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It is widely agreed that there are too many children and young people in out of home care in Australia and that rates of restoration home are too low. It is also accepted that children have a right to be cared for by their families whenever this is safe and for their families to be supported to be the best families they can be. Even when children stay in care and cannot go home, it is vital for them to know and have relationships with their families, especially their parents and siblings. This Churchill Fellowship has explored family inclusion initiatives in the USA, Canada, Norway and the UK…
Abstract
Background
In Norway, a disproportionately high number of children receiving Child Welfare Services (CWS) struggle academically and drop out of school. Academic attainment is one of the strongest protective factors against societal marginalization. The present study is part of a knowledge translation project in collaboration with local CWS with the aim to develop, implement, and evaluate Enhanced Academic Support (EAS) for primary school children in CWS.
Methods/design
The study is a mixed-methods hybrid type 2 randomized, controlled pragmatic trial. The participants are…
Abstract
Despite a growing interest in music therapy within child welfare practice, music therapy practices within these contexts are still under-researched in Norway. The present study takes a collaborative community music therapy practice as its point of departure. We interviewed nine social workers aged 30–55 from four different child welfare institutions about their ideas on the advantages and disadvantages of music therapy as an approach to promote mental health and development. Informants’ ideas about the benefits of music therapy circled around four main themes: a) safety and well-…
Abstract
This article presents and discusses three examples of relational processes in music therapy collaborations with adolescents in care of child welfare services. Theory on relational work in psychology, child welfare, and music therapy will be presented in order to describe the theoretical foundation of our approach. We reflect on different aspects of the therapeutic relationship, such as the distribution of roles and responsibilities between the therapist and adolescent, the need for patience, and the value of the musical cooperation in the relationship. Bordin’s theory on the…
This report presents an evaluation of the family home model as part of the 'Our New Children' project in Norway, a collaborative project between SOS Children’s Villages, Asker Municipality and the Housing bank that seeks to "assess the establishment of family homes as the housing and care solution for single minor refugees." The report reviews existing housing and care solutions for settling single minor refugees in different municipalities in Norway, presenting examples of good practices.
The aim of the project is to "develop a model that has transfer value to…
Abstract
Services providing support for children and families are often described as fragmented and more concerned with the boundaries of their fields of responsibility than collaborating with other sectors. To meet the need for greater collaboration, there is increased impetus for establishing interdisciplinary services, such as family centres. This paper presents the results of a qualitative study based on in‐depth interviews and participant observation in 3 Norwegian family centres. The findings provide insight into central challenges in developing new practices within the field of…
Abstract
This is the first controlled study of an expressive arts group intervention with unaccompanied minor asylum seeking children. The aim of the study was to examine whether such an intervention may alleviate symptoms of trauma and enhance life satisfaction and hope. One hundred forty five unaccompanied minor refugee boys with their stated age between 15 and 18 were allocated into a 10 session 5 weeks manualized expressive arts intervention (EXIT) or a life as usual (LAU) control group. The participants were assessed at onset and 4 times over a period of 25 months with a battery of…
Abstract
Unaccompanied refugee minors are, like other youngsters, making their moves towards adulthood, but under most challenging conditions. Informed by a cultural psychological approach to development, we analysed interviews with 18 unaccompanied Afghan boys and their professional caregivers. ‘Establishing a liveable life in Norway’ and ‘helping the family in the country of origin’ were analysed as central developmental projects for the boys, the former actively supported by the caregivers, the latter typically not. Considering what each individual is trying to achieve and how their…
This report from SOS Children’s Villages and the University of Bedfordshire provides reviews and assessments of the implementation of the Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children in 21 countries around the world. The report is aimed at enhancing knowledge around violence against children in alternative care (especially what makes children vulnerable and what puts them at risk) and providing policymakers and practitioners insight into the challenges of protecting children from violence as well as recommendations for change.
The report offers several key findings from an extensive…
Following on from our Focus Report on the Right of Children with Disabilities to Live in the Community, published in December 2006, this issue includes three articles relevant to questions of care for disabled children around the world:
Children and Young People With Disabilities in Residential Institutions in Greece - By Prof. John Tsiantis, APHCA
Prof. John Tsiantis points out that while within the Greek mental health system there have been successful moves towards developing community-based alternatives to institutional care there has been little improvement in the…