I would like them to get where I never got to: Nonresident fathers' presence in the educational lives of their children

Through the lens of social role theory, provider role strain and father ‘presence’, a qualitative design was used to explore nonresident fathers' perceptions of their role in their children's education and the ways in which they are actively engaged in their children's educational lives. Findings revealed that nonresident fathers with diverse racial, educational and occupational backgrounds (N = 39, mean age = 35) experienced regret over not meeting their own educational goals and they attributed their inability to consistently support their children financially to their educational failures. These low to moderate income fathers hoped to prevent their children from experiencing the same disappointments and financial hardships that they did and consequently emphasized the importance of education to their children. Fathers reported being present in their children's educational lives as advisors, teachers and/or investors. As advisors, fathers encouraged their children to stay in school and to not make mistakes that might derail them from their educational goals. As teachers, fathers provided cognitive support. Finally, fathers aimed to invest in their children's education by saving money for their educational futures. Programs and policies that promote educational presence are likely to influence the educational outcomes of children with nonresident fathers. Recommendations includ educational savings accounts and an emphasis on educational engagement in responsible fatherhood policies and programs.     

The assessment of early trauma exposure on social-emotional health of young children

Children exposed to traumatic events (e.g., violence in the home, school, community) report more adverse physical and mental health outcomes than children who have not been exposed to trauma. Caregiver reports provide an opportunity for early identification of intervention needs to aid healthy development of children exposed to trauma. The goal of this study was to determine unique social-emotional profiles and examine how traumatic events vary across these developmental profiles among a sample of caregivers who live in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Caregivers (N = 223) provided responses regarding their young children's (aged 3 years through 5 years) social-emotional health. Latent Profile Analysis was used to develop three distinct social-emotional profiles: Typical Social-emotional Health (low-risk), Some Social-emotional Challenges (moderate-risk), and Social-emotional Problems (high-risk). Results revealed that children exposed to increased non-family-based traumatic events had a greater likelihood of being a member of the moderate-risk group, whereas children exposed to increased family-based traumatic events had a greater likelihood of being a member of the high-risk group than of the low-risk group. The high-risk group was more likely to consist of older children and girls as compared to the low-risk group. There were no significant differences across profiles relative to ethnicity, caregiver education, and income. This research may aid in early identification and the distribution of services to youth at risk for trauma exposure and highlight pathways of resiliency.     

Child Development Accounts,parental savings,and parental educational expectations: A path model

Parents' expectations for their children's education, and efforts to foster suitably positive expectations, are worthy of policy attention. Previous research indicates that early saving for a child's postsecondary education can foster and sustain high parental expectations, yet little is known about the operative mechanisms. This study presents analyses from a randomized experiment with Child Development Accounts (CDAs), a policy to encourage early financial investments for education and to shape parents' expectations concerning their young children's educational goals. Our research provides key evidence on whether parental account holding for children's college (a) has a positive impact on parents' expectations for their children's educational attainment and (b) mediates the CDA's effect on their educational expectations at an early stage in their child's development. We employ data from the SEED for Oklahoma Kids (SEED OK) experiment, the first randomized social experiment to test universal and progressive CDAs. We conduct a path analysis and a supplemental analysis with marginal structural models (n = 2160). We find that holding a college-savings account has a significant effect on parents' educational expectations for their children and that whether one holds an account mediates the effect of CDAs on such expectations. Findings suggest that CDAs may promote early parental financial investment and high expectations. Research and policy implications are discussed.     

Children's subjective well-being in rural communities of South Korea and the United States

The study examined subjective well-being of 10- to 12-year-old children from rural South Korea (n = 489) and rural United States (n = 1286) using the Children's Worlds Survey within the framework of the ecological, relationship-based model of children's subjective well-being. Applying Structural Equation Modeling to the analysis, a large proportion of the variance was explained and children's subjective well-being was predicted in both countries by microsystem factors of family relationships, parent involvement, and school quality, and individual factors of age (younger), and gender (male). Additional microsystem factors predicting subjective well-being were neighborhood quality in South Korea, and peer relationships in the United States, which may reflect contextual influences of collectivistic (South Korea) and individualistic (United States) macrosystems.     

Parental emotional warmth and psychological Suzhi as mediators between socioeconomic status and problem behaviours in Chinese children

ObjectiveThis study investigated psychological mechanisms underlying the relationship between family socioeconomic status (SES) and problem behaviours in Chinese children.MethodsParticipants were 1128 children (556 females) from two Chinese elementary schools, aged 8–13 years (M = 10.82, SD = 1.26), attending the 3rd–6th grades. Children provided self-report on parental emotional warmth and psychological suzhi, whereas parents reported on SES and problem behaviours.ResultsData analyses, including structural equation modelling (SEM)—employed to test a three-path mediation effect of parental emotional warmth and psychological suzhi after controlling for gender and grade—revealed that: (1) SES, parental emotional warmth, and psychological suzhi were negatively correlated with children's problem behaviours; (2) SES indirectly affected children's psychological suzhi through parental emotional warmth; (3) psychological suzhi mediated the relation between parental emotional warmth and problem behaviours; and (4) children belonging to families with low SES were less likely to receive emotional support from their parents. This significantly predicted low psychological suzhi levels, which in turn negatively affected problem behaviours.ConclusionsStrategies that help parents provide warmth and support and those that help children improve psychological suzhi may help reduce problem behaviours in vulnerable groups.     

The characteristics of delinquent behavior and predictive factors in Japanese children's homes

The purpose of this study was to examine the risk factors of delinquent behavior in children's homes in Japan and the co-occurrence of externalizing problem behavior and internalizing problem behavior. Eight hundred and nine children (436 boys, 373 girls were recruited from such homes. Childcare workers from these homes completed sets of questionnaires. Our results found significant relationships between delinquent behavior and gender [odds ratio (OR) = 1.66; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.16–2.38], age (OR = 1.25; 95% CI, 1.16–1.35), parent–child conflict (OR = 2.79; 95% CI, 1.45–5.36), neglect (OR = 1.43; 95% CI, 1.03–2.11), and aggressive behavior (OR = 1.10; 95% CI, 1.08–1.12). Results also showed externalizing problem behaviors and internalizing problem behaviors were associated with age (OR = 1.23; 95% CI, 1.08–1.41), thought problems (OR = 1.37; 95% CI, 1.17–1.59), attention problems (OR = 1.12; 95% CI, 1.02–1.23), and physical abuse (OR = 3.09; 95% CI, 1.64–5.83). Our study clarifies the predictive factors for delinquency and related internalizing behavior symptoms and externalizing behavior problems. These results indicate that children in children's homes have various problems and require multilevel intervention. Our findings may be used to improve current policies governing children's homes.     

Empowering children with safety-skills: An evaluation of the Kidpower Everyday Safety-Skills Program

Changes in child safety knowledge concerning bullying, boundary-setting, and help-seeking were evaluated after participation in the Kidpower Everyday Safety Skills Program (ESSP), a workshop designed to increase children's knowledge of safe choices. The program consisted of an in-school workshop, weekly follow-up sessions, and homework assignments over 10 weeks and included skills-training, parental involvement, and opportunities to practice safety skills. Third-grade students (n = 128) participated in pre- and post-tests of safety skills, and were compared to a comparison group (n = 110) that did not participate in the program. Findings indicate that students who participated had increases in safety knowledge (maintained over 3 months) greater than the comparison group. Additional assessments indicate that the program was implemented with high fidelity and both teachers and students found the program successful. Children's understanding of the competency areas boundary-setting, stranger safety, help-seeking, and maintaining calmness and confidence improved.     

Parenting and emotional well-being of adoptive school-aged children: The mediating role of attachment

This study focuses on the processes of adoptive parenting that affect children's emotional well-being. It aims to analyze the role of children's attachment as a mediator of the relationship between both parenting styles and parenting stress and children's positive and negative affect in adoptive families of school-aged children. The study included 322 Portuguese participants, divided into one group of adoptive parents (n = 135) and one comparison group of non-adoptive parents (n = 187); target-children were aged between 6 and 12 years. Self-report questionnaires were used to analyze the dimensions under study (parenting styles, parenting stress, children's attachment and children's emotional well-being). After conducting a preliminary analysis to identify potential differences between the adoptive and the non-adoptive parents, a mediation model was tested using the path analysis procedure. A baseline model was established, followed by a multi-group analysis in order to explore the model's invariance across the groups. Children's attachment mediated the relationship between parenting (styles and stress) and children's positive and negative affect. The multi-group analysis revealed that, for the adoptive group, both secure and anxious/ambivalent attachment mediated the association between parenting stress and negative affect; for the non-adoptive group, secure attachment was found to mediate the link between emotional warmth and positive affect. For both groups, the relationship between parenting stress and positive affect was mediated by secure attachment. Results pointed to the relevance of children's attachment in the association of parenting styles and parenting stress with children's emotional well-being. Moreover, differences concerning the mediation model emerged across the two groups, revealing that children's negative outcomes were better explained in the adoptive group. The results reinforce the importance of supporting adoptive parents after the adoption process.     

Social competence in Russian post-institutionalized children: A comparison of adopted and non-adopted children

The study examined the social skills of 92 Russian children (males = 64) adopted by Italian families. The children, aged between 8 and 14 years, were compared with a control group of children who grew up with the biological family. Evaluation by both parents and children of the children's social competence were investigated. The results showed that, according to the parents' reports, the adopted children had more problems in social functioning than peers in the control group, along with a greater propensity to use maladaptive behaviors such as Oppositive Behavior, Rule-Breaking Behavior, Aggressive Behavior and Externalization. By contrast, according to the children's assessments, the adopted children were less aggressive and used prosocial behaviors to a greater extent than children raised in the biological family. The views of the parents and the children about the children's aggressive behavior were mutually conflicting.Finally, the influence of adoption related variables on the social competence of children was examined. Contrary to our expectations, there were no significant relationships between social competence and age of adoption, the duration of institutionalization and the time spent in the adoptive family.     

Pathways of risk and resilience between neighborhood socioeconomic conditions and parenting

This study examined pathways between neighborhood socioeconomic conditions (concentrated affluence and poverty), neighborhood resources and collective efficacy, and three parenting behaviors: warmth, harshness, and physical aggression. Data were drawn from the 3-year-old cohort of the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, a neighborhood-based study (N = 999). Multilevel path models revealed that greater neighborhood affluence was indirectly associated with mothers' lower reports of physical aggression with their children via more neighborhood services for children, as reported by an independent sample of neighborhood residents. However, analyses using propensity score weights suggest the association between neighborhood affluence and parental aggression may be due to selection. Results are discussed with respect to implications for preventing child maltreatment.     

Child development in HIV-positive and HIV-affected children in South Africa and Malawi—What role for community organisations?

There is evidence that children who are HIV positive (HIV +) are at risk for poor developmental outcomes. The aims of this study were to use developmental screening tools to measure outcomes of children affected by HIV/AIDS attending community-based organisations (CBO) and to determine what types of CBO provision these children were receiving. In a cross-sectional study, we interviewed 979 children and their carers (4 to 13 years) at 28 randomly selected CBOs funded by 11 major donors in South Africa and Malawi. Developmental outcomes were assessed using the Ten Questions childhood disability screening tool and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Health-related quality of life was measured using the Paediatric Quality of Life Scale. Overall, 13.8% (n = 135) were HIV +. HIV + children were more likely to have developmental difficulties and lower health and educational quality of life, controlling for a range of factors. Developmental difficulties and poorer quality of life were predicted by being HIV +, living in South Africa, not attending school regularly, poor housing conditions and living with a sick family member. HIV + children tended to have been enrolled in CBO programmes for a longer period compared to other children but reported lower rates of contact. A greater proportion of HIV + children received medical services, psychosocial interventions and emotional support, compared to HIV − children. However, fewer HIV + children were enrolled in play groups, early childhood intervention programmes and educational programmes. Screening for developmental problems using short tools is possible in community settings in order to identify children with developmental difficulties and plan services for children infected with and affected by HIV. This study highlights the important role of CBOs to intervene to improve child development outcomes. The delivery of evidence-based services that target child development outcomes will enable HIV-infected children to meet their developmental potential and promote their participation in their communities.     

Perspectives on disclosure among children living with HIV in India

BackgroundFollowing the widespread uptake of anti-retroviral therapy (ART), young children living with HIV are entering adolescence and beyond, necessitating disclosure of HIV status. However, few studies have described children's experiences following disclosure.MethodsWe assessed disclosure status among children attending HIV clinics at two tertiary-care centers in southern India. Children who had disclosure were administered a pre-tested questionnaire assessing their knowledge about HIV, ART, experiences following disclosure, perceived stigma and ideas about their future. The association of the children's responses with social desirability bias was examined using a modified social desirability scale.ResultsTwenty-four caregiver-child dyads participated in this study. They constituted a subset of children who had been told of their HIV diagnosis from a larger study of 247 dyads. Mean age at disclosure was 10.9 ± 2.5 years. Medical personnel were responsible for disclosure to 14 children, parents/caregivers to 3 children, both medical and care personnel together to 4 children and other relatives to remaining 3 children. Disclosure was met with acceptance by one-third of the children. Despite disclosure, five children did not know how HIV spreads, and three were unaware about how infection could be prevented. Notwithstanding their positive status, 20 children felt that they were treated well at school and by their immediate relatives, although 11 children mentioned that they needed to hide while taking ART. Social desirability bias did not play a role in the responses given by these children.ConclusionsThe rate of disclosure of HIV status among children living with HIV in India was low, even among older children. Most children accepted their status, but knowledge about HIV and ART was inadequate. Disclosure was predominantly performed by medical personnel, rather than the primary caregiver. Incorporating disclosure into the care process for older children is likely to be beneficial, and should be recognized as an iterative process with a need for incorporating cultural sensitivities and a comprehensive approach to health education.     

Aggressive behaviors among Korean children in out-of-home care: The role of placement characteristics

Using data from the Korean Panel Study on Children in Out-of-Home Care, this study examined the impact of placement characteristics on aggressive behaviors among children in out-of-home care by placement type. The sample was divided into three groups based on placement type: institutional care (n = 118), group homes (n = 95), and foster care (n = 212). Results from hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that the length of stay in out-of-home care significantly influenced aggressive behaviors amongst children in institutional care, such that increased duration of out-of-home care decreased the level of aggressive behaviors. Perceptions of stigma/discrimination also significantly influenced aggressive behaviors displayed by children in institutional and foster care. Children with a higher perception of stigma/discrimination were more likely to exhibit severe aggressive behaviors than were their counterparts. On the other hand, placement characteristics had no significant influence on aggressive behaviors of children in group homes. The study findings suggest that children's mental health problems and disabilities should be considered during the placement procedure and interventions focusing on decreasing stigmatization should be developed and provided for children in out-of-home care.     

A comparison of outcomes for children and youth in foster and residential group care across agencies

Working collaboratively with two state associations and their member (nonprofit) agencies providing out-of-home care to children and youth, University researchers conducted a multi-site project to examine whether there were any differences in individual child-level outcomes between children placed in residential group care and those placed in foster. The study employed a quasi-experimental repeated measures design, with data collected at a minimum of two intervals (at intake and 3-month follow-up) and at subsequent intervals of 6 and 12 months for children remaining in care. Samples for analyses were drawn from 1082 youth in either residential group care (n = 903) or foster care (n = 179), in one of 37 agency sites across two southeastern states, who participated in a broader evaluation project. The average ages of participating youth in residential and foster care were 13.97 (SD = 2.43) and 13.65 (SD = 2.73), respectively. Based on his or her score on the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) at intake, each participant was also assigned to the low functioning group (n = 526; 53.1%), the borderline group (n = 232; 23.4%), or the high functioning group (n = 232; 23.4%). Analyses confirmed that youth in foster care tended to have higher levels of general functioning at baseline than did youth placed in group care. However, the degree to which youth progressed in care on measures of general functioning and mental and behavioral health problems did not differ based on placement setting; youth in residential group care settings progressed at the same rate as youth in community-based settings, regardless of their level of functioning at intake. The only exception to this pattern was in regard to anxiety; there was an observable, but non-significant trend of youth in foster care reporting decreases in anxiety levels, while those in group care reported increased anxiety.     

Drivers of change: Examining the effects of gender equality on child nutrition

India has the world's highest burden of child undernutrition. Lack of income is considered as one of its primary causes. However, evidence suggests that despite steady economic growth and investments in social services directed towards child welfare, undernutrition rates continue to rise. Thus indicating, that there are other societal factors impacting child undernutrition. Previous studies indicate that countries with higher gender inequality have worse health outcomes for women and children. India, particularly in the northern states, has deep-rooted gender biases, leading to disproportionately worse outcomes for women and children. This study uses cross sectional data from the India National Family Health Survey Round-3 (NFHS-3) to examine the immediate and underlying effect of gender inequality on child nutritional status. The sample includes urban married women between 15 and 49 years (N = 9092) who have at least one living child between 0 and 5 years. Findings highlight the significant effect of autonomy and health related awareness on child nutritional status, when the relationship is mediated by maternal health. Implications for policy and practice are provided.     

Keeping it in the family: The impact of a Family Finding intervention on placement,permanency, and well-being outcomes

Child-centered recruitment via Family Finding has gained national attention as an approach to search, discover, and engage kin and fictive kin to support the attachment and permanency needs of children in foster care. However, despite its promise it has received scant attention in the empirical literature. The current study compared the outcomes of a front-end Family Finding intervention (n = 196) and a comparison group (n = 262) among children in foster care in Cook County Illinois between the ages of 6 and 13. Results showed that there were no differences between the intervention and comparison group on reunification rates, placement stability, or on longitudinal externalizing behavior and internalizing symptoms. However, the intervention found close to 75% more relatives than the control group, and many of these relatives were significant figures in the children's lives. The intervention was also associated with a higher proportion of relative placements to total placements for a subgroup of children with five or more placements. Further, the effect of the intervention on this proportion (relative placements to total placements) was mediated by the greater number of relatives found in the intervention. Finally, the intervention was associated with relatively better Concurrent Planning. These results suggest that Family Finding has the potential to impact proximal outcomes related to discovery, engagement and planning but is currently not impacting more distal outcomes such as permanency and well-being. Family Finding approaches should continue to innovate, possibly through integration with psychosocial interventions, to affect more distal variables such as well-being outcomes.     

Is child protective services effective?

A number of studies have concluded that there is little observable connection between CPS involvement and improved outcomes for children and families. Evidence of CPS effectiveness is complicated by the presence of selection bias and difficulty controlling for confounding. To understand outcomes by group and intervention effects, comparable groups are necessary and difficult to ascertain using CPS administrative case record data. This study examines the causal effect of CPS involvement on the likelihood of future maltreatment using administrative case management records from July 1, 2010 and June 30, 2011. The current study accounts for differences in pre-existing condition between groups to establish sound estimates of CPS involvement effects. Logistic regression models were used to examine the difference in subsequent substantiated investigation between families with comparable risk and differing service recommendation (p = 0.83), recurrence among families with comparable risk, the same service recommendation that did or did not receive services (p = 0.83). Hazard models were used to explore risk of substantiated investigation among families with comparable risk and differing service recommendation (p = 0.77). Results indicate receipt of CPS services had no observable effect on recurrence of maltreatment overall and among families with similar levels of risk of recurrence. Further inquiry into worker attributes, decision-making, types of and quality of services offered to families could help explain the effective, or ineffectiveness, or services.     

Internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems of American Indian children in the child welfare system

Children involved in the child welfare system display elevated or clinically significant behavioral problems. However, there is a dearth of literature on the behavioral problems of American Indian children following child welfare involvement. Grounded in Patterson's Family Adjustment and Adaptation Response theory, this study fills that gap. Baseline, 18-month, and 36-month follow-up data from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being were utilized. The sample (n = 3498) consisted of American Indian, African American, and Caucasian children ages 2–16 at baseline (M = 8.13 years old, SD = 3.85) and 51.7% were female. Nearest neighbor propensity score matching analyses were used to estimate the effect of race on clinically significant internalizing and externalizing behavioral problems. Findings suggest that although externalizing behavioral problems do not differ based on race after controlling for other important factors, internalizing behavioral problems do differ. American Indian children are more likely to display clinically significant internalizing behavioral problems.     

Parents' perceptions of juvenile probation: Relationship and interaction with juvenile probation officers,parent strategies,and youth's compliance on probation

In the past several years, there has been a growing movement toward family-driven initiatives in many child-serving agencies, including the juvenile justice system. These initiatives underscore the importance of parental involvement in successful rehabilitation of at-risk and offending youth and highlight the unique role of parents to influence and inspire their child's behavior. Despite a growing consensus on the importance of parental involvement in juvenile justice processes, little empirical research has explored the nature of parental involvement in the juvenile justice system. This study examined parents' (n = 87) perceptions of relationship quality and interaction with probation officers, parenting strategies, and how these factors related to youth's compliance on probation. Findings revealed that parents generally had positive relationships with probation officers characterized as supportive, fair, respectful, and helpful toward youth. Most parents also employed practices such as use of reminders and encouragement to promote youth's compliance on probation. Parents' perceptions of probation officers' helpfulness toward youth were associated with decreased used of parenting practices that encourage probation compliance. However, parents' perceptions of supportive, respectful, and fair relationships with probation officers were associated with increased use of parenting practices that promote probation compliance. Supportive, fair, and respectful relationships with probation officers were also linked to fewer counts of technical violations of probation, but not new delinquent offenses, among offending youth. Implications for research, practice, and policy around the potential of collaborative relationships between parents and probation officers in facilitating successful probation outcomes are discussed.     

Neighborhood poverty and children's food insecurity

Food insecurity among children and their families negatively affects children's health and well-being. While the link between household resources and food insecurity is well-established, family income alone does not explain food insecurity; neighborhood disadvantage, shown to affect other areas of children's development, may also play a role in food insecurity. This study examines associations between neighborhood poverty and children's food insecurity, and whether family characteristics account for identified associations. We merge data on kindergarten-age children from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten 2010–11 Cohort (ECLS-K:2011) with data on poverty rates from the American Community Survey (ACS) and on food access from the USDA's Food Environment Atlas using children's residential census tracts (N = 12.550 children in 3750 tracts). Using a series of multilevel models, we test for associations between neighborhood poverty, household economic, demographic, and parenting characteristics, and food insecurity at the child, adult, and household levels. Children living in higher-poverty neighborhoods are more likely to experience food insecurity than those in lower-poverty neighborhoods. Associations between neighborhood poverty and household- and adult-level food insecurity disappear when household characteristics are controlled. However, living in a very high poverty neighborhood remains predictive of child-level food insecurity, which may be an indicator of severe hardship. Findings indicate that neighborhood poverty may be a useful proxy to identify vulnerable children.