Early childhood education and care use: Differences by race/ethnicity and age

This article describes factors that predict the use of early childhood education and care among Latino families, as compared to non-Latino black and non-Latino white families in the United States in two age groups (0–2 and 3–5 years old). Using National Household Education Survey data, this study presents a framework and examines the association of numerous child and family characteristics with the number of hours children spend in care, the number of care arrangements, and the type of care used. Multinomial logit results show that once preexisting differences between Latino and black families and between Latino and white families are equalized, differences in the type of care are often eliminated. Findings suggest that the observed enrollment patterns of Latino children are due in part to their over-representation in families that are poorer, have lower levels of maternal education, and have lower levels of maternal employment.     

Predictors of early care and education type among preschool-aged children in immigrant families: The role of region of origin and characteristics of the immigrant experience

Children of immigrants have lower rates of participation in early care and education (ECE) settings in the year before they enter kindergarten than do children of native parents. There is a dearth of research examining factors associated with the ECE type that immigrant families select for their children. Using data on immigrant families from the ECLS-B (N ≈ 2500) this study aims to fill gaps in the literature by examining associations between immigrant, family, child, and contextual characteristics and patterns of ECE type at age 4. The results show significant differences in ECE type related to parental region of origin that were reduced when characteristics of families and contexts were taken into account. Findings highlight the importance of considering factors that may be especially salient for immigrant families, including household English proficiency, parental citizenship status, parental preferences, and availability of non-English speaking care providers.     

Are maternal and community risk factors associated with the presence of asthma among children placed in foster care?

Objective

The occurrence of pediatric asthma has been associated with exposure to chronic stress. This study examined the relationship between maternal and community risk factors and asthma in a sample of maltreated children in foster care.

Method

Interviews were conducted with 365 maltreated children in foster care. Measures included youth/caregiver reports of asthma, an index of maternal risk based on data abstracted from child welfare records and community violence exposure.

Results

After controlling for demographic variables, maternal risk was associated with the presence of asthma (OR = 1.314, 95% CI = 1.09–1.58). Community violence exposure, however, was not related to the presence of asthma.

Conclusion

Maternal risk factors were significantly associated with the presence of asthma in a foster care population. Physicians who care for maltreated children in foster care should be particularly attuned to the presence of these additional risk factors that may place high-risk children at increased risk for chronic health problems.     

Factors Affecting Attachment in International Adoptees at 6 Months Post Adoption

This pilot study examined the effect of five child and maternal factors on the attachment security of international adoptees at 6 months post adoption. Results from the sample of 22 adoptive mother-infant dyads showed that age at adoption, developmental status, length and quality of preadoption care, and maternal attachment representations were not significant predictors of child attachment status. The number of preadoption placements and the child's stress level did significantly predict attachment status, accounting for approximately 40% of the variance in attachment security. Number of preadoption placements uniquely contributed 14% of that variance (p = .007) while stress level uniquely contributed 12% (p = .01). Children who had fewer preadoption placements had higher attachment security; similarly, children who had lower stress levels had higher attachment security. Results suggest that consistency of preadoption care was more important than its length or quality. Further, the relationship between stress level and attachment security raises the possibility that a lower stress level functions as a protective factor for the developing attachment with the adoptive mother.     

Reunification in a complete entry cohort: A longitudinal study of children entering out-of-home care in Tasmania,Australia

The aim of this study was to examine the nature and predictors of family reunification patterns in Australia. Using a large representative sample, this study extends previous studies based on older, often smaller samples and encompasses a period in which kinship care comprised a substantial proportion of out-of-home care placements. Analyses were based on a sample of 468 children who entered care for the first time in the State of Tasmania between January the 1st 2006 and December 31st 2007. Administrative data and case-worker interviews were used to obtain information concerning children's demographics, family backgrounds and placement movements over 2–4 years. The results showed that around 50% of children had gone home after 2 years, but that 79% of returns occurred in the first 6 months. Reunification was slower for younger children, those in kinship care, and amongst children from families affected by poverty, substance abuse and for a cluster children with the highest prevalence family risk factors. The study contributes to international knowledge concerning the importance of assessing the multiplicity of risk factors in family reunification research and the implications of kinship care for the increased stability, but higher retention, of children in out-of-home care.     

Psychopathology,physical complaints and health risk behaviors among youths who were victims of childhood maltreatment: A comparison between home and institutional interventions

Based on investigations of child maltreatment by Child Protective Services (CPS), several children who are identified receive some kind of individual or familial intervention. However, the literature has shown conflicting results in regard to the later functioning of the children who are target of different protective measures in different settings, compared to other youths who receive no intervention. We assessed childhood adversity, psychopathology, physical complaints and health risk behaviors among youths who received one of two different protective interventions during childhood (home vs. institutionalization group), and we compared them with youths who receive no intervention (comparison group). In total, 216 youths participated, with ages ranging from 14 to 23 years (M = 17.05 years, SD = 1.8 years; 105 males, 111 females), including 136 youths that were contacted based on their CPS records completed during their childhood, and 80 youths from the community without CPS identification.     

Predictors of public early care and education use among children of low-income immigrants

Little is known about predictors of publicly funded early care and education (ECE) use among low-income children of immigrants. Without this knowledge, it is difficult to effectively increase participation in these public programs, which promote school readiness but are underused by children of immigrants. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study – Birth Cohort (ECLS-B), this study attempts to identify pertinent family, child, maternal ECE preference, broader contextual, and immigrant specific characteristics predictive of ECE use among 4-year-old children in a sample of low-income children of immigrants (N ≈ 1050). Specifically, we estimate multinomial logistic regression models predicting type of ECE (Head Start, public pre-k, subsidized ECE, unsubsidized ECE, parental care) from these characteristics. Findings suggest that even in a low-income sample, correlates of disadvantage such as low maternal education and prior receipt of public benefits are important predictors of public ECE use, as are maternal preferences for certain features of care and supply-side factors such as ECE availability. Immigrant-specific factors such as English proficiency, citizenship status, availability of non-English speaking caregivers, and generosity of state policies toward immigrants emerged as particularly salient for explaining the public ECE selection patterns of low-income immigrants. Results point to future research areas and potential policy solutions aimed at increasing public ECE use for children who may stand to benefit the most.     

Protective factors among families with children at risk of maltreatment: Follow up to early school years

The purpose of this study is to explore both risk and protective factors of child maltreatment among at risk elementary school children. This study used data from the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN), following a cohort of 405 children from age 4 to age 8. Multivariate logistic regression revealed that children attending preschool irregularly (OR = 2.98; 95% CI: 1.08-8.26), families with a high level of life events (OR = 2.68; 95% CI: 1.12-6.41), and mothers with a history of childhood maltreatment (OR = 2.26; 95% CI: 1.07-4.76) were more likely to have a child maltreatment report. In contrast, mothers who were married (OR = 0.19; 95% CI: 0.06-0.64), mothers who attained 12 or more years of education (OR = 0.09; 95% CI: 0.02-0.34), and family with high level of social support (OR = 0.29; 95% CI: 0.11-0.80) were less likely to have a child maltreatment report. For mothers who had not graduated from high school, adequate social support reduced the risk of child maltreatment by a factor of two. The provision of adequate social support should be incorporated into child maltreatment prevention programs, particularly those targeting at risk families.     

Developmental outcomes after five years for foster children returned home, remaining in care, or adopted

A substantial proportion of children who enter foster care in the US are infants or toddlers and will exit from foster care before they have been in care for long, either returning home or to adoption. These first years of involvement may predict a significant amount about children's longer term development so understanding developmental outcomes after five years is valuable to understanding if child welfare services (CWS) are serving the intention of promoting the well-being of children. A subsample of 353 infants (less than 13 months of age when investigated by CWS) and subsequently placed into foster care were selected from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. After 66 months, these infants had been reunified, adopted, or were still in foster care. Bivariate comparisons were completed. Statistical controls for maltreatment type and severity, demographic traits, and current caregiver education were implemented to help clarify the role of terminal child welfare placement, current caregiver behaviors, and household income, on eight linear regression models of developmental outcomes. Results support the longstanding tenet of child welfare services policy that remaining in foster care is less developmentally advantageous than having a more permanent arrangement of return home or adoption.     

Conceptualising Listening to Young Children as an Ethic of Care in Early Childhood Education and Care

This paper focuses on recent discourses and practices of listening to young children, in order to highlight listening as an ethical practice in early childhood education and care settings. The paper asks how discourses of listening should be viewed in theoretical terms and explores the work of a diverse range of authors who define autonomy and rights issues as relational. Central to the paper is a consideration of feminist critique of Foucault’s ethics of care argument. To contextualise this, the paper discusses examples of recent research in the field of listening to young children and highlights issues facing the status of the early years workforce. In summary, the paper contends that an ethical view of listening can bring adults and children together in democratic care practices which challenge conceptions of childhood and reconnect ideas of care and education.     

The relationship of placement experience to school absenteeism and changing schools in young,school-aged children in foster care

Background

Chronic school absenteeism and frequent school changes, particularly among younger children, may be antecedents for the high rates of school failure and subsequent dropout among youth in foster care. However, the relationship of foster care experience to absenteeism and school change has not been well studied.

Objective

This study examined the association of placement experience with absenteeism and changing schools among 209 urban children in foster care enrolled in public elementary schools.

Methods

A cohort of children aged 5 to 8 years who entered non-relative or kinship foster care from 2006–2008 were followed longitudinally for 2 years from entry into foster care. Children residing in foster care were categorized at the end of the study as early stable, late stable, or unstable, if they achieved a permanent placement prior to 45 days, between 45 days and 9 months, or failed to do so within 9 months, respectively. Children who reunified home were classified as a fourth category. Poisson regression, controlling for baseline factors, was used to compare days absent and number of schools attended across categories of placement experience.

Results

Among the 209 children, 51% were male, 79% were African American, and 55% were initially placed with kin. One third of children reunified home; among children who did not reunify, one half was early stable, and a third was unstable. Adjusted rates of school absenteeism increased in stepwise fashion as children's placements became more unstable; children with unstable placements were 37% more likely to be absent than those with early placement stability (p = 0.029). Children who reunified during the study demonstrated the highest rates of absenteeism; however, there was no significant difference in absenteeism before or after reunification. Number of schools attended increased as stability worsened, with the standardized rate of schools attended reaching 3.6 schools (95% CI 3.1–4.1) over a two year period among children in unstable placements.

Conclusions

The relationship between placement experience and school absenteeism and school change illustrates the need to better coordinate the educational experience of high-risk children in foster care. The secondary finding of high absenteeism among children in the process of returning home illustrates that educational challenges for youth may be equally if not more concerning among the greater majority of youth in child welfare who remain home with birth parents.     

The role of parental work schedule in CPS involvement

Using data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study (N = 2904), we investigated whether maternal work schedules were associated with Child Protective Services (CPS) involvement and child maltreatment indicators during the first five years of a child's life. We further examined if this association could be explained by demographic characteristics, child care arrangements, maternal health and social supports, economic and hardship characteristics, and parenting practices. Finally, we examined if this association differed by context (i.e., maternal marital status, maternal education, and family income-to-needs ratio). Our regression results indicate significant associations between maternal shift work and mother-reported CPS involvement and mother-reported psychological aggression behaviors. Economic and hardship characteristics explained some of the significant association between maternal shift work and CPS involvement. Economic and hardship characteristics and parenting practices also explained some of the significant association between maternal shift work and psychological aggression behaviors. The obtained significant associations were more pronounced for mothers who were not married, who were high school graduates, and whose family income was either below or near poverty. We discuss the broader social factors associated with employment demands and childcare arrangements.     

It takes a team: Improving placement stability among children and youth with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder in care in Canada

Concerted efforts have been devoted to improving placement stability for children in care. These efforts have been driven by evidence of negative outcomes for foster children who experience frequent placement changes. Of particular concern are significantly higher rates of placement disruptions among children in care who experience Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD). This mixed methods study examines the impact of enhanced child welfare practice interventions on placement stability for 182 children in care who experience FASD. A quasi-experimental matched comparison group design was employed, where rates of placement change were compared between children in the Project Regions who received enhanced practice standards to those in the Comparison Regions who did not. The sample included 182 participants including 98 children and youth in care from the Project Region and 84 cases from the Comparison Region. The Project Regions reported considerably lower placement changes (M = .33) than the Comparison Region (M = .98). Logistic regression analysis revealed that worker contact was found to be predictive of placement stability. Specifically, as worker contact increased, the likelihood of placement change decreased [B = − .28, W (5.35, p = .02)]. In keeping with the adage that it takes a village to raise a child, one could add for children affected by FASD, that it takes a dedicated team to promote placement stability and better life trajectories.     

The education of children and adolescents in out-of-home care: a problem or an opportunity? Results of a longitudinal study

The education of children in care is an issue that often falls into a no man’s land in which responsibility always seems to be attributed to the other ‘department’. Furthermore, all too often, teachers, educators and foster parents find themselves working with these children with no support, as if they were isolated cases. The aim of this study is to get to know the school situation of children in different types of out-of-home care: residential, kinship and non-kinship care. Systematic data on the school situation of 11–16-year-olds (on class attendance, school behaviour, academic results and guidance towards post-compulsory education) were gathered over a period of 5 consecutive school years. A 3-year longitudinal study on the same items (N?=?391) was made and time-series data were gathered for 5 years (N?=?1841). Results show that the in-care population is at a clear disadvantage and inequality of opportunities compared to the general population in relation to their educational pathways and outcomes; the most disadvantaged being the population in residential care. Recommendations are included, posing the challenge that what has to date been considered a ‘problem’ should become an opportunity for these children.     

Increasing access to quality child care for children from low-income families: Families' experiences

Identifying effective strategies for increasing access to quality care for children from low-income families has important implications for society. This study examined the effectiveness of expanding child care assistance for low-income families (capping expenses at 10% of income and raising eligibility to 200% of the federal poverty line) to purchase quality care. Mixed methods documented families' experiences (N = 181) and capitalized on a natural experiment when families lost assistance. Results pointed to improved access to quality care for children from low-income families by: 1) helping low-income families continue utilizing quality providers when incomes dropped, and 2) enabling others to begin utilizing quality providers. Perceived impacts were greatest for families with higher incomes (within the eligibility range), and for those with children ages five and younger. Additionally, parents were able to pay providers the full rate that they charge for care, which may help quality providers continue serving low-income families.     

Child protection and out-of-home placement experiences of preschool children born to mothers enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment during pregnancy

Children born to opiate-dependent women engaged in methadone maintenance treatment are at high risk of child welfare concern. However, few studies have examined the early child protection service (CPS) contacts of this group or the risk factors that place some but not other mother–infant dyads at increased risk of serious concern resulting in the removal of the child from the family home. As part of a prospective longitudinal study based in New Zealand, 73 women enrolled in methadone maintenance treatment during pregnancy and 54 non-methadone maintained comparison mothers were recruited during pregnancy and interviewed close to delivery, 18-months and 4.5-years. At each follow-up evaluation, detailed life history methods were used to describe children's family circumstances and all CPS contacts. By 4.5-years postdelivery, methadone maintained mothers were ten-times more likely to have been investigated by child protection services than comparison mothers (59% v. 6%, p < .001). Of these contacts, almost half (44%) resulted in the removal of the child from the family home compared to no comparison children (p < .001). These children were most frequently placed before age 1, with an average of 1–2 caregiver changes (range: 0–7). In addition to maternal methadone maintenance treatment during pregnancy (p < .001), significant independent predictors of child out-of-home placement included maternal depression (p = .01), maternal history of child custody loss (p = .02), and to some extent, high levels of family socioeconomic adversity (p = .06). Findings highlight the complex psychosocial needs of this high-risk group, as well as the need for careful monitoring and parenting support following hospital discharge.     

The Brief Assessment Checklists (BAC-C,BAC-A): Mental health screening measures for school-aged children and adolescents in foster,kinship, residential and adoptive care

More than half of children and young people in foster, kinship, and residential care, as well as those subsequently adopted from care, have mental health difficulties that require clinical formulation and intervention. While an increasing number of alternate care jurisdictions are instituting universal mental health screening, existing measures may not adequately screen for a range of attachment- and trauma-related mental health difficulties observed among these populations. The Brief Assessment Checklist for Children (BAC-C), and the Brief Assessment Checklist for Adolescents (BAC-A) are 20-item caregiver-report psychiatric rating scales designed to: 1. screen for and monitor clinically-meaningful mental health difficulties experienced by children and adolescents in various types of care; and 2. be safely administered and interpreted by health and social care professionals other than child and adolescent mental health clinicians. The BAC-C/A were also designed to be used as brief casework monitoring tools by foster care and adoption agencies, and for treatment monitoring in CAMHS. The BAC-C and BAC-A were derived from the Assessment Checklist for Children (ACC, 120 items) and Assessment Checklist for Adolescents (ACA, 105 items) respectively. Internal consistency of BAC-C (N = 347) and BAC-A (N = 230) scores were 0.89 and 0.87 respectively. The BAC-C/A were highly accurate in screening for clinical range ACC and ACA scores (area under the curve (AUC) ranging from 0.96 to 0.99), as well as for CBCL clinical range scores (AUCs: BAC-C = 0.89 to 0.92; BAC-A = 0.93 to 0.94). They were moderately accurate in screening for children that caregivers reported had been referred to mental health services (AUCs: BAC-C = 0.74; BAC-A = 0.79). Initial BAC-C/A psychometric properties compare favourably with that of existing screening instruments, including the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire and the Brief Problem Monitor (CBCL short form).     

Mental health service utilization in children adopted from US foster care,US private agencies and foreign countries: Data from the 2007 National Survey of Adoption Parents (NSAP)

Aims

In this analysis, we (1) described the rate of mental health service utilization for children from domestic foster care adoption, domestic private adoption, and international adoption and (2) analyzed the effect of common risk factors on mental health service utilization.

Data

As part of the 2007 National Survey on Adoptive Parents (NSAP), parents with children 5–17 years old (N = 1722) were asked if their children had received mental health services and how helpful these services were. Parents also provided data on the children's demographics and likelihood of pre-adoption adversity (e.g., abuse).

Results

For boys, mental health services were utilized by 52.4% of domestic foster care adoptees, 41.0% domestic private adoptees, and 40.0% of international adoptees. For girls, the corresponding rates were 36.3%, 24.8%, and 30.9% respectively. Parents reported that the services were very helpful for about half of the children. Logistic regression analyses showed that adoptees from domestic foster care were more likely than international adoptees to have received mental health services, but there was no difference between domestic private adoptees and international adoptees. Older age at placement, older age at assessment, having special health care needs, and being male all increased the odds for having received mental health services.     

Local Day Care Quality and Maternal Employment: Evidence From East and West Germany

By investigating how locally available early childhood education and care quality relates to maternal employment choices, this study extends the literature, which mostly has focused on the importance of day care availability or costs. The authors provide differentiated analyses by the youngest child's age and for West and East Germany to examine moderating influences, such as work‐care cultures, in a market with strongly state‐subsidized provision and near‐universal participation of preschool children. The empirical analysis linked the Socio‐Economic Panel and the Families in Germany Study for 2010 and 2011 (N = 3,301 mothers) with regional structural quality data and applied multivariate regression models. In East Germany, mothers with a child under age 3 years who lived in districts with smaller day care groups were more likely to be employed and to extend their work hours. For mothers in West Germany and those with older children, day care quality was not significantly related to employment.