Foster Care

I spend time weekly with a group of Latina mothers; we read and talk about books and also have discussions about issues of concern to them and their families. The quote above was shared by one of the mothers, Lily (all names of people and places are pseudonyms), during a discussion of the book ABeCedarios: Mexican Folk Art ABCs in English and Spanish , which is a bilingual alphabet book with handcarved wooden animals representing each letter of the alphabet. The last page of the book contains a photograph and brief biography of the Jiménez family, the creators of the carvings. As Lily read about the family, she was overjoyed and amazed to learn that libros tales como estos/"books like these" existed. When I asked her to elaborate, she explained that she meant books written in English and Spanish about her culture and people que se parecen a uno/"who look like me." Data indicate that of the approximately 49.8 million students enrolled in public elementary and secondary schools nationwide in the fall of 2014, one-fourth (or 12.8 million) were Latino (National Center for Education Statistics, 2015). If we consider Dewey's (1997, p. 25) discussion of the "organic connection between education and personal experience" as a necessary component of schooling, then it would follow that a school curriculum needs to reflect the languages, cultures, and personal experiences of the children and families it serves. However, the reality is that "the life experiences of Latino children [and their families] are typically not made a part of school learning" (López-Robertson, 2010, p. 44), and as a result, children often "feel marginalized by school literacy" (Freire & Macedo, 1987, p. 76) practices. Searching for a way to help Latina mothers feel a part of their school community and recognize that they positively contribute to their children's learning, I sought to actively engage them with books in which they would encounter places, languages, and people que se parecen a uno/"who look like me.

Objectives: Social network analysis can provide added causal insight into otherwise confusing epidemiologic findings in public health research. Although foster care and homelessness are risk factors for methamphetamine use, current research has failed to explicate why homeless youth with foster care experience engage in methamphetamine use at higher rates than other homeless young adults. This study examined the mediating effect of network engagement and time spent homeless on the relationship between foster care experience and recent methamphetamine use among homeless youth in Los Angeles. Methods: Egocentric network data from a cross-sectional community-based sample (n = 652) of homeless youth aged 13-25 were collected from drop-in centers in Los Angeles. Questions addressed foster care experience, time spent homeless, methamphetamine use, and perceived drug use in social networks. Path analysis was performed in SAS to examine mediation. Controlling for all other variables, results of path analysis regarding recent methamphetamine use indicated a direct effect between foster care experience and recent methamphetamine use (B=.269, t =2.73, p< .01). However, this direct effect became statistically non-significant when time spent homeless and network methamphetamine use were added to the model, and indirect paths from time spent homeless and network methamphetamine use became statistically significant. Foster care experience influenced recent methamphetamine use indirectly through time spent homeless and methamphetamine use by network members. Efforts to reduce methamphetamine use should focus on securing stable housing and addressing network interactions among homeless former foster youth.

Recent research shows high rates of poor behavioral health outcomes among homeless former foster youth, including increased risk for HIV-risk behaviors. In the current study, data were collected from 184 youth at drop-in centers in Los Angeles using behavioral health questionnaires to explore the relationships between specific aspects of foster care experiences and engagement in HIV-risk behaviors. Results indicated that youth whose first homelessness experience occurred before leaving foster care were significantly more likely to engage in drug use with sex and exchange sex than those whose first homelessness experience occurred after leaving foster care. Intervention services targeting HIV-risk behaviors should consider the aspects of foster care placements that may increase the risk of these behaviors, such as long periods of placement or experiencing homelessness before exiting foster care, as well as those that may decrease the risk of these behaviors, such as exiting placement at an older age.

Individuals with a background in foster care experience a significantly high rate of mental health challenges when compared to the general population, yet foster care history remains overlooked in settings that require psychological testing. This proposal advocates for including the question, "Have you ever been in foster care?" as a standard demographic item in mental health assessments. Collecting this information would improve our understanding of the mental health needs of those with foster care backgrounds. It would also support more ethical, effective, and trauma-informed interventions.

Deze studie werd uitgevoerd in het kader van het Vlaamse armoedesteunpunt en werd gefinancierd door de Vlaams Minister bevoegd voor Armoedebestrijding, Liesbeth Homans. De conclusies van deze publicatie vertolken niet noodzakelijk de visie van de opdrachtgever. Het VLAS bestaat uit onderzoekers die vanuit verschillende disciplines en perspectieven samen werken. De inhoud en de conclusies van deze publicatie vertolken enkel de visie van de auteurs.

This paper presents the findings from an analysis of documents contained in a child welfare agency's case file. The goal of this study was to deconstruct standard documentation with child welfare in Ontario. Namely the Comprehensive Assessment tool, used to assess the risk of abuse and prevent future harm to children. The purpose of this inquiry was to determine the impact that documentation practices have on female clients who were involved with abusive partners and child welfare services. Moreover, female clients were constructed through the documentation in a way that re-victimized them. The methodology for carrying out this inquiry was institutional ethnography, which seeks to uncover how texts are used to legitimize social relations, organizational mandates, institutional procedures and public policy; commonly referred to as a textual analysis. Findings indicate that women are re-victimized through the use of power and control by child welfare workers; that they become the principal point of intervention and are held accountable for the protection of children. There are several recommendations arising from this study, to be implemented at both the frontline and policy levels, including more specific domestic violence training and an examination of the theoretical paradigms that currently inform child welfare work.

The abstract for "Pipeline from School to Prison describes how disciplinary actions in U.S. schools can lead to severe criminal justice consequences for children, including handcuffing and incarceration for behaviors such as classroom disruption. The paper highlights that the U.S. leads the world in both incarceration rates and the number of juveniles incarcerated, including many serving life sentences without parole, which contrasts sharply with international standards like those in China. The abstract emphasizes the harshness and systemic issues of the U.S. juvenile justice approach, illustrating the devastating impact of policies that criminalize youth behavior and disproportionately affect marginalized children, contributing to a broader social crisis known as the school-to-prison pipeline.

For more information about this evaluation report, ... Montgomery Ross Fisher Building Los Angeles, CA 90089-0411 ... For more information about the LA Prevention Initiative and ... On February 26, 2008, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved the ...

We acknowledge the role of the Board of Kids First Australia (previously the Children's Protection Society) in initiating the trial of the Early Years Education Program; the contribution of Kids First Australia, the Board and its staff in implementing the program; and the contribution by Kids First Australia in funding the trial. We owe a huge debt to the children and families who have been willing to participate in the research trial of the Early Years Education Program. We are grateful for the expertise, care and professionalism of the many staff who were involved in providing the Early Years Education Program between 2010 and 2018. We have appreciated the opportunity to work in partnership with, and the support we have received from, the Board of Kids First and its senior management. A complete list of staff from the University of Melbourne and Kids First/Children's Protection Society who have been involved with implementation of the Early Years Education Program and the research trial is in Appendix 1. Funding for the trial of the Early Years Education Program has been provided by Kids First,

Latar belakang yang mendorong penelitian ini adalah perbedaan pola asuh yang diterapkan oleh orangtua terhadap anak akan menimbulkan dampak yang beda pada karakter siswa dan akan berpengaruh pada kedisplinan belajar siswa. Tujuan penelitian adalh untuk mengetahui analisis pola asuh orangtua terhadap kedisiplinan belajar siswa kelas IV SD Negeri 3 Sidorejo, Kecamatan Brangsong, Kabupaten Kendal. Penelitian ini menggunakan pendekatan kualitatif deskriptif. Teknik pengumpulan data melalui observasi, angket, wawancara, dan dokumentasi. Hasil dari penelitian ini menunjukan berdasarkan hasil penelitian di SD Negeri 3 Sidorejo Kendal penerapan pola asuh orangtua terhadap anak sangat berpengaruh pada kedisiplinan belajar siswa. Hal ini ditunjukan dari prestasi belajar yang diperoleh siswa yang tergolong sangat baik. Dalam penelitian ini penerapan pola asuh cenderung demokratis mendominasi, disusul dengan pola asuh cenderung permisif, kemudian pola asuh cenderung otoriter. Namun pola asuh orangtua bukan satu-satunya faktor pengaruh kedisiplinan belajar, melainkan ada faktor dari guru, lingkungan sekitar, dan teman sebaya.

The aim of this study was to conduct an exhaustive synthesis to determine which instruments and variables are most appropriate to evaluate foster care programs (foster, kinship, and professional families). This evaluation includes the children, their foster families, their families of origin, professionals, and foster care technicians. Method: The systematic review included randomized, quasi-randomized, longitudinal, and control group studies aimed at evaluating foster care interventions. Results: A total of 86 studies, 138 assessment instruments, 18 constructs, and 73 independent research teams were identified. Conclusions: (1) although the object of the evaluations was the children, the informants were usually the people in charge of their care; therefore, effort should be made to involve the children in a more participatory way; (2) psychosocial functioning, behavior, and parenting are transversal elements in most evaluations, while quality of life and coping are not sufficiently well incorporated; (3) practical instruments (brief and easy to apply and correct) that are widely used and carry scientific guarantees should be prioritized to ensure the comparability and reliability of the conclusions; and (4) progress should be made in the study of evaluation models for all forms of foster care, including foster, extended, and specialized families.

A group of youth advocates were tasked with discussing their experiences in the child welfare system as children and their perspectives on reforming the system. Informed by their experiences in foster care and work with the Juvenile Law Center, the youth advocates addressed issues of racism, reform, abolition, and child well-being. They concluded that meaningful reform of the child welfare system mandates a radical realignment of power to provide full participation, collaboration, and shared decision-making authority to families impacted by the child welfare system.

This paper describes the results from a domestic violence screening questionnaire implemented in neighborhood-based child welfare preventive service agencies. The goal of these preventive service agencies is to avert the unnecessary placement of children into foster care as well as preventing child maltreatment. The purpose of the project described in this paper was to systematically change the manner in which child welfare preventive service agencies identified and worked with battered women. Components of the project included recruitment of participant agencies; training of the workers in domestic violence identification; and the use of a new screening questionnaire during intake interviews with women clients. Findings indicated that training enhanced identification; women appreciated being asked about current and historical abuse; and that women felt better able to protect themselves and their children after disclosure of domestic violence to the worker. A secondary effect of the project was that child welfare agencies developed specific services for batterers, battered women and their children.

This qualitative research study examined the supports children with a history of foster care need to be successful in post-secondary education. The study asked ten foster care alumni students receiving services from programs in Virginia, Florida, and Washington State about the level of support they receive and how successful that support is. The study also asked ten case managers that work in these programs their thoughts on the level of supports students with a history of foster care need in post-secondary education; the results of the case managers and students were then compared for agreement. The study also asked the same students and case managers their thoughts on how successful a campus exclusively designed for students with a history of foster care may be if the staff on the campus are specifically trained in trauma informed care. The case managers and students agreed on all questions regarding support; except for supports provided around access to medical care. The study su...

This qualitative research study examined the supports children with a history of foster care need to be successful in post-secondary education. The study asked ten foster care alumni students receiving services from programs in Virginia, Florida, and Washington State about the level of support they receive and how successful that support is. The study also asked ten case managers that work in these programs their thoughts on the level of supports students with a history of foster care need in post-secondary education; the results of the case managers and students were then compared for agreement. The study also asked the same students and case managers their thoughts on how successful a campus exclusively designed for students with a history of foster care may be if the staff on the campus are specifically trained in trauma informed care. The case managers and students agreed on all questions regarding support; except for supports provided around access to medical care. The study su...

Matthew Stagner and Jiffy Lansing chart developments in the field of child maltreatment and propose a new framework for preventing child abuse and neglect. They begin by describing the concept of investment-prevention as it has been applied recently in fields such as health care and welfare. They then explain how the new framework applies to maltreatment prevention, noting in particular how it differs from the traditional child protective services response to maltreatment.

Both child abuse and subsequent, prolonged stays in the foster care system are shown to have devastating effects on its victims. These effects include increased risks of depression, anxiety, learning disabilities, and substance abuse issues to name a few. In order to minimize the occurrence of these conditions, legal advocates represent the best interests of child that are placed into foster care after suffering abuse. Legal advocates observe a child’s current situation and submit reports to the judge, essentially telling the child’s “complete story” to the court. CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates for Children) is a national, nonprofit organization that recruits and trains volunteer to be legal advocates (called CASAs by the organization). Our project aims to give CASA Worcester County an effective plan for recruiting more volunteers to better serve the numerous children in foster care in Worcester County. To achieve this, we produced and educational and persuasive video that ...

Indigenous children continue to be significantly over-represented in child welfare systems in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. This scoping review represents a subset of a larger review, the objective of which was to consolidate the extant literature on Indigenous child welfare. The results from the broader review were categorized into 10 different subtopics, of which care provider experiences, the topic of this article, is just one. This review summarizes research pertaining to foster parents and kinship caregivers of Indigenous children within the child welfare system. Key findings included caregivers' financial challenges, rewards of fostering, barriers to providing Indigenous cultural and relational connections, barriers to recruiting Indigenous foster parents and mistrust of the child welfare system. Recommendations emphasized Indigenous-run programmes, education and training for service workers and recruiting foster families willing to maintain youth connections to family and culture. This review further identifies a small but growing collection of Indigenous-led or co-authored scholarship that is bringing more balance and knowledge to a topic still dominated by Western research models and biases.

In recent years, there has been an increasing emphasis on placing children in foster care. Our main research aims to explore the connections between the future orientation of disadvantaged young people living in residential care homes and foster families. In our pilot-study, we made it measurable by a comparative analysis of their study results. The sample consists of children raised in the child protection specialist and aftercare system of the Greek Catholic Child Protection Centre of Debrecen and Nyírség. The comparative analysis included 57 children and young people living in residential care homes and 57 children and young adults living in foster care. The members of both groups were born between 1993 and 2003, so are 15-25-year-olds. The comparative analysis was made on the basis of the available documents and study statistics between June 2019 and November 2019, to measure and compare the academic achievement of young people living in residential care homes and with foster pa...

Children in out-of-home care (OOHC) are often perceived as a burden on society among the general public. Low expectations of care-experienced people (CEP) persist into adulthood, leading to marginalisation and discrimination in education and employment. This article presents findings from an Australian research project that aims to disrupt ‘deviant’, ‘delinquent’ or deficit narratives commonly associated with CEP. The study used a survivor-led participatory approach to examine the long history of societal stigma towards CEP and the rising prominence of survivor-activism in this area. It describes one strand of the study consisting of an online biographical database containing 307 life stories about CEP which transcend deficit stereotypes and highlight our contributions to community, culture, and the OOHC research and policy agenda. These include 281 life stories of prominent historical and contemporary figures constructed using secondary research, and 24 life stories co-constructed with everyday Australians. Findings from a sub-sample of these life stories are presented as a form of historical advocacy that seeks to reinforce narratives of survival. Using a life course approach, the paper examines self-identities and trajectories in education, career, and activism among adults who spent time in OOHC during their childhoods. It concludes with a discussion of how the study can directly benefit CEP by reinforcing resilient self-identities, promoting a sense of belonging, providing evidence to inform strengths-based care leaver policies, and underscoring the value of an empowering and inclusive OOHC research agenda. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people should be aware that this paper contains names and voices of deceased persons.

FATA B UREN-Nordiska museets och Skansens årsbok -är en skatt av kulturhistoriska artiklar som har publicerats under mer än ett sekel. Årsboken började som ett häfte med rubriken »Meddelanden®, redigerat l88i av museets grundare Artur Hazeiius för den stödjande krets som kalla des Samfundet för Nordiska museets främjande. 1884 publicerades den första kulturhistoriska artikeln och när publikationen 1906 bytte namn till »Fataburen. Kulturhistorisk tidskrift® kom de vetenskapliga uppsatserna att dominera innehållet. Från och med 1931 fick årsboken en mer populär in riktning och i stora drag den form som den har i dag. Fataburen har sedan dess förenat lärdom och sakkunskap med syftet att nå en stor publik. Fataburen är också en viktig länk mellan Nordiska museet och Skansen, två museer med en gemensam historia och en gemensam vänförening. Varje årsbok har ett tematiskt innehåll som speglar Insatser och engagemang i de båda museerna, men verksamhetsberättelserna trycks numera separat och kan rekvireras från respektive museum. Ekonomiskt stöd från Samfundet Nordiska museets och Skansens Vänner gör utgivningen av Fataburen möjlig. NORDISKA MUSEET SKANSEN.» Fataburen 2015 Nordiska museets förlag Box 27820

The opioid crisis is a significant challenge for health and human service systems that serve children, youth, and families across the United States. Between 2000 and 2017, the number of foster care entries, a type of adverse childhood experience (ACE), attributable to parental drug use increased by 147%. Nevertheless, there is variation in the burden of opioid overdose and foster care rates across the U.S., suggesting community supports and systems to support families affected by substance use also vary. This qualitative study sampled communities experiencing high and low rates of overdose mortality and foster care entries (i.e., a qualitative comparison group) to better understand what might protect some counties from high overdose mortality and foster care entries. The sample included six counties from three states that were selected based on their rates of opioid overdose mortality and foster care entries. Using purposive sampling within counties, interview and discussion group participants included multi-sector community partners, parents whose children had been removed due to parental substance use, and caregivers caring for children who had been removed from their homes. Across all counties, prevention was not front-of-mind. Yet, participants from communities experiencing high rates of overdose mortality and foster care entries identified several factors that might help lessen exposure to substance use and ACEs including more community-based prevention services for children and youth. Both parents and caregivers across all communities also described the need for additional supports and services. Participants also described the impact of COVID-19 on services, including greater utilization of mental health and substance use treatment services and the challenges with engaging children and youth on virtual platforms. The implications for prevention are discussed, including the need to encourage primary prevention programs in communities. This study aimed to identify possible supports to prevent parental opioid misuse and adverse childhood experiences. Communities experiencing high and low rates of overdose mortality and foster care entries were sampled to understand multi-level risk and protective factors. • Findings support the importance of prevention such as following opioid prescription guidelines and community youth programs. • Parents discussed the importance of peer mentors and family-friendly substance use treatment as critical supports in their recovery. • Additional research is needed on the support that caregivers need to effectively care for themselves and their children.

The opioid crisis is a significant challenge for health and human service systems that serve children, youth, and families across the United States. Between 2000 and 2017, the number of foster care entries, a type of adverse childhood experience (ACE), attributable to parental drug use increased by 147%. Nevertheless, there is variation in the burden of opioid overdose and foster care rates across the U.S., suggesting community supports and systems to support families affected by substance use also vary. This qualitative study sampled communities experiencing high and low rates of overdose mortality and foster care entries (i.e., a qualitative comparison group) to better understand what might protect some counties from high overdose mortality and foster care entries. The sample included six counties from three states that were selected based on their rates of opioid overdose mortality and foster care entries. Using purposive sampling within counties, interview and discussion group participants included multi-sector community partners, parents whose children had been removed due to parental substance use, and caregivers caring for children who had been removed from their homes. Across all counties, prevention was not front-of-mind. Yet, participants from communities experiencing high rates of overdose mortality and foster care entries identified several factors that might help lessen exposure to substance use and ACEs including more community-based prevention services for children and youth. Both parents and caregivers across all communities also described the need for additional supports and services. Participants also described the impact of COVID-19 on services, including greater utilization of mental health and substance use treatment services and the challenges with engaging children and youth on virtual platforms. The implications for prevention are discussed, including the need to encourage primary prevention programs in communities. This study aimed to identify possible supports to prevent parental opioid misuse and adverse childhood experiences. Communities experiencing high and low rates of overdose mortality and foster care entries were sampled to understand multi-level risk and protective factors. • Findings support the importance of prevention such as following opioid prescription guidelines and community youth programs. • Parents discussed the importance of peer mentors and family-friendly substance use treatment as critical supports in their recovery. • Additional research is needed on the support that caregivers need to effectively care for themselves and their children.

Background: Standardized methods for assessing attachment disorders are scarce but needed for research and practice. In the current study, several assessments for attachment disorder symptoms are used within a German sample of foster children after being exposed to neglect and maltreatment in their biological families. The symptoms were assessed with four established assessment methods based on both parents' report and behavioral observation: The Rating for Infant Stranger Engagement, the Stranger at the Door, the Disturbances of Attachment Interview and the Reactive Attachment Disorder Questionnaire. The foster care sample showed symptoms of both the inhibited and the disinhibited attachment disorder. The degree of symptoms is comparable to previous findings. The results of the different tools investigating the disinhibited type of attachment disorder are correlated to each other, but do not overlap. Conclusions: Although all approaches are based on the clinical criteria of the DSM-IV, the assessments do not coincide. Each tool provides a different point of view on the symptoms, so a multi methodical approach for assessing attachment disorder symptoms should be implemented. Furthermore, the inhibited and the disinhibited symptoms represent separate categories, as reflected in the DSM-5, requiring separate assessment.

In Germany, almost 70 000 children are living in foster families (Statistisches Bundesamt, 2016). Many foster children show mental health problems as they were exposed to an accumulation of risk factors. Hence, foster parents are often faced with challenging parenting situations. The current study focuses on the predictors of foster parents' stress and examines longitudinally whether parenting stress is associated with foster parents' sensitivity. The sample consisted of 55 children (aged from 1 to 6 years) and their foster caregivers. Foster parents' sensitivity was observed during home visits. Caregiver reports were used to assess parenting stress (Parenting Stress Index) as well as foster children's externalizing behavior problems (Child Behavior Checklist). For main caregivers' stress at the beginning of placement, regression analyses revealed both, foster children's externalizing problems as well as partners' stress as predictive. For main caregivers' stress one year after, only initial parenting stress and partners' stress were predictive. Foster parents' sensitivity was correlated with their parenting stress one year after placement. Regression analyses revealed no longitudinal effects of initial parenting stress on overall sensitivity. However, supportive presence was predicted by initial supportive presence and by the interaction between parenting stress and children's externalizing problems at placement. The findings highlight the role of the partner in experiencing parenting stress when taking care of a foster child. Furthermore, they emphasize that foster parents who care for children with behavior problems need adequate support that can buffer initial parenting stress and thereby promote sensitive caregiving.

To evaluate a new way of meeting the growing demand for training prospective resource parents, our study compared the efficacy of a blended online and in-person approach with a traditional classroom-only approach. Findings based on a sample of 111 resource parent prospects showed significantly greater gains in knowledge from pre- to posttest for the blended approach over the classroom-only approach. The blended approach also produced dramatically lower dropout rates during preservice training. Both groups made significant gains in parenting awareness from pre to post, but those gains were greater for the classroom-only approach. Post hoc analyses examined this finding more closely. Satisfaction with training was comparably high for both groups. Gains in knowledge and awareness were sustained at a 3-month follow-up assessment.

Objective: The outcome of institutional youth care for children is heavily debated. This multilevel meta-analysis aims to address the outcome of institutional youth care compared to non-institutional youth care for children of primary school age and early adolescence in economically developed countries. A gain of knowledge in this area may help the decision for referral of children to institutional youth care or other types of care (e.g., foster care or community-based care), and improve outcomes for children in youth care. Methods: Of 19 controlled studies (15.526 participants), 63 effect sizes of behaviour problems (externalizing, internalizing, and total), skills (social and cognitive) and delinquency were computed based on comparisons between institutional Evidence-Based Treatment (EBT), institutional Care As Usual (CAU), non-institutional EBT, and non-institutional CAU. Results: Institutional CAU showed a small-to-medium negative significant effect compared to non-institutional CAU (d = -0.342). Furthermore, children in institutional care showed slightly more delinquent behaviour compared to children in non-institutional care (d = -0.329). Significant moderating effects were also found for study design, year of publication and sex of the child. Conclusions: Children receiving non-institutional CAU (mostly foster care) had slightly better outcomes than children in institutional CAU (regular group care). No differences were found between institutional and noninstitutional care when institutional treatment was evidence-based. More research is needed on the conditions that make established treatment methods work in institutional care for (young) children.

Foster children often encounter exacerbated psychological difficulties due to early unfavorable experiences, making their mental wellbeing a grave concern. These children are at heightened risk for emotional and behavioral challenges, which can extend into adolescence and adulthood. These unpleasant experiences often lead to enhanced rates of mental dysregulation, anxiety, and behavioral challenges as compared to children raised in biologically intact families. A vital biological mechanism affected by chronic stress in foster children is the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls the production of cortisol, the body's prime stress hormone. Foster children often exhibit dysregulated cortisol levels indicative of chronic stress. This abnormal regulation of the cortisol hormone can impair the immune system, emotional regulation, and physical growth. This article highlights the effect of responsive care on the cortisol levels of foster children. Interestingly, constant and receptive caregiving has been shown to mitigate these effects by inducing healthier cortisol patterns and offering a steady, nurturing environment that facilitates emotional control. Responsive care fosters secure attachments, enhances emotional resilience, and supports neurobiological development in brain regions involved in stress regulation. Thus, addressing HPA axis regulation through supportive caregiving is crucial for diminishing stresslinked health risks and augmenting the overall wellbeing of foster children.

There is little information available on the roles played by grandparents in the lives of their grandchildren following the divorce or separation of the grandchildren's parents. This study compared the specific activities shared by grandparents and grandchildren in single-mother and single-father families of children in grades 1 through 4. Data on grandparent involvement following divorce or separation were obtained from questionnaires completed by the custodial parents in 30 single-mother and 30 single-father families who were recruited from randomly selected public schools in 2 metropolitan school districts. The impact of the gender of grandparent, kin position, and gender of custodial parent on the amount of contact, type of activities, and overall involvement level were examined. Findings indicated that grandparents were more involved in their grandchildren's lives when they lived close by, had custodial status, were grandmothers, or had a grandchild living with a single father. (Contains 15 references.) (KB)

Background Adolescents in out-of-home care face higher mental health risks and exhibit significant behavioural difficulties associated with these risks. Resilience processes involve a complex interplay between individual, family and community characteristics, enhancing mental well-being while reducing the risk of depression and anxiety. Despite its significance, research on resilience factors in Thai adolescents in out-of-home care remains limited. Methods This cross-sectional study explored the factors influencing resilience among adolescents living in five out-of-home care facilities in Bangkok. A total of 407 participants were recruited through cluster sampling. Eligible participants were required to be within 10-19 years, able to read, write, or communicate effectively and provide written informed consent. Data collection was conducted using a self-report questionnaire, which included several standardised tools: the Youth Risk Behavior Survey to evaluate safety, the Inventory of Parent and Peer Attachment to assess attachment to caregivers and peers, the 9-item Resilience Inventory to measure resilience levels, the Patient Health Questionnaire for Adolescents to assess depression, and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder questionnaire to assess anxiety. Data were analysed using Pearson correlation and multivariate linear regression.

Fostering provides children with an opportunity to grow and develop in a family environment until the source of separation from their families is resolved, they are adopted or they emancipate on reaching the age of majority. Finding families ready to look after those children is one of the most important challenges for foster care systems in the next decade. This paper aims to review international procedures for the recruitment of foster families. The most successful recruitment interventions are those aimed at the general population, involving experienced foster parents, using all available resources, and sending objective messages about what this decision entails. Previous research also underlines the need for yearly recruitment and sensitization plans, and assessment systems of the strategies used. Several guidelines are offered in this paper for agencies and managers of foster programs.

The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 responded to the problem of"foster care drift" by instituting changes in child welfare policy and practice. The Act led to nearly two decades in which child welfare policy prioritized family preservation and biological family reunification. But several years ago, concern about increasing foster care caseloads and increasing lengths of stay prompted new federal child welfare legislation. The Adoption and Safe Families Act of 1997 (ASFA) shifted the policy emphasis to swift case resolution, even if swift case resolution leads to biological family separation and termination of parental rights.

Evidence linking alcohol and other drug abuse with child maltreatment, particularly neglect, is strong. But does substance abuse cause maltreatment? According to Mark Testa and Brenda Smith, such co-occurring risk factors as parental depression, social isolation, homelessness, or domestic violence may be more directly responsible than substance abuse itself for maltreatment. Interventions to prevent substance abuse-related maltreatment, say the authors, must attend to the underlying direct causes of both. Research on whether prevention programs reduce drug abuse or help parents control substance use and improve their parenting has had mixed results, at best. The evidence raises questions generally about the effectiveness of substance abuse services in preventing child maltreatment. Such services, for example, raise only marginally the rates at which parents are reunified with children who have been placed in foster care. The primary reason for the mixed findings, say Testa and Smith, is that almost all the parents face not only substance abuse problems but the co-occurring issues as well. To prevent recurring maltreatment and promote reunification, programs must ensure client progress in all problem areas. At some point in the intervention process, say Testa and Smith, attention must turn to the child's permanency needs and well-being. The best evidence to date suggests that substanceabusing parents pose no greater risk to their children than do parents of other children taken into child protective custody. It may be sensible, say the authors, to set a six-month timetable for parents to engage in treatment and allow twelve to eighteen months for them to show sufficient progress in all identified problem areas. After that, permanency plans should be expedited to place the child with a relative caregiver or in an adoptive home. Investing in parental recovery from substance abuse and dependence, the authors conclude, should not substitute for a comprehensive approach that addresses the multiple social and economic risks to child well-being beyond the harms associated with parental substance abuse.

There are hoisted rates of infancy abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in abused females of shelter homes and old age homes. The current research intends to investigate the association among maltreatment factors, PTSD symptomatology and coping strategies. A survey research design was used in the study. The sample consisted of 150 participants, selected through purposive sampling technique. Childhood trauma questionnaire , Davidson trauma scales and Brief cope scale was used to assess the maltreatment factors, PTSD symptoms and coping strategies respectively. Descriptive statistics, correlation, One way ANOVA and Independent sample t-test were used to examine the data. Results recommended significant relationship among maltreatment factors and PTSD symptomatology. Findings demonstrated a positive correlation between coping strategies and maltreatment factors. Results also indicated significant differences in relation to marital status, qualification, residence, area, and organizations. These findings postulated that childhood maltreatment is associated with the psychological disorder of PTSD symptomatology of reexperiencing, avoidance or numbness and hyper-arousal and the maltreated women must use coping strategies after the abusive and neglected behavior. Findings suggest that child maltreatment is a predisposing feature for undesirable health effects in subsequent life and that coping strategies are critical components in this relationship. Suggestions for clinicians, medicinal experts, and specialists are examined.

There are hoisted rates of infancy abuse and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in abused females of shelter homes and old age homes. The current research intends to investigate the association among maltreatment factors, PTSD symptomatology and coping strategies. A survey research design was used in the study. The sample consisted of 150 participants, selected through purposive sampling technique. Childhood trauma questionnaire , Davidson trauma scales and Brief cope scale was used to assess the maltreatment factors, PTSD symptoms and coping strategies respectively. Descriptive statistics, correlation, One way ANOVA and Independent sample t-test were used to examine the data. Results recommended significant relationship among maltreatment factors and PTSD symptomatology. Findings demonstrated a positive correlation between coping strategies and maltreatment factors. Results also indicated significant differences in relation to marital status, qualification, residence, area, and organizations. These findings postulated that childhood maltreatment is associated with the psychological disorder of PTSD symptomatology of reexperiencing, avoidance or numbness and hyper-arousal and the maltreated women must use coping strategies after the abusive and neglected behavior. Findings suggest that child maltreatment is a predisposing feature for undesirable health effects in subsequent life and that coping strategies are critical components in this relationship. Suggestions for clinicians, medicinal experts, and specialists are examined.

Trust, in much the same way as hope, represents one of the essential components of a healthy upbringing. This article investigates the concept of trust as set forth in Eric Erikson's and Louise Kaplan's theories of basic trust, with particular emphasis on definition and development. The article analyzes some of the criteria that have been presented in describing Reactive Attachment Disorder, insofar as it pertains to the child's not having developed proper attachments to trustworthy individuals and their associated behavior. Finally, the article attempts to correlate foster care placement as one of the main influences leading to mistrust, being more prevalent than trust, and as a resolution of the first stage of psychosocial development, and the rising statistics of Reactive Attachment Disorder. Suggestions for intervention with vulnerable infants are explored, as are implications of using foster care as a context for such intervention. (Contains 23 references.) (Author/HTH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

Trust, in much the same way as hope, represents one of the essential components of a healthy upbringing. This article investigates the concept of trust as set forth in Eric Erikson's and Louise Kaplan's theories of basic trust, with particular emphasis on definition and development. The article analyzes some of the criteria that have been presented in describing Reactive Attachment Disorder, insofar as it pertains to the child's not having developed proper attachments to trustworthy individuals and their associated behavior. Finally, the article attempts to correlate foster care placement as one of the main influences leading to mistrust, being more prevalent than trust, and as a resolution of the first stage of psychosocial development, and the rising statistics of Reactive Attachment Disorder. Suggestions for intervention with vulnerable infants are explored, as are implications of using foster care as a context for such intervention. (Contains 23 references.) (Author/HTH) Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original document.

Children in foster care have social and emotional problems at rates three to ten times higher than those found in the general population. During the elementary school years (i.e. 5-12 years), research indicates that disruptive behavior in children in care can negatively impact social, emotional and academic development, as well as placement stability. Evidenced-based interventions to improve children’s behavior and reduce parenting stress are necessary. This pilot study augmented an existing evidenced-based intervention (i.e. the Incredible Years) developed for birth families for use with foster caregivers. Results from 18 families indicate that foster caregiver-reported conduct symptoms were significantly lower for children whose families participated in the treatment group. A similar trend was found for the overall externalizing behavior. No significant changes were identified in parenting attitudes and stress. Participants reported high levels of satisfaction and acceptability wi...