Displaying 1 - 10 of 17
There is a lack of research investigating the role of caregivers in the development and prevention of mental health issues and substance use among youth living in care. The goal of this study is to examine the relationship between caregiver characteristics, caregiver attachment and placement type on two dimensions of mental health and substance use among a sample of older youth living in care.
The data used for this study were collected as part of the Ontario Looking After Children project, which was developed to assess the needs and developmental progress of children and young people who…
This paper explores how the COVID-19 pandemic affected care leavers in Quebec, a social group already facing obstacles to social integration.
Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 48 participants and analysed through Castel's zones of vulnerability model.
Results suggest that youth who entered the pandemic with more vulnerabilities were more affected by it in all dimensions of their lives. However, results also suggest that the presence of a strong social support network protects even the most vulnerable ones from being overly afflicted, highlighting the importance…
In this chapter of the book Human Rights and Social Justice, the authors propose a multidimensional framework for conceptualizing the relationship between direct social work practice and social justice. The framework evolved out of research with practicing social workers and directs…
In April 2021, the Child Welfare League of Canada (CWLC), in partnership with the Children’s Aid Foundation of Canada, led a series of cross-sectoral convenings with the goal of introducing a positive obligation for government and service providers to assist families who are experiencing difficulties in a context of poverty. This three-day event convened people across sectors to gain a better understanding of how the child welfare system responds to the conditions that place families at an increased risk of child protection involvement due to assessments of ‘neglect’. The goal of Beyond…
Abstract
Simulation-based learning is an emerging pedagogical approach in social work education that is expanding to specialized areas of practice. This research examines the intersection of cross-cultural practice and child maltreatment investigations. Thirty-one (N = 31) BSW and MSW social work students participated in a three-hour voluntary child welfare simulation workshop and engaged with one of three child welfare scenarios: (1) an immigrant Chinese family, (2) an Indigenous family, and (3) a White youth. Drawing upon the concept of cultural agility, a theoretically-informed mixed…
Abstract
This policy analysis examines the impact of COVID-19 policy guidance on the role of workers who provide outreach to transition-age care leavers. The comparison focuses on four countries (US, England, Canada, Australia) and addresses the question: How do policy changes impact street-level bureaucracy (SLB) discretion, activities, resources, and constraints? A review of policy guidance identifies similar actions across the four countries focused on: public health measures, extension and flexibility of services, prioritization of cases, and enhanced use of technology. Extension and…
Abstract
Background
Despite continuous reports showing the overrepresentation of Black children in the child welfare system in Ontario, Canada’s most populous and ethnically diverse province, knowledge in the factors contributing to this issue remain scarce.
Objective
This study aimed to explore questions relating to caseworker’s training on ethnocultural diversity in connection with racial disparities and overrepresentation of Black children in child welfare services.
Participants and settings
This two-fold mixed-methods study included (1) a qualitative methodology based on…
Abstract
There is a growing body of research that underscores that young child welfare-involved children are a unique vulnerable subgroup of children. The decision to provide postinvestigation child welfare services is consequential to children’s safety and well-being and has fiscal implications for organizations. Despite the potential ramifications of the decision, there is little known about the factors associated with the ongoing services provision for young children. This study uses secondary data analysis of the Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect 2008 to…
Abstract: This article is based on a plenary held during the Child & Youth Care in Action VI Conference: Moving Through Trails and Trials Toward Community Wellness, held in Victoria, British Columbia in April 2019. It explores how we can re-imagine child and youth care practice with African Canadian youth. This emerging paradigm aligns with child and youth care politicized praxis as well as trauma-informed and strengths-based approaches in the field’s literature. We highlight the importance of mobilizing critical and transformative theoretical frameworks along with an Africentric…
Abstract
In 2000, the Ontario Looking After Children (OnLAC) project was developed as a child welfare initiative to monitor and improve the developmental outcomes of youth in out-of-home care through annual assessments. However, challenges remain in child welfare’s use of OnLAC data for service planning and delivery. We established a partnership with several Ontario child welfare agencies to develop, deliver, and conduct a preliminary evaluation of a training curriculum aimed at enhancing child welfare practitioners’ use of OnLAC data for service planning related to young people’s…