The vital few foster mothers

Many foster parents serve only briefly, and foster and adopt few children. Anecdotal reports suggest that a small percentage of foster parents provide a disproportionate amount of care; however, we know virtually nothing about these parents. This study applied the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80–20 rule or Vital Few, as a framework to conceptualize these foster parents. Using latent class analysis, two classes of mothers were identified: one accounted for 21% of mothers and the other 79%. We refer to the former as the Vital Few and the latter as the Useful Many. Vital Few mothers fostered 73% of foster children — 10 times more than Useful Many mothers although only fostering three times longer. They adopted twice as many foster children while experiencing half the yearly rate of placement disruptions. Vital Few mothers were less likely to work outside the home, had better parenting attitudes, more stable home environments, more time to foster, and more professional support for fostering, but less support from kin. Further, they were as competent as the Useful Many on numerous other psychosocial measures. Understanding characteristics of these resilient Vital Few can inform recruitment and retention efforts and offer realistic expectations of foster parents.     

Lone Parents and Welfare‐to‐Work in England: A Spatial Analysis of Outcomes and Drivers

Mirroring changes across nations of the Organisation for Economic Co‐operation and Development, recent UK governments have redrawn lone parents' entitlement to social assistance benefits ever tighter around participation in the labour market. A radical shift since 2008 has been the gradual transfer of most non‐employed lone parents into the ‘activating’ Jobseekers' Allowance (JSA) regime. The enhanced conditionality requirements of this JSA regime have been justified by both paternalistic and contractualist arguments but, however justified, are built on the premise that behavioural factors drive lone parent employment outcomes, a view made increasingly forcefully under the current Coalition government. This article uses up‐to‐date administrative data at local authority level across England to provide a geographical perspective into the sub‐national changes in lone parent employment outcomes since the transfer to JSA from 2008, as well as the relevant importance of the alternative structural and behavioural accounts to these outcomes. The findings suggest that the JSA transfer has increased lone parent employment, that structural rather than behavioural drivers are more relevant causal factors and that there is good reason to be concerned about the effect of the reforms on the well‐being of lone parents and their children.     

The HOPE Family Project: A Family-Based Group Intervention to Reduce the Impact of Homelessness on HIV/STI and Drug Risk Behaviors

The HOPE Family Project (HIV Prevention for Parents and Early Adolescents) is an eight- session, family-based group intervention modeled on three evidence-based curricula targeting HIV/AIDS and alcohol and drug abuse prevention. The design and implementation of the HOPE Family Project was carried out by an established community collaborative board. The project aims to educate and provide tailored support to families and their youth (ages 11–14), residing in homeless shelters, regarding HIV and alcohol abuse prevention. The group model proved successful in offering an informal social support network for families living in homeless shelters and improving family functioning and youth mental health outcomes.     

Caregiving for Parents and In-Laws: Commonalities and Differences

This study examined support, stress, and well-being between adults who provide care for an aging and disabled parent and those who care for an aging and disabled parent-in-law. The study utilized a sample of individuals caring for a parent (n?=?77), individuals caring for an in-law (n?=?26) and a comparison group of noncaregivers (n?=?1,939) from the Midlife Development in the United States study. In-law caregivers provided more financial assistance but adult child caregivers provided more emotional support and unpaid work. Adult child caregivers reported poorer mental health and family strain; in-law caregivers reported more spouse support and less family strain.     

代际关系的影响因素及如何建立正向的代际关系

本文宗旨是如何建立成年子女和老年父母之间正向的代际关系并增强代际间的相互理解。讨论了影响代际关系的因素。家庭趋势的变动对老年人照料提出了挑战。这些发现使未来老年父母一代的前景堪忧 ,例如他们经历了更高的离婚率 ,因此可能会对来自公共和社会保险项目的支持产生更多需求。成年子女和老年父母之间亲密感情和冲突的并存使代际关系变得很复杂。本文最后探讨了如何建立正向的代际关系     

构建农村社会保障三项奠基性制度

社会主义市场经济的建立需要健全的社会保障体制作保证,如果占总人口大多数的农村居民得不到保障,中国的社会保障制度就很难称得上完善。在本文中笔者着重探讨了农村最低生活保障制度、农村合作医疗制度以及农村居民养老保障制度,通过对这三项制度的构建基本就构建了中国农村社会保障制度的基础。     

Lesbian and Gay Parents: Their Experiences of Children's Health Care in Australia

This study investigates the experiences of lesbian and gay parents seeking health care for their children within the Australian medical system. Previously unavailable demographic data was collected on lesbian and gay families, and qualitative information was sought from parents about positive or problematic health care experiences related to sexual orientation and family constellation. Ninety-two lesbian or gay parents responded to a national postal and Web-based survey. Eighty-nine percent of respondents reported a high level of satisfaction with the health care received by their children. Despite overall satisfaction, however, 49 percent of parents identified fear of disclosure of sexual orientation, and 27 percent reported negative or problematic experiences with their children's health care related to sexual orientation or family constellation. This study indicates that fear of discrimination and homophobic attitudes towards lesbian and gay families remain a factor within the Australian health care system.     

古代中国司法官的处事风格与角色意识

在深厚的传统法律文化基础上,长期封建集权条件下的古代中国司法官,其司法审判的处事风格和角色意识呈复杂多样性有奉公守法、断狱平恕的循吏;有持法任术、心狠手辣的酷吏.他们追求与充当的社会角色,或是为民伸冤、为民做主、廉洁贤明的清官;或是循循告诫、力行德化、调停诉讼的父母官;或是被社会称为君主之鹰犬、百姓之恶魔的刽子手.     

从家长角度看三峡库区中小学素质教育

家庭教育的滞后性严重制约了素质教育的推进 ,家长们是如何看待素质教育的呢 ?他们对“减负”的认识、家庭教育的困难、孩子的负担重在哪儿 ?家庭教育的现状、家庭教育重要性的认识和态度、以及对家庭教育的主要任务理解等等 ,都有自己的看法。家长们的谈话和问卷调查结果 ,不能不引起人们的思索