流浪儿童保护中心服务拓展研究——以南京市为例

我国的流浪儿童数量呈上趋势。但目前的救助多从矫正流浪儿童的偏差行为入手,以遣送回家为最终目的,并没有真正保护儿童的切身利益。笔者通过在南京流浪儿童保护中心的实证案例调查,用ERG需求理论和优点视角进行分析,从而提出了中心可以开展的新服务,包括对原生家庭的关注和儿童本身的培训等,力图对南京流浪儿童保护中心的实际工作有所帮助和借鉴。     

The Effect of Infancy Childcare Center Use and Maternal Employment on Toddlers’ Language Development in South Korea

Using first to fourth wave data of the Panel Study of Korean Children (PSKC), this study explores the effects of childcare center use, maternal employment, and other child and familial characteristics on the language development of toddlers in Korea. Among the 2078 families with children in the PSKC, those who completed the Receptive and Expressive Vocabulary Test at the fourth wave were selected, and a small number of disabled or prematurely born children were excluded. In addition, to clarify the effects of maternal employment, families with mothers who were either employed or unemployed for three consecutive years during the child's infancy were selected. Regression analysis showed that neither childcare center use nor maternal employment during infancy had significant effects on toddlers’ expressive and receptive vocabulary at the fourth wave. Family characteristics, such as household poverty and maternal education level, as well as child characteristics, such as gender and birth order, had significant effects on expressed vocabulary. However, only children's gender significantly affected the receptive vocabulary level of toddlers.     

Identification of children from alcohol-affected homes

As the background for an improved basis for relevant intervention in favour of children in families with alcohol problems, 208 day-care centres in the Municipality of Copenhagen with children between the ages 0–6 years received a questionnaire on children attending the centre. Two data collection methods were used, yielding two sets of data: the first consists of staff-generated data from 136 centres with a total of 5,929 children and the second of manager-generated data from 43 centres with a total of 1,942 children. In the staff-generated material, 59% of the centres identified children coming from families with alcohol problems and 24% of the centres knew of families with three or more such children. A total of 215 children corresponding to 3.6% of all children enrolled at a day-care centre were identified by the centres' staff. In the manager-generated material, 2.3% of the enrolled children were recognised as living in families with alcohol problems. Considerable variation by district was found regarding the day-care centre staff's recognition of children coming from families with alcohol problems. The nurseries had by far the lowest level of recognition. Possible explanations are discussed. In the concluding discussion, some possible reasons are presented for the discrepancy between the estimates of the current study and those of other studies concerning alcohol problems in families with children in general. Proposals are made for strengthening day-care centres' capacity and role in early identification of and intervention with families with alcohol problems.     

A Comparison of Subsidized Guardianship and Child Welfare Adoptive Families Served by the Illinois Adoption and Guardianship Preservation Program

Abstract

This study compares the outcomes of 113 subsidized guardianship families and 733 child welfare adoptive families served by a therapeutic counseling program for adoptive/guardianship families at risk of child placement or dissolution. No significant differences are found in the percentage of children in placement at the end of services or the level or parental commitment to their children. Children in subsidized guardianship families are more likely to be minority children who are older at removal from their birth families and at placement with their current families. Also they are less likely to have a history of abuse than children in adoptive families.     

Helping families where parents misuse drugs or alcohol? A mixed methods comparative evaluation of an intensive family preservation service

Option 2 is an intensive family preservation service for families with serious child protection concerns related to parental misuse of drugs or alcohol. A previous evaluation indicated that it reduced the number of children entering care and, as a result, produced cost savings; however, little data were gathered from families. This study involved interviews with 15 families (46 children) who had received the service, and a comparison group of 12 families (28 children) referred but not provided the service due to no workers being available. Outcomes and experiences were compared, on average, 5.6 years following referral. Findings included a significant reduction in children entering care, and improvements in relation to substance misuse, parental well‐being and family cohesion. There was no difference in emotional and behavioural welfare of children. Qualitative accounts were very positive about the impact of the service, identifying effective engagement of parents and key elements of good practice in supporting families to change. The findings provide additional support for suggesting that high quality, intensive interventions with families affected by parental substance misuse can be effective. Key lessons for current attempts to deal with the increase in children entering care and the English government's ‘troubled families’ initiative are considered.     

The impact of poverty and immigrant background on children's school satisfaction: evidence from Norway

Children's school enjoyment and satisfaction with their teachers is crucial to their quality of life. Still, we have little knowledge about what shapes positive outcomes in this respect, and to what extent groups of children and youth differ from each other. This article compares immigrant children with Norwegian children from low-income families and with a reference group of children from normal-income families. The children were interviewed at age 10–12 years, and again at age 13–15 years; thus, we can follow changes over time. Immigrant children from income-poor families express significantly higher school and teacher satisfaction than any other category of 10–12-year-olds. However, for the 13–15-year-olds, there are no systematic differences between group averages, but there are more signs of polarisation among low-income immigrant children. Explanations for these patterns are sought in the literature on social capital in immigrant families.     

Are children in foster care in better psychological health than children in institutions? What factors influence the outcome?

The aim of this study was to compare the psychological health of children in foster care with that of children in institutional care. Social workers were asked to assess the psychological health of the children as well as several other criteria on the basis of an analysis grid. Our sample consisted of 568 children placed in foster care and 661 children placed in institutions. Our results show that children in care who lived longer with their birth parents have a lower psychological health. Furthermore, the psychological health of children in residential care is lower than children placed in foster families. As children in institution are placed later than children in foster families, this may partially explain the lower psychological health of children in residential care. As a result, children in residential care have experienced more abuse and neglect and witnessed more domestic violence than children in foster care. In addition, children in residential care have more poor-quality contacts with their birth parents than children in foster family. These contacts negatively influence their psychological health. Finally, the factor that most influences the psychological health of children in care is the quality of the relationship with the people who care for them on a daily basis. Again, children placed in foster families have better-quality relationships with their foster families than children placed in institutions.     

Understanding and negotiating identity: Children from cross-community families in public care in Northern Ireland

In Northern Ireland, most research on the impact upon children of living through the ‘troubles’ and in a divided society has assumed that children are from either the Catholic or Protestant community. There has been very little research with children from cross‐community families who have one parent from a Catholic background and one from a Protestant background. It is known, however, that these children are over‐represented in the public care system in Northern Ireland. The study reported in this paper addresses this gap in knowledge by exploring the experiences and views of children from cross‐community families who are in public care in Northern Ireland. The study has key messages for the development of services for looked after children from cross‐community families, if these are to be delivered in accordance with legislative duties in Northern Ireland and in an anti‐sectarian manner.     

Play and Social Interaction in Children Following Divorce

This paper presents the results of a longitudinal study of the effects of divorce on play and social interaction in children. Forty-eight middle class white preschool children from divorced families and a matched group of forty-eight non divorced families were studied at 2 months, 1 year and 2 years after divorce. In the first year following divorce disruptions were found in both play and social relations for boys and girls from divorced families. The adverse effects had largely disappeared for girls by two years after divorce; however, the effects were more intense and enduring for boys. The play patterns of children from divorced families, in comparison to those of children in non divorced families, were less socially and cognitively mature when measured shortly after divorce. Limitations and rigidity in fantasy play were particularly notable. In the year following divorce both boys and girls showed high rates of dependent helpseeking behavior and acting out, non-compliant behavior. This again was more enduring in boys than girls. Even when the behavior of boys from divorced families had improved they were viewed and responded to more negatively by peers and teachers than were children from non divorced families or girls from divorced families.     

Supporting families living with parental substance misuse: the M‐PACT (Moving Parents and Children Together) programme

The Moving Parents and Children Together (M‐PACT) programme is one of the growing number of interventions tailored to meet the multiple and complex needs of children and families affected by parental substance misuse. This paper pulls together the qualitative findings from 13 evaluated M‐PACT programmes in England. Sixty‐four families attended an M‐PACT programme, including 82 children and 75 adults. Qualitative data were collected from 37 children, 36 adults and over 30 group facilitators. Six themes are discussed: engaging with M‐PACT, shared experiences, understanding addiction, changes in communication, healthier and united families, and ending M‐PACT. The majority of families benefitted in a range of ways from the programme: meeting others who were experiencing similar problems, greater understanding about addiction and its impact on children and families improving communication within the family. In many families there was more openness and honesty, stronger relationships and more time as families, and a reduction in arguments and conflict. The key findings are discussed in terms of the potential for interventions of this kind to reduce family‐related harm from parental substance misuse.     

The role of social transfers in mitigating families with children from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic

In this study, we investigated the household income of families with children. Our specific interest was the earned income losses during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how social transfers have mitigated those losses. We assessed the monthly income levels by comparing the information on the year prior to pandemic to income levels during COVID-19 pandemic. We found that the pandemic affected all studied subgroups of families with children, with the most negative economic influence in May 2020. In addition, our results indicate that in Finland the social transfers protected fairly well against the negative economic impacts of the pandemic among families with children, especially among vulnerable families (those with lowest income level prior COVID-19, with low parental education, single-parent families and families with non-Finnish-born parents). The information gained from this analysis can be useful in economic recovery during and after COVID-19 pandemic, and when preparing for future challenges.     

Social Background and Placement Course – The Case of Denmark

The scope of this article, founded on a nationwide survey in Denmark, is first to describe the social characteristics of families with a child placed outside home, and, further, to examine whether differences in regard to the parents' social background are correlated with different placement courses. A range of hypotheses on the correlation between social background and the course of placement are examined. It appears, for example, that children from low-resource families come into contact with the social system earlier, and are placed outside the home at an earlier age than children from high-resource families. Low-resource children are more often placed in foster care, and are more often subject to contact restrictions. The article discusses whether these differences reflect a socio-cultural discrimination. Secondly, a discussion is raised whether the supportive measures available are adequate in relation to the serious problems of the families concerned.     

Everything for the Children: Orphans Growing Up in Informal Adoptive Families in China

Most orphaned children in China are cared for by their extended families or become state wards under the guardianship of child welfare institutions. Some exceptions are children who are found and cared for by families in the community, without a formalized adoption or foster relationship. In some locations, institutions now accept guardianship for these children and support the informal adoptive family to continue to care for them. This article examines the outcomes for these children as they became young adults by comparing these 12 children raised within the system as they approach or have approached young adulthood (now aged 16–40 years-old). Some of the participants were either informally adopted or lived in institutional care. The results of this study found that the family environment was more conducive to the young people’s wellbeing as they approached or entered adulthood. The participants raised in informal care appeared to be treated similar to the biological children in these families. When the institution formalized the state guardianship responsibility, it also meant the families had state resources for support to protect the children’s rights to economic security, education, health care, and social participation. This practice by the institution supported the addition of informal adoption, as one step closer to permanency than foster care. Future implications include considering this option to help promote the family system assisting these children, families, and the state.     

Short-term care for children

Research into short-term care services for children has largely concerned provision for disabled children and their families: a reflection of the greater development of services for disabled children than their non-disabled peers. This paper describes the range of services in the UK, identifies current gaps in provision as well as some of the factors that affect uptake and user satisfaction with services. It concludes with a summary of current issues of concern for practitioners and policy-makers, including the importance of making services more child-centred and attractive to a wider cross-section of families.     

Contact between birth parents and children in kinship care in a sample from Spain

Within the context of kinship care, the main objectives of this work are to study the characteristics of contact between foster children and their birth parents, and their relationship with key variables of fostering, the children and their kinship caregivers. The sample included 189 children from Spain and their kinship families. A semi‐structured placement interview and two scales relating to the child–caregiver relationship and child's psychological adjustment were used with the kinship families. The results revealed a significant percentage of foster children who had no family contact. Various visit types, frequencies and durations were described. Kinship care with contact, compared with placements without contact, was frequently characterized by the absence of professional supervision, and an affectionate child–caregiver relationship; moreover, children with contact were perceived to have fewer serious behaviour and socio‐emotional problems and a greater probability of family reunification. The regression analysis showed that the main predictors for how caregivers assessed contact were the children's emotional reaction during visits and the quality of the relationship between the kinship families and the birth parents. These results suggest the need for further research about contact, which will certainly have a major impact on professional intervention with these families.     

Efficacy and agency among poor families with and without children

Families with children and living in poverty are vulnerable to decreased control over their lives and the ability to act in self‐interest. While having children may reduce efficacy among these families, their presence may also, in turn, increase their resilience. Using cross‐sectional data from n= 194 poor families in Southeastern USA, this study compares the constructs of self‐efficacy and agency between families with and without children. Results showed that among families with children, lack of agency was negatively correlated with self‐efficacy Δχ² (1, n= 194) = 12.65, P < 0.001, r=?0.37. Implications are directed towards practice and policy that may increase the efficacy and agency of poor families with children.     

Children in Female-Headed Families

Census data on black and white children in female-headed and two-parent families in California are examined. Contextual analysis, extended through a recently developed application of regression analysis, is used to separate the group, or ecological, from the individual level effects of race. It is concluded that, for the most part, individual level effects account for female-headed families among whites but that the interaction between child's race and the racial composition of the county is responsible for the increasing difference between blacks and whites in the proportion of children in female-headed families as the proportion of black children increases.     

Lapsele Oma Kodu (bringing abandoned children home): a project from Tallinn, Estonia to reunite institutionalized children with families

In 1993 it was estimated that there were approximately 2000 children in 64 institutions in Estonia. Children in Estonia and in other central and eastern European countries are often removed from their homes and placed in institutions in order to ensure that their basic physical needs will be met. Lapsele Oma Kodu is a project that was initiated in Estonia in 1993 to (a) train social workers and homemakers to provide family services to reunite institutionalized children with families; (b) return home a minimum of 50 institutionalized children; (c) demonstrate a model family support program; and (d) influence public opinion and child welfare policy in Estonia. Between April 1993 and June 1994, services were provided to 150 families (including 187 children). A total of 101 children have been removed from institutions and placed with biological, foster or adoptive families. An additional 19 children have been able to remain with their families through preventive services. This article presents data from the first 15 months of project activities that can be useful to other countries in central and eastern Europe initiating similar family service programs in the post-Soviet era.     

Building a Tailored,Multilevel Prevention Strategy to Support Children and Families Affected by Parental Incarceration

ABSTRACT

During the past several decades, a wave of incarceration engulfed the United States. In the wake of this “mass incarceration” are children and families who continue to struggle from its impact. Although findings are now emerging on the impacts of incarceration, there are few studies that have examined how to best intervene to promote positive development for those children who have had a parent incarcerated. While there are common risks and challenges faced by children and their families, the significant variation between and among these individuals and their relationships highlights the challenges in finding solutions. Given the number of issues at play, it is clear that a “one-size-fits-all” approach to addressing child needs is not sufficient. This article examines some of the common challenges faced by families impacted by parental incarceration as well as existing interventions designed to help support children and families overcome these challenges. It then offers some potential directions for the field to move, to develop a prevention strategy that meets the needs within the population and leads to better outcomes for the children of incarcerated parents, their families, and their communities.