Pub Date : 2022-11-21DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2149251
A. Nesmith, E. Hartley
ABSTRACT This qualitative study of 19 long-term foster carers examined how they coped with traumatic events with children in their care and continued to foster children. Phenomenological methods revealed that they endured significant traumatic events regarding the children that had lasting impacts on them. While much of the related research focuses on indirect secondary trauma among foster parents, these incidents were experienced and interpreted more as primary trauma. Participants also reported an intense commitment to the children in their homes, a passion for providing a good home for them, and recognized that they benefitted personally from fostering children. Recommendations include solutions more closely aligned with primary trauma and a using veteran foster parents to support and mentor new carers.
{"title":"Long-term foster parenting: grief, loss, love, persistence, and growth in the face of tragedy and trauma","authors":"A. Nesmith, E. Hartley","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2149251","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2149251","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This qualitative study of 19 long-term foster carers examined how they coped with traumatic events with children in their care and continued to foster children. Phenomenological methods revealed that they endured significant traumatic events regarding the children that had lasting impacts on them. While much of the related research focuses on indirect secondary trauma among foster parents, these incidents were experienced and interpreted more as primary trauma. Participants also reported an intense commitment to the children in their homes, a passion for providing a good home for them, and recognized that they benefitted personally from fostering children. Recommendations include solutions more closely aligned with primary trauma and a using veteran foster parents to support and mentor new carers.","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"17 1","pages":"1131 - 1149"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-11-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47400256","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-10-21DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2137273
Jangmin Kim, Barbara Pierce
ABSTRACT Family Team Conference (FTC) has been suggested as a promising practice model to improve child welfare outcomes. However, there is little understanding of developing an effective workforce to ensure FTC fidelity. Using data involving 891 caseworkers who implemented FTC in a Midwestern state, path analysis showed that both effective training and supervision that parallels the same principles of FTC are necessary conditions to enhance FTC fidelity either directly or indirectly by increasing caseworkers’ facilitation skills. This paper suggests that organizational readiness and ongoing support are essential for ensuring the high-quality implementation of family-centered practice in the public child welfare system.
{"title":"A Multiple-Path Model of Workforce Development for Improving the Fidelity of Family Team Conference in the Child Welfare System","authors":"Jangmin Kim, Barbara Pierce","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2137273","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2137273","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Family Team Conference (FTC) has been suggested as a promising practice model to improve child welfare outcomes. However, there is little understanding of developing an effective workforce to ensure FTC fidelity. Using data involving 891 caseworkers who implemented FTC in a Midwestern state, path analysis showed that both effective training and supervision that parallels the same principles of FTC are necessary conditions to enhance FTC fidelity either directly or indirectly by increasing caseworkers’ facilitation skills. This paper suggests that organizational readiness and ongoing support are essential for ensuring the high-quality implementation of family-centered practice in the public child welfare system.","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"17 1","pages":"1110 - 1130"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-10-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43802276","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-10-18DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2137271
Nicole Peel, G. Davison
ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study was to explain whether leisure’s social and cognitive benefits could be found within a group of 12 young people in the Australian foster care system; representative of a highly vulnerable population, and how those benefits might be used to improve life opportunities post care. Case studies generated a cross-case thematic analysis which provided an explanatory framework for an explanation building process. Participants were found to be creating and using contextually based cognitive artifacts to resource, plan for, learn from or about, and resource their leisure.
{"title":"Using leisure in foster care to generate advantage","authors":"Nicole Peel, G. Davison","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2137271","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2137271","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The purpose of this qualitative study was to explain whether leisure’s social and cognitive benefits could be found within a group of 12 young people in the Australian foster care system; representative of a highly vulnerable population, and how those benefits might be used to improve life opportunities post care. Case studies generated a cross-case thematic analysis which provided an explanatory framework for an explanation building process. Participants were found to be creating and using contextually based cognitive artifacts to resource, plan for, learn from or about, and resource their leisure.","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"17 1","pages":"1058 - 1085"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48375632","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-10-18DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2131028
Michael J. Tanana, Patty B Kuo
ABSTRACT The Family First Prevention and Services Act (FFPSA) has created a major policy shift in how services are delivered in the US child welfare system. There is now an increased emphasis and incentive for states to focus on preventing children from entering the foster care system and the juvenile justice system. In addition, the FFPSA has created rigorous standards for evidence around these prevention services. We analyzed juvenile justice outcome data for the Family First parenting program for youth who started Families First between 2007 and2012. Youth in the program were matched to a comparison sample of court-supervised youth in the same time period using a propensity score-matched pair design. We found that youth enrolled in Families First had significantly fewer misdemeanor and felony charges than youth in the comparison group 12 months after the start (54% less) and end of the program (55% less). There were mixed findings for reductions in status and technical offenses. Our results suggest that the Families First model can be an effective intervention strategy for reducing recidivism in youth that are involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.
{"title":"A propensity score matched pair outcome evaluation of a parenting program for dually involved youth","authors":"Michael J. Tanana, Patty B Kuo","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2131028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2131028","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The Family First Prevention and Services Act (FFPSA) has created a major policy shift in how services are delivered in the US child welfare system. There is now an increased emphasis and incentive for states to focus on preventing children from entering the foster care system and the juvenile justice system. In addition, the FFPSA has created rigorous standards for evidence around these prevention services. We analyzed juvenile justice outcome data for the Family First parenting program for youth who started Families First between 2007 and2012. Youth in the program were matched to a comparison sample of court-supervised youth in the same time period using a propensity score-matched pair design. We found that youth enrolled in Families First had significantly fewer misdemeanor and felony charges than youth in the comparison group 12 months after the start (54% less) and end of the program (55% less). There were mixed findings for reductions in status and technical offenses. Our results suggest that the Families First model can be an effective intervention strategy for reducing recidivism in youth that are involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems.","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"17 1","pages":"1016 - 1033"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43753850","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-10-18DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2137272
Sean Pellegrini, P. Moore, M. Murphy, Daniel Flynn
ABSTRACT To address child protection concerns countries often implement mandatory reporting (MR) laws. This ensures that relevant professionals alert child protection services of children who are at risk of or are currently experiencing abuse. However, these well-intended mandatory requirements can sometimes have unintended negative consequences that affect all those who are involved in the process. The current research investigated the experiences of Irish psychologists in implementing MR and examined if there was any personal or professional impact resulting from this process. All participants were qualified psychologists of various disciplines working in the HSE, the national health service of Ireland. A qualitative research design was implemented that consisted of thematic analysis of focus group transcripts. Three focus groups (n = 18) were conducted. Three major themes were identified within the data; the unintentional harm that is caused by MR, the contexts where reporting is needed, and the issues with the current MR system. Some benefits to MR exist but these advantages need to be considered within a greater context. The findings of the current study outlined how participants perceived aspects of MR as having significant detrimental consequences for victims of abuse.
{"title":"Experiences of Psychologists in Applying Mandatory Reporting in Ireland (Children First)","authors":"Sean Pellegrini, P. Moore, M. Murphy, Daniel Flynn","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2137272","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2137272","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT To address child protection concerns countries often implement mandatory reporting (MR) laws. This ensures that relevant professionals alert child protection services of children who are at risk of or are currently experiencing abuse. However, these well-intended mandatory requirements can sometimes have unintended negative consequences that affect all those who are involved in the process. The current research investigated the experiences of Irish psychologists in implementing MR and examined if there was any personal or professional impact resulting from this process. All participants were qualified psychologists of various disciplines working in the HSE, the national health service of Ireland. A qualitative research design was implemented that consisted of thematic analysis of focus group transcripts. Three focus groups (n = 18) were conducted. Three major themes were identified within the data; the unintentional harm that is caused by MR, the contexts where reporting is needed, and the issues with the current MR system. Some benefits to MR exist but these advantages need to be considered within a greater context. The findings of the current study outlined how participants perceived aspects of MR as having significant detrimental consequences for victims of abuse.","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"17 1","pages":"1086 - 1109"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-10-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43291576","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-10-13DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2131696
Meschelle Linjean, H. Weaver
ABSTRACT This article aims to help child welfare professionals understand connections between the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Tribal sovereignty, and Native American well-being, and prepare to uphold ICWA in the face of the impending U.S. Supreme Court case. ICWA provisions, intentions, implementation, and impact are described, followed by summaries of prior legal challenges, judicial erosion, and the Haaland v. Brackeen case. The article explores implications if ICWA is overturned, including ramifications of non-preferred foster care and adoption placements and self-determination, health, and socioeconomic repercussions. Advocacy strategies for upholding ICWA are presented to help protect Native children, families, and Tribal Nations.
{"title":"The Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA): Where we’ve been, where we’re headed, and where we need to go","authors":"Meschelle Linjean, H. Weaver","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2131696","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2131696","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This article aims to help child welfare professionals understand connections between the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), Tribal sovereignty, and Native American well-being, and prepare to uphold ICWA in the face of the impending U.S. Supreme Court case. ICWA provisions, intentions, implementation, and impact are described, followed by summaries of prior legal challenges, judicial erosion, and the Haaland v. Brackeen case. The article explores implications if ICWA is overturned, including ramifications of non-preferred foster care and adoption placements and self-determination, health, and socioeconomic repercussions. Advocacy strategies for upholding ICWA are presented to help protect Native children, families, and Tribal Nations.","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"17 1","pages":"1034 - 1057"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-10-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41929675","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-10-11DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2131102
{"title":"2021 Article of the Year","authors":"","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2131102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2131102","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"16 1","pages":"724 - 724"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-10-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43092616","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-28DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2128506
J. Harder, Sara W. Bharwani, Jodi Gabel
ABSTRACT This exploratory, qualitative research study explores (a) the motivations of Plain Anabaptist (Plain Mennonite and Amish) families to foster mainstream (non-Plain) children, (b) families’ experiences in the training and home study process, and (c) characteristics and practices of Plain Anabaptist families who provide foster care. Findings support the recommendation for child welfare systems to explore the possibility of Plain Mennonite and Amish families providing foster care for children. Plain Anabaptist families are receptive to learning and adapting in order to provide foster care, especially for babies, young children, and children with special needs.
{"title":"Inviting Plain Mennonite and Amish families to provide foster care for children","authors":"J. Harder, Sara W. Bharwani, Jodi Gabel","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2128506","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2128506","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT This exploratory, qualitative research study explores (a) the motivations of Plain Anabaptist (Plain Mennonite and Amish) families to foster mainstream (non-Plain) children, (b) families’ experiences in the training and home study process, and (c) characteristics and practices of Plain Anabaptist families who provide foster care. Findings support the recommendation for child welfare systems to explore the possibility of Plain Mennonite and Amish families providing foster care for children. Plain Anabaptist families are receptive to learning and adapting in order to provide foster care, especially for babies, young children, and children with special needs.","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"17 1","pages":"990 - 1015"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46106996","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-26DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2125482
Richard A. Brandon-Friedman
ABSTRACT Little research has examined if there are differences in sexual well-being, negative sexual health outcomes, or levels of sexual identity development between racial/ethnic minority and non-racial/ethnic minority youth in the foster care system. Using a sample of youth formerly in the foster care system (n = 219), this study compared the sexual well-being, sexual identity development, and negative sexual health outcomes of racial/ethnic minority and non-racial/ethnic minority youth and found that racial/ethnic minority and non-racial/ethnic minority youth did not differ in overall levels of sexual well-being and had no significant differences in their levels of sexual identity development. There were differences in incidence of the youth or a partner having an STI/STD. These results indicate that there are few differences in sexual well-being, negative sexual health outcomes, or sexual identity development between racial/ethnic minority and non-racial/ethnic minority youth formerly in the foster care system. All four domains of sexual identity development predicted sexual well-being for non-racial/ethnic minority youth, but sexual orientation identity uncertainty did not predict sexual well-being for racial/ethnic minority youth, emphasizing the importance of sexual identity development. Attention to the sexual development and sexual health of youth in the foster care system continues to be lacking and should be expanded.
{"title":"Sexual identity development and sexual well-being: differences between racial/ethnic minority and non-racial/ethnic minority former foster youth","authors":"Richard A. Brandon-Friedman","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2125482","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2125482","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Little research has examined if there are differences in sexual well-being, negative sexual health outcomes, or levels of sexual identity development between racial/ethnic minority and non-racial/ethnic minority youth in the foster care system. Using a sample of youth formerly in the foster care system (n = 219), this study compared the sexual well-being, sexual identity development, and negative sexual health outcomes of racial/ethnic minority and non-racial/ethnic minority youth and found that racial/ethnic minority and non-racial/ethnic minority youth did not differ in overall levels of sexual well-being and had no significant differences in their levels of sexual identity development. There were differences in incidence of the youth or a partner having an STI/STD. These results indicate that there are few differences in sexual well-being, negative sexual health outcomes, or sexual identity development between racial/ethnic minority and non-racial/ethnic minority youth formerly in the foster care system. All four domains of sexual identity development predicted sexual well-being for non-racial/ethnic minority youth, but sexual orientation identity uncertainty did not predict sexual well-being for racial/ethnic minority youth, emphasizing the importance of sexual identity development. Attention to the sexual development and sexual health of youth in the foster care system continues to be lacking and should be expanded.","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"17 1","pages":"924 - 946"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48137612","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2022-09-22DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2022.2125483
Rachel D. Ludeke
ABSTRACT Social support, racial/ethnic identity, and foster care exposure are concepts largely understudied in child welfare research. With the rise of racialized violence against persons of color and the COVID-19 pandemic, these intersecting identities are of great importance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 youth of color with current or past foster care exposure. Three themes were identified: 1) feeling uncomfortably me, 2) not equal in opportunity, and 3) skin as a threat. Increased mental health support by caseworkers and understanding collective racial trauma is needed to help foster youth of color as they strive to achieve self-sufficiency in emerging adulthood.
{"title":"“Why is my skin so intimidating to you?”: Exploring social connectivity and racial identity of youth of color with foster care experience","authors":"Rachel D. Ludeke","doi":"10.1080/15548732.2022.2125483","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2022.2125483","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Social support, racial/ethnic identity, and foster care exposure are concepts largely understudied in child welfare research. With the rise of racialized violence against persons of color and the COVID-19 pandemic, these intersecting identities are of great importance. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 youth of color with current or past foster care exposure. Three themes were identified: 1) feeling uncomfortably me, 2) not equal in opportunity, and 3) skin as a threat. Increased mental health support by caseworkers and understanding collective racial trauma is needed to help foster youth of color as they strive to achieve self-sufficiency in emerging adulthood.","PeriodicalId":16907,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Public Child Welfare","volume":"17 1","pages":"947 - 989"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2022-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48337913","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"社会学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}