FAMILY AND CHILD WELFARE

This systematic review of literature from 1999 through 2019 utilizes the PRISMA protocol to examine foster parent recruitment. Recruitment barriers for both foster parents and child welfare agencies are identified. Th e characteristics of foster parents, including motivational factors, emerged as a theme. General strategies were identified as means for child welfare agencies to increase recruitment of new foster parents. Additionally, targeted recruitment strategies for identifying and effectively engaging foster parents from particular populations are included.

Parenting capacity assessments are a common tool used by child intervention programs. Their goal is to determine whether a parent is good enough to raise their own children, if intervention is needed to support parents to achieve that, or if it is probable that a parent cannot raise their child. The methodology used is based upon the Euro-centric definitions of family and uses elements that have not been normed on First Nations populations. Such an approach acts to extend the colonial position of child protection by imposing methodology that fails to consider cultural definitions of family. They also cannot measure capacity to parent when the socio-political realities of most parents, such as poverty and poor access to services, and the impacts of inter-generational trauma are not included in the approach. Assessments done in this context do not meet the Mohan (R. v. Mohan) 3 test for admissibility of expert evidence in Canadian courts. Alternative approaches are suggested.

Young people leaving care have been the subject of international research in the last decade, whilst in Africa studies are still few.  The ability of young people to transition successfully from institutional care to independent living in society has become a policy concern which includes recommendations to treat institutional care as a last resort or looking for alternatives other than the institution for placement. This is because of the documented poor outcomes of care leavers internationally and in Sub-Saharan Africa. This study explored the factors influencing the transition from care to independence in Harare, Zimbabwe. Utilising qualitative research methods and thematic analysis, the study identified a number of factors that affect young people from the view of social service professionals and residential care workers.  Respondents were purposively selected and data was collected using semi-structured interviews, an online focus group and the use of observation. In Zimbabwe, the social service system has been affected since 2008, by the economic crisis and the effects of poverty and hardship has trickled down to affect the most vulnerable children and young people.  The study found a number of factors which influence young people’s transitions from care in Harare. Among these were the young person’s previous circumstances, the role of the Department of Social Services, the role of the institution and the expectation of instant adulthood. Other contributing factors such as the capabilities of the young person and relationships with caregivers were mentioned by the respondents. The study made recommendations for more successful transitions from institutional care which include; recognising that care leavers are not a homogenous group and the need for improved knowledge of care leaver outcomes and transition processes for residential caregivers.

Key words: care leavers, institution, independence, mainstream society, social services, transitions, residential care, young people.

This study documents the child welfare experiences of youth who are LGBTQ and their perspectives on how these experiences influenced their housing instability and homelessness. Youth detailed incidents of gender segregation, stigmatization, isolation, and institutionalization in child welfare systems that they linked to their gender expression and sexuality, which often intersected with being a youth of color. The youth described these incidents as contributing to multiple placements and shaping why they experienced homelessness.

"The shortage of foster/adoptive parents being licensed to care for
children in the public welfare system prompted an evaluation of the Licensure and Home Study Process (LHSP). Ecological systems theory framed the barriers-to-resources interplay among kinship and non-relative caregivers who withdrew or completed the LHSP. This mixed-methods study examined differences in applicant characteristics and types of barriers experienced. Results indicated that applicants responsible for other children in the home paired with welfare system barriers served as a tipping point for withdrawal. Relatives encountered the most barriers and all grandparents with- drew from the LHSP prior to licensure.

KEYWORDS  foster and adoptive parent, home study process, li-
ensure, barriers, kinship and non-relative caregivers
"

Recent changes in kinship care policy produce a range of care-types for grandparents raising their grandchildren, from informal kinship care to adoption. The unprecedented formalization of kinship care, expedited termination of parental rights, and conflict between parents and grandparents over the best interests of children require custodial grandparents to make determinations about care-type, termed “institutional decision making.” Interview data collected from 50 black custodial grandmothers from Chicago are used to reveal how and why parental responses help explain variation in care-types. This article argues that institutional decisions enable custodial grandmothers to achieve family stability by offering them an opportunity to be a safety net of protection to grandchildren, to respond to a range of parental responses that emerge as they work to eradicate child welfare threats, and to navigate institutions. The present study shows that, as parental responses increase in uncertainty and noncompliance, care-types become more formalized.

Parenting Capacity Assessments (PCA) are used by child protection workers to assist in determining the ability of a parent to care for their children. They may be used at various stages of the case management process but these assessments serve as powerful tools for decision making by these workers. They can also be introduced in court as part of expert testimony. Most PCAs utilize psychometric assessment measures to elicit data in respect to personality, parenting knowledge, as well as mental health and addiction issues. The authors argue that the norming of these measures has insufficient inclusion of Aboriginal peoples to be used for assessments with this population. They further argue that different approaches need to be developed as current approaches, including assessment measures, are based upon the constructs of the dominant culture, which is individualistic as opposed to the Aboriginal collectivistic approaches to parenting.

Parenting Capacity Assessments (PCA) are used by child protection workers to assist in determining the
ability of a parent to care for their children. They may be used at various stages of the case
management process but these assessments serve as powerful tools for decision making by these
workers. They can also be introduced in court as part of expert testimony. Most PCAs utilize
psychometric assessment measures to elicit data in respect to personality, parenting knowledge, as well
as mental health and addiction issues. The authors argue that the norming of these measures has
insufficient inclusion of Aboriginal peoples to be used for assessments with this population. They further
argue that different approaches need to be developed as current approaches, including assessment
measures, are based upon the constructs of the dominant culture, which is individualistic as opposed to
the Aboriginal collectivistic approaches to parenting.

The purpose of this study is to analyse what is happening at schools regarding the integration and use of information and communication technologies (ICT) and to examine teachers' perceptions about what teaching and learning processes can be improved through the use of ICT. A multiple-case-study research methodology was applied. From a previous exploratory research, four different types of schools were determined. Data show there is a widespread view that ICT in teaching favours several teaching and learning processes. In particular, it shows that the contribution of ICT to the improvement of teaching and learning processes is higher in the schools that have integrated ICT as an innovation factor. To attain this highest level implies that a school not only has to modernise the technological tools, but also has to change the teaching models: the teacher's role, issues regarding classroom organisational, the teaching and learning processes, and the interaction mechanisms.

Los procesos de acogimiento familiar que se producen en cada país depen- den de factores históricos y culturales que dan lugar a grandes diferencias internacionales. A pesar de que las comparativas internacionales ofrecen un medio de intercambio de experiencias, lo que permite el aprendizaje mutuo y la transferencia de buenas prácticas, a menudo encontramos enormes ba- rreras para su realización debido, entre otros factores, al limitado acceso a los datos sobre la práctica de la protección infantil. Frente a estas limitaciones, este artículo ofrece una investigación comparativa realizada en España y Portugal, cuyo objetivo ha sido la evaluación del acogimiento familiar en dos países donde la investigación en el ámbito de la protección infantil ha sido tradicionalmente desatendida. Sobre una muestra de 357 casos en Es- paña y 289 en Portugal, se realizó un estudio del perfil de características de los niños acogidos, las familias de origen y los acogedores, así como de los procesos de acogida en ambos países. La comparativa reveló importantes diferencias relacionadas con la mayor edad al inicio del acogimiento de los niños en España; el perfil de los acogedores, con edades más avanzadas, un bajo nivel educativo y llevando a cabo acogidas de más de un niño simultá- neamente en Portugal. El estudio comparado nos ha permitido identificar áreas que requieren mayor atención en ambos países, como la renovación generacional del banco de acogedores en Portugal o la necesidad de acelerar los procesos de toma de decisiones para la entrada en acogimiento familiar en España. Se pretende que este artículo sirva de aliento para la recogida de datos y comparación con otros países iberoamericanos.

The longitudinal study started with children aged up to 4 who had been taken into care because of unacceptable living conditions and deficient parental care. After their initial stay in a children's home, the 26 children in the research group went on to have diverse placement histories throughout their childhood (up to age 18). The children have been divided into 4 subgroups in accordance with the length of time they lived with 1 of their parents or with foster parents. Relationships were 1 of the themes in the primary study as well as in all 8 rounds of follow-up. This article is based on the 2 most recent rounds when the children had reached the ages of 25 to 30 and 35 to 39. A few of the interviewees talked about a close relationship to 1 of their parents, some had occasional contact, and many more had no contact at all, felt abandoned, or had decided to keep their parent(s) at a distance, not least out of consideration for their own children. The interviews showed that their adult relationship to and/or feelings for parents were still problematic and negatively affected their own well-being, even if their parent(s) had died. KEYWORDS adult relationship to parents, childhood out-of-home care

In 1989, New Zealand introduced child protection legislation that embraces a model of family decision making. The model, based on traditional indigenous decision-making practices, has revolutionized social work with children and families in the child care and protection area. This paper considers the development of the legislation in terms of its antecedent factors and its vision. It looks particularly at some of the care and protection provisions of the legislation, and explores, by use of case study, some of the issues of using a family decision-making process as a practice model.

This Article examines the sources of the contemporary problems associated with the adjudication of parental rights matters in Maine’s probate courts and identifies specific reforms to address both the structural and substantive law problems. The Article first reviews the development of Maine’s probate courts and their jurisdiction over parental rights matters. It traces the expansion of jurisdiction over children and families from a limited role incidental to the administration of a decedent’s estate to the current scope: a range of matters that may result in the limitation, suspension, or termination of the rights of living parents. Maine probate courts now adjudicate questions implicating parental rights in a wide range of scenarios. However, the basic structure of Maine’s probate courts has remained unchanged since 1855. Maine law assigns exclusive jurisdiction of these often complex and contentious matters to a non-centralized group of county-based courts, each of which has limited resources and a single, part-time elected judge who usually has a busy law practice as his or her primary job.

The Article provides a close examination of the central issues involved in the parental rights matters currently adjudicated in the probate courts under the Maine Probate Code. It analyzes the challenges presented by the probate courts’ exclusive jurisdiction of these matters, including the incidence of conflicts and confusion when the District Court has addressed a parental rights issue involving a child who is also the focus of a probate court proceeding, as well as the limitations presented by the probate courts’ structure and operation. Finally, the Article discusses potential reforms aimed at improving the adjudication of parental rights matters under the MPC, including eliminating the “split jurisdiction” between probate and district courts, structural changes to probate courts to ensure fairness and due process for all participants, and a substantive reforms to the MPC provisions concerning parental rights so that the law will better reflect the contexts in which these cases arise today and address the needs of the families involved in these cases. Combined, these proposed reforms would mitigate the acute problems described in the Article to better serve both the courts that must adjudicate these difficult cases and the families at the center of them.

Ben-David (this issue) introduced us to the complexity of the factors that courts consider in termination of parental rights (TPR). It is an opening to understanding which factors are taken into consideration and how courts make these challenging determinations. Yet there are other questions that must be asked before we truly understand the TPR decisions made by courts across a variety of legal jurisdictions. This commentary argues that we must take the inquiry deeper, asking questions that will unpack the complexity assisting researchers and clinicians. Thus, we will want to know how courts weigh such important issues as the credibility of the evidence. What is it about such factors as parental competence, failure of remediation, and other issues identified by Ben-David that cause courts to determine TPR is the best choice? Consideration is given to how Ben-David’s work might be extended using a Canadian perspective.

Prison rehabilitation in Nigeria majorly focuses on the reformation and correction of male inmates in the Nigerian correctional services leaving the female inmates to their own fate without little or no rehabilitation programmes for them due to their small population in the correctional facility. This study assessed the rehabilitation programmes on female inmates in Correctional Services/Centres in Benin City. The study adopted the descriptive survey research design. Using the simple random sampling technique, fifteen (15) and twenty-one (21) female inmates were selected from Oko and Sapele road correctional services in Benin City, Nigeria. In addition, fourteen (14) social welfare officers were selected, that is eight (8) from Oko and six (6) from Sapele road correctional services respectively, making a total of fifty (50) participants in the study. Given that the study is quanti tative, the instrument used for data collection is structured questionnaire, adopting the four-point Likert format. Results showed that female inmates are not properly rehabilitated due to limited or no programmes that has been directed to rehabilitation in the correctional services.

Outline theories of the family and shows how they may be related to the socioeconomic deprivation of females and children giving illustrations from the Indian situation.  The importance of Sen’s entitlement approach is recognised in this context, but it is of very little operational relevance until the institutional/cultural constraints of a society are specified and it is related to theories of the family such as the uniting economic theory or bargaining theories.  Once this is above some useful insights are possible on poverty …… in the family.  Although international bodies such as the UNDP have recognised the importance of gender issues in development, UNDPs Gender Development Index is a poor indicator of female and family welfare as is illustrated using female-male ratios for Indian states.  The question is then investigated of how women and children are faring under structural adjustment policies and in transition.  Unfortunately, structural adjustment policies have resulted in an increased incidence of poverty amongst women and children in some subsistence contexts and in some of the former centrally planned economies.  However, in general, there appears also to be a significant possibility of disadvantaged wives and children falling through social safety nets as the Welfare State continues to be dismantled in western economies, and as discussed, mechanisms for delivering charity are altered.  Particular concern is expressed that changed social welfare regimes may reduce equality opportunity for disadvantaged children and have other undesirable social effects.  Furthermore, it is suggested that some ………. Approach the provision of welfare services purely from the cost side and fail to see that may have positive productivity benefits as well as promoting social justice.  Disagreement is expresses with the view economists might do well to avoid discussions of social justice.

Inspired by Aileen Moreton-Robinson's Talkin’ Up to the White Woman, in this reflection on the beginnings of foster care in Australia I talk back to a dead white woman, Catherine Helen Spence, and argue that she should no longer be honoured for her role in the nascent system because of the classism at the heart of it.

Adolescents/youth are truly considered a large up-coming section of AIDS  pandemic. Many psychological, biological, social and cultural factors compel them to be the victims for this deadly epidemic. Therefore, introduction of AIDS education in secondary school becomes vital in this regard.

This research investigated debates surrounding the introduction and implementation of Permanent Care Orders (PCOs), a type of guardianship, in the context of permanency for children unable to be reunified with their parents in the statutory child protection and outof-home care system in the Australian state of Victoria. Two thematic document analyses were conducted using Applied Thematic Analysis, which facilitated rigor and reduced potential bias in the studies. The first study analysed the official records of the relevant 1984-1989 parliamentary debates to investigate the key issues and ideas that informed the introduction of PCOs in Victoria. Four primary themes were identified: the rhetoric of rights; the 'hierarchy of family' debate; child protection is everybody's business; and the politics of influence. The second study analysed the publicly available submissions to a governmentcommissioned inquiry into the early outcomes from changes made in 2014 to Victoria's permanency laws to investigate the implementation of PCOs in relation to the issues that triggered their introduction. Again, four primary themes were identified: the power of government; the assumption of a perfect system; disproportionate impact on the most disadvantaged; and the impact of the permanency hierarchy. Overall, the studies found that a children's rights perspective, particularly with respect to continuity of care, family connections, culture and identity, has not been prioritised in the operationalisation of children's right to protection and in the development of alternative permanency options. Viewed in terms of Fox Harding's four-fold typology of ideological perspectives in Western child welfare, the findings indicate that the Victorian Government's approach has shifted from a defence of the birth family and parents' rights orientation, which emphasises the importance of biological families and values continuity in children's relationships and connections with them, toward a state paternalism and child protection orientation, which more highly values legal permanency in the provision of alternative care arrangements for looked after children. The implications of the 2014 change to Victoria's permanency hierarchy, which now positions adoption ahead of PCOs, mean that progress toward a children's rights approach to policy development and practice in the area of child protection and out-of-home care may be further undermined. An alternative framework integrating a broad range of children's rights and recent international research evidence is proposed with a view to stimulating thinking and debate in this politically sensitive and contentious area of social policy, practice and research.

This research investigated debates surrounding the introduction and implementation of Permanent Care Orders (PCOs), a type of guardianship, in the context of permanency for children unable to be reunified with their parents in the statutory child protection and outof-home care system in the Australian state of Victoria. Two thematic document analyses were conducted using Applied Thematic Analysis, which facilitated rigor and reduced potential bias in the studies. The first study analysed the official records of the relevant 1984-1989 parliamentary debates to investigate the key issues and ideas that informed the introduction of PCOs in Victoria. Four primary themes were identified: the rhetoric of rights; the 'hierarchy of family' debate; child protection is everybody's business; and the politics of influence. The second study analysed the publicly available submissions to a governmentcommissioned inquiry into the early outcomes from changes made in 2014 to Victoria's permanency laws to investigate the implementation of PCOs in relation to the issues that triggered their introduction. Again, four primary themes were identified: the power of government; the assumption of a perfect system; disproportionate impact on the most disadvantaged; and the impact of the permanency hierarchy. Overall, the studies found that a children's rights perspective, particularly with respect to continuity of care, family connections, culture and identity, has not been prioritised in the operationalisation of children's right to protection and in the development of alternative permanency options. Viewed in terms of Fox Harding's four-fold typology of ideological perspectives in Western child welfare, the findings indicate that the Victorian Government's approach has shifted from a defence of the birth family and parents' rights orientation, which emphasises the importance of biological families and values continuity in children's relationships and connections with them, toward a state paternalism and child protection orientation, which more highly values legal permanency in the provision of alternative care arrangements for looked after children. The implications of the 2014 change to Victoria's permanency hierarchy, which now positions adoption ahead of PCOs, mean that progress toward a children's rights approach to policy development and practice in the area of child protection and out-of-home care may be further undermined. An alternative framework integrating a broad range of children's rights and recent international research evidence is proposed with a view to stimulating thinking and debate in this politically sensitive and contentious area of social policy, practice and research.

Group potency is one of the major factors influencing work group success. However, little is known about the effects of potency on group maintenance outcomes, especially in virtual teams. The present study examines the moderating role of information and communication technologies (ICTs) in the relationships between potency and group maintenance outcomes in a longitudinal study. The study involved 44 groups

Ben-David (this issue) introduced us to the complexity of the factors that courts consider in termination of parental rights (TPR). It is an opening to understanding which factors are taken into consideration and how courts make these challenging determinations. Yet there are other questions that must be asked before we truly understand the TPR decisions made by courts across a variety of legal jurisdictions. This commentary argues that we must take the inquiry deeper, asking questions that will unpack the complexity assisting researchers and clinicians. Thus, we will want to know how courts weigh such important issues as the credibility of the evidence. What is it about such factors as parental competence, failure of remediation, and other issues identified by Ben-David that cause courts to determine TPR is the best choice? Consideration is given to how Ben-David’s work might be extended using a Canadian perspective.

This paper provides an overview of the theoretical approaches towards an explanation of female age at 1st marriage. The aggregate level studies have emphasized the direct impact of various structural factors on age at marriage. These variables may determine the individual level age at marriage and the proportions of persons married at a given age. Some of the structural variables include sex ratios work opportunities and mean income earnings. On the other hand individual level studies especially the more recent multivariate studies have examined the direct and indirect influences of social and demographic variables on age at marriage. In reviewing the individual level causes of age at marriage it has been found convenient to focus on the causal priorities of the variables in various causal schemes. 3 categories of variables have been created: the background variables the intervening variables and the immediate determinants of age at marriage. The early background variables affecting age at marriage are race geographical region socioeconomic status degree of urbanization and religion. Most of the intervening variables are social-psychological in nature: dating frequency educational aspirations and employment aspirations. The impact of the background and intervening variables may be mediated by the immediate variables. These indicate the economic and social status of women prior to marriage. Premarital pregnancy and educational attainment play a major role in directly affecting the age at marriage. Most of the individual level studies are descriptive in nature. As a result causal models of age at 1st marriage have not been adequately tested. Drawbacks of age at marriage research are that few longitudinal studies exist few studies have utilized a multivariate analysis and the impact of structural level variables on individual level age at 1st marriage is unknown.

Meetings between social workers and clients in child protection are highly sensitive and frequently contested. Much is at stake in terms of protecting identities and ultimately possibly child removal. It is not surprising then that disagreements occur and strong positions are defended in encounters between social workers and clients. In this paper, the authors use a combination of a case study approach and micro sequential analysis. The case study approach captures how arguments are produced and managed across successive social work encounters over a longer period of time. Additionally, the sequential analysis of one encounter demonstrates the relevance of discourse and conversation analytic concepts such as categorization, entitlement and accountability for a more detailed understanding of how argument and disagreement manifest themselves interactionally. The interactional sequence involves a family supervisor and a mother in the Netherlands. The paper examines key features of an argument in the context of child protection and engages with the interactional consequences for both worker and client. By providing insight into how arguments unfold over successive social work encounters, the paper contributes to an understanding of how stalemate positions come about and are resolved (or not). Adding to the picture, a detailed understanding of the real-time management of disagreement in interaction is useful in fostering social work practitioners’ awareness of how argumentative “logics” may be taking over.

The policy, legal and service configuration of a child and family welfare system reflects the historically predominant ideological perspectives relating to children, families, community and state. Examination of parliamentary debates provides a window on the discourses relating to policy and legislative change in a jurisdiction. This article presents a document analysis of parliamentary debates in the Australian state of Victoria using Applied Thematic Analysis to investigate the key issues and ideas that informed consideration of the Bills associated with the 1989 introduction of Permanent Care Orders—a special form of guardianship preferred to adoption for children drifting in out-of-home care. Four primary themes were identified: the rhetoric of rights; the ‘hierarchy of family’ debate; child protection is everybody’s business; and the politics of influence. Interpreted using Fox Harding’s typology of ideological perspectives in Western child welfare, these findings reinforce that different views about family formation emerge at times of social transition, in turn, influencing the political discourse that shapes the policy and legislative approach to child and family welfare. Permanency planning policies supporting children’s connections to their biological families were established in Victoria in the 1980s, but now appear to be shifting to more paternalist protectionist and laissez-faire orientations.

The research proposed in this paper, presents the results of a training workshop which, through reflective thinking instruments, led a group of home care professionals to explore the complex issues related to the cooperation skills development and the involvement in parents that they support daily. The research, based on the practical research model proposed by Ilse Julkunen (2011) that aims to produce shared knowledge, is placed in the domain of deep changes that the field of services for children and vulnerable families is living. Among the new emerging trends is possible to include the imperative to evaluate the socio-educational practices and do research on them, in order to improve the quality of this practices. The promotion of training contexts that foster reflexivity is a research and evaluation strategy that simultaneously provides useful knowledge to the improvement of services and has a positive effect on the development of the professionalism. The path of research-training, here proposed and analyzed, highlights the transformative value of reflective practice in the involved professionals. It leads to the emergence of a very strong similarity between the changes required to operators at this historic juncture and the transformations that the system of child protection requires to parents of vulnerable families in child welfare services. Parents should demonstrate the ability to improve their skills in the interest of their children. For these parents the development of a reflective thinking appears an unavoidable step in their own biography. The article highlights key skills to promote collaboration between services and parents to realize effective interventions

Background and Aim: Few studies in India have tried to examine the role of female literacy on contraception usage. This study aimed to determine family planning related knowledge and practices and their association with female literacy. Materials and methods: Facility based cross-sectional study was done among married women aged 15–45 years attending outpatient department of three primary health centres in rural Tamilnadu. Data were collected using pretested semistructured questionnaire by a convenience sampling technique. To assess family planning related knowledge, a composite score was calculated and final score was categorised into satisfactory and unsatisfactory. Results: A total of 100 women participated. Fifty nine percent had satisfactory Family Planning related Knowledge and practices (FPK). Contraception prevalence rate for modern methods was 60%. Eighty percent had ever undergone abortions and among them, one fifth had undergone uncertified abortions.With increase in the ...

Madhya Pradesh Target Couple Survey, 1996 - Fertility, Child Mortality and Family Planning community needs is possible only through reaching out to the people. In order to develop a framework for regular assessment of the felt family planning needs of the people and in using this ...