January 2020

View as Webpage

Issue on Indigenous Children in Care

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA FOR DAILY NEWS, EVENTS, RESEARCH, AND OTHER RESOURCES ON CARE

‌ ‌ ‌

"When (my brother) turned eighteen he came back to the family and he’s never been the same. I could remember him having nightmares and screaming and crying. My dad would run into the room and put his head on his lap. And dad would cry with him. This man was eighteen. He said, 'It’s what they did to me Dad. It’s what they did to me.' I always wondered why and one day he started talking to me about it. He was crying. He said, 'I really can’t talk about it because it hurts so much.' He said how the boys were treated, what they did to him, how cruel they were. He went on to explain a couple of things. He broke down and he couldn’t continue. And this happened a couple of times. I would cry with him. That experience in the home – he’s never been the same." - Aunty June, an Aboriginal Stolen Generation survivor, from Understanding the experience and outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care during the Twentieth Century 

Focus on Indigenous Children in Care

The Focus Section brings together research and other documentation published over the past year or two on a particular theme or region. Its aim is to draw attention to the growing body of knowledge developing on the issue and help busy practitioners keep abreast of learning and changes.

New Zealand

Care and protection of tamariki Māori in the family court system This paper from Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga (NPM), New Zealand's Māori Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE), urges the government and nation of New Zealand to give effect to long-standing Kaupapa Māori models for developing the new required evaluation measures aimed at reducing the disparities for Māori children and young persons who come to the attention of Oranga Tamariki Ministry for Children. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Residential Care , Foster Care, Child Care and Protection Policies

He awa whiria—braided rivers: Understanding the outcomes from Family Start for Māori This article from the New Zealand Council for Educational Research explores how an approach based on he awa whiria can work in practice in the examination of its efficacy for Māori whānau (families) of the government’s intensive home-visiting programme, Family Start. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Parenting Support

Ethnic inequalities in child welfare: The role of practitioner risk perceptions

Indigenous children have a long history of overrepresentation in child protection systems. This exploratory, mixed methods study from the journal of Child & Family Social Work examined practitioner perceptions of risk in response to client ethnic group in New Zealand.  Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion

Harm, care and babies: An inequalities and policy discourse perspective on recent child protection trends in Aotearoa New Zealand

This article from the journal of Aotearoa New Zealand Social Work uses Official Information Act and publicly available data to examine recent trends of children in contact with the Aotearoa New Zealand child protection system. It discusses these trends with reference to child protection policy reforms, and an inequalities perspective. The article finds that disproportionality for Maori children in care is increasing, while other groups remain stable or reduce. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Child Care and Protection Policies, Child Care and Protection System Reforms 

Australia

Family Is Culture: Independent Review of Aboriginal Children and Young People in OOHC This Independent Review of Aboriginal Children in out-of-home care (OOHC) is aimed at examining the high rates of Aboriginal children and young people in OOHC in New South Wales (NSW), Australia and the implementation of the Aboriginal Child Placement Principle (ACPP) in this jurisdiction. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Residential Care , Foster Care

Federal Election Priorities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children This brief from SNAICC – National Voice for our Children highlights the issue of the disproportional numbers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care in Australia, which has reached "national crisis proportions," and outlines key steps that need to be taken to address this issue. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Residential Care , Foster Care

Improving housing and service responses to domestic and family violence for Indigenous individuals and families According to this research from the Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, the unintended consequences of limited housing pathways puts Indigenous women at significant risk of having their children removed by Child Protection. The research examines how housing and other service responses need to be improved to meet the needs of Aboriginal individuals and families in the aftermath of domestic and family violence. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Household Economic Strengthening

Children living in households with members of the Stolen Generations This report from the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare presents analyses of selected outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children who live in households with members of the Stolen Generations. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion 

The Needs of Carers of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Children and Young People in Foster Care in Australia: A Systematic Literature Review The purpose of this study from Macquarie University and the University of Sydney is to support the funding of Aboriginal-controlled research on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children under government-administered foster care arrangements in Australia. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Cost of Care and Redirection of Resources

Understanding the experience and outcomes of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children in out-of-home care during the Twentieth Century This report details a component of the UNSW national  Long-term Outcomes of Forgotten Australians Study  reported in  No child should grow up like this,  which explored the in-care and after-care experiences of adults who spent their childhoods in institutions and foster care during the period 1930 to 1989. In this report, the focus is on Stolen Generations survivors and other Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals who participated in the research. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Effects of Institutional Care, Residential Care , Foster Care

Understanding child neglect in Aboriginal families and communities in the context of trauma

This paper from the journal of Child & Family Social Work argues that to meet the needs of Aboriginal families and communities where there is child neglect, policy and practice needs to acknowledge and address the impact of trauma in shaping the lived experiences of Aboriginal people. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Child Abuse and Neglect 

Canada

Inclusive foster care: How foster parents support cultural and relational connections for Indigenous children

This article from the journal of Child & Family Social Work presents findings from a thematic analysis of interviews with 13 foster parents who participated in a mixed methods study exploring inclusive foster care in Canada - an approach requiring foster parents to engage with the family, community, and cultural life of the child for whom they care. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Foster Care

Intergenerational Trauma: The Relationship Between Residential Schools and the Child Welfare System Among Young People Who Use Drugs in Vancouver, Canada

This study from the Journal of Adolescent Health investigated the relationship between familial residential school system (RSS) exposure and personal child welfare system (CWS) involvement among young people who use drugs (PWUD). The study examined the likelihood of CWS involvement between Indigenous and non-Indigenous PWUD when controlling for RSS exposure. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion

The association of a paraprofessional home visiting intervention with lower child maltreatment rates in First Nation families in Canada: A population-based retrospective cohort study

This article from the Children and Youth Services Review investigates the efficacy of the Families First Home Visiting (FFHV) program, which aims to enhance parenting skills and strengthen relationships between parents and their children, and whether it is beneficial specifically for First Nation families. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Parenting Support

First Nations children and disparities in transfers to ongoing child welfare services in Ontario following a child protection investigation

The current study from the Children and Youth Services Review comprises a secondary analysis of the 2013 Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect and focuses on the decision to provide ongoing child welfare services. Specifically, identifying the drivers of the decision to transfer a case to ongoing services, and how these factors vary between investigations involving First Nations children and investigations involving White children.  Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Child Abuse and Neglect

A Long Wait for Change: Independent Review of Child Protection Services to Inuit Children in Newfoundland and Labrador This review from the Office of the Child and Youth Advocate was initiated by a formal request from Nunatsiavut Government to investigate Inuit children’s experiences in the child protection system in Canada. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion

Nurturing Identity Among Indigenous Youth in Care

This article from the journal of Child & Youth Services reviews theories of Indigenous identity development and their implications for Indigenous children, particularly those caught in the nexus of two cultures, as is the case with those in Canadian state care. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Foster Care 

Interrupted childhoods: Over-representation of Indigenous and Black children in Ontario child welfare This report from the Ontario Human Rights Commission explores the over-representation of Indigenous and Black children in the child welfare system in Ontario. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Residential Care , Foster Care

Adoption Protections for Indigenous Children in Canada This information sheet from the Canadian Child Welfare Research Portal outlines provincial adoption provisions for Indigenous children. Provincial protections pertaining to the adoption of Indigenous children are compiled in two tables, displayed and discussed below .  Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion

Giidosendiwag (We Walk Together): Creating Culturally Based Supports for Urban Indigenous Youth in Care In Ontario, as elsewhere in Canada, there are limited Indigenous-specific resources to assist in strengthening Indigenous youth, families, and communities. This article from the Journal of Law and Social Policy explores how that might be changed by using the Anishnaabeg Youth in Transition Program - a program focused on helping young people aged sixteen to twenty-four in the care of child protection agencies who are preparing to transition out of care - as one model of service delivery. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Foster Care, Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration

Live-In Family Enhancement (LIFE): a comprehensive program for healing and family reunification

This paper from the First Peoples Child & Family Review documents findings from an evaluation of the Live-In Family Enhancement (LIFE) program in Manitoba, Canada - an innovative approach in which parents were fostered along with their children - and recommends that this approach be expanded for use in prevention as well as reunification. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Parenting Support, Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration 

United States

Pathway to Permanency: Enact a State Statute Formally Recognizing Indian Custodianship as an Approved Path to Ending a Child in Need of Aid Case This article from the Alaska Law Review argues that the US state of Alaska should enact a state statute to provide clear guidance to state child welfare practitioners and state courts that Alaska’s state government recognizes an Indian custodianship created through Tribal law or custom as a pathway for Indian children to exit the overburdened state foster care system. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Adoption and Kafala, Guardianship, Foster Care

The Reunification of American Indian Children in Long-Term Foster Care

The literature examining reunification for American Indian children reveals mixed findings regarding racial differences. Studies that isolate the impact of race on reunification while controlling for other covariates are needed, and this study from the Journal of the Society for Social Work and Research fills that gap. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration

Cultural Enhancement of PCIT for American Indian Families: Honoring Children, Making Relatives

This chapter from the Handbook of Parent-Child Interaction Therapy describes the rationale, research support, and techniques that support the application of parent–child interaction therapy (PCIT) to American Indian families. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Parenting Support

Preserving connections: Best strategies for recruiting and retaining tribal foster families for American Indian and Alaska Native children This brief guide from Casey Family Programs lays out strategies for recruiting and retaining tribal foster families for American Indian and Alaska Native children, ensuring that indigenous children can stay in their communities. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Foster Care

North America

The Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies: Reducing disparities through indigenous social work education

This research from the journal of Children and Youth Services Review addresses one of the most pressing and controversial issues facing child welfare policymakers and practitioners today: the dramatic overrepresentation of Indigenous families in North American public child welfare systems. The article presents a successful model of inclusive education: the Center for Regional and Tribal Child Welfare Studies (the Center) at the University of Minnesota, Duluth, School of Social Work. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion

A scoping study of Indigenous child welfare: The long emergency and preparations for the next seven generations

This scoping study from the Children and Youth Services Review yielded 37 empirical studies published in peer-reviewed journals addressing one of the most pressing, sensitive, and controversial issues facing child welfare policymakers and practitioners today: the dramatic overrepresentation of Indigenous families in North American public child welfare systems. Related Topics: Children Affected by Poverty and Social Exclusion, Foster Care

Other Research and Updates

Understanding the Situation

Early childhood deprivation is associated with alterations in adult brain structure despite subsequent environmental enrichment To investigate the impact of childhood deprivation on the adult brain and the extent to which structural changes underpin these effects, the authors of this study from PNAS utilized MRI data collected from young adults who were exposed to severe deprivation in early childhood in the Romanian orphanages of the Ceaușescu era and then, subsequently adopted by UK families. Related Topics: Effects of Institutional Care

Stress sensitization among severely neglected children and protection by social enrichment

The current study uses data from a longitudinal randomized controlled trial to examine whether severe early neglect among children reared in institutions in Romania increases vulnerability to the effects of later stressful life events on externalizing problems in adolescence, and whether social enrichment in the form of high-quality foster care buffers this risk.  Related Topics: Effects of Institutional Care

Early lexical development of children raised in institutional care in Russia

To investigate the early language development of children raised in institutional settings in the Russian Federation , the authors of this study from the British Journal of Developmental Psychology compared a group of children in institutional care to their age‐matched peers raised in biological families, who have never been institutionalized using the Russian version of the CDI. Related Topics: Effects of Institutional Care

Developments in U.S. Intercountry Adoption Policy since Its Peak in 2004

This paper from Adoption Quarterly examines the implications of recent developments in U.S. intercountry adoption (ICA) policy for vulnerable children. Related Topics: Adoption and Kafala

Patterns of criminal activity among residential care-leavers in South Africa

This paper from the Children and Youth Services Review reports on a longitudinal study of young people in South Africa transitioning out of care and journeying towards young adulthood over a period of five years. Related Topics: Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration

The need for preparing youth ageing out of foster care For independent living in South Africa

This qualitative study from the Children and Youth Services Review aimed to explore the need for preparing children ageing out of foster care for independent living in South Africa . Related Topics: Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration, Foster Care

Returning children home from care: What can be learned from local authority data?

This study from the journal of Child & Family Social Work used 8 years of administrative data (on 2,208 care entrants), collected by one large English local authority, to examine how many children were returned home and to explore factors associated with stable reunification (not re-entering care for at least 2 years). Related Topics: Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration

Family-level factors to reintegrate street-involved children in low- and middle-income countries: A Scoping Review

Through a review of implemented programs to reunite street-involved children and youth (SICY) with their families as well as relevant formative research on family-level risk factors for street migration, the authors of this study from the Children and Youth Services Review explore family-level factors relevant to successful family reintegration of SICY. Related Topics: Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration, Children Living or Working on the Street

Unaccompanied children in Flemish family foster care. Prevalence and associated factors of placement breakdown

This study aimed at investigating the incidence of placement breakdown in Flemish family foster care (Dutch speaking part of Belgium ) for unaccompanied children (UC), and to explore the association of breakdown with foster child, foster family and case characteristics. Related Topics: Foster Care, Children and Migration

Unaccompanied refugee minors and foster care: A narrative literature review

This article from the journal of Child & Family Social Work describes the results of a narrative literature review on empirical research examining the outcomes and/or experiences of unaccompanied refugee minors in family foster care in Belgium . Related Topics: Children and Migration

Family and Child Characteristics Associated with Foster Care Breakdown This research from the journal of Behavioral Sciences was aimed at the features of children and characteristics of foster families in Russia who refuse to continue parenting foster children. Related Topics: Foster Care

Balkans Migration and Displacement Hub Data and Trend Analysis: Regional overview (July-September 2019) This report from Save the Children, covering period July - September 2019, describes key trends in migrations in the Balkans region, detailing information about the number of people on the move, demography (age, sex, country of origin, etc), behavioral patterns, and routes in use - with a focus on children, particularly unaccompanied children. Related Topics: Children and Migration

Policies, Standards, and Guidelines

2019 UNGA Resolution on the Rights of the Child   The full text of the 2019 UN Resolution on the Rights of the Child has now been published in the UN Document System under the following document symbol: A/RES/74/133. Adopted by consensus by the United Nations General Assembly on 18 December 2019, the Resolution focuses specifically on children without parental care. Related Topics: Child Care and Protection Policies

Partnerships with Overseas ‘Orphanages’: Implications of the Modern Slavery Act 2018 This briefing note was developed by ReThink Orphanages Australia and the ACFID Child Rights Community of Practice to assist entities in Australia and abroad who have orphanages in their supply chains and/or operations to understand the implications of Australia’s Modern Slavery Act 2018.  Related Topics: ReThink Orphanages, Child Care and Protection Policies, Child Exploitation

Orphanage Trafficking, Modern Slavery and the Australian Response

This article by Kathryn E. van Doore and Rebecca Nhep, published in the Griffith Journal of Law & Human Dignity , describes how orphanage trafficking occurs as a process of child trafficking. Related Topics: ReThink Orphanages, Child Care and Protection Policies, Child Exploitation

Without my Family: The impact of family separation on child refugees in the UK   In this report, Amnesty International UK, the Refugee Council and Save the Children expose how the UK Government’s policy on refugee family reunion is damaging the lives of children in the UK, and how its justifications for the policy are unsubstantiated. Related Topics: Children and Migration , Separated Children in an Emergency, Children Affected by Armed Conflict and Displacement, Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration

The main principles of family reunification in the jurisprudence of the ECtHR

The paper from the Bratislava Legal Forum aims to build a frame around the main principles of family reunification through the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights. Related Topics: Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration, Standards of Care

Policy as Social Ecological Resilience Scaffolding for Leaving Care: A Case Study of South Africa

The authors of this chapter from Leaving Care and the Transition to Adulthood: International Contributions to Theory, Research, and Practice argue that social policy on leaving care in South Africa is a critical resilience process for promoting care leavers’ successful transition toward emerging adulthood. Related Topics: Leaving Alternative Care and Reintegration, Child Care and Protection Policies

Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS) E-course

This training, developed by the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, is designed to increase participants' knowledge of the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPMS). Related Topics: Standards of Care, Separated Children in an Emergency

Learning from Practice

Lessons learned and recommendations to strengthen families and end institutionalisation for children in Europe Based on the information gathered throughout the course of the Opening Doors for Europe ’s Children campaign, this final report first reflects on: (1) the rationale for the campaign and how it operated; (2) the progress towards child protection system reform across campaign countries as well as the developments at the EU level; and (3) the lessons learnt from the campaign and some final recommendations to the European Union. Related Topics: Child Care and Protection System Reforms, Transforming Institutional Care

Care and Support Programmes for Orphans and Vulnerable Children: Achievements and Implications of HIV/AIDS Funded Project in Osun State, Nigeria This paper from the World Journal of AIDS presents the achievements and implications of the HIV Programme Development Project (HPDP) on care and support services for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Osun State, Nigeria . Related Topics: Children Affected by HIV/AIDS

Youth initiated mentors: Do they offer an alternative for out-of-home placement in youth care?

The present study from the British Journal of Social Work evaluates the Youth Initiated Mentoring (YIM) approach in which families and youth care professionals collaborate with an informal mentor, who is someone adolescents (12- 23) nominate from their own social network. The current study examined, through case-file analysis of 200 adolescents, whether the YIM approach would be a promising alternative for out-of-home placement of Dutch youth with complex needs. Related Topics: Foster Care, Strengthening Family Care

Is Nurturing Attachments training effective in improving self-efficacy in foster carers and reducing manifestations of Reactive Attachment Disorder in looked after children?

The present study from the journal of Adoption & Fostering reports on a mixed-methods evaluation of the Nurturing Attachments training, focusing particularly on its impact on carer self-efficacy and behavioural manifestations of Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) which are common among looked after children, even if they are not formally diagnosed.  Related Topics: Foster Care

Determinants of Implementing Cash Transfer Program for Orphans and Vulnerable Children: A Case of Isiolo County, Kenya The study from the International Academic Journal of Law and Society was guided by three objectives to: examine the influence of financial resources in the implementation of Cash Transfer program for Orphans and Vulnerable Children, determine how management influences the implementation of the program, and examine the influence of stakeholders in the implementation of Cash Transfer program for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Isiolo county, Kenya .  Related Topics: Social Protection Policies and Programmes , Household Economic Strengthening

Videos 

FOSTER   This documentary from HBO explores the often-misunderstood world of foster care in the U.S. through compelling stories from the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services, the largest county child welfare agency in the country. Related Topics: Foster Care

In the Media 

UK: The Guardian view on looked-after children: time to join the dots The Guardian, 23 January 2020 HAITI: Haiti Pushes Foster Homes To Counter Problems In Orphanages International Business Times, 22 January 2020 GLOBAL: Why There's A Global Outcry Over Volunteering At Orphanages NPR, 13 January 2020 CANADA: Sask. First Nations asking federal government to transfer $360M per year to take over child welfare CBC News, 10 January 2020 ROMANIA: Childhood deprivation affects brain size and behaviour The Conversation, 7 January 2020 ROMANIA: 30 years after Ceausescu, orphans remain traumatised France 24, 6 January 2020

USA: The severe health effects of family separations at the US-Mexico border San Francisco Chronicle, 30 December 2019 USA: ‘We are just destroying these kids’: The foster children growing up inside detention centers The Washington Post, 30 December 2019 ROMANIA: One of Romania's 'children of the decree' fights for change France 24, 18 December 2019 CAMBODIA: Orphanages and their Volunteers: A Look at Cambodia’s Orphanage Voluntourism Industry ASEAN Studies Center, 18 December 2019 USA: The U.S. continues to separate migrant families. For one father, a miscommunication proved costly CBS News, 16 December 2019

Events 

10 February 2020

Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) - Caring for Children Moving Alone: Protecting Unaccompanied and Separated Children

20 February 2020

CAFO Care Transition Accelerator Academy

13-14 March 2020 Delhi NCR, India

Udayan Care: 1st International Care Leavers Convention

25-29 March 2020 Washington, DC, USA

Conference: Sharing Ideas that Strengthen Families and Engage Communities to Promote Child Well-Being

5 May 2020 Rockwall, Texas, USA

CAFO: Moving Toward Family Solutions: An Immersive Simulation Experience

6 May 2020 Rockwall, Texas, USA

CAFO: 2020 OVC Applied Research & Best Practice Symposium - Attachment After Adversity: Building Resilience Through Relationships

25-28 June 2020 Montreal, Canada

IFCO Conference - Close Ties: Relations at the Heart of Child and Family Wellness

13-16 October 2020 Seattle, Washington, USA

Together for Families Conference

16-17 November 2020 Brussels, Belgium

3rd International Young Carers Conference: “Identify, Support, Listen to young carers”

Job Postings and Opportunities 

2 February 2020

Family for Every Child Consultancy: Creating a Toolkit on Disability and Care

3 February 2020

EuroChild: Senior Research Coordinator

15 February 2020 (Abstracts due)

Call for Papers for Special Issue 'Irregularities in Transnational Adoptions and Child Appropriations: Challenges for Reparation Practices,' in Childhood: A Journal of Global Child Research

28 February 2020

Call for Abstracts for 3rd International Young Carers Conference: “Identify, Support, Listen to young carers”

VISIT OUR LIBRARY TO ACCESS OVER 9,700 RESOURCES RELATED TO CARE AND PROTECTION OF VULNERABLE CHILDREN

GENERAL INFORMATION

Newsletter participants, currently 4,372 in total, work on issues related to the care and support of vulnerable children across Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia and the Americas. The purpose of the newsletter is to enable members to exchange information on matters of mutual concern. If you would like to share a document, raise a specific issue, request a newsletter subscription, or reach out in any other way to the Network, please send the information to us at  contact@bettercarenetwork.org  or visit our website at  www.bettercarenetwork.org.   Thank you!

Better Care Network | 601 West 26th Street Suite 325-19, New York, NY 10001 - USA

‌ ‌ ‌