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• Family Support as an approach to supporting and protection children, young people and parents. • Pan-European issues involved in family support. • A social justice perspective on supporting and protection children, young people and parents. • Implications for policy, practice, research, evaluation and academia. • Based on a wider range of academic, policy and practice contributions. Family support as an approach to working with children, youth, parents, and families is widely practiced across Europe albeit with a range of diverse meanings and interpretations. This paper responds to this ambiguity and provides a conceptual understanding of the delivery of family support in Europe. In doing so it applies a social justice approach critically examining the extent to which Family Support reflects the right of families, children, youth, and parents to be supported. It identifies and critically examines similarities and differences in the meaning and application of family support as a key concept in the European context. It is based on a comprehensive review of literature, mapping multi-disciplinary approaches to the provision of support, based on academic material from 2015 to 2020 and adopting a broad and inclusive definition of family. The paper considers the complexities in developing a universally accepted understanding of family support that: has value for practitioners and managers; is selected as a focus by policy makers; is open to evaluation and research; is compatible with academic research; and most importantly provides responsive and effective support to children, youth, parents and families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Permanent supportive housing (PSH) is one setting which aims to provide stability and community to those who have experienced homelessness. • PSH has not been widely studied with young adults. • This paper uses mixed method to explore how young adult residents experience psychological sense of community (PSOC) before and after moving into PSH. • We find that building community takes time and requires opportunities for voices to be heard, along with ongoing personal growth (often related to substance use recovery). • Future PSH settings for young people should consider how to support residents in their individual journeys, and in building community. Amidst chronic stressors and ongoing instability, many young people who have experienced homelessness and housing instability find communities and settings which offer support and care. Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) is one setting which aims to provide stability and community to those who have experienced homelessness, but it has not been widely studied with young adults (ages 18–25 upon moving into PSH). This paper employs a longitudinal convergent mixed methods approach – with quantitative and qualitative survey data over 1.5 years – to explore how young adult residents (N = 27 at T1; N = 20 at T2, N = 13 at T3) experience sense of community before and after moving into PSH. Using McMillan and Chavis' (1986) four-part Psychological Sense of Community (PSOC) framework to frame data collection and analysis, we find that residents' sense of community is shaped by an ongoing negotiation of personal and collective needs. Building community takes time and requires opportunities for voices to be heard (and shape change), along with ongoing personal growth – especially related to substance use recovery. Our findings offer insights for future PSH settings for young people – as well as other residential and community settings which aim to support young people. We suggest the need for future research which explores the tension of policy decision making, about substance use for example, in low-barrier support services like PSH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A scoping study provides a better understanding of how local authorities in China support care-experienced young people. • Twenty-two social policies in China are mapped and examined. • Across localities, housing and employment services are prioritised to support care-experienced young people. • Current policy responses are insufficient, and people's opportunities to access the stipulated support are quite limited. An increasing amount of attention is being paid to young people with care experience on an international scale. They are often associated with negative outcomes after leaving care, such as low educational attainment, unstable housing, job instability and social exclusion. While many countries have prescribed social policies for supporting them for a more fruitful transition out of care, there is little information available in the context of China at local levels. Given this, this paper maps and examines existing local policies, exploring how local authorities support care-experienced young people in China. To achieve, it adopts a scoping review. The findings highlight (i) China's local polices as a whole prescribe a variety of services, resources, and/or measures to support care-experienced young people, of which housing and employment are at the top of the list; (ii) current policy responses are insufficient, and opportunities of this group of people to access the stipulated support are quite limited. The findings of this study indicate that policymakers need to improve local policies in order to make them more operable, sophisticated, and comprehensive, so that care-experienced young people can reap the greatest benefits from them. Also, a national leaving-care policy that provides guidance to local authorities should be considered, adding consistency and clarity to relevant policies across the country. The limitations of this paper relate mainly to its review methods, which point to the need to expand data sources and conduct cross-reviews to enhance the findings' credibility and robustness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• South and Southeast (S/SE) Asian refugee parents experience significant impacts to emotional and physical wellbeing in the antenatal and postnatal period in resettlement countries. • Parents experienced various challenges in maternity healthcare settings including confusion, distress, limited interpreting support, and feeling unable to voice concerns. • Parents highlighted the importance of formal supports including interpreters, and informal supports including family and community in the First 2000 Days. • Culturally responsive care may enhance the wellbeing and support experiences of S/SE Asian refugee families in the First 2000 Days. There is growing scholarly attention concerning the wellbeing experiences of people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds, particularly in relation to antenatal and postnatal care in countries of resettlement. However, less is known about early childhood support for refugee and asylum-seeking parents during the First 2000 Days of a child's life (conception to age five). There is also little understanding of the needs of refugees and asylum-seekers from South and Southeast (S/SE) Asia for whom there may be unique cultural considerations regarding parenting and support. This systematic review therefore aimed to explore the emotional and physical wellbeing and support experiences of refugee and asylum-seeking families (mothers, fathers, and other family members with caregiving roles) from S/SE Asia during the First 2000 Days. This review was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). We identified publications through a systematic search of six databases. Eligible papers were peer-reviewed, primary data studies published in English, conducted in middle- to high-income countries of resettlement, and included data that could be disaggregated for S/SE Asian families. Of 5,770 publications, 13 articles met inclusion criteria. While our review aimed to explore the experiences of various family members, included papers focused primarily on the experiences of refugee women. Our review found that S/SE Asian refugee parents reported various challenges to physical and emotional wellbeing during the First 2000 Days ranging from nutrition and diet concerns to feelings of anxiousness, grief, isolation, and feelings of distress in healthcare settings. Parents also expressed a level of trust and satisfaction with maternity care during resettlement, however, these experiences were challenged by a lack of culturally responsive care. Findings speak to the importance of informal social supports for S/SE Asian refugee parents, and culturally safe, formal supports where parents feel comfortable to voice their concerns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Findings highlight the importance of peer support and the possibility of participatory research approaches in catalyzing peer connectivity and agency among foster scholars in higher education. • Actions and advocacy associated with Participatory Action Research have benefits for students with foster care experience and can contribute to critical consciousness raising among those within and outside of child welfare and university systems. • Integrating youth voice and perspective to our existing body of knowledge about youth with foster care experience in higher education adds a critical, often missing perspective. • Universities, child welfare system professionals, policymakers, child welfare scholars desiring to create policy and practice more affirming of young people with foster care experience should center the voices and recommendations of youth with foster care experience in their decision making. This paper presents findings from a focus group conducted as part of a larger Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) study with a cohort of university students with experience in foster care. Six foster scholars (ages 18–21) participated in a research collective offered as a collaboration between the School of Social Welfare and the Educational Opportunities Program (EOP) at a large Northeastern public research university. Over the course of several semesters, students received an overview of research methods, evaluated existing research regarding the educational outcomes of youth with foster care experience, then designed an interview guide for a focus group that they later participated in. Focus group data was transcribed and then analyzed in two ways, first through thematic content analysis using ATLAS TI qualitative software, and simultaneously through participatory narrative analysis using an adapted version of Carol Gilligan's Listening Guide. The cluster of findings presented in this paper highlights co-researchers' experiences of a YPAR approach to research. Three themes emerged: validation of experience and peer support , connection to available resources, and YPAR as a tool of collective action and empowerment. An overview of the significant actions and change efforts associated with the YPAR process is also provided. Findings highlight the importance of peer support and the possibility of participatory research approaches in catalyzing peer connectivity and agency among foster scholars in higher education. Integrating youth voice and perspective to the existing body of knowledge about youth with foster care experience in higher education adds an important perspective needed to more holistically understand what resources and supports are most critical in ensuring their success. Recommendations are made for both universities and child welfare scholars desiring to center the voices and experiences of youth with foster care experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The absence of school guidelines impedes trans -affirmation and autonomy. • Disaffirming school practices are rooted in cisnormativity and adultism practices. • Adults should recognize trans and gender-expansive children as a conscious subject of well-being. • Positive practices should follow a child-led approach. • Crucial: Inclusive policies, teacher training, empowering trans children. Transgender and gender-expansive (TGE) children struggle to express their identities freely, particularly within schools, where they face oppression across interconnected levels of gender and age, alongside cisnormativity and adultism. This study examines how parents advocate for the recognition and well-being of TGE children in Italian primary schools (ages 6–11). Seventeen parents of TGE children participated in this research. Employing a comprehensive thematic analysis using a codebook approach, insights are derived from data obtained through two distinct research collections. Findings reveal parental practices spanning from supportive to containment and unaffirming, impacting children's freedom of expression. Parents' containment practices aim to protect their children, perceiving the school context as hostile, due to a systemic lack of knowledge and a normative view of TGE experiences. School practices affect TGE students' well-being and academic progress, suggesting the need for improved regulations in schools and teacher training to effectively address gender diversity, while recognizing and validating TGE children's experiences. The paper calls for inclusive policies and practices to support TGE children by centering children's needs and desires while dismantling cisnormative and adultistic approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• There are distinct typologies of social support networks for children and youth in out-of-home care. These network structure provide differing types of social support. • Many children in out-of-home care experience low levels of social support, both in terms of number of available support providers and amount of social support activities received. • Among youth with higher levels of social support, social support activities are spearheaded by certain members, including cousins, aunts and uncles, grandparents, and fictive kin. This paper aims to examine the social support network structures of youth in out-of-home care and to delineate the type of social support activities provided by kin and fictive kin within the networks. Children in the child welfare system experience significant benefits from contact with non-custodial kin and fictive kin. However, little is known about the support activities they provide (e.g., childcare, transportation, etc.) and their relationship to the children (e.g., grandparents, godparents, etc.). Support provision and relationship to the child was measured through chart reviews and interviews with key stakeholders, allowing for a description of the amount of support provided by various types of kin and fictive kin. Latent Profile Analysis (LPA) was applied to the data to determine the presence of distinct profiles. A four-profile solution emerged: (1) Multigenerational Predominant Cousin, (2) Bigenerational Lower Involvement, (3) Bigenerational Predominant Fictive Kin, and (4) Multigenerational Predominant Aunt/Uncle), suggesting heterogeneity in the social support networks of children in foster care. Children in foster care experience varying levels of social support, which were spearheaded by specific categories of caregivers who provide distinct types of support. Thus, there is great heterogeneity in the social support networks of children and youth in care. The identified clusters suggest that "one-size fits all" policy practices may not be effective in engaging and maintaining social support for children in out-of-home care. This research indicates that child welfare practitioners need to appreciate the complexity of social support patterns available to children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare neurogenetic syndrome that results in significant challenges in the school setting, often requiring a myriad of academic, social-emotional, and behavioral supports to maintain health and safety and academic success. This paper provides a primer for school psychologists, introducing the physiological, educational, and behavioral differences experienced by children with PWS. As the symptoms of PWS are widespread, the impacts of common physical and neurological differences on specific learning abilities, adaptive skills, and overall functioning in the classroom setting are discussed in detail. While PWS is a spectrum, and each child will experience symptoms and challenges differently, this article aims to provide a foundation for the development and facilitation of support services to assist educators in not only maintaining the health and safety of their students with PWS, but also in capitalizing on their strengths, and building a plan to help them succeed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Supportive housing can be combined with wraparound supports for teen families. • Collaborative partnerships are key to offering teen families supportive housing. • Supportive housing needs to balance structure with trauma-informed responsivity. Providing support to address the systemic barriers that teen families face is a logical step toward improving their health and well-being. One area where teen families face multiple obstacles is accessing safe, secure, affordable housing. This paper describes a unique, innovative model of supportive housing developed in combination with wraparound supports, provided to teen parents in Edmonton, Canada. As part of a larger community-based participatory research and evaluation project, we draw on qualitative data to describe the supportive wraparound housing model that was developed. In particular, we conducted individual interviews and focus groups with a total of 27 staff members from the partner agencies, who provided information about the Successful Families program model. Analysis of interview data resulted in five broad categories that have resonated with our community and academic team as a way to conceptualize and share the work of the program. Categories, which are described in terms of associated subcategories, include: Community, Partnership, Program Principles and Values, Successful Families Program Structures, and Skill and Knowledge Development. Through this work, we aim to promote awareness of considerations for service providers seeking to implement similar services, and expand the limited knowledge base regarding methods for supporting the diverse needs of teen families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Analysis of a subset data of 533 young people in the Czech Republic (mean age 13.6 years). • Youth identified and described their natural mentors in qualitative descriptive questionnaires. • Results describe the characteristics, risks and perceived benefits of natural mentors in youth' perspectives. • Young people identified peers, family members, and formal and informal education teachers and leaders. • Natural mentors were described as 'a good person' with a caring, attentive, kind, and friendly nature. Natural mentoring is a type of youth-adult relationship distinguished with the supportive and caring qualities. The complex conceptual definition as well as the youth-centred knowledge on this type of relationship in youths' daily experiences are missing in the literature. This empirical article reports the analysis of data subset exploring the experiences of youths in natural mentoring relationships in the Czech context. Overall, 533 young people (aged 11–16, mean age 13.4) in eight secondary schools in the Czech Republic participated in the qualitative open-ended questionnaire, identifying, and describing natural mentors from their social networks. The paper reports results of thematic analysis of selected questionnaire items on young people's experiences and perceptions of their identified natural mentors. Young people identified natural mentors most often (n = 105) among their peers or older friends. Besides, youths mentioned and described grandparents, older siblings, family acquaintances, schoolteachers, youth-group and sport leaders, and one-to-one music teachers as natural mentors. Identified mentors were most often perceived as 'a good person' with a caring, attentive, empathetic, nice, kind, and friendly nature who, as a result, is perceived as helpful and supportive. Results are discussed with recommendations for further exploration of natural mentoring as a type of youth–adult relationship, naturally occurring in institutions, organisations, and various youth-work settings where youth-adult interactions are part of the service/institution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Trauma-Informed Approach: Prioritizes understanding and addressing deep interpersonal trauma in returning children. • Unified Response: Advocates for harmonized approaches across military, healthcare, and social welfare. • Participation: Emphasizes active involvement of returning children, reclaiming their rights and roles. • Protracted Recovery: Acknowledges ongoing challenges post-captivity, requiring sustained efforts. • Broader Context: Reintegration extends beyond personal growth to encompass conflict aftermath. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, signed by 195 countries globally, symbolizes a collective commitment to safeguarding children's rights. Despite this, children have become pawns in contexts such as political violence and armed conflict, abducted and held hostage, exploiting their vulnerability. Born out of Israel's recent experience with the Hamas terror organization's abduction of 40 Israeli children aged 9 months to 18 years, this paper proposes a comprehensive framework that could be useful to other countries in addressing the complex challenges associated with the return of children abducted in contexts of armed conflict and political violence. This framework is rooted in four theoretical prisms—trauma, development, context, and children's rights, and spans five critical stages: the preparation stage, the first 24 h, the first week, and the first month after a child's return. It also provides general guidance on longer-term support and providing support to multiple key figures and contexts in the child's life. By outlining key concepts and guidelines within the framework, this manuscript provides a unique insight into potential response to this distressing phenomenon. While it is our fervent hope that no country will need to implement such a framework, the unfortunate reality is that evil knows no limits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Acceptability of HIV prevention interventions among young adults in Africa is high. • Seven themes were identified to explain reasons for acceptability or lack thereof. • Understanding, ease of use, relevance, and perceived positive effects are key. • Perceived negative effects and intervention costs can hinder acceptability. • Various social factors shape acceptability, such as stigma and social acceptability. Understanding what young adults and other key stakeholders find acceptable for HIV prevention interventions and reasons explaining acceptability or lack thereof is crucial for intervention developers and implementers in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Higher acceptability of health and social interventions can improve intervention uptake and effectiveness. This paper aims to aggregate and synthesise the evidence on the acceptability of HIV prevention interventions for young adults in SSA, published over the past twelve years. In line with PRISMA guidelines, we conducted a systematic mapping review to identify studies assessing the acceptability of HIV prevention interventions with young adults aged 10–24 in SSA, published between 2010 and 2022. We employed descriptive syntheses to aggregate and present study characteristics, methodologies, and findings on overall intervention acceptability. An inductive thematic analysis of quantitative and qualitative findings across studies was then conducted to highlight reasons for the acceptability or unacceptability of interventions among young adults and other stakeholders. The review identified 32 studies assessing young adults' acceptability of HIV prevention interventions. Fourteen studies also explored the acceptability of other stakeholders, such as caregivers, teachers, and healthcare workers. Overall reported acceptability was high. Of the 18 studies that provided a quantitative assessment based on the proportion of participants that found the intervention acceptable, only one study reported acceptability below 50%. The findings of the thematic analysis identified the following seven key factors shaping acceptability: ease of use; intervention understanding; intervention costs; perceived positive effects; perceived negative effects; relevance to young adults' needs and context; and social factors shaping acceptability. The review highlights the importance of collecting and aggregating information on the acceptability of HIV prevention interventions in Africa to inform future intervention development. It also points to factors developers and implementers of HIV prevention services and programmes should consider. However, our review also exposes gaps in the literature. More research is needed to investigate the acceptability of different stakeholders beyond end-users, the acceptability of integrated interventions, and the development of more robust theoretical frameworks and measurement tools. Understanding what influences the acceptability of interventions among young people and other key individuals will better equip researchers and practitioners to meet their needs and improve opportunities for the transition to adulthood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Critically reviews the literature on interventions to support children with incarcerated parents. • Twenty-four studies reporting on child outcomes in the United States were reviewed. • Most research has focused on promoting parenting skills and improving visits. • Little research on programs supporting at-home caregivers. • Services are typically not developmentally specified and do not acknowledge systems of inequality. The United States' overreliance on incarceration has resulted in the imprisonment of millions of individuals – the majority of whom are parents of minor children. While mass incarceration has failed to effectively reduce crime or increase safety, it has dramatically harmed children and families in the United States. In turn, a wealth of research confirms the negative social, emotional, and psychological impacts of parental incarceration on children and the disproportionate impact on Black and Hispanic families and families living in poverty. As activists work towards dismantling this discriminatory and overly punitive system, it is also necessary to support children and adolescents currently impacted by parental incarceration. Using the Family Stress-Proximal Process (FSPP) model (Arditti, 2016) as a frame, the current paper critically reviews the literature on interventions to support children with incarcerated parents (CIP). The use of the FSPP frame highlights that while most intervention research has focused on promoting parenting skills of incarcerated parents and improving visit experiences, there is a dearth of research on interventions that (1) support at-home caregivers, (2) provide developmentally-targeted and −appropriate services and (3) acknowledge and counteract systems of inequality like structural racism and poverty that cause and exacerbate incarceration-related stress. These findings support a research agenda that prioritizes interventions framed around the intersectional identities of CIP and the intersecting systems that impact their lives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Child protection system building in the Middle-East and North Africa is under-researched. • Lebanon's child protection system has undergone significant reform since 2015, moving towards a more integrated, procedural, and standardised model. • Unifying state, non-governmental, and religious stakeholders under one framework however remains challenging. • This paper recommends greater inclusion of community-based protection mechanisms and reengagement with religious family courts. Lebanon's fledgling child protection (CP) system has been criticised for being fragmented and overly crisis-driven to the detriment of the children served. This article conceptualises Lebanon's 'pluralistic' model and is the first to examine the contentious government reforms which have taken place since 2014. Drawing on 54 semi-structured stakeholder interviews, we examine how the state has wrested power from religious authorities, introduced national CP practice standards, and increased supervision of non-governmental services. This paper argues that these reforms have moved Lebanon further towards an integrated, legalistic and procedural CP approach. However, unresolved challenges remain to reconcile the competing roles, interests and capabilities of the state, the non-governmental sector, and religious authorities under one cohesive framework. This paper recommends strengthening support for the non-governmental sector, improving inclusion of community-based protection mechanisms, and reengagement with religious family courts to better meet the needs of children. The study not only has important implications for the development of Lebanon's protection system but also for the theories and practice debates surrounding system building in low and middle-income countries and the Middle-East and North African region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parents of trans children hold a body of knowledge about supporting trans children. • Families interact with a wide range of services and agencies in their journey to affirm their children's gender. • Parent knowledge and advocacy extends far beyond the medicalised pathway. • Parent knowledge can be used to inform services and agencies to provide more integrated, affirming services. The childhood and adolescence of transgender and gender diverse children and young people (trans children) is contested in many areas, such as media, education, health, and increasingly in the political sphere. Parents and carers of trans children navigate services and societal relations in their journey to affirm their children, from happy childhood to trans adults. This paper reports on the accounts of parents of trans children in Australia. Semi-structured interviews with 18 parents of 15 trans children in four states were analysed to understand the journey holistically, and interactions with services and institutions on this journey. Children ranged in current age from 8 to 21 years, and were 2 to 16 years when they first expressed their trans identity. These journeys highlight moments of gender euphoria, and points of both positive and negative interactions with a range of services such as GPs, specialist healthcare, trans healthcare, schools, foster care, government records, and sporting environments. This research demonstrates that parents have a collective body of knowledge on supporting and affirming trans children that should be drawn on to inform child and youth services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This scoping review explores the international literature between 2000 and 2022, to investigate the barriers and enablers to care-leavers engagement with multi-agency support services. • Thematic analysis informed the identification and analysis of documented enablers, barriers, and outcomes to engagement with care leavers. The results were used to populate a logic model to summarise the inputs, outputs and outcomes following care leaver engagement with multi-agency support. • Key themes identified around the barriers and enablers to engagement with care-leavers included Barriers: Identity, Trust in Services, Inadequate Support; Enablers: Turning points, Continuity of Support, A Good Worker, and Person-centred Approaches; and Outcomes: Improved Confidence, Awareness of Rights and Engagement. • We suggest that further qualitative research is needed with a variety of stakeholders including care-leavers to elicit the factors that contribute to their engagement with services, and to understand what engagement looks like. Many care-leavers experience poor individual and social outcomes. Care-leavers involvement with decision making and consistent supportive relationships with professionals can facilitate a more successful transition to independent living, including better well-being and social outcomes. Not all care-leavers engage with or participate in after-care services. There has been little systematic or structured modelling of what effective enablement through multi-agency support looks like, and the enablers and barriers to care-leaver engagement have not been identified. A scoping review of the international literature was conducted. Eighteen papers were identified, and a thematic synthesis used to derive themes associated with barriers and enablers to care-leavers engagement with services, and subsequent outcomes. The findings were used to populate a logic model illustrating the relationship between the mechanisms contributing to better outcomes for care-leavers: including inputs, activities, and outputs. Barriers to engagement included: identity, independence, trust in services and inadequate support. Enablers included persistent and consistent support, time and turning points, and having an authentic trusted professional within the service. The key findings focused on the need for flexible and accessible services, a gradual introduction to the after-care concept and a proactive approach by professionals, especially immediately after leaving care. This research co-produced with care-leavers contributes to a better understanding of the nature of enablers and barriers to engagement with multi- agency support services. The initial logic model derived from the literature will inform the development and measurement of a practice model and toolkit for professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study reviewed the prevalence of mental health disorders among Looked After Children in the UK. • Prevalence rates varied across studies. • The Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) was the most frequently used tool to assess mental health. • There is still uncertainty about the scale and nature of mental health difficulties in this group. Care-experienced children and young people are more likely to experience poorer mental health relative to the general population. Some of the most highly cited literature in this area is becoming increasingly outdated, however, and as the gap between mental health service availability and provision is steadily growing, it is imperative that we understand the scale and nature of the mental health needs of this group. A systematic review of all literature published from the UK was conducted in March 2022 using APA PsycINFO, ASSIA, Cochrane Library, Medline, PubMed, Scopus, Social Policy and Practice, Social Services Abstracts, and Web of Science. Papers were included if they 1) sampled young people (aged 0 to 18 years) with care experience and, 2) used either a standard or non-standardised measurement tool, or health records to assess mental health prevalence rates (reported as a percentage). Risk of bias assessed used the QuADS tool (Harrison et al., 2021) and data was extracted. Thirty-nine studies were included and summarised. The estimated prevalence of mental health disorders of young people in care ranged from 1 to 82 %. The most frequently used tool to assess mental health was the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman, 1997) and, while over half of studies utilised prevalence information from a comparator group, this was most commonly young people in the general population. The results of the systematic review demonstrate that estimates of mental health disorders among care-experienced young people in the UK vary considerably. Further consideration should be given toward what measures are used to assess mental health in this population and how we can optimally assess and characterise their support needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This co-produced study explores how young people experience and conceptualise 'feeling (mis)understood' by adults. • Feeling understood by adults has a positive impact on young people's mental health and help-seeking. • When young people feel misunderstood by health and social care professionals, it can negatively impact help-seeking. • Health and social care professionals should help young people to feel understood in to support engagement. The subjective and emotional experience of feeling (mis)understood by another person is distinct from being literally (mis)understood. While there is literature exploring young people's experiences of feeling (mis)understood in therapeutic or clinical settings by adults and the impacts thereof, there is limited exploration of young people's conceptualisations and perspectives of feeling (mis)understood within a range of young person-supporting adult relationships. This paper reports on the first stage of a project that was co-designed and co-produced by young people, exploring how young people experience and conceptualise 'feeling (mis)understood' in the context of receiving support from adults in their lives. This initial stage of the project captures young people's views on what feeling (mis)understood feels like, its impact on their mental health, and how adults can help young people to feel understood. Conceptualisation, design, fieldwork, analysis and writing were all co-produced with peer-researchers. Data for this project was generated through four workshops each held in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. A total of 26 participants aged between 16 and 24 years of age took part in these workshops, and each workshop was facilitated by two peer-researchers and a member of university staff. Data was analysed through collaborative thematic analysis. The study found that feeling understood by supporting adults has a very positive impact on young people's wellbeing, mental health and help-seeking behaviour. Feeling misunderstood was found to have the converse effect, and in addition was found to make young people less likely to seek further support. Young people also identified a number of key actions adults can take to help the young people they support feel better understood. The findings of this research suggest that practitioners in the health and social care sector working with young people should consider the ways in which they can help young people feel better understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Mentoring literature contains diverse, but as yet unclassified, mentoring relationship types. • Mentoring for young people young people transitioning out of care must address specific contextual needs and barriers. • More attention is needed in mentoring literature on the policy context and the nature of the gender and power in mentoring relationships. In Australia, out-of-home care (OoHC) is provided to safeguard children and young people unable to live with their families. Typically, this care stops at 18 years of age, leaving many young people without the relational support to find employment and stable accommodation. Mentoring is increasingly proposed as a way to support young people exiting care, though the types of mentoring and contextual factors vary considerably. This rapid review aims to identify key features of mentoring programs that support young people in OoHC. This paper utilised a rapid review methodology to survey the academic literature on mentoring programs with young people in OoHC. The authors conducted literature searches in October 2022 using a search string designed to provide targeted exposure to the literature. Articles were limited by year and location, with the specific search string and limitations applied to the Scopus database, and Proquest and Informit platforms. Utilising literature, we identified five overlapping models for mentor–mentee relationships into a provisional typology of five categories based on varying levels of formality and familiarity in the relationships: 'formal', 'natural', 'near-age', 'peer', and 'therapeutic'. In doing so, we identified seven important features of mentor–mentee relationships: shared experiences, relationship duration, boundaries and other relationships, identity and self-worth, educational contexts, power and participation, and role modelling. We identified four issues relating to mentoring in OoHC that are informed by the needs and barriers experienced by young people: training and support for mentors, unique challenges faced by young people in OoHC, transition out of care, and the matching process. Lastly, we established what might impact mentoring programs buy critically reflecting on the policy context and notions of empowerment. This rapid review of mentoring programs for care-experienced young people seeking employment offers valuable insights to inform future programs. The findings highlight diverse and unclassified mentoring relationship types, the absence of anticipated gender-specific findings, a lack of examination of the policy context, and a need for more robust conceptualisations of empowerment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Exposure to harmful online content increases cyberbullying perpetration. • Parental support decreases cyberbullying perpetration. • Parental support moderates the effect of exposure to harmful online content on cyberbullying perpetration. • Parental support increases cyberbullying perpetration for at-risk students. Cyberbullying has grown into a global issue with the Internet becoming a readily accessible commodity around the world. During the outbreak and spread of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19), most personal and professional activities shifted to the virtual environment, increasing the time children spent online and the opportunities to engage in deviant behavior such as cyberbullying. In this paper, we analyzed cyberbullying data drawn from a nationally representative survey of South Korean adolescents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Correlates of cyberbullying perpetration were examined in addition to the moderating impact of parental support. Policy implications and future research directions were discussed based on the findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The pandemic affected adolescent girls in unique ways with wide social implication in terms of gender equality, educational attainment and social inequality. • Poverty and wealth intersect with other forms of inequality delimiting the options available to girls. • Girls are key to households' coping strategies through economizing behaviors, work, and care. • Post-pandemic responses should be age and gender sensitive. The COVID-19 pandemic is expected to widen inequalities and hamper the SDG commitments of gender equality and poverty reduction. In Africa, it is feared that the social consequences of the pandemic will undo the progress in gender equality achieved over the last two decades. Through in-depth qualitative telephone interviews with 37 adolescent girls in Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone this paper sheds light on the economic consequences of the pandemic on girls. Adolescent girls' experience of the pandemic is strongly mediated by their household configuration, resources and geographical context. Our data identifies three groups: i) sheltered from the economic impact of the pandemic, ii) coping or adjusting, and iii) severely affected. We also identify a fourth group of girls, found only in Burkina Faso, whose lives have been affected by conflict and who perceive the impact of the pandemic to be minor compared to enduring violence and trauma. Our analysis shows the unequal impact of COVID-19 and the measures implemented to contain it is likely to increase economic inequality, particularly in areas with longer-lasting restrictions, as coping mechanisms erode over time. Furthermore, the pandemic is likely to accelerate marriages and the end of schooling thus increasing gender inequality. Such effects are also mediated by resources girls have access to. We argue that achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) ideals requires innovative, appropriate and sustainable solutions with the combined effort of governments and the development community that respond to the lived experiences of adolescent girls. Finally, necessary attention to the consequences of the pandemic should not detract from addressing ongoing issues affecting adolescent girls, including poverty and conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Young people leaving care are often described as 'vulnerable', but this is often poorly understood. • They are subjected to, and experience, a range of forms of vulnerability, which form 'institutionalised vulnerability'. • Understanding vulnerability is important to prevent the production of stigmatising discourses, policies and practices. Care leavers are often considered to constitute some of the most disadvantaged young people in society, and there exists a significant body of research that seeks to understand why some young people 'succeed', whereas others struggle due to accumulated 'vulnerabilities'. Despite this extensive research base, policy and practice aiming to support young people leaving care remain diverse, indicating a lack of consensus on why some experience 'poor outcomes' and what might be done better to support them. This article focusses on the experiences of young people leaving care in the Russian Federation and makes two contributions; firstly, it provides theoretical insights through a critical discussion of the notion of vulnerability. We argue for attention to institutional vulnerabilities, which heavily structure the potential outcome of transitions available to young people leaving care in Russia. We note discourses and practices of dependency-related victim-blaming, which indicate the operation of 'attribution errors' in the Russian care and post-care systems, erroneously positioning individuals as responsible for their vulnerability rather than the dysfunction of systems of care. To fully understand the reasons for many young people's 'poorer outcomes', we suggest refocussing attention towards the combined operation of discourses, systems and structures through the conceptual approach of 'institutionalised vulnerability'. Secondly, the paper provides an empirical contribution in shedding light on the experiences of young people transitioning out of the care system as well as practitioners working in both the state and third sector in Russia, as the country experiences an ongoing process of deinstitutionalisation. This is important for other contexts given global efforts to deinstitutionalise residential child care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-component interventions showed the greatest promise in housing stabilization. • Flexibility is an important factor within housing support intervention design. • Housing stability was linked with housing first, transitional and outreach programs. • Further evidence on these interventions and underrepresented groups is needed. This scoping review synthesized the academic literature within North America that focuses on housing stabilization interventions for young people experiencing homelessness. A scoping review method was used to identify literature relevant to the question: What is the existing evidence in the peer-reviewed literature regarding housing stabilization interventions for youth who have experienced homelessness? The databases of PubMed, Scopus, PsychInfo and Google Scholar were searched, identifying 31 papers that were selected for the review. Three housing stabilization themes were identified, which included: 1) Multidisciplinary and outreach interventions, 2) Housing first models and 3) Transitional, Supportive and Independent Living programs. Results indicated improvements in housing stability among youth across types of housing stabilization interventions as well as promising impacts in areas of mental health, addictions, employment, education, and independent living skills. The evidence base, however, is limited, highlighting a need for future research to include more pragmatic design and examine what works best for who and when. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Unplanned placement terminations impact on sense of parental identity. • Formal support groups can help carers to see the contribution they have made to a child's life. • Practices of memorialisation in support groups enable carers to process loss and grief. • A restorative approach can help to address ambiguous loss following placement termination. For foster or kinship carers who provide long-term care to children who are unable to live with their birth parents, a strong bond is often formed. Yet despite the best intentions of all parties, in some cases placements may be terminated, often leaving foster or kinship carers dealing with considerable loss and grief. This paper reports on the evaluation of a South Australian support group tailored to the needs of foster and kinship carers experiencing loss and grief following an unplanned placement termination. The paper provides an overview of the group, and reports on a thematic analysis of eight interviews with group attendees. The findings in regard to factors leading to placement termination and the impact of placement termination on foster families echo previous research on the topic. The findings with regard to the benefits of group attendance emphasise the utility of its restorative practices approach, highlighting that the group created a space in which participants could acknowledge what had been achieved for the child, take perspective about their role as a foster parent, recognise the attachment they shared with the child, and the use of group activities gave presence to the grief and helped participants to honour their relationship to the child. The paper concludes with recommendations for future research and highlights the benefits of a restorative practice approach to addressing disenfranchised grief and ambiguous loss among foster and kinship carers who have experienced an unplanned placement termination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Evidence review of reunification programs promoting safety, security and stability. • Utilised a common elements approach to identify practices to support reunification. • Most practices utilised behavioral or social learning theories in driving change. • Practices identified include coaching, awareness-raising, and role modelling. • Common elements offer potential to tailor interventions and develop frameworks. A proliferation of programs and interventions aim to promote permanency for children and young people in contact with the child welfare system. Many are manualized and evaluated at the program-level rather than at practice-level. Interest is growing in the common elements approach, to determine which individual program components are most useful for informing practice. This paper draws from the findings of a systematic review that assessed current research on permanency programs and utilized a common elements approach to identify practices that support permanency via reunification, guardianship or adoption. The focus of this paper is on practice elements that are common for supporting parents towards reunification. Twelve publications met inclusion criteria: seven experimental (randomized controlled trial) studies, two quasi-experimental studies, and three pretest–posttest studies. From these, 10 programs were identified that aim to build the capacity of parents undertaking reunification efforts to promote their children's safety, stability, and security. Using content analysis, a total of eight distinct practices in reunification programs were identified; these practices applied a structured and individualized approach to improve parent–child interactions and build parent skills to recognize and respond to child behavioral issues. The common elements approach reveals the components of evidence-based interventions to support reunification and can be useful for tailoring interventions, developing frameworks, upskilling workforce and identifying effective practices within existing interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ECEC policy research can benefit from the historical institutionalism theory, which explores the role of institutions over time. • The bureaucratic politics highlights the role of government officials in policy making. • In the case of Israel, the historical institutionalism analysis explains the ECEC governance deficit characterized by (a) low quality, (b) weak regulation, and (c) services that are mainly directed at working mothers while excluding other populations. • Early patterns from the pre-state era formed the current structure of governance. • The paper offers a theoretical contribution to understanding change in a historical perspective by proposing the concept of erosion , in which standards, norms, and policy expectations gradually wear away. Israel is characterized by weak governability and low-quality early childhood education and care (ECEC; birth to three years) services. This policy is characterized by four dimensional deficits: deficit in provision of services, deficit in legislation, deficit in quality, and deficit in funding. This paper probes the sources of the regulatory deficit and low public investment in ECEC services in Israel. I use historical institutionalism analysis along with bureaucratic politics theory to explore Israel's weak regulatory governance from the 1920 s to the 1980 s. The bureaucratic politics approach furnishes a good view of the role of bureaucrats and the bureaucratic power struggle in policy formation. The analysis indicates three tensions that have shaped ECEC policy: (1) support for working mothers versus disadvantaged children and families; (2) accessibility of services versus quality of services; and (3) form of provision (i.e., ECEC as a private service versus ECEC as a public service). Historical analysis shows that the ambiguity and duality that characterize ECEC policy regarding these issues has led to indecisive and inconsistent policies, weak regulatory governance, and poor public services. The conflict among ministerial offices has also contributed to the gradual change in policy. The study underscores the contribution of historical analysis to understanding policy trends and for designing future reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• New attention has been focused on strengthening family connections and.expanding the community-based service array focused on preventing maltreatment and out-of-home placement. • Describe preliminary outcomes from a pilot evaluation of a new curriculum teaching parents trauma-informed strategies to address and resolve their own trauma while supporting healthy attachment with their children. • Demonstrates feasibility of conducting a large-scale study of the Breakthrough Parenting Curriculum (BPC). Unresolved trauma can negatively impact parenting and increase chances of child maltreatment. With the passing of the Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) in 2018, new attention has been focused on strengthening family connections and expanding the community-based service array focused on preventing maltreatment and out of home placement. The purpose of this paper is twofold: (1) to describe preliminary outcomes from a pilot evaluation of a new curriculum teaching parents trauma-informed strategies to address and resolve their own trauma while supporting healthy attachment; and (2) assess the feasibility of conducting a large scale study. Forty parents involved in the state child welfare system were recruited to participate. Statistical analyses included T-tests, propensity score analysis, and repeated measures MANOVA. Assessments, which occurred at Pre and Post for the intervention group and comparable times for the quasi-waitlist group, indicated the following: A high retention rate (72%) for the intervention group, an increase in parent knowledge of trauma, skills to address trauma behavior, and parent well-being for the intervention, relative to the waitlist comparison group; and a decrease in child problem behavior in the intervention, relative to the waitlist group. Fidelity data was strong, with trainers completing 100% of activities for each module. Parental satisfaction in the intervention group was also high and costs to implement the training were reasonable. The findings of this pilot study provide strong support for evaluating the BPC in a large-scale outcome investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-layered implementation conditions enable or disable Signs of Safety mechanisms. • Misperceptions of goals easily occur; organisations should monitor staff 'sense making'. • Enacting Signs of Safety requires good critical thinking and interpersonal skills. • Group supervision is required to identify and address misperceptions and share responsibility. • Leadership should be explicitly aligned with Signs of Safety goals and closely connected to practice. Implementing a new initiative in any complex system is known to be deeply challenging and children's services are no exception in this regard. Yet understanding implementation is important to support service planning as well as to avoid inappropriate (de)commissioning. Complexity-informed Realist methods are well established, especially in health sciences research, but have seen little uptake in social work, despite calls to embrace the approach. This paper utilises a Realist Synthesis to understand and evaluate how interactions between children's services interventions and the context they are introduced into can influence implementation and outcomes. We present six emerging programme theories on how the interacting effects of reasoning and resources in varying conditions affect implementation of a popular framework for child protection social work, Signs of Safety. Our findings demonstrate that interactions at multiple systemic levels affect implementation and provide practical guidance to inform service development and delivery. Further, we contribute testable Realist Context-Mechanism-Outcome configurations (CMOCs) and discuss how these can form the basis for a Realist Evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birth parents of looked after children can provide emotional and practical supports for their children. Yet, beyond attempts at reunification, support for birth parents to build and maintain relationships with their children are rare. In this paper, we present a scoping review of programs aimed at developing and supporting birth parents' relationships with their children in circumstances other than for the purpose of reunification. The review analyses publications from January 2000 to October 2021 on this topic. We consider the scope, the methodological features, and quality of the available evidence about these programs. Our analysis identifies the characteristics and purpose of these programs and evidence of their effectiveness. Despite the early stage of knowledge development on this topic, evidence exists about the needs and experiences of birth parents. Promising findings have emerged about strategies for engaging parents and the positive impact of some interventions on parents' contact with children. We outline implications for further research to build the evidence base for best practice with birth parents, foster and kinship carers, and children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to a 2018 report by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, more than 400,000 students live in foster care. Among other obstacles to success, involvement in the child welfare system is associated with negative school outcomes, including school instability, disproportionate placement in restrictive special education settings, and risk of school disengagement. Educational professionals, such as teachers, administrators, school psychologists, counselors, social workers, and paraprofessionals, are positioned to help reduce risks of school failure and promote educational resilience for students in foster care by providing safe and supportive school services. When engaging in the provision of school-based services, there are several legal obligations which educators must follow in order to uphold the rights of students in foster care and promote student resilience. The purpose of this paper is to review the extant literature regarding educational professionals' legal obligations when serving students in foster care. Actionable recommendations that increase the likelihood of student success are highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• How LGBTQA + young people experience support, care and safety may depend on the relational context. • Warm, loving relationships may be just as significant for the development of positive gender and sexual identities as explicit support for identity formation. • For LGBTQA + young people, homophobia and transphobia may also be experienced as a disruption to their safe and secure base – that is, as robbing them both literally and figuratively, of a secure place to belong in society. • Growing up in a heteronormative environment can add to the challenges of receiving safe and stable care and amplify the struggle to be seen supported whilst in OOHC. This paper presents a case study that discusses the lived experiences of two LGBTQA + young people who have been in out-of-home care in Australia, focusing particularly on the influence of relationships on their developing sexual identity. Utilising a secure base theoretical perspective, we argue that how young people experience support, care and safety may depend on the relational context in which it is received, and that warm, loving relationships may be just as significant for the development of positive gender and sexual identities as explicit support for identity formation. The findings from the two narratives provide an argument in favour of the secure base model to support young LGBTQA + people in out-of-home care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Young people who reside in a context where agentic capacity can be developed are more likely to achieve normative milestones in residential care. • Well-being in residential care can be negatively affected by the systematic culture in which care homes are embedded in. • Residential care lacks flexibility when meeting the needs of the individual resident. • Peer relationships carry positive and negative aspects which in turn impact on the individual's well-being in residential care. Residential care can be a relevant option for young people with behavioural problems considered beyond the capacity of the young person's own home or foster care to manage. While some care home residents go on to excel in life, others do not. Understanding how young people's experiences of residential care impact on their well-being might help us improve the outcome possibilities for individual residents. This systematic review of qualitative research aimed to synthesize and identify the experience of living in residential care and suggest how these findings can enhance the well-being of this group in the future. Five relevant databases were searched for qualitative empirical studies published between 1990 and January 2020. Twelve papers met the inclusion criteria. The studies were thematically synthesised to produce findings. Four high-order analytical themes were constructed: autonomy and control; relationships and support; safety and security; and, child to adult transitions in care. These high-order themes revealed a varied experience of care with some young people experiencing stability and security as well as support towards achieving normative milestones. For others the findings revealed experiences of not being heard and understood by the care institution, creating experiences of poor well-being and a reduction in agentic development. In addition, peer relationships were experienced both positively as friendships and support developed within some care homes and negatively when the peer group accepted bullying and violence as normative behaviour. This review recommends further research into how the care community culture impacts on young people. Finally, this review calls for research on how agency is developed and supported among young people in residential care, and how poorer psychological well-being can be better understood within the realm of residential care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]