Risk,Recovery and Resilience

Abstract

From 1999 to 2004, the Child and Youth Care Agency for Development (CYAD), a South African Non-Government Agency (NGO), has been working in partnership with the University of Victoria's International Institute for Child Rights and Development (IICRD) and Aboriginal Liaison Office (ABLO) to identify and reinforce community and cultural assets in supporting child and family resilience. The project, entitled Circles of Care: Community and Support for Children Affected by HIV/AIDS, has developed and piloted a model for community capacity building that supports traditional African community values, beliefs and governance structures (understood as Setso) in reinforcing child resilience through child rights based advocacy that partners children and traditional leaders (identified as Morena) and healers (called Dingaka).     

Table of Contents

Health Care Reform and Parity: Twin Worries for the Field Affiliation Enhances SA Continuum for Largest Community‐Based Provider Providers' Role in Preventing and Treating Problem Gambling Montana Treatment System Gets Additional $3 Million Methadone Induction Death Raises Questions Briefly Noted State News Resources Names in the News Coming up     

The Impact of Historical Trauma and Mistrust on the Recruitment of Resource Families of Color

ABSTRACT

The Multiethnic Placement Act of 1994 and the Interethnic Adoption Provisions of 1996 (MEPA-IEP) require states to diligently recruit “potential foster and adoptive families that reflect the ethnic and racial diversity of children in the state for whom foster and adoptive homes are needed” (42 U.S.C. §622b(3)(9)). Nationally, 53% of the children in foster care and 55% of the children waiting to be adopted are children of color (Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, 2014). Recruitment of resource families of color has historically presented challenges. This article critically examines the diligent recruitment efforts of an urban county targeting Black/African American, Latino, and Native American communities through a critical race theory lens. Although there was an overall increase in resource families, the racial and ethnic representation of resource families to children in care within the county improved for Latinos yet declined for Black/African Americans and Native Americans. Theoretically, these results indicate that the historical mistrust of communities of color toward the child welfare system is a barrier to successful recruitment of resource families from these communities.     

Proposing a model for promoting Children's Health in Early Childhood Education and Care Settings

This pilot study was conducted in one early childhood pre-school nursery setting in an area of high deprivation in England to explore the under-researched area of how practitioners promote the health of children. The research used an original tool, Child Health Promotion: A Toolkit for Early Childhood Education and Care Practitioners, containing a 5 Step Programme as a model to guide practitioners in identifying and implementing a health promotion activity. The findings will help to set the onward agenda for a larger scale study which will foreground the voices of practitioners and highlight the role that ECEC practitioners can play in promoting the health of children.     

Medical complexity and placement outcomes for children in foster care

ObjectiveMedical complexity threatens placement stability and permanency outcomes for children in foster care (FC). This study aimed to characterize for US children in FC: 1) medical complexity, using number of diagnosed types of disability as a proxy; 2) demographic and removal characteristics based on level of complexity; and 3) whether increasing levels of complexity were associated with foster care placement outcomes.MethodsThe analysis included children in FC, ages 0–21 whose disability status was clinically assessed and documented (n = 538,695). Using data from the FY 2014 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System, medical complexity was categorized (0–4 +) based on 5 disability types: emotional, hearing/vision, intellectual, physical, and other. Bivariate analyses (χ² tests, Kruskall-Wallis) compared the distribution of demographic and removal characteristics among complexity groups. Multiple logistic regression evaluated relationships between medical complexity and placement outcomes, including length of stay in FC, placement stability, and permanency.ResultsTwenty-three percent of the sample had 1 disability type, 7% had 2, 3% had 3, 1% had 4 +, and 67% had no disability. Children with increasing complexity were more likely to be older, older on FC entry, male, Black, non-Hispanic, placed in a group home or institution, have abuse, neglect, and/or child disability/behavior as reason for removal, and have poor placement outcomes.ConclusionChildren in FC with greater medical complexity are at risk for undesirable placement outcomes. By recognizing and addressing the unique needs of this vulnerable population, pediatric providers and child welfare staff may identify strategies to improve placement outcomes.     

Shared Family Care: Fostering the Whole Family to Promote Safety and Stability

ABSTRACT

Shared Family Care is an innovative child welfare service that temporarily places whole families in the homes of community mentors who, along with a team of professionals, help the families to obtain the skills and resources they need to move toward self-sufficiency and adequately care for their children. This article provides an overview of this model, identifies existing programs in the United States, discusses key elements of the model, summarizes outcomes and comparative cost information, identifies implementation challenges, and provides tips for starting a Shared Family Care program in any community.     

Familial Factors Associated With the Use of Multiple Child‐Care Arrangements

This study examined the use of multiple, concurrent, nonparental child‐care arrangements among children under 5 with employed mothers in the NICHD Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (N= 759). Older children, those primarily cared for in informal child care, those living in cohabitating or single‐parent households, and those whose mothers were employed for 40 or fewer hours per week were likely to be in multiple arrangements. Higher quality primary child‐care and lower maternal satisfaction with primary care predicted the subsequent use of multiple arrangements. Little support for income differences in selection into multiple arrangements was found. Findings highlight the importance of child‐care characteristics and structure in child‐care choice. Policy implications are discussed.     

Evolution of Residential Custody Arrangements in Separated Families

Summary

This study tracks the evolution of three types of residential custody arrangements over a two-year period: sole custody with the father (n = 59 children), sole custody with the mother (n = 69 children), and joint custody (n = 69 children). Three categories of change were defined: (a) no change, (b) minor change (changing the schedule of visits or residence with a parent), and (c) major change (changing the custody arrangement). The results show that a minority of children changed custody arrangement but almost half the children in joint custody changed custody arrangements during the two years of the study. More young children and more girls changed custody arrangements, and girls who changed custody usually went to their mothers. With time, a type of polarization may be observed toward sole custody because there were less parents truly active in child custody at T2 than at Tl.     

Child Abuse Investigation and Treatment for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Children

Abstract

Deaf children are more susceptible than other children to abuse in home and institutional settings. Many helping professionals are unaware of the unique vulnerabilities and needs of the deaf; this lack of awareness limits the effectiveness of their services to that population. Laws and ethical standards mandate that social workers and others use communication methods that deaf clients can understand; however, many human service agencies rely on less than adequate means of communication in child abuse investigations and other procedures. Such ineffective intervention practices fail to protect a vulnerable population of children who literally cannot speak for themselves.     

Performance measurement in child protection

Abstract

The increasing use of performance measurement by government means that child protection services are under pressure to demonstrate effectiveness in protecting children from harm and efficiency in the use of public funds to help children and families. From a policy perspective, the way performance measurement is conceptualised and implemented can have major consequences for service delivery. This paper examines key issues raised in the literature about performance measurement, the context for its introduction in child protection, how the concepts of effectiveness and efficiency are dealt with, how client outcomes are defined, and assumptions about ‘good performance’. An overview of performance measurement in child protection in Australia is provided. The paper argues that a critical approach to performance measurement in child protection can contribute to improved service delivery to clients.     

Family preservation and child protection: The reality of Children's Court decision-making

Abstract

Ainsworth and Maluccio (Australian Social Work, December 1998) drew attention to the increased use of kinship care for children who need care away from their parents. This paper discusses the aim of family preservation, on which kinship care is predicated, and the challenges for legal decision-makers to meet this aim when children are before the courts in need of care and protection. It draws from findings of a study of magistrates' decision-making in child protection cases (Sheehan 1999). The paper provides examples of family situations that typically confront the Children's Court in Victoria and the court's response to them as it attempts to balance the importance of family ties and the reality of risk for a child; a reality that challenges valued beliefs about families and their ability to always care for their children.     

Significant Family Dynamics Related to Postdivorce Adjustment in Parents and Children

ABSTRACT

This study concentrates on the postdivorce adjustment of parents and children in families with shared parenting time arrangements. Thirty divorcing parents with children aged 12 to 59 months old were interviewed using a semistructured telephone interview regarding their early experiences in the divorce process. Findings showed that work–family balance issues were related to postdivorce parental adjustment for mothers. Interparental hostility was related to child alienation and paternal overnight stays. Length of time since physical separation was related to number of overnight stays. These results shed light on the early experiences of families with young children going through the divorce process.     

Incorporating the Principles of Scientifically Based Child Interviews into Family Law Cases

Abstract

In recent years, scientific work has been directed toward the evaluation of suspected sexually abused children. While in many ways this remains a controversial area, sound evidence has emerged regarding how children should be interviewed in order to enhance their ability to report their experience and as to avoid contamination of their memory. In this article, the authors take the position that the science is now sufficiently evolved so that such interviewing techniques can be applied to interviewing children in child custody evaluations.     

Permanency Planning for HIV/AIDS Affected Children

Abstract

As thousands of women are added to the surveillance data each year, the AIDS epidemic continues to be far reaching. And, as the number of infected women increase, there is an increase in the number of children affected by HIV. This article reviews the existing literature of AIDS affected children who have experienced or will experience the death of one or both parents as a result of HIV/AIDS. Approaches to culturally relevant, alternative permanency planning are examined which seek to serve as a guide for HIV-infected parents and human service providers.     

Mothers matter: A feminist perspective on child welfare-involved women

ABSTRACT

Mothers involved in child welfare services are often marginalized and misunderstood while the system focuses on protecting their children. These women are mothering within a context of poverty, violence, addictions, and racism, leaving them with minimal resources and supports. Using a feminist perspective, this article seeks to shift the common perception that children must always be regarded as needing to be protected from these mothers. Rather, a richer understanding of these women and more focus on attending to their needs may provide an added measure of safety and security for their children. An appreciation for the relationships central to these women’s experiences can provide child welfare workers with the ability to create strong working alliances and move families toward safe reunification.     

Impact of the Indian Ocean Tsunami on the Well-Being of Children

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the plight of the “tsunami generation” detailing the social and physical conditions after the disaster. Children are most vulnerable and need protection and clear and sustained support for rehabilitation. The social psychological recovery and protection of children are key concerns of child welfare and internal social service organisations. Policy and programmes should build on the people's resilience and provide the psychosocial and community support.     

The Family Team at Boston Healthcare for the Homeless Program: an integrated approach to care in outreach settings

Since 1986, the Family Team at Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program has implemented an integrated, inter-professional, team-based model of care to serve families experiencing homelessness. The Family Team employs key strategies delineated by the well-established Health Care for the Homeless model, which emphasizes the importance of outreach medicine and a case management “one-stop shop approach”. We include an account of a specific case where the Family Team’s unique model helped a refugee family in Massachusetts access medical and social services otherwise more difficult to obtain. The Family Team’s onsite presence in the hotel-shelter and the team-based approach facilitated diagnosis of and successful treatment for cervical cancer in a mother of eight children. This case report suggests that the Health Care for the Homeless model of care should be more widely adopted in order to best serve homeless families.

Abbreviations: Boston Health Care for the Homeless Program (BHCHP); Emergency Assistance (EA); Health Care for the Homeless (HCH); Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH)     

Abusers gaining custody in family courts: A case series of over turned decisions

Abstract

This article presents findings and recommendations based on an in-depth examination of records from 27 custody cases from across the United States. The goal of this case series was to determine why family courts may place children with a parent that the child alleges abused them rather than with the nonoffending parent. We focused on “turned around cases” involving allegations of child abuse that were at first viewed as false and later judged to be valid. The average time a child spent in the court ordered custody of an abusive parent was 3.2?years. In all cases we uncovered the father was the abusive parent and the mother sought to protect their child. Results revealed that initially courts were highly suspicious of mothers' motives for being concerned with abuse. These mothers were often treated poorly and two-thirds of the mothers were pathologized by the court for advocating for the safety of their children. Judges who initially ordered children into custody or visitation with abusive parents relied mainly on reports by custody evaluators and guardians ad litem who mistakenly accused mothers of attempting to alienate their children from the father or having coached the child to falsely report abuse. As a result, 59% of perpetrators were given sole custody and the rest were given joint custody or unsupervised visitation. After failing to be protected in the first custody determination, 88% of children reported new incidents of abuse. The abuse often became increasingly severe and the children's mental and physical health frequently deteriorated. The main reason that cases turned around was because protective parents were able to present compelling evidence of the abuse and back the evidence up with reports by mental health professionals who had specific expertise in child abuse rather than merely custody assessment.     

A Survey of Problematic Sexualized Behaviors of Children in the New York City Child Welfare System: Estimates of Problem,Impact on Services,and Need for Training

ABSTRACT

Forty-eight of 52 (92%) agencies contracted with the New York City Administration for Children's Services (ACS) responded to a survey about problematic sexualized behaviors (PSB) of children in different levels of care within the child welfare system. Results revealed that almost all agencies reported PSB within their foster boarding home and residential treatment centers. A majority of agencies perceived PSB to be a significant problem for which staff and families were not sufficiently trained. These findings highlight many avenues for advocacy, clinical intervention, and staff development.