The health and development of children whose mothers are on methadone maintenance

The health and development of a group of children aged 3-7 years born to and reared by mothers who abused opiates when pregnant and who remain on methadone maintenance was compared to a group of age and socially matched control children. There was no difference between the two groups in terms of health and development although the children whose mothers were on methadone had smaller head circumference measurements than the controls. More than half of the index children had been on the child protection register during infancy; all but one were off the register at the time of the study. The results suggest that drug-abusing women who are on methadone maintenance and attending a drug dependency unit may rear and care for their children as well as parents from a similar social background who are not drug abusers.     

Mother–Infant Interaction and Child Brain Morphology: A Multidimensional Approach to Maternal Sensitivity

Emerging research suggests that normative variation in parenting quality relates to children's brain development. However, although the young brain is presumed to be especially sensitive to environmental influence, to our knowledge only two studies have examined parenting quality with infants as it relates to indicators of brain development, and both were cross‐sectional. This longitudinal study investigated whether different components of maternal sensitivity in infancy predicted the volume of two brain structures presumed to be particularly sensitive to early experience, namely the amygdala and the hippocampus. Three dimensions of sensitivity (Cooperation/Attunement, Positivity, Accessibility/Availability) were observed in 33 mother–infant dyads at 1 year of age and children underwent structural magnetic resonance imaging at age 10. Higher maternal Accessibility/Availability during mother–infant interactions was found to be predictive of smaller right amygdala volume, while greater maternal positivity was predictive of smaller bilateral hippocampal volumes. These longitudinal findings extend those of previous cross‐sectional studies and suggest that a multidimensional approach to maternal behavior could be a fruitful way to further advance research in this area, given that different facets of parenting might be differentially predictive of distinct aspects of neurodevelopment.     

Parental substance abuse and the development of children in family foster care

To determine the impact of parental substance abuse on children, the cognitive skills and behavior ratings of 268 school-age children placed in family foster care were examined. As a group, the children in family foster care presented with low average cognitive skills and made significant improvement in cognitive functioning during placement. The children with prenatal exposure to drugs scored significantly lower in cognitive skills at the beginning of placement but made significantly more progress than the other children during placement. Behavior ratings by the foster parents and teachers revealed that 29% of the children had scores in the significant range, and the children exposed prenatally to drugs had a higher incidence of behavior problems at school compared to family foster care peers. Recommendations for further study of these factors and for enhancing outcomes for children in care are provided.     

The children of alcoholics: An exploratory study

This study explored the relation of parents alcoholism to the health, behavior, and learning problems of their children. To control for the impact of hospitalization on the children, two control samples were obtained. In general, the problems among children of alcoholics were the same as for children in the control group except in the area of behavioral problems. The implication of these results for further research and for clinical practice were discussed.     

Composition and conservation value of bird assemblages of urban ‘habitat islands’: Do pedestrian traffic and landscape variables exert an influence?

Urban forest fragments can potentially be ‘habitat islands’ for native birds, but pedestrian traffic could influence the composition and conservation value of their bird assemblages by reducing the representation of disturbance-sensitive species. Winter bird assemblages and pedestrian traffic rates were documented in twelve forested parks in suburban Melbourne, Australia. Native birds comprised 87% of sightings, but two exotic species were common. Bird species' distribution among the parks was significantly nested. However, park rank orders for bird assemblage nestedness and mean pedestrian traffic rate were not correlated and only one species' distribution was nested with respect to this variable. The observed correlation between park area and bird assemblage nestedness may have been partly due to passive sampling. Degree of isolation of parks influenced nestedness less than park area. Forested parks provided habitat for species that occur at intermediate to low densities in other suburban habitats and for ecological specialists otherwise rare in suburbia. Larger parks contained more species than, and many of the native species found in, smaller parks. However, smaller parks each had 25% of the native bird species inhabiting the suite of fragments and thus had both aesthetic value and some potential to enhance city-dwellers' awareness about biodiversity conservation.     

Dependent Adult Children and Elder Abuse

This study investigates quantitatively and qualitatively the characteristics of dependent adult children in substantiated cases of elder abuse. The data come from the Wisconsin elder abuse reporting system in which 204 substantiated cases of abuse by an adult child were reported during an 18 month period. Quantitative analysis indicated that financially dependent adult children were under the age of 40, lived with the elder, and had problems related to alcohol and drugs. The qualitative analysis of 14 case records showed that a second but smaller group of adult children were dependent because of problems related to mental illness. This analysis of case records revealed substantial depression among this population of abused elders. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Does poor weight gain identify children in need?

To determine the socioeconomic variables in children with slow growth (failure to thrive), a case–control study was carried out in two economically deprived areas of Newcastle upon Tyne. Three hundred and six children, aged 12–24 months, registered at two health authority clinics, were studied by reviewing their growth charts. Sixty-three had poor growth (weight deviating downwards across two major centiles from the maximum centile attained at 4–8 weeks of age). Five children were excluded because of known organic disease. A matched control group of normally growing children was selected from the same clinics. Study children and controls were examined and their parents interviewed on a range of socioeconomic, health and interactional factors. A health visitor assessment and a record of social work contact was obtained. The slowly growing children differed significantly from controls in being lighter and shorter, while their mothers spent less on food, needed more help with the child, had a poorer home environment and expressed greater concern over their child's health. Four different patterns of poor growth were identified by inspection of the charts: early onset (before 6 months but sustained), late onset (after 6 months), temporary and recurrent. The ‘recurrent’ group was associated with parenting difficulties and the ‘late onset’ group with adverse socioeconomic factors. Slow growth patterns in children under 2 years may be used as a screening tool to identify ‘children in need’ and should be sought on a population basis. Those identified can then be assessed further to ascertain the area where underlying difficulties lie, for intervention to follow as appropriate.     

Placement of children in out-of-home care in Québec,Canada: When and for whom initial out-of-home placement is most likely to occur

This study contributes to the growing child protection placement literature by providing the first Canadian provincial longitudinal study examining when and for whom initial out-of-home placement is most likely to occur. Anonymized clinical-administrative child protection data were merged with the 2006 Canadian Census data for the province of Québec, and the final dataset included 127,181 children investigated for maltreatment for the first time between April 1, 2002 and March 31, 2010. Cox proportional hazard results indicate that the vast majority of investigated children do not experience a placement, but for the others, placement tends to occur immediately following the maltreatment investigation with only a slight increase in risk over time. The increased risk of placement for younger children aged 0 to 9 years was statistically explained by a combination of male gender, behavioral problems, parents' high risk lifestyles, hospital referral, the number of investigations and neighborhood area socioeconomic disadvantages. The increased risk of placement for older children aged 10 to 17 years was statistically explained by a combination of behavioral problems, police reporting, the number of investigations and neighborhood area socioeconomic disadvantages. Neighborhood area socioeconomic disadvantages significantly contributed to the increased risk of out-of-home placement for all children, but this factor is most influential when it comes to younger children.     

Determinants of bilingualism among children: an econometric analysis

This paper analyzes the determinants of bilingualism (i.e., speaks a language other than English at home) among children age 5–18 years in the American Community Survey, 2005–2011. Two groups of children are considered: those born in the US (native born) and foreign-born children who immigrated prior to age 14 (the 1.5 generation). The analyses are conducted overall, within genders, and within racial and ethnic groups. Bilingualism is more prevalent if the parents are foreign born, less proficient in English, of the same ancestry (linguistic) group, and if the child lives in an ethnic (linguistic) concentration area. Although the effects are relatively smaller, a foreign-born grandparent living in the household increases child bilingualism, while a higher level of parental education tends to decrease it. Children of Asian and Hispanic origin are more likely to be bilingual than their white, non-Hispanic counterparts.     

Paternal involvement in kinship foster care services in one father and multiple father families

Using data from case records and from questionnaires completed by caseworkers, this article describes contact between 132 fathers of children in kinship foster care and their caseworkers over a period of 12 months, and the fathers' involvement in permanency planning for their children. The data indicate that most fathers had no contact with the caseworkers during the period under study and had never participated in planning. Analysis revealed that paternal involvement varied significantly by the child's family composition. Fathers of two or more children from a one-father family were most involved, while fathers of one child from a multiple-father family were least involved. Possible explanations for the findings are identified, and implications for practice and research are presented.     

Subsequent child protection contact for a cohort of children reported to child protection prenatally in one Australian jurisdiction

Repeated reporting to child protection is common. One approach to early intervention is for jurisdictions to receive and respond to child protection concerns raised before children are born. Despite this, little research has comprehensively examined subsequent child protection contact for those first reported prenatally. This study aimed to examine the subsequent child protection contact for up to a two-year period for a cohort of children who were reported about prebirth. Child protection administrative data were extracted for 640 children reported for a concern about an unborn child in a single jurisdiction during 2014. Data about child protection contacts included reports, investigations, substantiations and out-of-home placements for children reported prenatally. Of the 640 children, 79% reported about prenatally also had contact with child protection between birth and age two. From birth and up to age two, children reported prenatally had between zero and 21 reports. Twenty-two per cent of the children reported prenatally were removed from their birth parents and placed in out-of-home care prior to age two. These findings highlight the importance of intervening and supporting families prior to and during pregnancy to reduce harm to children and reduce the need for contact with child protection.     

Longitudinal predictors of reading achievement among at-risk children

Early exposure to multiple risk factors is related to an elevated risk for academic difficulty. Thus, it is important to promote academic resilience as early as possible and to identify factors that support resilience. Given the positive relation between early literacy skills and later academic outcomes, examining resilience in reading is important. This study examined, first, whether the reading gap widens or narrows for below-average and above-average, at-risk children during the first four years of school; and, second, what protective factors predict reading achievement over time from kindergarten through the end of third grade. Results indicated that as a group, low-achieving children made smaller gains in reading than high-achieving children over the first four years of school. In addition, participation in center-based prekindergarten care, plus more access to books in the home, better interpersonal skills, and fewer poor physical conditions immediately surrounding elementary schools served as protective factors for at-risk children's early literacy development.     

Behavioral health service use and costs among children in foster care

This article compares behavioral health service use and cost for foster care versus nonfoster care children; children before, during, and after foster care placement; and successfully reunified versus nonsuccessfully reunified foster care children. Behavioral health service costs for children in foster care were higher than for children not in foster care. Children in foster care used more services during their foster care placement than before placement and after discharge. Nonsuccessfully reunified children received a significantly larger quantity of services than those successfully reunified.     

The moderating effect between strengths and placement on children's needs in out-of-home care: A follow-up study

The negative impact of childhood maltreatment, which can often extend well into adulthood, consistently appears to be ameliorated if victimized children possess several resiliencies or strengths. However, little is known about how vulnerable children's outcomes are affected by different levels of strengths across different out-of-home placement settings. Hence, this study examined the association of two factors — children's strengths and placement type, with outcomes at two time-points during out-of-home care. The Child and Adolescent Needs and Strengths (CANS) tool was used to assess the outcomes of 285 children placed in residential homes or foster care in Singapore. Multiple regressions were conducted on CANS domain scores to evaluate whether level of baseline strengths and placement type predicted outcomes at two time-points after controlling for race, prior placements, age, gender, interpersonal trauma, and baseline needs scores. Results indicate that relative to residential care, foster care children are reported to be younger, with lower baseline needs, more prior placements, fewer baseline strengths and suffered fewer types of interpersonal trauma. After controlling for covariates, higher baseline strengths significantly predicted lower baseline needs of children across 3 of 4 CANS domains, regardless of placement settings. However, at reassessment 1 year later, there were significant interactions between strengths and placement type, whereby baseline strengths significantly predicted lower life functioning needs only in foster care. To conclude, in both residential and foster care, the protective effects of high strengths against child maltreatment were similarly apparent at baseline, despite clear differences in children's profiles across placement types. Over time, these initial benefits appeared to persist somewhat for children in foster care but seemed to diminish in more restrictive, residential settings and this warrants further investigation on children with more similar profiles. Nonetheless, it is clear that the continual development of children's strengths should be prioritized in case planning.     

Children and the Stability of Cohabiting Couples

Theory and empirical evidence generally credit children with creating stability in their parents’ marriages, but whether children have a similar effect on cohabiting unions has not been previously investigated in the United States. This article uses the National Survey of Family Growth (N = 2,716) to evaluate the effects of children on the stability of couples who cohabit. The article distinguishes between conceptions and births because the two have different implications for union stability. The results indicate that children conceived during cohabitation are associated with greater stability of their parents’ relationship, particularly for Whites and Latinos, whereas children conceived and born during cohabitation are not. In addition, the effect of children on couple stability depends on whether the couple is cohabiting or has transitioned into marriage.     

Social focus on health and children’s well-being

This special section on children’s health and well-being is an outgrowth of the 2010 International Sociological Association’s (ISA) World Congress in Gothenburg, Sweden. Within the Congress, the Research Committee 53, Sociology of Childhood, organized a panel focused on the health and well-being of children. Together, this collection makes two distinct contributions: first in terms of considering children’s health disparities as an area of concern within sociology, and second by considering children’s health as a factor that shapes other areas of children’s well-being. In addition, these papers offer novel empirical research on children’s health and varied methodological and theoretical orientations. Each paper also makes contributions to social policy, first in the area of infant health affecting later educational outcomes, second in the area of family structure and children’s health, and additionally in understanding type 2 diabetes for children at the individual and structural levels. Finally, these studies highlight the interplay—between the individuals’ health on the one hand and structure and culture on the other—as children’s life chances are shaped.     

Point of engagement: reducing disproportionality and improving child and family outcomes

This paper describes an innovative service delivery model to reduce the number of children entering the child welfare system. Point of Engagement (POE) is a collaborative family- and community-centered approach initiated in Compton, a regional office in Los Angeles County that serves south Los Angeles, a predominantly African American and Hispanic/Latino area. Over the past two years, the POE has been implemented in the Compton area by providing more thorough investigations, engaging families, and delivering needed services to children and families within their homes and communities. POE has demonstrated a reduction in the number of children removed from their families, an increase in the number of children returned to their families within one year, and an increase in the number of children finding legal permanency.     

Evaluating national initiatives: the case of ‘On Track’

On Track is a long‐term crime reduction programme aimed at children at risk of becoming involved in crime. Twenty‐four pilots are being established in deprived communities in England and Wales. In each area a range of evidence‐based preventive services for four to 12 year olds will be developed. There will be intensive inter‐agency cooperation enabling children at risk of offending to be identified early so that they and their families can be provided with consistent services during the child's development. The effectiveness and cost‐effectiveness of the arrangements in each area will be evaluated with a view to finding out more about ‘what works’. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

“I Only Want to Know What You Know”: The Use of Orienting Messages During Forensic Interviews and Their Effects on Child Behavior

The purpose of this research was to evaluate orienting messages within the CornerHouse Forensic Interview Protocol in two formats: provided both at the outset and as needed throughout the interview compared to previous practice in which orienting messages were provided only as the opportunity arose. Through the content analysis of 120 videotaped forensic interviews and corresponding case files in which children were interviewed for sexual abuse allegations, results suggest that the use of orienting messages both at the beginning and as needed lead to significantly more autonomous responses from children, that use of more orienting messages was significantly related to more autonomous responses from children, and that the specific orienting messages of “can’t/won’t say” and “ask me a question” significantly predict more autonomous responses among children. Implications for practice include the use of orienting messages as a way to provide a respectful and safe experience for children participating in forensic interviews.     

Prevalence Rates of Gambling Problems in Montreal,Canada: A Look at Old Adults and the Role of Passion

The purpose of the present research was to determine the prevalence rate of gambling problems in senior citizens (55 years and older). A community-dwelling sample composed of 810 old adults living in the greater Montreal area in the Province of Quebec completed the Revised South Oaks Gambling Screen (SOGS-R). Results revealed that the 12-month prevalence rate was 1.2% for pathological gambling and 1.6% for at-risk gambling. Although, these rates are comparable to those reported elsewhere in Canada and in the US for senior citizens, the at-risk gambling rate was significantly higher than the current one for the general population of the overall Province of Quebec. Finally, a smaller portion of participants also completed two key items from the Gambling Passion Scale (GPS). Results revealed that obsessive passion was higher for pathological gamblers than for at-risk and non-problematic gamblers, while harmonious passion was lower for pathological gamblers than for at-risk and non-problematic gamblers.