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This article analyzes ethical issues arising in transreligious foster care placements in relation to foster children’s needs regarding religious socialization and identification. Applying Urban Walker’s expressive-collaborative framework to 30 qualitative interviews with foster parents, foster children, parents, and professionals, the authors elaborate and apply a three-level reflection on Christian foster parents’ ethics of care in everyday practice of foster care.
A first-level reflection demonstrates that integrating the foster child in the foster family often leads to predominant…
Abstract
Foster care is a sensitive topic that requires representation of the best interests of children and families. The perspectives of foster children and foster families are under-researched and there is need for more knowledge in this area. Following a PRISMA guidelines, 24 articles were analyzed. The systematic review explores foster children’s and foster parents’ perceptions of factors related to a successful placement. Both children and foster parents emphasized the importance of inclusion in the decision-making process and a need for additional help from specialists. Findings…
Abstract
Siblings are key actors in the social network of young people in care. This paper explores young people's perceptions of changes in the quality of sibling relationships and the pathways relationships follow during the transition from the biological family into care. A thematic analysis of interviews with young Norwegian people (n = 25) in care showed that, in the biological family, sibling relationships are characterized by alliances, parentification, conflicts or nonexistence. After admission to child welfare services care, sibling relationships developed along multiple…
Abstract
Youth within the child welfare system (CWS) have often experienced adverse life events, and many need support from health services. This study aimed to compare mental health problems and health service use among adolescents receiving in-home services (IHS), living in foster care (FC) and general population youth (GP). Data stem from the youth@hordaland survey, a population-based study of adolescents (N = 10,257, age 16–19) conducted in 2012 in Hordaland County, Norway. The adolescents provided self-reported data on CWS contact, health service use, adverse life events and…
Abstract
Youth in foster care overwhelmingly display heightened risks for both internalizing and externalizing behaviours. Few studies document how and under what conditions foster parents effectively respond to child behaviours. The overarching purpose of this study was to examine the relationships between foster parents' parental monitoring, youth behaviours and foster parent–youth relationship. This study utilized secondary data from National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW II) to examine the experiences of 298 youth and their caregivers. Results indicated that parental…
Abstract
Children entering custody within the child welfare system have been found to have high levels of trauma and significant behavioral health needs. In this paper, authors demonstrate how a structured functional well-being assessment can be used with the custody population to promote an understanding of behavioral health needs, inform case planning, and measure functional improvement over time. Specifically, this paper will: (a) briefly describe how two states implemented a common standardized assessment of functioning to inform case planning and measure well-being progress of…
Abstract
Background:
Foster children often experience school problems and perform less well than average. This may result in failed school careers and compromised future career paths. Nonetheless, few studies have focused on the perspective of foster children regarding education.
Method:
Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 27 foster children (M = 14 years, range = 12–18 years) placed in long-term family foster care about their experiences regarding “school.”
Results:
A thematic analysis…
Abstract
Sexual and gender minority youth (SGMY) are overrepresented in the foster care system and experience greater foster-care-related stressors than their non-SGM peers. These factors may further elevate their risk of anxiety/depressive, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-harm, and suicidality. The system currently produces unequal and disproportionate adverse mental health outcomes for SGMY and needs points of intervention to disrupt this status quo. This article provides an empirically grounded conceptual–theoretical model of disproportionate representation and burden of…
Abstract
Background
Youth who exit the nation’s foster care system without permanency are at high risk of experiencing difficulties during the transition to adulthood.
Objective
To present an illustrative test of whether an algorithmic decision aid could be used to identify youth at risk of exiting foster care without permanency.
Methods
For youth placed in foster care between ages 12 and 14, we assessed the risk of exiting care without permanency by age 18 based on their child welfare service involvement history. To develop predictive risk models, 28 years (1991–2018) of…
Abstract
This article offers an account of the authors’ experiences as foster carers for an unaccompanied asylum seeker (and through him, supporting other asylum-seeking boys). We are both qualified and experienced social workers, now social work academics living and working in Scotland, whose practice is informed by socio-pedagogical perspectives. Our backgrounds have given us unique and finely grained insights into the daily care issues facing young asylum seekers set against a backdrop of global movement. We discuss the need to provide care that offers cultural safety;…