Can we trust parental reports of child care subsidy receipt?

In recent years, research examining determinants and consequences of the means-tested child care subsidy program (the Child Care and Development Fund [CCDF]) has grown dramatically. To measure subsidy utilization, existing studies typically rely on parent-reported measures of subsidy receipt drawn from large surveys. As the research literature on child care subsidies has grown, however, so have concerns about the trustworthiness of parent-reported subsidy use. One way to assess the quality of parent-reported subsidy use is to examine its overlap with another subsidy receipt measure, drawn from a different source. The current paper uses the Fragile Families and Child Well-Being Study (FFCWS), the only existing survey data source that contains an alternate measure of subsidy receipt — based on child care provider report — which permits a comparison to parent-reported measures. We find evidence that increases our confidence in the trustworthiness of parents as accurate reporters of subsidy receipt. In recognition that neither data source reflects “true” subsidy receipt, however, we conclude with a discussion of limitations and steps for future research.     

Current Challenges and Future Directions for Collaborative Child Welfare Educational Programs

Summary

This paper presents a brief overview of the Title IV-E and 426 investments in schools of social work that are presented in this special collection and discusses current and future challenges and issues for building effective educational programs for child welfare practice. Recommendations for future research and educational agendas are also presented.     

The Social Studies Curriculum at West Point

This article illustrates the challenges of teaching curriculum within the guidelines of No Child Left Behind. Nine school teachers write and speak about their experiences, what influences their curriculum choices, and how they attempt to incorporate social studies in the elementary classroom. The teachers completed a background survey, wrote about their experiences, and talked about what they went through during a focus group discussion. Teachers believed that accountability measures taken at their schools had affected the amount of instructional time dedicated to social studies and that students’ access to civic knowledge and participatory education have been diminished along with the resources and professional development necessary to teach the subject competently.     

Children of Substance Abusing Women on Federal Welfare

SUMMARY

The present study sought to characterize well-being indicators for a sample of children of substance dependent TANF women. Participants were 372 mothers meeting DSM-IV criteria for substance dependence and 156 non-substance abusing women from two urban counties in New Jersey. Children of substance dependent TANF mothers experienced significant vulnerabilities, as demonstrated by higher levels of contextual risk factors and negative behavioral and emotional and school outcomes. Overall, these rates were about double those found in children of non-substance abusing mothers. Results highlight the need for multi-systemic services to address the problems experienced by substance abusing TANF women and their children.     

The Memory Retrieval Process in Incest Survivor Therapy

The resolution of sexual abuse trauma requires the retrieval of memory and the working through of associated affect. This article provides information about amnesia, repression, and dissociation in the aftermath of childhood trauma and about the storage and retrieval of memory, including Ihe necessary conditions for retrieval. Specific sfrategies are suggested for use according lo the phase of the traumatic stress response and according to the needs and defenses of fhe individual survivor.     

Family Work Performance and Satisfaction

Abstract

Using data taken from a random sample of married and cohabiting couples (N =96), we examine the factors associated with a couple's division of unpaid family work. We extend the usual analyses by testing, in addition to gender ideology and relative resource factors, the role of a partner's emotion-work performance. We find that all three perspectives are relevant to the discussion of unpaid family work: gender ideology and relative resources are associated with the division of housework and child care, and partner's emotion-work performance is the most predictive of domestic-labor satisfaction. doi:10.1300/J002v40n04_04     

“Draw me everything that happened to you”: Exploring children's drawings of sexual abuse

The aim of the current paper is to explore the ways in which drawings facilitate children's narratives in investigative interviews regarding alleged sexual abuse. Although children often lack appropriate words or the ability to pinpoint the effects they experience, some children find drawing to be a natural, accessible language they can use for emotional expression. The use of three case studies and an analysis of children's narratives before, during and after drawing facilitated an assessment of the way in which drawing aided children's retrieval process. The discussion presents the contribution of using drawings when interviewing children about experiences of trauma.     

A Brief Reply to Dutton

ABSTRACT

This article is a brief reply to Dutton's rebuttal (Dutton, this issue) to the author's critique of Dutton's analysis of the role of gender in intimate partner violence.     

经济危机中的儿童节与儿童年——兼论20世纪二三十年代上海社会转型期对现代人才的培育

20世纪二三十年代世界经济大萧条时期,上海城市适逢从传统社会到现代社会转型的高速期,基于对现代人才的渴求,愈加注重儿童的教养,在全国首倡并积极实施儿童节与儿童年,政府、社会和家庭采取一系列举措,以期让儿童享用到上海发展的文明成果,将儿童培养为未来城市的建设者。对于这样的一种时代诉求,上海儿童对之积极响应,他们积极投身于各种体育锻炼,立志抵御外侮、建设祖国、服务社会。经济危机中的儿童节与儿童年,不但有利于上海儿童对城市现代文明成果的享用,同时也为经济危机之后的上海城市现代化建设积聚了新生力量。