Displaying 1 - 10 of 103
This paper found that there was marked overrepresentation of First Nations children in the child welfare system in Ontario, Canada. These children were three times as likely to be investigated as white children and more likely to be placed when controlling for investigation concerns. The paper concluded that recent policy changes have not brought change to this overrepresentation.
Background
Although mandatory reporting has grown substantially in scope and geographical coverage, there is limited empirical evidence to support its effectiveness in preventing harm to children. In the absence of rigorous evaluations, comparing the perspectives of individuals who work in systems with and without mandatory reporting provides important insights.
Objective
The purpose of this analysis was to compare perspectives of frontline workers, administrators, and experts in child abuse and neglect in a system with mandatory reporting (Colorado, United States) and one without…
This report is a follow up to the ‘What Makes Life Good?’ report published in 2020 about the views of care leavers on their well-being, using pre-pandemic data collected between 2017 and 2019 through the Your Life Beyond Care survey. In this follow-up report, the authors compare the ‘What Makes Life Good?’ pre-pandemic data from 1,804 care leavers to data…
For decades, First Nations have called for Canada to respect the sacredness of their children and youth by upholding the best interests of the child, substantive equality and cultural continuity. This call has been echoed in numerous reports including, but not limited to, the Royal Commission on Aboriginal Peoples (1996), the Joint National Policy Review (2000), the Wen: De Reports (2005), the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (2005), A Roadmap to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Call to Action #66 (2018) and the National Inquiry into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (…
Globally, during the COVID-19 pandemic there have been disruptions to initiatives, services, and programmes that promote and protect nurturing care for young children. While necessary to reduce transmission of SARS-CoV-2, strategies such as complete or partial lockdown, physical distancing measures, and school and childcare closures, have made it increasingly difficult to reach children and caregivers. At the same time, the social and economic ramifications of the pandemic have put families in even greater need of parenting and family support. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, many…
In this article, researchers Philip Fisher, Joan Lombardi, and Nat Kendall-Taylor present data from the RAPID-EC U.S. national survey of families with young children and look back at three overarching findings from the first year of the survey:
1. The pandemic has made it difficult for many families with young children to pay for basic needs, which has had negative effects on caregiver and child wellbeing.
2. Long-standing racial inequality in families with young children has increased over the last year
3. The…
ABSTRACT
The child welfare system is overdue for substantial transformation. Families and communities of color have experienced the brunt of the failings and limitations present in current policy and practice. A transformed approach is needed that prioritizes maltreatment prevention, racial equity, and child and family well-being. The Family First Prevention Services Act is an important step in this effort, although its scope falls short of the significant changes that are needed to effectively serve children and families. Transformation requires intentional efforts to disentangle poverty…
On 20-21 October 2020, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) held two-day virtual conversations with organizers, activists, scholars, and community leaders to strategize innovative ways to create a society in which the forcible separation of children from their families is no longer an acceptable solution for families in need.
This video includes two panel discussions (followed by audience Q & A) featuring: Hon. William A. Thorne, Former Tribal and State Court Judge (Trial and Appellate),…
On 20-21 October 2020, the Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) and the University of Houston Graduate College of Social Work (GCSW) held two-day virtual conversations with organizers, activists, scholars, and community leaders to strategize innovative ways to create a society in which the forcible separation of children from their families is no longer an acceptable solution for families in need.
This video features Lisa Sangoi, Co-Founder and Co-Director, Movement for Family Power as the opening keynote speaker. The video also includes remarks from Alan…
This brief demonstrates the power of Developmental Understanding and Legal Collaboration for Everyone (DULCE) - a universal, evidence-based pediatric care innovation that addresses the social determinants of health and supports early relational health for families with infants from birth to six months - in addressing the critical concrete needs of families with newborns during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Other briefs in this series:…