them, so that their views could be included in the evaluation reports. Interview schedules and aids to communication were devised to try and enable all the children to express their views. This article describes the initial schedules and the changes made in the light of experience during the research. The authors then summarise the children's responses and consider how the process of consultation could be improved in future.     

Promoting the Children Act (1989) in Day Services to Disabled Children: Findings from an Action Research Project

SUMMARY: This article describes an action research project designed to assess and promote the implementation of the Children Act (1989) in day services to disabled children under five. Evaluations of six service were undertaken with staff in different local authorities in England and Wales. Each service was evaluated twice, in 1992 and again in 1993. The quality of care on offer to children was consistently high across services, and local authorities appeared to be adopting a flexible approach to the promotion of standards. In addition, services had made improvements in areas such as publicity and information, cultural sensitivity and partnership with parents. Some suggestions are made about factors which contributed to these developments, and issues requiring further attention are highlighted.     

Managing risk under the children act 1989: Diversion in child care?

The idea of diversion has dominated the theory and practice of juvenile justice for some time. Developments in child care practice in the 1980s mirror those which produced diversion. Diversion provides an alternative conceptual framework within which the changes to child care law introduced by the Children Act 1989 can be analysed, particularly the interrelation of s.1(5), the so-called non-intervention principle, and Part III, which establishes the duty of local authorities to provide services for children in need. These provisions and current child care practices may be seen to promote four distinct forms of diversion: (1) diversion from court; (2) diversion from care or residential provision; (3) diversion from procedures; and (4) diversion from social work. Examining the law and practice in terms of diversion focuses on the potential gains and losses resulting from the Children Act's emphasis on partnership, planning and bureaucracy without presuming that losses will be compensated for by the provision of services. It also suggests the need to consider child care in terms of net widening and tariff raising.     

Children,Parents and the State: The Children Act, 1908

SUMMARY: This article examines the first major consolidating piece of child welfare legislation in Britain, the 1908 Children Act. The focus is on the relationship established between child, parent, and state. Contemporary reasons for the need for this re-ordered relationship are suggested, but it is also argued that in certain respects parallels can be found between the Edwardian Act and that of 1989. This in turn suggests the persistence of certain issues in child welfare, and especially that of the division of responsibilities for the care of children between parents and State.     

Young Children in Rural Areas: Implementing the Children Act

SUMMARY. This article is based on the results of the first stage of a study of the Children Act (day care and preschool education), and looks at how the Children Act 1989 has been put into practice with respect to services for children under eight, in rural local authorities in England and Wales. It considers the duties given by the Act to local authorities from a rural perspective, including providing a range of services for children in need, reviewing the services that are available for all young children, and setting standards for day care services provided by the voluntary and private sectors. It concludes that although the Act has helped to focus attention on the needs of children in rural areas, there is a danger that nothing will be done to meet them because of the principle of targeting resources on children who are most in need. Rural isolation was rarely specified as an indicator of need, and other criteria often had an urban bias which may work against the development of services in rural areas. The article also argues that there is a particular need to develop new models of service delivery and ways of providing training and support to early years workers which are appropriate for rural areas.     

Measuring outcomes in family support services (a case study using respite care)

Measuring outcomes in family support services is a relatively new area of social research. This study aimed to explore the use of respite care (brief planned periods away from home with the same carers over several months) as a family support service to help prevent long term family breakdown. It studied the service from the perspectives of all those involved in it—social workers, carers, parents and children–and was funded by the UK Department of Health as part of a series of studies commissioned to explore the implementation of the English Children Act law and theory.     

Child welfare in the United Kingdom

This paper sets the context for the subsequent papers by giving an overview of recent changes in legislation and social policy with respect to child welfare in England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. In England, services for children have been radically affected by the implementation of the Children Act 1989, which has introduced a unifying service to promote the welfare of children at risk, although it leaves a significant gap in supportive provision by excluding child offenders. By contrast, Scotland incorporates juvenile justice within its social work services and has developed a service unique in Europe. As in England and Wales, Scottish services for children are substantially concerned with child protection and the paper gives an exposition of recent developments and proposals for legislative change in this area. The emphasis in Northern Ireland is contained within the context of the ongoing violence which is a day-to-day occurrence within the province. The Irish experience is differently organised from that in other parts of the UK, giving a unique emphasis on voluntary services and a more pronounced use of residential child care. Moves are afoot to introduce amendments to the law which will emphasise working in partnership with parents and separate the disposal of juvenile offenders from other children. The paper ends with a resume of the following papers, linking them to the recent changes in policy and law.     

Kinship care of the abused child: the New Zealand experience.

The concept of continuity--keeping children within their own kinship, community, and cultural networks--has found international favor in contemporary child welfare practice. This principle is reflected in the 1989 New Zealand Children, Young Persons, and Their Families Act. The Act represents a significant shift--from the state to the family--in responsibility for children in need of care. The increasing use of the Family Group Conference process allows families to make decisions about the future of kin children and reflects the belief that, although most abuse is intrafamilial, the family will also be the most committed to keeping the child safe. Other countries have adapted this model to suit their own cultural child welfare needs. The international trend toward formal use of kinship care for children who have suffered abuse or neglect is likely to continue as foster care resources shrink. Drawing on qualitative research, this article describes the experiences of caregivers and their kin children who have been the subject of a care and protection order.     

All Work and no Play? Understanding the Needs of Children with Caring Responsibilities

This article draws on research with children who provide care for parents with serious mental health problems and signals ongoing research that uses photographic participation methods with these groups of vulnerable children. The intention of this article is to highlight the need to move away from popular and simplistic representations of children with caring responsibilities (young carers) as victims of their parents’ illnesses, as ‘little angels’ whose caring work is condoned through rewards or as (exploited) informal domestic workers whose childhoods are inevitably compromised by the caring activity they undertake. Recommendations are made for generating deeper understanding about the lives and needs of children who are affected by parental impairment that is congruent with the thrust of current UK policy, Every Child Matters and the 2004 Children Act.     

Parental perceptions of the Children In Need Of Treatment dental program

This paper discusses the collaborative partnership involving the Middlesex-London Public Health Research, Education and Development site, the Ontario Ministry of Health Promotion and Sport, then Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Branch, and an academic institution in the first-ever research of parental perceptions of the Children In Need Of Treatment. This paper provides an overview of the Children In Need Of Treatment program, reviews the results of the research (a mailed, self-administered survey with a systematic random sample of parents from three health units whose children received dental treatment that was paid by Children In Need Of Treatment in 2006), and its subsequent recommendations. How these recommendations affected program planning and policy are examined. In conclusion, parents were very satisfied with the treating dentist and the Children In Need Of Treatment program, and found Children In Need Of Treatment to be vital in addressing the health of their children by attending to their urgent dental needs.     

Young people leaving care: implementing the children (Leaving Care) Act 2000?

This article presents findings from a large empirical research study which examines the ways in which the Children (Leaving Care) Act 2000 is being implemented. The evidence presented points to a complex picture of ‘slower running’ and ‘faster running’ leaving care services, modest achievements, ongoing problems, and mixed outcomes. The author argues that compared with previous studies, the increased number of young people leaving care entering post‐16 education, employment and training is a significant development. It is suggested that the overall progress in implementing the Act is slower than might be expected three years after the Act was passed in 2000.     

Young people leaving care in England,Northern Ireland,and Ireland

This paper explores the transitions of young people, aged 16-18, leaving state care in England, Northern Ireland, and the Republic of Ireland. It is based substantially upon the findings from collaborative research which developed in stages between 1991 and 1999 - and is still ongoing. Four substantive areas are discussed. First, the legal framework of the three jurisdictions: the Children Act 1989, the Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 and the Child Care Act 1991; second, the research context within the three child care systems; third, the findings from the three related projects; and, finally, the key themes and issues arising from the research studies.     

Three's Company: Family Therapy with Only-Child Families

The only child and his or her parents may have special problems when it comes to settling the issues of parent-child identification and attachment. Children, regardless of birth order or number of siblings, cope more easily with the developmental tasks of the oedipal period if there is not pressure to remain loyal to just one of the parental pair. The child without siblings and his/her parents face a continuing oedipal triangle unless the parents maintain a comfortable and united partnership at best, or at least are able to encourage independence in the child.     

Custodianship and its implications for the Children Act

SUMMARY. Custodianship of children was introduced by the 1975 Children Act, but not implemented until 1985. It has now been overtaken by new concepts in the 1989 Children Act, but the experience thus far provides useful indications of how Residence Orders may be operated. Based on Department of Health funded research, this article shows how careers and birth families see such measures designed to give security to children while maintaining contact with their original parents. The article gives important information to all professionals who will have to work with the new principles of parental responsibility.     

Cooperation versus competition: is there really such an issue?

This author argues that youth sports can move beyond the dichotomy of cooperation versus competition by redefining competition. This can be accomplished by considering the development of cooperative skills and achievement motivation. The article addresses how cooperative skills can be taught within a competitive sport. First, it is important to understand how children and youth understand and process competition based on their developmental stage. Parents need to consider whether a child is mentally, emotionally, socially, and physically mature enough to participate in an organized sport. Readiness for a sport is just as important as readiness for school. Teaching cooperative skills within a competitive context involves a focus on personal development rather than performance. By asking themselves a series of developmental questions, such as, "Is the sport appropriate for the developmental age of the child?" parents and coaches can form realistic expectations of young athletes. Motivation is also a key determinant of a child's readiness for youth sports and competition. Children want to play a sport when they feel competent. It is up to parents and coaches to create a motivational climate that is focused on doing one's best and not on external rewards like winning. Children and youth receive specific and constructive feedback that focuses on improvement in this type of climate. The author also discusses three models of competition: the military model, the reward model, and the partnership model. The partnership model is the approach that balances competition in youth sports. The author concludes by introducing the "athletic square" model as an important and appropriate way to promote youth sports.     

The Child Client

In court cases involving children the child is often a party to proceedings and is thus entitled to Legal Aid and representation by a solicitor. This representation of the child happens not just in youth courts under the Criminal Justice Act 1991 but also in Family Courts in proceedings under the Children Act 1989. This article looks at how a solicitor ascertains whether a child client is competent to give instructions and offers information on the techniques employed by the solicitor in communicating with the child, especially in proceedings under the Children Act.     

From Prevention to Partnership: Child Welfare Services Across Three Decades

SUMMARY. Throughout the lifetime of the NCB there have been significant changes of emphasis and direction in child welfare services in Britain, which are often reflected in the Bureau's own history. The priority given to the related spheres of child-care, child protection, delinquency control and preventive work with vulnerable families has shifted over the three decades and changed priorities have contributed to a changing service ethos. The new Children Act aims at balance and a fresh synthesis, centred on partnership; a concept which promises much but has yet to be fully tried and tested.     

What Role Has the Law Played in Getting Rid of Racism in the Lives of Children?

SUMMARY. It is only relatively recently that a detailed knowledge of how the Race Relations Act 1976 works in practice has made it possible to use it more effectively - to eliminate that element of racism - discrimination. The later Children Act 1989 and its accompanying Guidance, in requiring a heal authority, (when making a decision about a child for whom it is responsible), to take account of the child's religious persuasion, racial origin and cultural and linguistic background establishes a framework to promote equality of opportunity and to counter the learning of racist attitudes. This paper attempts to identify the role of these two Acts in getting rid of racism in children's lives. Knowledge of both Acts will empower parents and professionals' to be able to challenge discrimination and identify anti-racist practice.     

Foster Parents Speak: Preferred Characteristics of Foster Children and Experiences in the Role of Foster Parent

Foster parents play a pivotal role in the child welfare system. A study that employed focus groups with foster parents was conducted at a private foster care agency with the initial purpose of understanding the characteristics of foster children that foster parents both preferred and not preferred. In the qualitative research tradition, their answers addressed the topic of characteristics and expanded to provide additional data on their experience as foster parents. Using theme analysis, the following themes were generated: foster care as service; foster parents' preferences of foster children's characteristics; foster parents do not feel valued or trusted; increased caseworker and foster parent partnership; problems in the foster care and related systems; and focus group as support. Implications for research and practice are forwarded.