What's wrong with child welfare?: An examination of current practices that harm children

2002 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 10-18
Author(s):  
Meredith Kiraly
Keyword(s):  
Child Welfare ◽  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Theoretical Concepts ◽  
Youth Welfare ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Care Field ◽  
Excellent Work

This paper outlines the growing awareness of one experienced professional in the out-of-home care field regarding some of the deleterious practices of the present time. While much good practice exists in this field, it is the author's contention that entrenched attitudes which convey insensitivity and discrimination towards children and young people in care are still all too frequent; and that these attitudes continue to militate against meeting the essential needs of children and young people.This paper outlines a group of theoretical concepts and relates them to a number of areas of current malpractice by way of an attempt to explain how these occur. In doing this, it seeks not to deny the sensitivity and skill of most current practitioners, and the excellent work that abounds in the child/youth welfare fields. Rather, the paper seeks to address those areas of practice which are still of concern, and to call for a change of attitude where needed.

scholarly journals Interventions and practice models for improving health and psychosocial outcomes of children and young people in out-of-home care: protocol for a systematic review

BMJ Open ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (9) ◽  
pp. e031362
Author(s):  
Emma Galvin ◽  
Renée O'donnell ◽  
Helen Skouteris ◽  
Nick Halfpenny ◽  
Aya Mousa
Keyword(s):  
Systematic Review ◽  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Psychosocial Outcomes ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Practice Models ◽  
Outcomes For Children ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Improve Health

IntroductionChildren and young people placed in out-of-home care (OoHC) are often affected by a history of trauma and adverse childhood experiences. Trauma in early childhood can impact on children’s health and psychosocial development, whereas early interventions can improve children’s development and placement stability. Although several interventions and practice models have been developed to improve health and psychosocial outcomes for children and young people in OoHC, there remains a lack of rigorous research examining the impact of these interventions in OoHC settings, as there are no systematic reviews examining the impact these interventions and practice models have on the children and young people they serve. We aim to conduct a comprehensive systematic review to examine the effectiveness of interventions and practice models for improving health and psychosocial outcomes in children and young people living in OoHC and to identify relevant knowledge gaps.Methods and analysisMajor electronic databases including Medline, Medline in-process and other non-indexed citations, Embase, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, PsycInfo, Sociological Abstracts and all Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews incorporating: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, American College of PhysiciansJournal Club, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects,Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, CochraneMethodology Register, Health Technology Assessment and National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database, will be systematically searched for any studies published between 2008 and 2018 of interventions and practice models developed to improve health and psychosocial outcomes for children and young people in OoHC. Two independent reviewers will assess titles and abstracts for eligibility according to prespecified selection criteria and will perform data extraction and quality appraisal. Meta-analyses and/or metaregression will be conducted where appropriate.Ethics and disseminationThis study will not collect primary data and formal ethical approval is therefore not required. Findings from this systematic review will be disseminated in a peer-reviewed publication and conference presentations.PROSPERO registration numberCRD42019115082.

When “Culture Trumped Safety”, Developing a Protective Weave in Child Welfare Organisations: A Case Study

2015 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 260-268 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Menzies ◽  
Lyn Stoker
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Abuse ◽  
Staff Development ◽  
Young People ◽  
Good Practice ◽  
Chief Executive ◽  
Royal Commission ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Institutional Responses ◽  
Culture Of Fear

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has uncovered evidence that organisations sometimes provide opportunity for the sexual abuse of children. How do organisations go about preventing this? The authors of this paper consider the case of an out-of-home care (OOHC) agency which failed to protect children. By identifying gaps in practice and culture in this case, the authors suggest that protecting children in OOHC requires a “weave” of organisational structures, staff development and cultural competence. In this case, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the organisation was able to create an opportunity for access to vulnerable young people by using strategies we can now identify as grooming behaviours. He did this by using his positional power. He ignored standards, isolated protective adults and therefore children and young people, rewarded compliance, discouraged reflective practice, used his culture to avoid scrutiny from funding and oversighting agencies, and created an organisational culture of fear and secrecy. In effect, he used culture to trump safety. Even in the stressful conditions of managing an OOHC service, good practice is important, not only because it meets the standards and legislation, but because this is how services maintain the safety of children and young people in care.

Children and Young People in Out-of-Home Care: Treating and preventing individual, programmatic and systems abuse.

1992 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 17-25 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jo Cavanagh
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Social Stress ◽  
Vulnerable Children ◽  
Developmental Needs ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Child Protection Services ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
The Family

It is well recognised that the maltreatment of children results from a range of factors; some residing within the person, their family history and background, and others, clearly attributable to social stress and difficulties originating external to the family. In the last few decades, child welfare efforts have centred on the improvement of Child Protection Services and raising the prevention of child abuse as a community concern. More recently, attention has been focussed on strengthening the capacity of families to nurture and protect their own as the best means of meeting the developmental needs of children. However, our best efforts to assist families may still necessitate removal to protect the child.Research has identified that children removed for their own protection may be at even greater risk in out-of-home care. (Ryan 1987, Dawson 1984) Whether the incidence of abuse of children in out-of-home care is currently equivalent or higher than for the general population, is at this point a secondary concern. Out-of-home care is an essential and complex service. It is imperative to acknowledge that abuse can occur within the very system entrusted with the responsibility of protecting and caring for vulnerable children and young people.

scholarly journals CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION: THE CHOICE BETWEEN ADOPTION AND FOSTER CARE AS CHILD PROTECTION RESPONSES

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leah Bonfili
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Child Protection ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Choice Of Care

This article seeks to expand the conversation started in the primary article by Stephen Gay in this volume entitled ‘The Choice Between Adoption and Foster Care as Child Protection Responses’. It discusses the need for stability and permanence of care arrangements for children and young people living in out-of-home care in Part II before moving on in Part III to consider the option of widening the choice of care arrangements to better meet their needs. The importance of listening to the voices of children and young people and giving them a say in where they live and how they are cared for is also explored in Part IV.

scholarly journals HELPING CHILDREN WITH HOME EDUCATION: HOW HOME EDUCATION CAN ENABLE GOOD EDUCATIONAL OUTCOMES FOR CHILDREN AND YOUNG PEOPLE IN OUT-OF-HOME CARE

2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karleen Gribble ◽  
Rebecca English
Keyword(s):  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Home Education ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Number Of Children ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Educational Challenges ◽  
Learning Success ◽  
History Of ◽  
Outcomes For Children

<p><span style="color: #131413; font-family: Times New Roman; font-size: medium;">Children who experience maltreatment in their families may be placed in out-of-home care. A large, and increasing, number of children are being raised in these settings in Australia. The history of maltreatment that children in out-of-home care have experienced results in a variety of educational challenges. It is generally believed that schools are best placed to serve the educational needs of these children. However, there is extensive evidence that schools are unable to facilitate learning success for many children in out-of-home care. This paper argues that because home education can provide a low- stress environment and individually tailored learning, it can be an effective method of education for children and young people in out-of-home care. A case study of a home-educated child in out-of-home care is presented.</span></p>

Assisting Carers to Respond to the Mental Health Needs of Children

2017 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-37 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josh Fergeus ◽  
Cathy Humphreys ◽  
Carol Harvey ◽  
Helen Herrman
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Young People ◽  
Home Care ◽  
Mental Health Problems ◽  
Health Needs ◽  
Mental Health Needs ◽  
Children And Young People ◽  
Out Of Home Care ◽  
Effective Interventions ◽  
Developed World

Across the developed world, efforts are being made to identify and develop effective interventions that will reduce the prevalence and severity of mental health problems among children and young people in out-of-home care. Foster and kinship carers have been identified as critically important in this process. In order to develop an understanding of what interventions and/or supports assist carers in responding effectively to the mental health needs of the children and young people in their care, a scoping review was undertaken. Using the scoping study method, 1064 publications were identified, and 82 publications were selected for further analysis. The review shows that promising interventions that aim to improve the mental health of children and young people living in out-of-home care have been developed and trialled both in Australia and internationally. However, the review also highlights the lack of research specifically focused on the role of the carer.

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