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Abstract This paper sets out to give a rounded view of the Irish foster care system as currently constituted. It will cover areas such as the law and policy framework, key data, key institutional actors, views of the system from the perspective of key stakeholders (care experienced adults and young people, foster carers and their children and the biological parents of children in foster care), and distinctive features of the Irish system. It will also offer a brief review of key influences that have helped shape the current system and Ireland's move from high use of institutional care to high rates of family placement. It will also consider challenges that still face policy and practice in the Irish foster care system. The paper takes a multi-disciplinary approach drawing on evidence from various perspectives including law, history and social policy. Offering the Irish case in this paper is not to claim or imply that the Irish system is fully developed or has resolved all its challenges. As will become clear, the argument here is that Ireland is an interesting case not because of any (erroneous) claim that it is the finished article as a foster care system. It is interesting because it is both a system that is still in development, and is also one that has already made the transition from a system dominated by residential care to one heavily reliant on family placement. Highlights • Ninety-two per cent of children in care in Ireland are placed in families (in both foster and kinship care) • This represents one of the highest family placement rates in care systems across the world • Previously the Irish care system relied heavily on institutional care like many Catholic countries • Ireland thus serves as an interesting case study of de-institutionalisation in a traditionally Catholic country • The paper offers a detailed overview of the current system of provisions for children in care in Ireland [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This paper describes the process of design, development, and implementation of a complex, multi-component, tertiary prevention intervention aimed at stabilizing pathways out of homelessness, the Housing Outreach Project-Collaborative (HOP-C). HOP-C is a multi-organizational, cross-sector, inter-professional collaboration. This process-oriented paper aims to elucidate the rationale for and experience of implementing the three main components of HOP-C: case management, mental health treatment and peer support, as well as the processes that support this wrap-around intervention as a whole. This paper draws on qualitative process-oriented data (i.e. field notes and interviews with staff) collected over the course of the intervention, and integrates perspectives from multiple practitioners involved in this endeavour. Practitioners reported the diversity in the type and intensity of services offered to clients, the building of a close and communicative interprofessional and inter-agency team, as well as the development of broader connectivity between organizations and practitioners as significant strengths of this approach. Challenges and successes in implementation are explored with the intention of providing insight into ways in which other collaborative complex interventions might be approached in the youth homelessness sector. Highlights • Youth homelessness is a complex social problem • HOP-C is a tertiary prevention complex intervention for youth transitioning from homelessness • HOP-C represents a cross-sector, cross-agency, interprofessional collaboration • Intervention provided wrap-around case management, peer, and mental health supports • Individualized supports and close interprofessional teams linked to positive youth outcomes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From ethnographic research with unaccompanied children in the United States and Guatemala, this paper explores emergent and, at times, conflicting narratives of care that young migrants encounter while in U.S. federal custody. They are depicted as ‘ideal’ victims deserving of care and simultaneously as unauthorized outlaws subject to state discipline via detention and deportation. In contrast, Guatemalan youth and their families speak of migration as a cultural elaboration of care in which they are agents of caregiving, employing transnational migration as a collective and historically-rooted survival strategy. By examining the multiple conceptualizations of care that young people encounter and embody, this paper problematizes theorizations of ‘care’ by tracing the conflicting meanings assigned to it. Informed by the perspectives of young migrants and their families, the paper suggests ways that service providers might better serve them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to contribute to debates about how people's adult lives unfold after experiencing childhood adversity. It presents analysis from the British Chinese Adoption Study: a mixed methods follow-up study of women, now aged in their 40s and early 50s, who spent their infant lives in Hong Kong orphanages and were then adopted by families in the UK in the 1960s. Sixty-eight women participated via questionnaires and face-to-face interviews. The paper draws on both quantitative analysis (using standardised measures and systematically coded data on adult life events) and qualitative analysis of interview data to identify the context and subjective meaning of the quantitative findings. We found that most of the women lived largely positive, stable, well-supported lives although punctuated by challenging periods. Using regression analysis, two variables were significantly associated with poorer mid-life functioning over and above other potential influences: a) feeling unhappy about being adopted, and b) partnership adversity after age 25. No associations were found between childhood experiences and patterns of adult adversity. Illustrations are given, based on the interviews, of the women's multi-faceted perspectives on the long-term impact of being internationally adopted and on professional support. We conclude that when early orphanage care (of reasonable quality) was followed by a good quality adoption, most women were able to negotiate the majority of later difficulties successfully. The findings suggest two important implications for understanding mid-life outcomes: a) that experiences in both childhood and adulthood should be taken into account and b) individuals' subjective views on being internationally adopted may help explain divergent outcomes within groups with similar early experiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Figures from 2015 show that two hundred and five children entered secure accommodation from England and Wales. 47% were placed because they were on remand or sentenced for committing a serious offence. 43% were placed by social services under a child welfare order. The remaining 10% were secured by their local authority on criminal justice grounds. This paper uses the example of girls in secure care to explore understandings that are applied to young people considered ‘vulnerable’ and ‘troublesome’ simultaneously. While policy around secure accommodation claims that it offers a therapeutic intervention, to help young people work through their problems and learn appropriate coping mechanisms, it also keeps them ‘safe’ by physically locking them away from the world in which they have been entrenched. Using detailed ethnographic fieldwork, this paper explores the experiences of girls living in a setting usually exempt from scrutiny and showcases their views of being ‘worked with’ in an institution designed to enable reform. Significantly, findings show that girls rejected the ‘vulnerable’ label that was ascribed to them and instead felt that vulnerability was better defined by life experience instead of age. By examining girl's own perspectives of their complex pathways into secure care, this paper will contest the binding of childhood and vulnerability and argue that such an act disenfranchises girls from the services that are designed to help them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The educational progress, experiences and attainment of children in out-of-home care and care leavers continue to be an issue of concern internationally. A growing body of research from countries such as the UK, USA, and Sweden indicates that care leavers tend to have lower levels of educational attainment than their majority population peers. Recent evidence suggests that low educational attainment of individuals with care experience may be the result of a "complex combination" of various individual characteristics as well as pre- and in-care experiences (O'Higgins et al., 2015: 13). White and Wu (2014) have highlighted the value of applying a life course perspective to child welfare research noting the potential of this approach given its emphasis on social context, individual development, and the effect of change over time. This paper embraces their case by advocating for use of the life course perspective as a guiding research paradigm when investigating the educational experiences of adult care leavers. Applying a life course perspective to research in this area has the capacity to add new dimensions to our understanding of the issue. This is due to the long-term perspective that this approach takes as well as its capacity to consider the interaction of individual and social factors and change over time. The paper begins with an outline of the key themes and concepts of the life course perspective followed by an overview of existing literature related to the educational experiences and attainment of children in care and care leavers. There follows a discussion of how using this perspective as a guiding research paradigm, with its accompanying themes and concepts, may facilitate a deeper understanding of the educational progress and experiences of adult care leavers. Throughout this discussion we will draw on a composite worked-case example from an ongoing PhD study of the educational experiences of adult care leavers in Ireland to highlight the value of applying a life course perspective to this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Young people in and leaving state care are more likely than the general population to become parents at a young age. Relatively little is known about the experiences and progress of care leaver parents and their children, but emerging evidence suggests an increased risk of intergenerational state intervention. Drawing on data from the Wales Adoption Study, this paper examines the prevalence and profiles of care leavers amongst birth parents whose children were placed for adoption. Findings showed that more than a quarter (27%) of birth mothers and a fifth (19%) of birth fathers with children placed for adoption were themselves care leavers. There were no significant differences between care leaver and non-care leaver birth parents in terms of involvement in crime or substance misuse, but carer leaver birth parents were distinguishable from other birth parents by their own experiences of abuse and neglect. Care leaver birth mothers were also more likely than their non-care leaver counterparts to have diagnosed mental health problems and were less likely to appeal the adoption plan. The profiles of children placed for adoption between care leaver and non-care leaver birth parents were similar. The findings presented in this paper strengthen the moral imperative to address the over-representation of care leavers amongst birth parents whose children are placed for adoption. There is an urgent need to revise how children and young people in state care are prepared for parenthood and supported as parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the background of increasing international calls for the development and implementation of age-appropriate programmes that address both quality and access issues to improve adolescent and youth health, this paper explores the extent to which public health facilities are available and accessible to adolescents and youth in South Africa. The impetus for the study was the current evidence that there was generally poor utilisation of services offered at public health facilities by young people in the country. The overall findings are that despite the country's comprehensive legal and policy framework and commitment to improve the health of young people, there continues to be some structural and systemic factors that hamper effective provision and programming of adolescent and youth friendly services. The paper concludes with recommendations for policy and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The English language term ‘permanence’ is increasingly used in high income countries as a ‘short-hand’ translation for a complex set of aims around providing stability and family membership for children who need child welfare services and out-of-home care. From a scrutiny of legislative provisions, court judgments, government documents and a public opinion survey on child placement options, the paper draws out similarities and differences in understandings of the place of ‘permanence’ within the child welfare discourse in Norway and England. The main differences are that in England the components of permanence are explicitly set out in legislation, statutory guidance and advisory documents whilst in Norway the terms ‘stability’ and ‘continuity’ are used in a more limited number of policy documents in the context of a wide array of services available for children and families. The paper then draws on these sources, and on administrative data on children in care, to tease out possible explanations for the similarities and differences identified. We hypothesise that both long-standing policies and recent changes can be explained by differences in public and political understandings of child welfare and the balance between universal services and those targeted on parents and children identified as vulnerable and in need of specialist services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing quality relationships is recognised as an active ingredient for effective interventions with young people in care. Essentially, care staff has the opportunity and capacity to positively influence the young person's experiences in care, through the positive relationships they form. This paper presents selectively on the findings of two separate but related qualitative Irish studies exploring relationship-based approaches in residential child care practice, from the perspectives of both residential child care workers and young care leavers. Thirty-two professionals and four care leavers participated in either focus group or individual interviews. The findings are integrated in this paper with the wider literature on young people leaving care, with the aim of identifying core knowledge that is needed by service providers who are tasked with the support of young people making the transition out of care and towards independent living. In this paper we attempt to identify the knowledge base on relationship-building which is needed by care staff in order to carry out their role. It is argued that an explicit knowledge base is overdue now that the complex needs of young people in care are increasingly visible through advances in research and more recently the emerging literature concerning the personal testimonies of care graduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Mexico, institutional care is the most widely used out-of-home placement resource for children who have been either abandoned by their parents or removed from their families to protect them from harm. Currently there are over 29,000 children and adolescents placed in approximately 725 institutions in Mexico. However, little is known about the perspectives of young people about their lives in this setting. We set out to explore young people's descriptions of their lived experience of everyday life in one institutional care setting in Mexico, with a focus on their daily activities and their relationships to significant others. Multiple qualitative methods (adapted Photovoice, mapping and focus groups) were used by researchers from both Mexico and Sweden. In this paper, we explore and analyze their experiences of being ‘almost home’ and living in an ‘almost family’. Life in the institution could be characterized as a highly structured, total institution wherein young people looked for ways to take control over times and places. It was safe but not quite home. Life was also strongly connected to stigma. Although in long-term placements, they refused to be labeled ‘orphans’. The stigma of being called orphans and living in the confines of the institution was countered by the young people's descriptions of importance of feeling safe, being adequately supported and cared for, having a sense of comfort and normality where they are living, and having emotional connections to those they live with. Being listened to and having a say in decisions related to their lives were also strongly recurrent themes in our study. This paper concludes with a discussion of implications for practice with children and youth in institutional care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Case management is a frequently offered service to children and families receiving community based mental health care. However, despite its frequent use, child and adolescent mental health case management lacks formal structure leading to service ambiguity and poor outcomes, for both families being served, and the professionals serving them. This paper explores the implementation of the Strengths Model for Youth, a recovery oriented case management model, at a community mental health center and its relationship with case managers' professional quality of life. Researchers administered the Professional Quality of Life survey to child and adolescent mental health case managers implementing the Strengths Model for Youth at baseline and at six months into implementation. Results indicate the Strengths Model for Youth has positive impacts on case managers' feelings of compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue after six months of using the model. • Strengths Model for Youth (SM-Y) is a youth-driven, goal-oriented approach to case management. • Results indicate SM-Y may lead to improved professional quality of life for case managers. • SM-Y case managers had improved compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract This study applies cumulative adversity and stress proliferation theories to examine risk and protective resource profiles of youth with three different levels of housing and parental care instability. Data derive from a state representative sample (n = 27,087) of school-based adolescent students. ANCOVA analyses identified significant differences in sociodemographic and psychosocial functioning variables for youth with 0, 1, or 2 forms of housing and parental care instability, with more deleterious functioning being observed among youth with greater levels of instability. Those experiencing either or both housing and parental care instability are more represented by males, sexual minorities, and youth of color; psychosocial risk and protective factors demonstrated consistent differences between instability groups. Dimensions of cumulative adversity operate with social marginalities (e.g., race, sexual minority status) relative to instability, with higher frequency of victimization, lower grades, diminished self-regulation capabilities and school engagement, weakened psychological health, and strained family and peer relationships. The paper discusses theorized mechanisms through which cumulative adversity conveys effects as well as implications for social work prevention and resilience-fostering strategies in schools and other youth-serving settings. Highlights • Youth instability in either housing or parental care is a growing concern in the U.S. and poses serious developmental risk. • LGBT youth and youth of color experience housing and parental care instability at higher rates. • Youth experiencing greater instability are distinguished by significantly poorer psychosocial and health functioning. • Youth experiencing greater instability report poorer academic performance and less prosocial opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract There is limited research that examines the experiences of Guardians ad Litems or Court Appointed Special Advocates appointed to cases to represent the best interest of children involved with the child welfare system. The purpose of this paper is to (1) identify and explore the primary mechanisms through which Guardians ad Litem are recruited and/or learn about the program and (2) identify and categorize the motivations that individuals describe for becoming a Guardian ad Litem. Data were collected as part of a larger cross-sectional, qualitative study of the Florida Statewide Guardian ad Litem Office. The perspectives of 553 volunteers and employees comprise the sample. Themes pertaining to how advocates were recruited or became involved included personal contacts; media and advertising; involvement with GAL due to professional/career opportunity; targeted/purposeful recruitment efforts by GAL programs; and employment-related opportunity or involvement. In relation to what motivated advocates to volunteer, themes were life transitions; advocacy for children and families; volunteerism; personal fulfillment; personal/familial experiences; career or professional experiences; time; personal fit or interest; and attitudes/opinion of the GAL program. Implications for recruitment and motivation are discussed, as well as directions for future research. Highlights • Guardians ad Litem (GALs) are essential to promoting the best interest of children who are in the child welfare system. • Understanding recruitment and motivation may assist advocate programs in finding appropriate volunteers. • Greater efforts should be taken to understand the characteristics and experiences of (GALs) to ensure a high quality pool of volunteers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract While there is evidence from the self-determination perspective for the positive impact of self-determination interventions on at-risk youth's transition outcomes, no research to date, has attempted to understand youth needs from both social service provider and youth client perspectives in the same study. The present study sought to generate a nuanced understanding of youth needs. For this purpose, the study was conducted in two phases. In phase 1, twenty-one social service professionals (case workers, social workers, counsellors, program supervisors) were interviewed to get an understanding of their perception of youth needs and how they are being met. In phase 2, 45 at-risk youths aged between 15 and 25 were interviewed to get an understanding of their perception of their most essential needs and how they are being served or under-served. Participants also completed a short survey on needs satisfaction, life satisfaction and resilience outcomes. Results revealed misalignment between the social service programmes and youths' articulated needs. The findings point towards the importance of considering the specific role of the psychological need for autonomy and relatedness in bridging the gap between service provision and client expectations. Recommendations for intervention researchers and practitioners are proposed. Highlights • This paper seeks to explore both youth and provider perspectives on service delivery. • It highlights the merit of a self-determination-based intervention approach as an effective way of enabling change for at risk youth. • It's a first study in Singapore that takes a self-determination perspective on youth needs [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Compared to the vast amount of literature on what drives young people to homelessness and what keeps them there, there is notably less empirical evidence on the experiences of young people who have left the streets and attempted to integrate into the mainstream. Over the course of ten months, we followed nine young people from Canada's largest city – Toronto, Ontario – who had exited street life and were living independently. In this paper, we discuss how the participants attempted to carve out new identities and how these identities were challenged. We argue that it is crucial to incorporate identity into the way social integration is conceptualized and facilitated for young people attempting the daunting task of transitioning away from homelessness. Highlights • Formerly homeless young people want to distance themselves from their old identities. • Social service supports can be stigmatizing and reinforce homeless identities. • Strong identities can be used as currency (identity capital) to assist with social integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Restorative Approach (RA) is an ethos and process that has been linked to a reduction of interpersonal conflict and improved relationships in various service settings but whose use is little explored in family services. This paper describes the findings of an evaluation of a training programme; The Restorative Approaches Family Engagement Project that was delivered to voluntary sector family practitioners across Wales with the intent of increasing the use of RA amongst practitioners and agencies, raising practitioner confidence when working with vulnerable families, and improving the extent to which and how practitioners engage with families. The study employed mixed methods. Quantitative measures investigated pre- and post- training practitioner perceptions of confidence, levels of family engagement, and organisational attitudes to RA. Post-training focus groups explored practitioner opinion of RAFEP and perceived changes to service delivery and receipt. Findings suggest RAFEP training promoted practitioner understanding of RA and increased perceptions of confidence when working with families in four specific aspects: developing positive relationships with service users, increasing communication, identifying service user needs/goals, and facilitating change. Qualitative data indicated that practitioners attributed the increased confidence to the service delivery framework engendered by the training and associated tools which facilitated its use and improved family engagement. Whilst host organisations were generally supportive of practitioners attending RAFEP training there was little evidence that knowledge and use of RA had been fully integrated into practitioner host agencies unless the organisation had previously used a restorative ethos. Highlights • The effects of restorative approach training on the service delivery of family support practitioners. • The training had a positive effect on family engagement by increasing the confidence of practitioners with families and family members. • Training impacted through familiarisation with restorative values, skills and tools. • The study suggests Restorative Approaches training can help embed and promote strength and relationship-based practice in family service provision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a community based participatory research project, which adopted a photovoice approach with seven unaccompanied asylum-seeking children (UASC) living in foster care in the United Kingdom. The project also included a focus group with six foster carers to explore their perceptions of caring for UASCs. At the end of the focus group we then shared the young people's images from the photovoice project. The purpose of this was to better inform the carers understanding of this group's needs and the reality of their lived experiences, to see if this would have any impact on their perceptions or willingness to offer these children a placement in the future. The young people then developed the photographs into posters, which were shown at community events and exhibited in community spaces during refugee week. Findings from the focus group show that some of these carers had anxieties and held misconceptions around caring for UASCs. This highlights the need for practitioners to engage in open conversations with foster carers, to discuss their perceptions and challenge any misconceptions. Furthermore, the project identified that some of these carers were concerned about being able to meet the cultural needs of the young people. Foster carers also seemed unaware of the available support in place to help with this. Therefore, it would be beneficial for foster care services and practitioners to ensure that carers are fully informed of the support and training available to them to assist in meeting UASCs cultural, religious and linguistic needs. The project also presents important lessons for researchers committed to finding ways to engage UASCs meaningfully in the research process. The action orientated approach of photovoice led to a wide range of public engagement activities, that allowed us to show important aspects of the young people's lived realities growing up in foster care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic violence continues to be a primary reason for referrals to state child welfare services in advanced industrialised countries. There is growing concern in many state child welfare services to develop responses to it that are both more effective and more humane. The use of restorative approaches, in particular Family Group Conferences (FGCs), has been suggested as one such response. This article draws from data gathered from an evaluation of a UK Government funded “Innovation Project” part of which extended the use of FGCs in an urban local authority area which was already making extensive use of them. This paper presents and explores a typology of FGCs used in situations of domestic violence: pragmatic , resolution-focussed and restorative FGCs, developed from the evaluation data and augmented by relevant literature. The study data revealed pragmatic FGCs to be the most used, restorative the least. It is suggested that each type of FGC brings potential benefits but only restorative FGCs offer the possibility of full restoration in the traditionally understood sense. It is argued that the present mother-centric, risk-adverse, child protection systems which currently operate in many countries provide a powerful resistor to the greater implementation of this restorative way of working. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we explore the mental health needs of ethnic minority youth in Hong Kong and examine the importance of mental health practitioners' cultural competence in an Asian context. Within a qualitative paradigm, five mental health practitioners who provide mental health services to ethnic minority youth were interviewed. A total of 38 young people (16 Pakistanis and 22 Filipinos) from ethnic minority backgrounds were also placed into six small groups. Each individual attended a meeting at which he or she discussed stressors and coping methods. The participants were individually interviewed immediately after the group meeting, to help us gain an understanding of their experiences in a group setting in regard to discussing their stress. We show in this exploratory study how the stressors and coping methods of young people from ethnic minorities align with their cultures and ethnicities. They demonstrated a paradoxical attitude toward disclosing their personal needs and problems. Chinese mental health practitioners, however, tended to underestimate the needs of ethnic minority youth and believed that they were less willing than were other youth to disclose their personal problems. The findings of this study suggest that cultural distance between ethnic minority youth and mental health practitioners is a barrier to multicultural mental health services. Hence, cultural competence should be further promoted and integrated into daily clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mental health consumer movement initiated the development of the recovery approach, in which self-determination, human rights and the living of a hopeful life superseded merely symptom management for people living with mental illnesses and addictions. To what degree has this reimagined path to recovery shaped social work practice? In this paper we analyse the perspectives of eleven social workers doing child protection work in Aotearoa New Zealand. We examine also the accounts of thirteen parents living with mental illness or addiction who have been involved in child custody investigations in Aotearoa New Zealand. We ask whether the social workers understand recovery as possible for such parents, and if so, how they see it occurring. We found that there is a substantial difference between the way the social workers and the parents conceived of such ‘recovery’. While parents' descriptions of recovery reflected those of the mental health consumer movement, social workers tended to operate with a focus on clinical intervention, symptom and risk management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Collaboration between child welfare and adult mental health service providers is important to address parental risk factors that may affect child wellbeing. The aim of this paper is to describe findings from a survey which identified barriers and facilitators to collaboration between these two sectors. A semi-structured instrument, adapted from Frederico et al. (2014), was used for data collection. A total of 339 service providers in Ontario, Canada, completed the survey. The collaborative strategies used most frequently were co-working with staff from other services and case conferences; yet, these strategies were only used by just over one half of all respondents. Several barriers and facilitators to collaboration were identified by respondents. To improve collaboration between child welfare and adult mental health services, respondents recommended better clarity of roles and goals, increased information sharing, capacity building across sectors and new models of integrated service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper qualitatively explores how foster parents from a religious minority group – more specifically foster parents from the Jewish ultra-orthodox sector in Israel experience the act of fostering through secular welfare services. Central themes that the women raised include religious spiritual beliefs as enhancing positive meaning of the act of foster care: Ambivalence of other women in the community because of fostering through external state services: The husband and religious leader as a central support due to the spiritual meanings of foster care. The central themes in terms of the secular services were their role as a protective financial base for creating a clear contract concerning the foster care as compared to informal fostering within the community and a culturally sanctioned exposure to psychological concepts and secular childcare practices. Lack of understanding of the secular welfare services of the importance of each group within their community was also stated as a challenge. Overall, the findings reveal the complex ways that these ultra-religious women from a very closed community negotiate and integrate resources from within their community and from the secular foster services outside of their community. Implications for creating culturally adapted secular foster services for Ultra-orthodox Jewish women are discussed, as are the methodological implications of exploring phenomenological experience of minority groups of foster care services as a base for culturally sensitive understanding, is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children in care lag behind their peers on a number of outcome measures, including education. Interventions have been developed to help them close the gap with their peers but these have had limited success to date. One possible reason for this may stem from our lack of understanding about underlying processes and mechanisms. This paper presents the findings of a systematic review of the factors associated with educational outcomes for children in foster and kinship care. It aims to inform the literature on risk and protective factors and inform the development of future interventions. Eight major databases and websites were searched between 1990 and 2016 using a combination of mesh terms. Studies were included if they tested the statistical association between any variable and educational outcomes for school age children in foster or kinship care in high-income countries. Children in other placement types were excluded. Titles and abstracts were screened for 7135 studies identified through searches. Full texts were obtained for 298 and 39 were retained for inclusion. Over 70 factors were identified. For the purposes of the narrative synthesis, factors were categorised into spheres of influence adapted from Bronfennbrenner's (1979) ecological framework. The findings reveal significant heterogeneity. Male gender, ethnic minority status and special educational needs were consistent predictors of poor educational outcomes, while carers' and young people's aspirations appeared to predict greater success. The findings are discussed with implications for future research and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique demands of the foster carer role are associated with high levels of self-reported stress among foster carers. The current study examines the amount of carer stress that can be attributed to certain role specific challenges and how stress from these challenges varies between carers and placements. As a secondary aim the study examines carer perceptions on current organisational support and training. Participants were sourced from a national fostering agency with branches in the local area. Carers were eligible to participate in the study if they were caring full time for at least one foster child. Eligible carers completed an identical online or paper survey including measures of general stress and parenting stress as well as study specific measures regarding satisfaction with organisational training and support. Results demonstrated that challenging behaviours are the most stressful unique role demand for foster carers and the largest predictor of carer stress levels. Overwhelmingly carers reported a desire for additional training in order to support them in their role. The results support previous research outlining the difficulties faced by foster carers and the need to improve support and training to ensure good placement outcomes including placement stability and reduced carer attrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents evidence of the relationship between exposure to a community-based Children's Savings Account (CSA) program and parents' educational expectations for their children. We examine survey data collected as part of the rollout and implementation of The Promise Indiana CSA program. Although results differ by parental income and education, results using the full sample suggest that parents are more likely to expect their elementary school-age children to attend college if they have a 529 account or were exposed to the additional aspects of the Promise Indiana program (i.e., the marketing campaign, college and career classroom activities, information about engaging champions, trip to a University, and the opportunity to enroll into The Promise). Parents who were both exposed to the additional aspects of the Promise Indiana program and have a 529 account are over three times more likely to expect their child to attend college than others, increasing to 13 times more likely among parents with no college education. Overall, results suggest a community-based CSA program – Promise Indiana – is associated with nontrivial benefits for families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper, framed by risk and resiliency theory, presents findings from a youth led collaborative social research study exploring the facilitators of educational success and college attendance among former foster youth. A simultaneous component/parallel process mixed method design was conducted to explore factors associated with educational success among youth in foster care. Findings suggest that stability and positive relationships with peers and adult mentors ease transitions, and reinforce emotional connections impacting educational success and post-secondary attendance. This manuscript attempts to raise the volume on youth's successful experiences of education and highlight the implications for trauma informed practice in child welfare and school settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Serious child illness and hospitalization can have a lasting negative impact on children and their families. Pediatric psychosocial care (PPC) approaches are implemented to promote child resilience within medical settings and to optimize quality of life for children affected by chronic health conditions. However, numerous opportunities remain to adopt best practices and enhance the well-being of children facing illness and hospitalization in the United States and globally. This paper situates contemporary approaches to PPC within their historical context, beginning in the early 20th century. Prominent theories that guide PPC professionals' work with hospitalized children and their families are reviewed, highlighting the practical implications of these theories for family systems-oriented practitioners working with hospitalized children. An approach to integrating theory with practice for the eclectic practitioner is illustrated using a hypothetical case study. Finally, the paper concludes with recommendations for building the evidence base for PPC through theory-driven research and quality improvement initiatives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carers are at the frontline working with children in the care of the child protection system. This paper reports carer's views about key factors influencing the placement trajectories of children and young people living in out-of-home care in Queensland, Australia. The study sample included 21 foster and kinship carers with a minimum two-year experience in the carer role. Study data were from semi-structured telephone interviews in which carers shared their experiences of the factors impacting upon placement stability and placement movement. Carers' responses were analysed thematically. Data analysis yielded an overarching theme regarding placement trajectory: Carer engagement, and its three sub-themes; with the child; with the child protection system; and, with the caring role. Findings suggested that carer engagement and ‘fit’ are complex constructs that play critical influential roles in placement outcomes (stability or movement) for individual children in out-of-home care. It is argued that practice needs to be better grounded in these relational dynamics, and better aligned concerning the power differentials that exist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schools provide the setting in which interventions aimed at preventing intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) are delivered to young people in the general population and a range of programmes have been designed and evaluated. To date, most rigorous studies have been undertaken in North America and the extent to which programmes are transferable to other settings and cultures is uncertain. This paper reports on a mixed methods review, aimed at informing UK practise and policy, which included a systematic review of the international literature, a review of the UK grey literature and consultation with young people as well as experts to address the question of what works for whom in what circumstances. The context in which an intervention was delivered was found to be crucial. Context included: the wider policy setting; the national or regional level, where the local culture shaped understandings of IPVA, and the readiness of an individual school. The programmes included in the systematic review provided stronger evidence for changing knowledge and attitudes than for behavioural change and those young people who were at higher risk at baseline may have exerted a strong influence on study outcomes. Shifting social norms in the peer group emerged as a key mechanism of change and the young people consulted emphasised the importance of authenticity which could be achieved through the use of drama and which required those delivering programmes to have relevant expertise. While the consultation identified increasing interest in targeting interventions on boys, there was an identified lack of materials designed for minority groups of young people, especially Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender young people. Increased responsivity to the local context can be achieved by involving those who will deliver and receive these preventive programmes in their development. Schools need to be better prepared and supported in the task of delivering these interventions and this is particularly relevant for the management of disclosures of IPVA. Outcomes measured by evaluations should include those relevant to education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant body of research indicates that emotional maltreatment (EMT) is harmful to children, resulting in long-term negative impacts on emotional and behavioral development. The child welfare system's focus on physical abuse, physical neglect, and sexual abuse has led a relative lack of attention to EMT. Reported rates of EMT vary widely across states – ranging from 0.2% to 44.9% in a recent national report on child maltreatment – indicating that it is not being measured consistently. This paper uses data collected by the Longitudinal Studies of Child Abuse and Neglect (LONGSCAN) to (1) describe the nature and characteristics of emotional maltreatment experienced by 846 LONGSCAN youth across time, and (2) describe the relation between four subtypes of emotional maltreatment (psychological safety and security, acceptance and self-esteem, autonomy, and restriction) and child trauma symptoms and risk behaviors at age 18. Exposure to EMT was related to increased trauma symptoms and risky behaviors. EMT is common, identifiable, harmful, and potentially preventable; and a better understanding of it will help to inform the provision of effective child welfare and mental health services to children and their families. Findings suggest a need for greater understanding of parental behaviors, and the motivations behind them, that result in emotionally harmful outcomes for children, as well as a better understanding of appropriate interventions for children who experience various types of EMT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children with histories of child abuse and neglect, particularly children residing in foster or adoptive homes, are commonly considered by many professionals to need “attachment therapy” in order to address emotional and behavioral needs. However, evidence-based treatments rarely utilize an attachment-based justification outside of the infancy through preschooler age range. In actuality, many evidence-based treatments can be understood through the lens of attachment theory. This paper reviews the tenets of an attachment-based approach to treatment and describes how one evidence-based treatment, Parent–Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT), conforms to all expectations and requirements prescribed by attachment theory and research. Next, pilot data from an open trial of PCIT with a sample of adopted children and their adoptive caregivers ( n = 85) are provided. Results demonstrate significant improvements in positive parenting techniques, reductions in parenting stress, and reductions in externalizing and internalizing concerns among the children. These results are discussed in the context of improving the quality of care for children often described as in need of “attachment therapy.” [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study investigated the prevalence of emotional and behavioral symptoms in unaccompanied refugee adolescents living in Italy; an area which remains under-researched despite the relatively high number of asylum seekers registered in Italy compared to other industrialized countries. The Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) for 6–18 year-olds was completed by a social worker or parent for each of the 120 participating adolescents; sixty male unaccompanied refugee adolescents and sixty male native Italian adolescents. The paper presents findings that illustrate high levels of emotional and behavioral problems in unaccompanied refugee youth living in Italy. On all components of the CBCL, unaccompanied refugee adolescents were found to present with significantly more problems, as reported by social workers, compared to the Italian group of adolescents. In the light of these results, the importance of interventions and culturally sensitive therapeutic programs for refugee youth is discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper models racialized perceptions of child welfare workers and tests the hypothesis that these perceptions contribute to the racial disproportionality in reported and/or substantiated child maltreatment. A method is adopted which captures the salient features of racial stereotypes deriving from visual representations of neglectful situations that meet state definitions of child maltreatment and reportable offenses. Caseworkers are shown pictures of a neglectful situation that randomly varies with respect to whether a child in the picture is black or white or whether there is no child at all pictured. If things that “look black” are more likely to be perceived of by caseworkers as reportable offenses or to meet state definitions of child maltreatment than things that “look white,” then this indicates racialized perceptions. Data are collected from a sample of all caseworkers from every county in Minnesota for 2005. Linear and logistic fixed effects models are estimated for the responses as to whether the situation in the picture meets the state definition and whether the offense is reportable. Independent variables include: the respondent''s age, gender, and race; whether the respondent was born in the Twin Cities, majored in social work, was an intake worker, or worked in Hennepin County. The results show statistically significant impacts of the black baby vignette (compared to no baby or white baby) on the likelihood that respondents agree that the situation depicted in the picture meets the state definition of neglect and is reportable. Also estimated are the impacts of these racialized beliefs on racial disproportionalities in reported and substantiated child maltreatment rates across counties. There are strong and statistically significant impacts of indices of caseworker racialized beliefs on racial disproporationalities in reported and substantiated maltreatment rates. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Background: Previous research identifies positive and negative effects of being a sibling in a family which includes a disabled child. Short break services (also known as respite) provide families with a break from caring and offer disabled children the chance to participate in various activities. This paper investigates the effects that these short breaks have on siblings. Methods: The research consists of a qualitative analysis of data collected as part of a survey of families using short break services. Data from 239 parent–carers (mostly biological parents) and 84 siblings are included in the analysis. Data are written responses to open questions about use of services and the effects they have. Results: The effects of short breaks on siblings are described as being mostly positive. Short breaks have the potential to ameliorate some of the negative impacts of being a sibling in a family with a disabled child whilst also promoting the positive impacts of having a disabled brother or sister. However, some siblings also report some adverse effects of short breaks. Conclusion: Short breaks have a significant role to play in promoting the wellbeing of siblings; however, their role currently seems to be largely unrecognised and consequently undervalued. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This interpretive study explores the experiences of 44 Midwestern young adults in the process of aging out of foster care. This paper highlights the degree to which they endorse self-reliance as they reflect on past experiences, offer advice to foster youth, and identify barriers to achieving their own life goals. Findings suggest that this identity must be understood in multiple contexts including societal expectations of independence and autonomy, foster-care and family of origin as developmental contexts, and current scholarship on youth aging out of care. We argue that vigilant self-reliance can be a source of resilience but also a potential risk in facilitating the very connections to supportive relationships that research suggests can produce positive outcomes in adulthood. This article advances a holistic life course perspective [Stein, M. & Wade, J. (2000). Helping care leavers: Problems and strategic responses. London: HMSO.] on the development of independence and self-reliance in adulthood to expand current conceptualizations of these and more recent ideals of interdependence promoted in child welfare policy and practice. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Despite legislation and financial redistribution, unequal access to educational resources in China remains. • The government has failed to provide sufficient financial support to underdeveloped provinces. • In underdeveloped areas, financial capacity is lower, but educational need is higher. There is great inequality of educational resources between different provinces in China due to unbalanced economic development. Despite continued redistribution of financial resources by the central government in favor of poorer provinces, educational inequality remains. In this paper, we argue that focusing on educational resources is far from sufficient. Poorer provinces do not only suffer from a lower level of educational resources, but they also have more children to educate, i.e. a greater need for education. Combining and analyzing the data in the Sixth National Population Census of China and the official statistics on education spending and resources, we found that provincial-level variations in the child population and the child dependency ratio have made access to educational resources even more unequal given the unequal financial capacity at the provincial level. Poorer provinces face a higher child dependency ratio and have lower economic development, and these two factors jointly lead to limited educational resources. Apart from a much higher level of redistribution in favor of less developed provinces, encouraging more balanced distribution of teachers and more broadly promoting economic equality are essential to reduce inequality in educational resources in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]