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Foster care services are in high demand in South Africa because of the significant number of children in need of care. Reasons for this include the death of biological parents, abuse, neglect, incarceration of parents, parents abandoning their children, and even disappearance of parents.
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has worsened this situation. The demand for foster care is putting strain on the delivery of social work services to this vulnerable group. Social workers tasked with implementing the foster care process experience operational impediments and emotional strain, creating an…
Religions worldwide emphasize the sanctity of the family and advocate strongly for children’s access to essential needs like food, health, shelter, education, and community support. These principles establish faith communities as leading advocates for children’s well-being around the world.
On closer examination, however, religious communities are at times divided internally and from one another on issues related to the rights of and responsibilities toward children and the dynamic interplay between parents and states in ensuring their protection and care. Some members of faith communities…
Research shows that youth who leave foster care to live independently are often at risk of homelessness, less education, unemployment/poverty, and mental health issues. There are a number of reasons for this increased risk. A variety of aftercare services for youth leaving foster care are designed to help address these risks.
The purpose of this study was to examine trends in participation and understand the experiences of youth transitioning from foster care who were involved in the Iowa Aftercare Services Program. The authors examine trends in participation, services received,…
The number of missing child reports exceed police investigative capacity, yet some incidents are linked with harm, making effective risk assessment essential for safeguarding. Police data likely underrepresents harm to missing children due to harm being undisclosed, and missing incidents going unreported. A better understanding of harm associated with missing children could help to develop appropriate interventions to reduce missing incidents and prevent harm.
This study examined 18 months of published Child Safeguarding Practice Reviews across England – a previously overlooked resource…
While there is a growing body of research suggesting that care leavers experience disadvantages in early adulthood, there is only one study at hand that uses panel data to analyze long term effects. Based on this idea, the authors examine data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (SOEP), covering a 50-year period, and use matching methods to compare care leavers who have been in residential care or lived with foster parents to a control group. The results indicate that being placed in out-of-home care is associated with disadvantages in terms of unemployment, life satisfaction and health. The…
Transition-age youth with foster care involvement (TAY) face significant risks for food insecurity and other hardships in early adulthood. Using representative survey data of youth transitioning out of foster care in California, the authors examine the prevalence and predictors of food insecurity. They find that about 30% of study participants were food insecure at ages 19, 21, and 23.
They also identify multiple risk and protective factors associated with being food insecure, such as TAY’s sexual identity and receipt of public benefits. The results of their study offer life-stage-specific…
SUMMARY
This brief, the first in a five-part series, shares the findings of a comprehensive survey of state-level kinship care policies.
Kinship care is an important option to consider for kids moving through the child welfare system. A timely placement with relatives or close family friends can reduce the trauma a child experiences from being separated from their parents, siblings, friends, communities and even social support resources, such as schools and churches.
The survey results presented…
The adoption and implementation of the UNCRC across the globe has taken many forms in various countries, as some develop legislations, national policies, and amend current provisions to work towards eliminating all forms of child violence by 2030, as outlined by SDG 16. Systemic disparities pertaining to international conflicts, power dynamics, and resource limitations hinder the progress of achieving SDG 16. This frequently restrains reporting standards, organization development, and just aid to maltreated children. In terms of the Canadian landscape, Canada acts as a pathfinder country in…
This article delves into the challenges faced by orphans in Nigeria, specifically focusing on their psychological development and overall welfare. In 2003, there were an estimated 7 million orphans in the country, a number projected to rise to 8.2 million by 2010. This increase underscores the significant challenges posed by factors such as HIV/AIDS, conflict, and poverty.
Globally, the orphan crisis is alarming, with predictions suggesting that by 2020, as many as 200 million children worldwide could be without parental care. The study emphasizes the importance of offering childcare…
The right of the adopted person to know his/her biological identity and to have access to all information concerning the adoption is enshrined in the revised European Convention, on the adoption of children and the Convention on Protection of Children and Cooperation in respect of Intercountry Adoption.
Therefore, from the perspective of the European Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, as well as the consistent case law of the ECHR, “the right to know one’s origins or the right to know one's biological identity has its basis in the broad interpretation…