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In this commentary piece, Anne Longfield, Children’s Commissioner for England, explores the use of children's care homes in England and the need for improved supports to prevent placement in children's home and to provide for the needs of children and young people who are placed in these homes. Longfield applauds "the ambition of the [Lancet Group Commission on…
Abstract
The task of fostering adolescents is unique, requiring skills, qualities, and information that acknowledge each young person's particular needs. This editorial summarises a range of research in this special issue covering parenting styles, transitions out of care, child sexual exploitation, and the needs of LGBTQ and separated teenagers. Three themes emerging from the papers are discussed: autonomy and control; risk, resilience, and…
This editorial introduces the Voices Special Issue on Music Therapy and Child Welfare. "We are very excited to publish this special issue that focuses on music therapy and childwelfare," say the authors. "Just over a year ago, Rebecca Fairchild approached Voices with this idea, which we whole-heartedly embraced. This is an area that has to date received too little attention in music therapy, one that has tremendous implications for equity and social justice."
Articles in this issue include:
"Orphanage volunteering and the industry that has emerged to support it have contributed to a system in Kenya and other parts of the world that creates a demand for institutions and children," writes Michelle Oliel of Stahili in this opinion piece for CNN. "The perfect 'buyers' are fee-paying voluntourists -- well-intentioned individuals who want to help. Preying on these good intentions, orphanages claim to provide care for 'orphans,' but in reality, these organizations are often sources of profit for sometimes unscrupulous operators who recruit children to orphanages and exploit them for…
In this opinion piece for the Standard, Fredrick Mutinda of Changing the Way We Care describes the negative impacts that institutionalization has on children and the efforts to reform the care system in Kenya. "Many governments, including Kenya, are making important strides in reforming national child protection and care systems," says Mutinda. "In 2017, Kenya passed a moratorium on the registration of any new orphanages. With the support of multiple partners, the government has set new policy directions for reducing reliance on orphanages, reunifying children with their families,…
This analysis focuses on the case of Pedersen et al. v. Norway, where the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR, Court) addressed the issues of adoption and post-adoption contact. In this case, the ECtHR concluded that Norway violated the right to respect for family life (Article 8) when implementing child protection measures. According to the blog post, "The central criticism of the Court focused on the fact that the authorities were responsible for the family breakdown, as they failed in their obligations to take measures to facilitate family reunification (para 68…
In this article for the Guardian, Hannah Walker, a social worker and life story book worker, writes about the use of life story books for children who have been adopted. Life story books "are crucial for helping adopted children make sense of their past and who they are," writes Walker. "Life story books are a way to help adopted children understand their past and where they come from. The books should include information about birth family, when the child was born, previous foster carers and why they were adopted, as well as information about the here and now to help the child start and…
"What kind of a country are we, in which the most vulnerable children cannot rely on ministers and councils to treat them well?" asks this editorial piece from the Guardian. The Guardian notes "the use of unregulated placements, the disruption caused by frequent moves and the damage done to those forced to relocate many miles from their homes, schools and families," all of which have been "featured in court judgments and parliamentary and National Audit Office reports as well as in journalism by the Guardian and others."
According to the editorial, children’s…
"There has been slow but consistent growth in private foster care placements and an increase in the number of companies in this market," writes Patrick Costello in this opinion piece for TheJournal.ie. "While these companies plug a gap in services, a gap that can leave children at risk, ultimately they lead to negative outcomes across the system," Costello argues. "This is not a reflection on the excellent work done by foster families with private services, but a consequence of systemic issues."
In this opinion piece for NBC News's Think, Shanta Trivedi, a clinical teaching fellow at the Georgetown University Law Center, argues that "if we’re serious about protecting Black families as a whole, we cannot limit the conversation to the police alone. We need to transform the child welfare system, too." In the article, Trivedi shines a light on the "lesser-known police-to-foster care pipeline that is often the starting point for the destruction of families and horrific long-term outcomes for children, particularly Black children."
The author describes how, in the United…