ABSTRACT Abuse and neglect, multiple placements, and ongoing trauma, make it difficult for children and young people in foster care to connect and form friendships. This case study of a systematic intervention piloted in South Australia—the Mockingbird Family model of foster care—explored experiences of belonging among children and young people involved. Multiple perspectives were drawn upon to examine the social and relational dynamics that shape their connections and sense of belonging. The Mockingbird Family is an intervention where 6–10 foster or kinship families are formed into micro-networks for regular socialisation and informal support. Interviews with children and young people (n = 21), their foster carers (n = 19), and foster care agency and statutory workers (n = 14) were analysed thematically. Results showed that inclusion, having others to play with, and forming good memories, were most important. Reciprocal friendships in the Mockingbird Family and acceptance of each other regardless of behavioural difficulties, enabled positive experiences that were essential for achieving a sense of belonging. Systematic interventions, such as the Mockingbird Family model of foster care, that bring children and young people together to connect, make friends and have good times, have potential to create conditions that foster belonging, which enable children and young people to flourish.

ABSTRACT Family Group Conferences (FGCs) are well established in children’s services in England and Wales. Services tend to focus on child protection and reducing the number of children looked after by local authorities. However, in recent years, some local authorities have begun offering FGCs at an early level of help. This article presents findings from an evaluation of an established early help FGC service in an urban local authority in England. This section presents the findings from a small-scale qualitative data collection. Four family members who had been involved in an Early Help FGC and four FGC coordinators were interviewed about their experiences with Early Help FGCs. Despite the limitations of such studies, some clear themes were identified from the research data. (1) The importance of distinguishing between FGCs and other statutory meetings; (2) Comparison with other Social Care Processes; (3) Empowering nature of FGCs; (4). Online FGCs and (5) Resource Implications. The research suggests that Early Help FGCs have the potential to lead to positive outcomes for families and can prevent the need for formal support services. Recommendations for future practice include developing Early Help FGC services to reduce escalation, whilst being clear with families whose responsibility it is to implement FGC plans in the absence of a “bottom line”. Both family members and FGC coordinators emphasized the empowering nature of FGCs as a welcome alternative to the often stigmatizing nature of traditional social care meetings.

ABSTRACT The Attachment Video-feedback Intervention (AVI), grounded in attachment theory, employs video feedback to enhance parental behaviors, particularly parental sensitivity, with the goal of optimizing child development and improving attachment security. The AVI program has been evaluated with vulnerable children and at-risk parents, demonstrating significant positive effects for both parents and children. This paper outlines the design of the AVI program and details its implementation in this specific intervention with foster parents and young children in France. A detailed case study is presented to illustrate the application and effectiveness of the program within this specific population, providing valuable insights for clinicians and practitioners. Throughout the AVI program, which included eight intervention sessions with video feedback, improvements were observed in both positive parenting practices and child development. Specifically, we observed an improvement in the foster mother’s reflective functioning and an increased sense of self-efficacy, alongside a significant reduction in the foster child’s internalizing and externalizing behaviors. By detailing the intervention process, our aim is to illustrate the mechanisms at work within the AVI and to contribute to practitioners’ reflections on attachment-based approaches to supporting foster parenting.

ABSTRACT Youth initiated mentoring (YIM) is a relatively new approach to youth mentoring, which involves a young person selecting a non-parental mentor from their existing social network with the support of programme staff. Based on a rapid review of the literature, this article explores the current evidence in relation to YIM and presents directions for future research and practice. Drawing from a thematic analysis of 14 articles that met the inclusion criteria for the study, evidence was synthesised in relation to the benefits and challenges associated with the YIM approach and implications for future research and practice. The research studies reviewed reported that supportive and sustainable relationships have developed between mentors and mentees, resulting in positive outcomes for young people’s personal development. By combining the benefits of natural mentoring with the rigour and scaffolding of formal mentoring, YIM programmes were deemed a valuable new approach to youth mentoring. Challenges included the inability or reluctance of some young people to select their own mentor, difficulties in the recruitment or retention of mentors on programmes, and inequality relating to marginalised youth’s access to social capital, resources, and mentors. In terms of future directions, there is a need for more research and evaluation focused on youth, mentor and parent outcomes, greater cultural diversity in research, and ensuring that participation is at the heart of all programmes.

ABSTRACT A bioecological systems approach is associated with Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) pedagogies as when children engage with the world their emerging identities, understandings of inequity, and potential to action their political voice can be realized—which is influenced by the professionals who care for them. This applies to participation in the local communities of ECEC organizations where homelessness exists. Specific to Ontario, Canada, this is vaguely contemplated in ECEC practice, which is a dilemma given that homelessness is on the upsurge for a host of reasons including neoliberalism and the COVID-19 pandemic. This is also troubling as ECEC-based homelessness research in other countries suggests that professionals often employ a deficit lens reinforcing stereotypical, marginalizing, and othering discourse. A qualitative Instrumental Case Study (ICS), drawing on a Social Constructivist philosophical paradigm, was designed to confront these gaps and uncover how ECEC professionals respond to homelessness when they, alongside the children in their care, interact with their local ECEC communities. Focus groups, demographic questionnaires, and researcher journals revealed that encounters are predominantly indirect. Moreover, when encounters transpire they are bracketed by feelings and responses of ECEC professionals that are informed by their own biases, a lack of training to manoeuvre this complex topic, and fear of repercussions from parents should their child(ren) come in contact with people unhoused while in care. The findings additionally exposed that ECEC professionals are resolute to maintaining child safety in homelessness encounters, while simultaneously modelling compassion. Essential to strengthening this facet of practice in the early years field, according to participants of this ICS, is pre- and in-service learning, and curriculum and policy that intersect homelessness with humane citizenship principles. This qualitative study hopes to engage early years communities to appraise how homelessness pertains to ECEC pedagogy, curriculum reform, and policy.

ABSTRACT This study explored the critical need for external support, particularly the integration of social workers, to assist primary school teachers in managing childhood trauma in South African schools. The research was conducted in the Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, a rural region characterized by socioeconomic vulnerability and limited school-based mental health resource. An exploratory, descriptive, and contextual design was used to examine the experiences of 26 primary school teachers. A purposive sampling strategy was used to recruit 26 primary school teachers from Mvudi and Dzindi educational circuits, all of whom had a minimum of three years’ experience. Data were gathered through semi-structured interviews conducted in private settings within the schools to ensure comfort and confidentiality. Interviews lasted 30–45 minutes and focused on teachers’ experiences with trauma-affected learners, their strategies for intervention, and their perceptions of needed support. The findings revealed four key themes: the acknowledged need for social workers in schools, challenges teachers face without them, desire for safe spaces for students, and importance of external support networks. The absence of on-site mental health professionals and safe and confidential spaces for student support further compounded these issues. The study concluded that integrating social workers into schools and strengthening partnerships with external agencies is an essential step toward creating trauma-sensitive learning environments that support both academic achievement and emotional well-being. Recommendations include policy changes, investment in school-based support services, and ongoing teacher training to foster sustainable collaborative support systems for vulnerable learners.

ABSTRACT Screen time may be particularly detrimental to executive functioning and verbal skills in preschoolers. The main aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between screen time, executive functions, and vocabulary in preschool children. Additionally, we explored predictors of screen time depending on parental mediations, beliefs about screen use being problematic, and type of device. The sample comprised 133 participants (M age = 60.33 months, SD = 9.04). To measure the study variables, we used an ad hoc screen habits questionnaire, Shape School, Word Span, and Wechsler Vocabulary. Preschoolers that complied with the recommendations on screen time showed higher levels of inhibition, working memory, and expressive vocabulary than those that exceeded the recommended time of 1 h per day. Additionally, screen time was related to, and was a significant predictor of, these variables. Age was the variable that most explained executive functioning and expressive vocabulary. Parental mediations and beliefs about problematic use also had an effect on screen time. Preschool age is an appropriate life stage to manage screen use, thus fostering positive, safe habits.

ABSTRACT This paper examines the effect of parental protective behaviors on the level of psychological distress experienced by childcare workers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Survey data were collected from child care workers working in the Mohawk Valley and Capital Districts, encompassing 17 counties of upstate New York, during April 2021. Our analysis finds that, net of all other variables in the model, the strongest predictor of lowering child care worker’s psychological distress was the willingness and ability of parents to engage in protective behaviors, such as social distancing and wearing a mask.

ABSTRACT Children and young people with sensory differences and sensitivities can struggle to access healthcare settings as the sights, sounds, smells, interactions, and touch involved can be overwhelming and create distress and dysregulation. This can result in inequitable access to healthcare. Initiatives to develop sensory-friendly healthcare environments for children remain limited and are not always informed by evidence directly from children and their parents. This project explored the perceptions and experiences of children and young people with sensory needs and their parents visiting an acute hospital during a program aimed at building a sensory-friendly environment. Thirty-one children and young people (5–16 years) with sensory differences and sensitivities and thirty-eight caregivers shared their views using paper activity sheets and online surveys. Data were analyzed using content analysis approaches. Children and young people reported that the hospital environment was often too loud, too busy, and too bright, causing them to feel anxious, stressed, and dysregulated. Interactions with healthcare staff were reported by children, young people, and parents as difficult, with professionals described as lacking an understanding of individual communication differences, needs, and adaptations. Equitable access to healthcare settings could be improved by quiet calm spaces, more resources such as fidget toys, and staff who invested time in developing trust and rapport and could adapt care provision to meet the needs of children and young people.