Birth Family Research Articles

Children’s Rights, Deinstitutionalisation and the Development of Foster Care Services across the World

In many countries, foster care is an established system for looking after children who cannot live with their birth families. It is accepted as a preferable form of provision when compared to institutional arrangements. Deinstitutionalisation is founded upon theories of child development, most particularly attachment theory, which suggest that children are more likely to flourish in family settings as opposed to institutions. The implementation of a foster care system accords with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child and the associated recommendations. But is it feasible to apply these rights and recommendations across the world? How transferable is the system of foster care? By making use of the literature, this paper draws attention to some of the challenges and complexities that accompany attempts at implementing this child care strategy in some of the world’s regions.

Changing nature of adoption and need for post-adoption services: Intercountry adoption practice in Taiwan and Australia

This study explores issues on post-adoption services in intercountry adoptions based on the perspectives of adoption professionals from Taiwan and Australia. Findings revealed that both birth and adoptive families identify service needs for material and emotional support and connection after the adoption process is finalized. However, the current lack of government funding for post-adoption services result in gaps in service delivery. Adoption agencies experience challenges in funding and balancing the interests of the child and the two families. Implications for practice and policy are discussed to enhance the quality of post-adoption services and improve the well-being of the adoption triad.

The Legacy of Exploitation in Intercountry Adoptions from Ethiopia: “We Are All One Family Now”

In 2018, the Ethiopian Parliament closed its intercountry adoption program. Momentum to end the program followed reports of adoption-related exploitation including the abduction and sale of children, falsification of documentation, bribing of officials, inaccurate testimonies, and false promises to birth families. The Ethiopian Parliament also cited concerns over the identity and psychological problems of adoptees as contributing factors to the ban. This paper explores how adoptive parents, with knowledge of exploitation in their own adoptions, are responding emotionally and pragmatically. Qualitative analysis of interview data provides insight into how adoptive parents communicate about and integrate referral and emergent adoption narratives in the service of healthy identity development in adopted children.

Early-life Exposures and Age at Breast Development in the Sister Study Cohort

Abstract Purpose: Early age at breast development (thelarche) has been associated with increased breast cancer risk. Average age at thelarche has declined over time, but there are few established risk factors for early thelarche. We examined associations between pre- and postnatal exposures and age at thelarche in a U.S. cohort of women born between 1928 and 1974. Methods: Breast cancer-free women ages 35–74 years who had a sister diagnosed with breast cancer were enrolled in the Sister Study from 2003–2009 (N = 50,884). At enrollment, participants reported their age at thelarche, which we categorized as early (≤10 years), average (11–13 years), and late (≥14 years), as well as information on early-life exposures. We estimated odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for early and late thelarche relative to average age at thelarche using polytomous logistic regression for each early-life exposure, adjusted for birth cohort, race/ethnicity and family income level in childhood. We examined modification by birth cohort, race/ethnicity, family income, relative weight at age 10, and extent of breast cancer family history through stratification. Results: Early thelarche was more common in recent birth cohorts and among non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women. Early thelarche (≤10 years) was associated with multiple prenatal exposures: gestational hypertensive disorder (OR = 1.25, 95% CI, 1.09–1.43), maternal diethylstilbestrol (DES) use (OR = 1.23, 95% CI, 1.04–1.45), maternal smoking during pregnancy (OR = 1.20, 95% CI, 1.13–1.27), and young maternal age (OR 1.30, 95% CI, 1.16–1.47 for <20 vs 25–29 years). Being firstborn was also associated with early thelarche (OR = 1.25, 95% CI, 1.17–1.33). Low birthweight (<2500 vs 2500–3999g) was suggestively associated with both early (OR = 1.06, 95% CI, 0.96–1.17) and late (OR = 1.15, 95% CI, 1.05–1.25) thelarche, as was use of soy formula in infancy (Early: OR = 1.10, 95% CI, 0.93–1.30; Late: OR = 1.07, 95% CI, 0.92–1.25). Patterns were generally similar across strata of modifiers of interest. Conclusion: Associations between pre- and postnatal exposures and age at thelarche suggest that the early-life environment may influence breast development and therefore may also affect breast cancer risk by altering the timing of pubertal breast development.

Communication Privacy Management in Open Adoption Relationships: Negotiating Co-ownership across In-person and Mediated Communication

Open adoption relationships are rife with privacy dilemmas and fuzzy boundaries, which require ongoing coordination of private disclosures as a result. The present study employed communication privacy management (CPM) theory to examine adoptive parents’ ( N = 354) private disclosures with the birth family across in-person and mediated (i.e., texting and social media) contexts. SEM analysis revealed that adoptive families who were more private and were concerned about the birth family sharing private information with others viewed disclosures to the birth family as risky. These privacy concerns related to adoptive parents being more clear with the birth family about preferences for sharing that private information with others. More social media contact between birth and adoptive parents predicted increased perceptions of risk of disclosure to birth parents. Results advance CPM theorizing by underscoring the motivational bases of perceived risk, the importance of anticipated boundary turbulence, and the nuanced privacy management processes within communication modes.

Foster care, permanency, and risk of prison entry.

(1) Examine associations of foster care exit type (e.g., reunification with birth family, adoption, guardianship/permanent relative placement, or emancipation from care) with risk of entry into state prison; (2) Examine racial disparities in those associations. With data on over 10,000 Wisconsin youth who entered foster care in mid- to late-childhood, we present imprisonment rates in young adulthood by race, sex, and foster care exit type. Proportional hazards models with a robust set of covariates compared prison entry rates among the most common exit types-reunification, aging out, and guardianship/permanent relative placement. Nearly 13% of the sample experienced imprisonment in young adulthood. Compared with emancipated youth, hazard of imprisonment was 1.58-1.96 times higher among reunified youth. Differences were largely unexplained by observed individual, family, or foster care characteristics. Imprisonment rates were similar for emancipated youth and youth exiting to guardianship/permanent relative placement. Hazard of imprisonment for reunified Black youth was twice that of reunified white youth, but racial differences in prison entry were statistically non-significant among emancipated youth. Efforts to reduce incarceration risk for all youth in foster care are needed. Reunified youth may benefit from services and supports currently provided primarily to emancipated youth.

The effects of birth order and family size on academic achievement, divergent thinking, and problem finding among gifted students

The current study explored the influence of birth order and family size on academic achievement, divergent thinking (DT), and problem finding (PF) with a sample of 156 gifted male and female Arab students (M= 12.21 years, SD= 1.75). Regarding academic achievement, it was found that first-borns possessed higher grade point averages (GPAs) than did other-born children. Family size was also related to academic achievement-participants from smaller-sized families had significantly higher GPAs compared with gifted students from middle- and large-sized families. As for the influence of birth order and family size on both DT and PF, a multivariate analysis of variance showed significant differences for birth order and the interaction between birth order and family size in the originality dimension of PF. Non-significant differences were found concerning family size. The follow-up analyses of variance showed that later-born gifted students scored higher than first-, second-, third-, and fourth-born children in PF originality. Later-born gifted students who scored higher on originality were from smaller families. No significant influences for birth order and family size were found concerning fluency for both DT and PF as well as DT originality. Limitations and future directions are discussed.

Factors determining family planning services usage among women of reproductive age

Family planning services allows individuals to achieve desired birth spacing and family size, and contributes to improved health outcomes for infants, children, women, and families. Family planning is one of the 10 great public health achievements of the 20th century. A number of contraceptive methods are available in family planning clinics to prevent unwanted pregnancy each with particular advantages and disadvantages. This study was conducted to determine factors influencing the uptake of contraceptives among women of reproductive age attending a maternal care health and family planning clinic. Their social demographic characteristics, family planning method used and the association between demographic factors and contraceptive methods were analyzed. There were significant positive correlations between age, education and preferred methods of contraception.

Kannimar Shrines and Iconography

The Kannimar are seven look-alike goddesses affiliated with the Pleiades. In local Tamil folk temples of Tamilnadu’s Kongu area they are worshipped in one cluster, as sisters. They are mediators who occupy a middle ground, both spatially and ritually. The seven are served together, soon after the most prominent gods and goddesses, but ahead of other deities, mainly devotees and service-providers whose shrines are found in the same broad compound. The seven Kannimar provide a key bridge linking local to pan-Indian belief traditions. Their role resembles that of certain women in the human sphere, where it is common for a mother to mediate between father and son, or for a sister to bridge the awkward gap between her family of birth and that of her in-laws. The Kannimar also operate as handmaidens dedicated to the service of the great goddess K?l?. They are her loyal communicators and errand runners. These seven females are youthful charmers, but they are also fierce womb-guardians who have nurturing powers and awesome resurrection abilities. The relative placement of the Kannimar within the local folk universe, can offer us multiple insights into a wide range of human and divine relationships expressed through the Hindu pantheon.

Birth control, family size and educational stratification: Evidence from the Han and ethnic minorities in China

This paper investigates the unexpected impact that enforcing birth control policies in China has upon the educational stratification between the Han majority, the policy target group, and ethnic minorities, a partially excluded group. Exploring county-level variation in the value of fines levied for unsanctioned births, we find that a stricter enforcement of the birth control policy leads to a larger educational gap between ethnic minorities and the Han majority in both rural and urban areas. More specifically, we find that higher fines lead to a larger improvement in the educational attainment of the Han majority and that this is principally due to the greater effect of these fines upon the reduction of family size and the subsequent concentration of family resources (among this population). Our findings indicate that the birth control policy has substantially contributed to the rising Han-minority educational gap in China.

Indigenous Women’s Stress and Postpartum Depression: Discussions from the Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey and Indigenous Maternity Narratives


 
 
 This doctoral research highlights Indigenous women’s experiences of stress and postpartum depression (PPD) through secondary quantitative analysis of the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Canadian Maternity Experiences Survey (2009) and qualitative Indigenous maternity narratives. Indigenous women’s responses to the survey demonstrate that Indigenous women experience 1.9 times higher odds of PPD and are 1.5 times as likely to be diagnosed with depression prior to pregnancy, compared to Canadian women. Indigenous women are also 1.3 times as likely to experience higher levels of stress and 3.3 times as likely to experience three or more stressful life events. While the survey demonstrates higher rates of stress and PPD, it is not culturally or contextually relevant. Therefore, Indigenous maternity narratives from 10 Indigenous mothers in 2015 further contextualize experiences of stress and PPD to include narratives related to adverse social determinants of health and impacts of colonialism. The research includes a discussion on the limitations of previous maternity research and the limits of clinical-medical assessments and diagnosis of stress and PPD in Indigenous populations. The research concludes with recommendations for additional maternity experiences research and ways to support Indigenous women, infants and children, birth partners, families, and communities.
 
 

Children’s perceptions about contact and subjective well-being in residential and foster care

Contact between children in foster and residential care and their birth families have an impact on children’s development and on placement stability. Contact is also important for their social relationships and sense of belonging and well-being. The aim of this study was, from children’s point of view, to describe, analyse and compare contact in residential care and foster care in terms of its frequency, visit location, feelings during and after the visits, visit difficulties, happiness with their placement, their self-confidence, future perception about their lives, and perception of their subjective well-being. We used a sample of 145 children in residential care and all the children in foster care (39), aged between 11 and 15, from the same four Portuguese districts. Results indicated that children in residential care had more contact and visits with their parents than children in foster care, being phone calls the most used way to contact the children. The majority of the children presented joy or satisfaction during parents’ visits and more diffuse feelings after the visit. Also, most of children would like to have more visits and just a minority present some difficulties in their fulfilment. Nevertheless, children in foster care had more self-confidence, optimism in relation to their future, happiness in relation to their placement and higher subjective well-being than children in residential care. In summary, it seemed that the type of placement for children at risk is more important to their future than the existence of contact with their parents.

Complex Modernization: The Value of Children and Social Transformation in Contemporary Vietnam

The value of children has emerged as an important lens in understanding social changes and individual decision-making concerning childbearing and childrearing. The current study illustrates the usefulness of this lens in the context of contemporary Vietnam, based on a national representative survey dataset. We develop a theoretical framework incorporating three sets of structural factors (cohort, South or North, family SES) plus demographic factors to understand the valuation of children and its fertility implications. We reveal the following findings. First, we document a generally higher emotional value than instrumental value among Vietnamese respondents across cohorts. Moreover, the post-reform birth cohort reports both lower emotional and lower instrumental value of children; and the Southern sample on average holds higher emotional and higher instrumental values of children than the Northern sample. Second, in regression analysis, the emotional value of children shows little variation and the proposed factors explain a lower proportion of its variation, but we capture a strong cohort effect, regional divide and social class effect on the instrumental value of children. Last, while there exists a negative association between emotional valuation of children and respondents’ fertility, and a positive association between instrumental valuation of children and respondents’ fertility, such effects have been reduced to non-significant levels once independent variables (birth cohort, region, and family SES) are controlled. This study challenges and complicates the dominant discourse in existing literature on the rise of the “emotionally valuable” and “economically and instrumentally useless” child in modern societies. We instead reveal that respondents’ value orientations and their impact on fertility trends should be contextualized in Vietnam’s historical and political trajectory of ‘complex modernization’.

Feasible interventions for children in foster care according to service users and practitioners

AbstractMultiple obstacles exist to introducing evidence‐based methods in social work practice. The study directly interacts with social work practice and maps the interventions practice prioritizes when supporting children or parents. Specifically, the study examines service users' and practitioners' assessment of the feasibility of systematically evaluated interventions in the everyday life of foster care families. To integrate the different perspectives, we use a three‐step process comprising a systematic review of interventions for children in foster care, a literature review of challenges faced by the children to assist with choosing the most relevant interventions and a discussion of findings with service users and practitioners. The systematic review identified 51 interventions. The literature review revealed three common challenges: collaboration with the birth family, behavioural issues and social problem solving. We reduced the 51 interventions to 13 for discussions in workshops and interviews with service users and practitioners and ended up with two feasible interventions: incredible years and collaboration meetings. The first has been evaluated in several randomized studies, whereas the second has been evaluated qualitatively. Our analysis points to a profession where systematic and evidence‐based knowledge is subordinated to a pragmatism that prioritizes budgeting and prior knowledge of interventions.

SEALED WITH TEARS: MATERIAL AND SOCIAL MEANINGS OF A ROYAL LETTER BY COUNTESS PALATINE ANNA (VASA) (1545–1610)

This article offers a case study of how a royal letter can be studied both from verbal and material perspectives. It examines one such letter and the way it reveals personal intentions, and tensions in family relations. Building on their research on the sixteenth-century Swedish letter writing and the Vasa family, the authors give a detailed analysis of Countess Palatine Anna’s (1545–1610) letter from the year 1592, its content and context. The analysis also serves to illustrate the vulnerable position of a consort living far from her family of birth.

Cross-Species Kinship Dilemmas: Adoption and Dinosaurs in the Jurassic Park Franchise

Each of the five films currently comprising Steven Spielberg's Jurassic Park series (1993–) presents adoption, with a particular focus on the adoptive father, both as a problem and as the solution to problems within the birth family and the commodity culture within which that family is situated. The series repeatedly traces the process of "substantiation" (we borrow this term from Christine Ward Gailey) by requiring adults to look after children from whom they are at first emotionally as well as genetically distant. Yet the tendency to affirm adoption as a solution to weaknesses in the American family coexists with a readiness to consider thorny issues to which adoption draws attention, including the commodification of children, the exploitation of birth parents, and the ethical dimensions of reproductive biotechnologies. This article examines each installment of the franchise to demonstrate the scope and complexity of the commentary on adoption that the series provides. For while all the films manifest certain structural commonalities, each also focuses on a different adoption-related issue, allowing the viewer to read the collective as a decades-long meditation on the preoccupations of the American adoption community in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.

Сюжеты боспорской монетной чеканки на золотых нашивных бляшках в курганах Северного Причерноморья

Well-known is the fact that the images on ancient coins of different poleis must be identified as prototypes of those on golden plaques found in the North Pontic kourgans. For instance, it was Michael Rostovtzeff who believed Bosporan coin typology to be the source for various pictorial schemes of golden burial suit jewellery. Nowadays, it is a kind of an axiom, and according to opinio communis the chronology is strictly defined dating back to the last third of the 4th century BC. Still, locally the very process seems to have started much earlier. The earliest episode of the coin subject adapted to jewellery by a toreutic master dates back to the second quarter of the 5th century BC. Discovered in 1876 golden plaques shaped as lion heads from Nymphaion, find a parallel in Panticapaeum coinage (late 470s — early 450s BC). We trace the chronology of those types of golden plaques that replicate coin patterns. Plaques from the Semibratny Kourgan 6, with a female head represented on them (probable prototype might be found in certain coins from Nymphaion), plaques with satyr’s head (of Panticapaeum coinage); several types of griffin images, such as horned lion-headed griffin that finds its equivalent in the kourgan of Maly Oguz (last third of the 4th century), eagle-headed griffin, and eagle-headed hoofed griffin. The latter type has the only parallel in Panticapaeum silver obols, which are rather rare (ca. 330–327 BC), and thus one may suppose it was an emblem of some Scythian family of high birth, and it was the Panticapaeum mint who borrowed the symbol from barbarian neighbours, not vice versa. We suggest that, in this case, the whole thing must be considered as a vivid example of Greek and Scythian cultural interference. Along with the above-mentioned types, the seldom met Pegasus image is also under consideration, for example, circular plaques from the Bolshaya Bliznitsa kourgan might be compared to the Panticapaeum coins with Pegasus’ protome (327–319 BC).

Determinant Factors of Stunting Events of Toddler in Batu City Indonesia

Background: Stunting on toddler shows the presence of chronic nutritional problems that are characterized by stunted growth. Stunting indicator is calculated using length-for-age Z-scores (LA Z-scores) less than -2SD. Stunting risk factors include length of birth, low birth weight, immunization, nutritional intake, infectious diseases, genetics, and family socioeconomic status. Objective: This study aims was analysed the factors related to the stunting incidence in Batu City. Method: The research design used case-control. Sample size of 90 toddlers were selecting by simple random sampling. The sample was divided into two groups, namely case and control groups, each group of 45 people. Variables collected that are parental education, parental occupation, length of the child's body at birth, child's weight at birth, exclusive breastfeeding status, complementary feeding, history of illness, and immunization status. Data analysis used chi square. Results: Child's body weight at birth, exclusive breastfeeding status, complementary feeding, immunization status, and history of illness were not associated with stunting (p> 0.05). Babies length at birth as a factor related to the incidence of stunting in Batu City, p value = 0.008 and OR = 0.216. Conclusion: Child length at birth is a risk factor for stunting. So that nutritional needs during pregnancy need to be considered and fulfilled so that babies born have a normal of body length and birth weight.

Birth Control, Family Planning and Contraceptive Methods in Men and Women: A Systemic Review

Birth Control, Family Planning and Contraceptive Methods in Men and Women: A Systemic Review

The analysis of the formation of the substitute family institute

The institutionalization of the substitute family is a long and controversial process; it has been successfully completed in modern Russia, but there are still a number of dysfunctions that still have a destructive eff ect both on the members of the substitute family and specialists working with them, and on society as a whole. Particularly problematic are the issues of orphanhood prevention, work with the birth family of a social orphan, prevention of returns from foster families, and organization of social support for foster families.