Child & Family Social Work最新文献

Although foster care represents an essential practice for helping children and families in difficult situations, nowadays, in Italy, the number of people open to engaging in this kind of care is limited compared to the real need, and agencies have difficulties recruiting new foster parents. The present qualitative study is aimed at identifying the process that leads families to become foster parents and investigating how this decision has been put into practice, with the aim of improving practices in the foster care system. A constructivist grounded theory approach was used to study the experiences of foster parent dyads in Northern Italy. The basic social process of ‘acting generatively’ was identified. This represented the inner need to act experienced by the people who approach foster care and who are guided by the desire to go beyond the self, to serve others and to take care of future generations. Six axial codes representing the six main phases in this process, characterized from a sociorelational point of view, were identified: values awareness, generative ideation, generative agreement, evaluation, generative intention and generative action. This article describes a foster decision-making model that may help social workers in recruiting foster families.

Drawing upon multiple case studies, this article examines how parenting double standards are reproduced in situations where women who have experienced domestic violence have been seen as ‘alienating’ mothers, while the men who have perpetrated the violence have been seem as ‘good’ or ‘good enough’ fathers. In total, 25 cases studies were conducted with women who had experienced domestic violence, had at least one child and had been perceived by at least one professional as ‘engaging in parental alienation’ at some point within the previous 5 years. Each case study involved at least one semi-structured interview with the woman and the analysis of relevant documents, including family evaluation reports, child protection reports and court decisions. These double standards were identified when the mothers' and the fathers' behaviours and circumstances had been measured or evaluated using a different set of principles. The research findings reveal different main manifestations of parenting double standards, which relate to the parents' credibility and the parents' past and personal histories. Moreover, the fact that the parents talk to the children about the other parent is perceived differently when mothers and fathers are doing it. Professionals also reproduce double standards when they minimize and the justify the parents' ‘inappropriate’ behaviours and when they consider the parents' help-seeking strategies.

Friendships can offer significant benefits, particularly in the challenging field of statutory social work, which is often characterised by high caseloads, limited resources and frequent exposure to trauma. However, the recent focus on how we can better promote the well-being and job satisfaction of UK social workers, and relatedly, promote a more sustainable workforce, has failed to explore the influence of workplace friendships. This study explored the nature of workplace friendships amongst a cohort of experienced child and family social workers employed within England's children's social care system. Using semi-structured interviews (n = 10) and ecomaps (a visually illustrative tool used by social workers to identify and document relationships), the research identified the role of workplace friendships in offering emotional support, professional learning and encouragement for career progression. It highlights the influence and importance of these relationships in decisions by practitioners to remain in children and families social work and argues that reforms to promote friendships at work could play a positive role in addressing the different measures of workplace instability currently inherent within England's children's social care system.

In response to growing international migration, several states have adopted controversial measures, including detaining migrants, which have detrimental impacts on migrants' physical, mental and social health. Although family is often at the heart of migratory decisions, few studies have used a family lens to examine this phenomenon. This paper reports on the findings of a qualitative systematic review that aims to describe the experience of migrant families dealing with detention. Articles were searched in relevant databases, and the quality of studies was assessed independently by two reviewers using the JBI Critical Appraisal Checklists. Twenty-two out of 897 articles met the inclusion criteria and were subsequently included. Three themes emerged from the thematic synthesis that capture the experience of migrant families affected by detention: (1) alterations of the family structure, (2) disruptions in instrumental and emotional functioning and (3) weakening of the family identity. Results robustly evidenced the detrimental effects of detention on families and the urge to stop this practice. Limitations included the difficulty of distinguishing between the experience of detention and deportation in some studies, as well as limited information about the long-term effect of detention on family health and integration in the host society.

Young people living in out-of-home care often have a history of adverse childhood experiences which are traumatic in nature and have long-term influence on individuals. This article analyses the experiences of Finnish young adults with a history of out-of-home care and mental health challenges, in regard to their experienced trauma and interpretations of the traumatizing factors during their early lifespan. The ecological systems theory by Bronfenbrenner is used as a tool in the analysis. The article sheds light on how the experiences of trauma are connected to the levels of the ecological systems theory and how different social factors can contribute to the experience of trauma. Understanding the traumatic experiences of adolescents with an OOHC background requires a thorough consideration of all the levels of the ecological systems theory. Traumatization is often a fusion of acute, chronic and complex traumas that should be better acknowledged in child welfare work.

This article presents the findings of a study examining the factors that influence the intentions of Norwegian child welfare and protection workers to either remain in or leave their positions. It explores the elements that sustain their motivation and commitment, as well as those that contribute to their sense of challenge during difficult times. The study involved group interviews with 11 experienced workers, all of whom expressed a profound, idealistic passion for child welfare and protection as the primary driver for their continued engagement in a demanding and intricate field. Concurrently, they voiced their frustration with systemic inefficiencies that obstruct their ability to perform their duties effectively. The study highlights the significance of effective leadership and collegial support as key factors that help these professionals cope with the challenges posed by an underperforming system.