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The Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS) is the first large-scale prospective longitudinal study of children and young people in out-of-home care (OOHC) in Australia. Information on safety, permanency and wellbeing will be collected from various sources. The child developmental domains of interest are physical health, socio-emotional wellbeing and cognitive/learning ability.
In this Submission to the Inquiry into Support for Children of Imprisoned Parents, Karleen Gribble, Adjunct Associate Professor in the School of Nursing and Midwifery at Western Sydney University, comments on "the situation of infants and young children whose mothers are incarcerated and the support or undermining of their health and wellbeing in the justice system." Gribble explores the effects of parental separation on infant mental health, among other topics. The submission concludes with recommendations for addressing the developmental and health needs of infants…
Abstract
Australian children growing up in out-of-home care (OHC) have learning outcomes well below their mainstream peers. This Chapter explores learning opportunities and challenges confronting primary school children in care. It presents a contemporary overview of policy, practice and research in this domain. The Chapter examines socio-emotional and cognitive difficulties these children often bring into OHC, especially those deriving from attachment disruption and trauma. It also considers systemic issues encountered within the care system, including placement changes and a lack of…
Abstract
Australian children growing up in out-of-home care (OHC) have learning outcomes well below their mainstream peers. This Chapter explores learning opportunities and challenges confronting primary school children in care. It presents a contemporary overview of policy, practice and research in this domain. The Chapter examines socio-emotional and cognitive difficulties these children often bring into OHC, especially those deriving from attachment disruption and trauma. It also considers systemic issues encountered within the care system, including placement changes and a lack of…
Abstract
Objectives
To examine associations between being the subject of child protection reports in early childhood and diagnoses of mental disorders during middle childhood, by level of service response.
Design, setting, participants
Retrospective analysis of linked New South Wales administrative data, 2001–2016, for a population cohort of children (mean age in 2016, 13.2 years; SD, 0.37 years) enrolled in the longitudinal NSW Child Development Study (NSW‐CDS), wave 2 linkage.
Main outcome measures
Associations between being the subject of a child protection report (any,…
The Early Childhood Agreement for Children in Out-of-Home Care (OOHC) was first developed in 2014 as a shared commitment by the Victorian Department of Education and Training (DET), the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the Municipal Association of Victoria (MAV) and Early Learning Association Australia (ELAA) to support young children in OOHC in Victoria, Australia to access key early childhood services. This now reflects a key purpose of the Early Years Compact between DHHS, DET and MAV (the Compact), which is the overarching framework governing the planning and…
Abstract
The aim of the study was to examine sex differences in self‐reported psychological distress, behavioural and emotional problems, and substance use in young people living in out‐of‐home care (OoHC). One hundred seventy‐six young people aged 12–17 years (females 53.4%) in OoHC in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia, were interviewed. Participants completed self‐report measures: Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire, and the World Health Organization Alcohol, Smoking, and Substance Involvement Screening Test—Youth Version. Girls had more…
For this study, physical and mental health, school achievement, justice involvement and child protection contact were explored for three cohorts of children born between 1 January 1990 and 30 June 1995:
- a Care group - children who had a period in care (2,003);
- a Maltreatment group - children with at least one substantiated maltreatment allegation but no time in care (2,761); and
- a Control group - children with no child protection contact, matched to the Care group on age, socioeconomic characteristics at birth, gender and Aboriginality (9,955).…
Abstract
Despite the increasing use of adoption to provide permanence for children living in out-of-home care, relatively little is known about the children involved. This paper presents findings on the previous life experiences of an entire cohort of ‘difficult to place’ adoptees who were placed in Australia over 26 years. Understanding the vulnerability of these children is important for practitioners supporting adoptive families, as well as policy-makers and researchers who are assessing the outcomes of adoption from care.
The study describes a group of children who have experiences…
Abstract
Identifying optimal out-of-home placements for child welfare-involved youth is challenging. Examples of youth recovering within each “out-of-home” placement type (foster, relative, residential) are evident, as are examples of youth who are deteriorating. The heterogeneity in developmental history and current functioning of youth makes blanket policies regarding placement unwise. Examination of developmental heterogeneity and functioning of youth in the welfare system can provide insights about factors influencing outcomes, thereby informing practice, program and policy. We explore…