Child Support Research Articles

Beyond Semiotic Representation: A Study of Emotion in Ukrainian Children’s Paintings

<p>As part of the project of Ukrainian children support, <em>Mom, I See War</em> presents, on its official website and social media, more than 4,000 drawings by children from war-affected areas (mainly Ukraine). Based on the artworks in this platform, the study goes deeper from the mere symbolic interpretations, and discusses the various stages of emotional expression within. Through a close-reading of different aspects within the drawings, the study is performed within the theoretical framework of emotion study, political and cultural theory. While each painting contains a complex combination of various personal emotion, the paper makes a general outlining of all the paintings as a whole, and analyses the various stages of emotional expression among the whole group. In a reaction towards war conditions, four stages of emotion are presented, including fear, pain, anger and hope.<strong></strong></p>

School-based support for children bereaved due to parental intimate partner homicide

ABSTRACT Internationally, there is growing recognition of the scale and consequences of intimate partner homicides (IPH). A significant, though often neglected consequence is how many children are impacted by these tragic events. In such challenging circumstances, children need stability, continuity and trusted people they can rely on for support. This paper aims to understand how best to provide school-based support for children following parental IPH by investigating the experiences of affected children, their caregivers and professionals with experience of working with these children. Semi-structured interviews were undertaken with 35 participants in Australia, the UK and Ireland (11 with lived experience, 12 caregivers and 12 professionals). We developed two key themes through the data analysis process: (1) School as a supportive place and (2) Limited access to a trusted, supportive adult at school. We found that schools can potentially be supportive, safe, stable, and consistent places for affected children, and teachers and counsellors can help provide trusted, supportive relationships for them; however, there needs to be effective resourcing within an overall policy structure. Schools are in a strategic position to identify the effects of trauma in the children’s lives and can also provide a valuable link between children and relevant specialist services. There are limitations, however, regarding both the accessibility and availability of suitable skilled and experienced practitioners who can support the children, their caregivers, and school staff. Ongoing care teams need to be established to provide the comprehensive, individualised services these children need.

Clinical characteristics and long-term outcomes of Venoarterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation in children with congenital heart disease.

To analyze the clinical outcomes of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) support in children with congenital heart disease (CHD) after surgery and explore the risk factors associated with mortality during long-term follow-up for 3-5 years. We conducted a retrospective observational study at Shanghai Children Medical Center (SCMC) from 2017 to 2021 and reviewed the clinical results and laboratory findings of 188 CHD patients who received ECMO support during this period. The 5-year overall survival rate was 56.38% (106/188) among CHD patients who received ECMO support. Kaplan-Meier curve showed residual anatomical malformation (RAM) (p < 0.0001), gastrointestinal bleeding (p = 0.019), single ventricular (SV) (p = 0.028), and pre-ECMO lactate level >10 mmol/L (p < 0.0001) were significantly associated with higher mortality in follow-up. Cox analysis identified RAM (p = 0.039) and pre-ECMO lactate level >10 mmol/L (p < 0.001) as independent risk factors for overall survival. Conversely, a minimum platelet count ≥50 × 109/L (p < 0.001) was found to be a protective factor. Moreover, a competing risk model showed that a CPR time ≥60 min (p < 0.001) was identified as a risk factor for death in patients who failed to be discharged from the hospital. Our study showed characteristics of long-term follow-up patients and revealed several risk factors associated with mortality in children with CHD who received ECMO support. These findings can provide valuable insights for clinical decision-making and contribute to improving patient outcomes.

Utilization of early therapeutic supports by autistic preschoolers in Australia: A cross-sectional study following implementation of the National Disability Insurance Scheme.

There are many types of support for young autistic children and their families, but service use in this population is not well understood. In this study, primary caregivers of autistic preschoolers were surveyed (n = 95) and a selection were then interviewed (n = 19) to understand how early, therapeutic supports were accessed by families in Australia following the establishment of a National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This article presents the quantitative data from surveys and interviews. Families usually accessed at least two types of support. The most accessed supports were occupational therapy, speech pathology and psychology, with 43% of the sample accessing some other form of support. Multiple linear regression indicated that children's higher level of support need, living in less remote or less socio-economically disadvantaged areas, and high household income were associated with higher numbers of supports accessed. Services tended to follow an individual, clinic-based model and little use of alternative service delivery was reported. The findings indicate that Australian families are accessing a wider range of support types than before the NDIS and children with more substantial autism-related support needs are likely to access a greater number of types of supports. Socio-economic inequities continue to exist and should be addressed.

Study Habits and English Learning Achievement of Left-behind Children in a Selected Rural Primary School: A Correlation Study

In the process of urbanization, a large number of migrant workers have appeared. Such migration often leads to the migration of rural youth to cities, leaving their children to the care of older relatives due to various restrictions. This situation requires social attention to the overall well-being of left-behind children, especially in their education. Lack of parental guidance and support due to long-term separation often leads to unbalanced academic and personal life, leading to problems such as passive participation, disinterest in learning, inattention in class and poor note-taking. This paper aims to explore the influence of learning habits and English learning performance of left-behind children in rural primary schools in Shandong Province. This provides comprehensive support for left-behind children in rural areas and cultivates their ability to learn independently.

“It’s two separate systems that … keep you under a thumb”: dual debt in the child support and criminal legal systems

“It’s two separate systems that … keep you under a thumb”: dual debt in the child support and criminal legal systems

Studying the characteristics of physical development of young athletes

Medical and biological support for the training of young athletes is a separate specific part of medical science and practice. This area of medicine includes determining the health and physical development of athletes, as well as diagnosing, treating and preventing diseases and injuries associated with physical education and sports. The main goal of medical and biological support for children’s and youth sports is the harmonious development of the child within the chosen sport, taking into account his age characteristics, functionality, physical development, including puberty.Objective. The purpose of the study is to investigate the characteristics of the physical development of young athletes of various specializations.Materials and methods: 102 young teenage athletes took part in the study. The control group consisted of 28 schoolchildren who were not involved in sports professionally. The first group of the study included 35 young athletes from the «Children and Youth Sports School of Swimming». The second group of the study consisted of 47 teenagers, students of a specialized children’s and youth sports school of the Olympic reserve in field hockey. The third group of the study included 20 young athletes, students of a specialized children’s and youth sports school of Olympic reserve fencing.Results: In terms of physical development parameters, young athletes have indicators above the average values of children in the control group. The percentage of body fat in boys and girls in the control group was significantly higher than in young athletes. At the same time, the level of muscle mass of boys who do not engage in sports is lower than that of the group of athletes.Conclusions: Based on the results of the work, it was established that the physical development of young athletes has significant differences from their peers who do not play sports professionally.

An Adaptation of Stay Play Talk for Young Children Who Exhibit Social Withdrawal

Promoting positive relationships with peers is an important support for children who exhibit social withdrawal. Children who show extreme shyness or are identified as self-isolating are at risk for developing internalizing conditions, which can also lead to poor social and academic outcomes. These children may benefit from targeted support to develop relationships with peers. Identifying effective social interventions that support children who exhibit internalizing behaviors such as social withdrawal in preschool classrooms is a critical need. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline across three focal children design was used to test the effects of an adapted version of Stay, Play, Talk (SPT) that included peer choice on the estimated duration of social play for young children who were socially withdrawn. A functional relation was found between the implementation of SPT with peer choice and focal children’s social play. This study demonstrates that SPT with peer choice may be an effective and socially valid intervention for increasing the social play of preschoolers who are socially withdrawn in classrooms. More research is needed to better understand to what extent this adapted SPT intervention impacts children’s social networks, broader social-emotional development, and specific internalizing behaviors when implemented over a longer period.

Healing through tradition: the role of Indigenous Elder support in child and youth mental health in Canada

The current mental health care system in Canada, with its focus on western biomedical and individualistic approaches, does not support Indigenous holistic views of wellness and silences Indigenous knowledges through colonial ideologies. This research identifies the vital support that mental health services must include to create culturally relevant and safe services: Elders. Elders provide holistic approaches to mental wellness that consider cultural, individual, family, and community needs to promote healing. To explore the roles of Elders in mental health services, a comprehensive narrative review was conducted. All 22 included studies were conducted by Indigenous scholars or with Indigenous communities. Findings were organized into three themes: (a) Elders are knowledge keepers: sharing wisdom; (b) need for cultural-based teachings, ceremonies, and land-based healing led by Elders; and (c) Importance of relationships for increasing youth’s mental wellness. Barriers were identified that prevent Elder involvement, and recommendations for mental health programmes are provided.

Balance assessment with decreased base of support for children with disabilities.

Children's ability to achieve an appropriate motor development is largely associated with their capacity to control balance. Furthermore, accomplishing balance tasks with a narrowed base of support is a necessary precursor to engaging in everyday functional activities and developing more complex balance abilities. To investigate the relationship between the tandem stance (TS) and the single-limb stance (SLS) items of the Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS) assessment tool with the PBS total score in children with impaired balance. Forty-two children (22 with neurological disabilities, 10.7±3.1 years; 20 typically developing [TD], 8.3±2.7 years) performed all 14 PBS items. Linear regressions separately determined the impact of TS and SLS on total PBS score in both groups. Bland-Altman plots expressed agreement between the balance measurements. For children with disabilities, only the SLS entered the model, explaining 64.5% of the variance in total PBS score. A high level of agreement was observed between the SLS and total PBS scores. For TD children, only the TS entered the model, explaining 45.2% of the variance in the total PBS score. A high level of agreement was observed between the TS and total PBS scores. Our findings support the practical and efficient use of a single balance task to assess balance ability in children with disabilities.

Gritty Parenting: The Development and Validation of the Parental Grit Scale.

In this study, we aimed to expand the domain specificity of grit by exploring it in the realm of parenting. Parental grit was defined as parents' inclination to demonstrate perseverance, sustained passion, and adaptability in pursuing long-term parenting goals. With longitudinal data from 1,373 U.S. parents, we developed and validated the Parental Grit Scale (PGS) in three phases: item development and revision, establishment of factor structure, and examination of criterion-related and incremental validity. The PGS exhibited a three-factor structure and (partial) scalar measurement invariance across genders, the status of the child's special needs, and measurement occasions. The PGS demonstrated moderate temporal stability. We found evidence of its validity in predicting parental emotional exhaustion, self-efficacy, autonomy support, and parents' perceptions of children's school well-being. Parental grit explained variance in these outcomes beyond domain-general grit and conscientiousness. The PGS has sound psychometric properties and is a valuable measure in the parenting domain.

Optimal development for the children of prisoners? How children with a parent in prison are supported and why it matters

AbstractThis article examines the need and types of support for children with a parent in prison, the measures in place to know who they are and the consequences of associated policies for their development. These are discussed within a cultural‐historical child development framework and, within that, questions are raised about optimal development and children's rights. The article is grounded in a mixed‐methods study of a support service for children of prisoners in Worcestershire. Parental imprisonment can impact negatively on societal, institutional and personal aspects of children's development. However, when children are supported through family‐centred, relationship‐focused, strengths‐based services, they can engage more fully in the institutions and social situations of their daily lives.

Untying the Knot: How Child Support and Alimony Affect Couples’ Dynamic Decisions and Welfare

Abstract In many countries, divorce law mandates post-marital maintenance payments (child support and alimony) to insure the lower earner in married couples against financial losses upon divorce. This paper studies how maintenance payments affect couples’ intertemporal decisions and welfare. I develop a dynamic model of family labor supply, home production, savings, and divorce and estimate it using Danish register and survey data. The model captures the policy tradeoff between providing insurance to the lower earner and enabling couples to specialize efficiently, on the one hand, and maintaining labor supply incentives for divorcees, on the other hand. I use the estimated model to study various counterfactual policy scenarios. I find that alimony comes with more substantial labor supply disincentives compared to child support payments and is less efficient in providing consumption insurance. The welfare maximizing policy, within the status quo policy space, involves increasing child support and reducing alimony payments. My results show that Pareto improvements beyond this welfare maximizing policy are feasible, highlighting limitations of how child support and alimony policies are commonly implemented.

Intervention with institutional caregivers for the purpose of supportive education for disadvantaged children: 3C

IntroductionChildren in institutional care may have limited access to educational opportunities compared to children in parental care. Improving and enriching the educational practices of these children is important for their well-being. In this study, the Child Development, Communication and Care (3C) Training Program was prepared by the researchers. The 3C education approach emphasizes early childhood development and education. Particular focus is on the use of communication techniques in the education of young children. Our goal with 3C is to increase caregivers’ knowledge of child development and support them to communicate effectively with children. Through this curriculum framework, children are encouraged to interact effectively and empathically with others. Therefore, the curriculum framework emphasizes understanding emotions and building trusting relationships as key components in the holistic development of young disadvantaged children.MethodsA quasi-experimental design with pre-test-post-control group was used in the study. 16 sessions of 3C were applied to the personnel in the experimental group via distance education. Data were collected from the participants before and after the start of the training program by using the Child Education Competence Scale-Parent Form, Personal Information Form, and Training Evaluation Questionnaire.ResultsAs a result, significant differences were obtained between the experimental and control groups in favor of the group receiving training (z = 3.57, p&amp;lt;0.05). Accordingly, it can be said that 3C contributes to the holistic development of the child.DiscussionIt is hoped that such work could enhance the developmental outcomes of young children in institutional care and improve the quality of early childhood education.

Autism in Children

Austic spectrum disorder is a very common presentation where children present with social communication difficulties. They can have behavioural problems and other times anxiety. Every autistic child is different and they may come anywhere in the autistic spectrum, ranging from sensory difficulties, social adjustment to food, sleep and concentration challenges. The main aim of this article to bring awareness about autism to the society and to give Austic children help and support to be able to maintain a safe and healthy lifestyle. It is very important to involve a health care practitioner and get the necessary care and advice from the doctor. It is equally important to organize fun interactive games, activities and book reading for children with Autism to help and support them with their difficulties. All of these things can be done with family support and encouragement, however, it can be very challenging and Children with Autism need professional diagnosis, support in community and teachers to guide them.

Impaired emotional multimodal integration in inhibition of return in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a common neurodevelopmental disorder in children. Previous studies have shown that children with ADHD have impaired processing of emotional stimuli, but it is unclear whether their ability to integrate multimodal emotional stimuli is impaired and at which processing pathway this impairment exists. The present study investigated the ability of children with ADHD to integrate emotional audiovisual stimuli under different emotional conditions, and the effect of audiovisual integration on IOR to reveal the impaired processing pathway of their emotional audiovisual integration. Fifty-eight school-age children (29 with ADHD and 29 matched typically developing (TD) children) performed an emotional valence discrimination task with a cue-target paradigm. The results showed that children with ADHD did not exhibit audiovisual integration of emotional stimuli in all experimental conditions. In addition, the IOR effect was significantly smaller for audiovisual targets than for visual targets under the negative but not the neutral emotion condition in children with ADHD, whereas this effect was present in all emotion conditions in TD children. These results indicate that the ability to integrate emotional audiovisual information is impaired in children with ADHD and this impairment exists in both bottom-up and top-down pathways. Additionally, although presenting emotional auditory stimuli at the same time as emotional faces reduced IOR both in children with ADHD and TD, the manner of reduction differed. These findings provide new evidence of emotional processing deficits and multimodal integration deficits in children with ADHD, and help provide support for children in educational settings.

Evidence Synthesis and Clinical Recommendations for Supporting School Students With Sensory Processing Challenges: A Rapid Review.

Children with sensory processing challenges often need supports to access, participate in, and achieve at school. However, research on best practice is varied, presenting difficulty for practitioners to assess the appropriateness of each support. To provide evidence-informed recommendations regarding best practices in school-based supports for students with sensory processing challenges via a Rapid Evidence Assessment of current literature. Searches were run in CINAHL Complete, Education Research Complete, ERIC, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, and Scopus (for articles published 2010 to 2023). Informed by a 2010 review, articles citing publications identified in the prior review were also included. A reviewer screened the title and abstract of each article for inclusion, and another screened the full texts, with 10% of each reviewer's articles assessed by the other. Interrater reliability was excellent. The review included 61 articles, with only 15% constituting good evidence (38% provided adequate evidence, 31% provided poor evidence, and 16% were reviews). No support could be wholly recommended without caveats, but there was some evidence that sound amplification systems, alternate seating, and multisensory environments may be beneficial in certain conditions or with certain populations. The use of weighted vests is not recommended. Most research had small sample sizes and inconsistent protocols, highlighting the importance of ongoing research. Evidence-informed practitioners should review research findings carefully and integrate evidence from comprehensive clinical assessment and understanding of the child, school, and family contexts when assessing the appropriateness of a support for each student. Plain-Language Summary: Children with sensory processing challenges often need supports to access, participate in, and achieve at school. Occupational therapists provide school-based supports for children with sensory processing challenges with the goal of enabling access, participation, and achievement. It is difficult, however, for practitioners to assess the appropriateness of each support because research on best practice varies. This review of the current literature provides practitioners with evidence on supports for school children with sensory processing challenges to inform decision-making and the selection of appropriate supports for their clients. When assessing the appropriateness of a support for a student, practitioners should carefully review current research findings and integrate evidence from comprehensive clinical assessments along with an understanding of the student, school, and family contexts.

Knowledge and awareness of child sexual abuse related to POCSO (Protection of Children from Sexual Offences) Act among medical and dental professionals in India: A cross-sectional study

ABSTRACT Background: The POCSO (Protection Of Children from Sexual Offences) Act was introduced in 2012 as a measure to safeguard and prevent interests of children affected by sexual crimes. Both medical and dental professionals are capable of identifying such cases. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the knowledge and awareness of child sexual abuse related to POCSO Act among both medical and dental professionals in India. Materials and Methods: This cross-sectional questionnaire-based study was conducted on 100 medical and dental healthcare professionals employed in a single hospital for evaluation of knowledge and awareness on POCSO Act. The questionnaire containing multiple choice questions was randomly distributed among all the study participants as hard copy or via electronic generated forms. The questionnaire comprised questions related to demographics and those dealing with knowledge and attitude. Statistical Analysis: Categorical variables were represented in the form of percentages, and data analysis was done using SPSS software. Results: 67% study participants demonstrated full knowledge of POCSO, 23% had some knowledge, and 10% study subjects had absolutely no knowledge regarding this act. 7% professionals opined that the support for such affected children must come from Government Organizations, while 15% believed that Non-Governmental Organizations must support these children. 28% professionals believed that the child support and welfare committee should play a role in supporting these children. However, 50% study participants were of the opinion that the primary support must be community-based. On analyzing statistically, level of knowledge and awareness were found to be statistically significant (P = 0.05). Conclusion: There appears to be a good amount of knowledge and attitude among both medical and dental professionals regarding POCSO Act.

Activating the resources of families raising children with autism spectrum disorders

Introduction. Modern family resources in terms of supporting children with autism spectrum disorders are increasingly becoming a subject of discourse at the level of interdepartmental and intersectoral cooperation. At the same time, a large-scale investigation of parental expertise and inclusiveness as basic family resources is required. Metaprofessional qualities of parents’ personality, being a backbone characteristic, are considered as a component of their expertise and inclusiveness. The aim of the article is the analysis of deficiencies and potentialities of families raising children with autism spectrum disorders in terms of personal metaprofessional competence. Materials and methods. The study covered 160 families raising children with autism spectrum disorders and 164 assisting experts. The diagnostic material was grounded on the basic data obtained through the results of parents’ completion of a special document “Personal Card” and following the survey of families and specialists entrusted with upbringing, education, psychological and pedagogical support of children with autism spectrum disorders (the section for assessing the educative competencies group in the structure of the author’s questionnaires: “Self-assessment of parental inclusiveness” and “Expert assessment of inclusive potential”). The significance of the obtained results was evaluated through the analysis of contingency tables based on Pearson’s chi-squared test. Results. The quantitative/qualitative characterisation of resources of families raising children with autism spectrum disorders was derived, demonstrating parental expertise and inclusiveness. The relationship between the category of children and the level of education was established, which level is higher in parents bringing up children with autism spectrum disorders (χ2 = 14.655; p=0.006); in addition, significant differences in professional employment of parents bringing up children with autism spectrum disorders, mental retardation and visual impairment were established. Some differences in the extent of satisfaction with the quality and nature of assistance received by the parents were identified (χ2 = 8.433; p&lt;0.05). The parents of children with autism spectrum disorders, unlike control groups, preferred private educational centres as the main sources of help, support and assistance. The survey established a pronounced deficit of active and effective participation of the second parent, grandparents and people from the immediate environment in the upbringing of a child (more than 26% of the respondents). The shortcomings in the mastery of special methods and techniques of interaction with a child with autism spectrum disorders were highlighted, as well as the lack of a unified, effective and sustainable system of stimulating and encouraging a child within the family. Conclusion. The obtained results are significant for further comprehensive elaboration and comprehension of the inclusive potential of families raising children with autism spectrum disorders. The most important guideline is the adoption of metaprofessional solutions designed to significantly complement the existing applied methods within the framework of realising the strategy for comprehensive support of persons with autism spectrum disorders, their parents and the immediate environment.

Circle time in preschool as a practice for developing language support between teachers and children using the structured ELSA model

ABSTRACT This paper focuses on how early childhood teachers developed deeper understandings of their communication support for children in everyday practice through professional learning conversations by introducing the Early Language Support Activity (ELSA) model. With this model, communication patterns were studied using a proven observation tool based on language research and developed by Dockrell et al. (2015). This protocol was used in a process of action research focused on communication patterns in circle time, which gave the early childhood teachers data to discuss and reflect on what happens in their conversations with children. The theory of practice architectures was used as a theoretical lens to understand the conditions of possibility that action research might provide for learners and leaders of professional learning .In conclusion, through changed practice architectures, participants developed awareness of themselves as educators and learned that communication with children can be supported and developed by circle time. Moreover, the interaction and communication practices among members of the teacher team were enhanced through realization of the importance of a structure in developing their communication patterns.