Displaying 1 - 10 of 234
Abstract:
LGBTQ+ youth strengthen their resilience resources through the development of meaningful relationships that provide them with unique tools to combat the stress derived from experiences of discrimination and violence targeting their marginalized identities. However, more research is needed to understand how this group benefits from the social support provided by child welfare professionals and how these relational processes may strengthen their resilience, since these professionals are often the only adult models of relationship, even after leaving care.
The focus of…
This qualitative study explores the emotional and social experiences of 10 children, aged 6–11, residing in foster care in Italy before adoption for almost three years. Through semi-structured interviews, the study underlined the needs and expectations of these children, highlighting the necessity for a deeper reflection on the role of foster homes as nurturing and educational communities.
The study emphasizes the significance of foster homes in meeting children's autonomy and affection needs, both crucial for overall development. The study reveals that fostering independence and self-…
This study aimed to investigate relational outcomes of Italian emancipated foster youth across open-ended reflections about their perceptions of their relationships with the biological and foster family, with partner and peers. A total of 26 Italian emancipated foster youth (19–25 years old) recruited by social services completed a single in-depth interview. A qualitative thematic analysis was selected for this study.
The results revealed two major themes of foster care experience that emerged often simultaneously from the participants’ narration:
(1) Positive Relational Outcomes…
Abstract:
Understanding the distinctive features of kinship and non-kin foster care has sparked research interest aimed at developing policies and programs. This study analyses 930 cases of fostered children (35.5% in non-kin foster care and 64.5% in kinship care) based on the information provided by child care professionals and the evaluations made by 221 foster carers (34.8% in non-kin foster care and 65.2% in kinship care) using different questionnaires.
Significant differences were obtained between kinship and non-kin foster care, indicating more favourable results on…
Background:
research has consistently found poorer outcomes in adolescents who have been exposed to early interpersonal adversities, especially those in out-of-home placements. The presence of mental health problems also contributes to the perception of a more negative group climate and peer interactions through cascading effects.
Objective:
to analyze the sequential relationships between exposure to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), trauma-related symptoms, psychological maladjustment, and the perception of group climate and peer interactions. In addition, the…
Abstract
Decision-making around foster care is a highly complex process, both because of the nature of the issues to be decided and because of the positive or negative implications it may have, mainly on the lives of the children, but also for foster carers and birth families. To focus research on decision-making is to go to the core of the child protection system. The aim of this article is to analyse the factors that intervene in decision-making by childcare professionals regarding non-kin foster care in the north-east of Spain, given that three services intervene throughout this…
Republic of North Macedonia in the last several years undergoes comprehensive social protection reform. The reform processes have been focused on furthering the processes of deinstitutionalization, decentralization and pluralization of social services delivery.
The transformation of social protection institutions has been one of the key priorities in this period, specifically out-of-family services for children. In this respect, alternative care services for children without parents and parental care has been strengthened and promoted. Foster care as a traditional form of protection has…
This paper studies the emotional and behavioural difficulties and the personal wellbeing of adolescents under protective measures in Spain.
Abstract:
This work studies the emotional and behavioural difficulties and the personal wellbeing of adolescents under protective measures. The sample is made up of 151 adolescents in residential care between 11 and 17 years of age. The instruments used were the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) and the Personal Wellbeing Index (PWI). The results indicate that a high percentage of adolescents have emotional and behavioural…
What is, or should be, the role of solidarity within the (transnationally adoptive) family? In Spain, solidaridad is a prized value in family life, political organization, and humanitarian action, yet adoption professionals actively discouraged its use as a motivation for transnational adoption. This article offers a genealogy of the concept of solidaridad, a consideration of its enduring currency in kinship discourse in Spain, and a critical analysis of case studies from the authors' respective research projects.
They show that kinship and humanitarianism…
This article employs concepts from family sociology to explore how ‘family’ is conceptualised in 14 life narratives of young people in foster care in Spain.
The article draws on a multi-method approach with young people who are in long-term non-kinship foster care. Seven girls and seven boys aged 10 to 22 took part in the study.
The empirical material reveals an interplay between biological preference and foster family affective practices in young people's narratives, illuminating a struggle to make sense of the concept of family in foster care. Most of the participants understand…