Child Welfare Agencies Research Articles

Collaboration strategies affecting implementation of a cross-systems intervention for child welfare and substance use treatment: a mixed methods analysis.

Collaboration strategies refer to policies and practices used to align operations and services across organizations or systems. These strategies can influence implementation of cross-system interventions focused on improving integration of care, but remain under-specified and under-examined. This study identifies collaboration strategies and the conditions under which they affected implementation of Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START), an evidence-based intervention focused on integrating child welfare and behavioral health services for families involved with both systems. Our study sample included 17 county child welfare agencies that implemented START. Data on collaboration strategies and organizational context were obtained from key informant interviews, frontline worker surveys, and contracts. Contextual data were drawn from secondary data, and fidelity data were drawn from an administrative database. Qualitative and quantitative data were integrated using coincidence analysis, and used to identify combinations of conditions that uniquely differentiated agencies with higher and lower fidelity to START. Fidelity was lower for intervention components requiring cross-system collaboration. Although key informants acknowledged the importance of collaboration for START implementation, few agencies used formal collaboration strategies other than staff co-location or reported high communication quality between frontline staff in child welfare and behavioral health. In coincidence analysis, four conditions differentiated agencies with higher and lower fidelity with 100% consistency and 88% coverage. We found that either strong leadership support or, in high need communities, third-party resource support from local behavioral health boards were sufficient for high fidelity. Similarly, in high need communities, absence of third-party resource support was sufficient for low fidelity, while in low need communities, absence of communication quality was sufficient for low fidelity. Administrators, frontline workers, and interested third parties (i.e., other stakeholders not directly involved in implementation) can use collaboration strategies to facilitate implementation. However, the effectiveness of collaboration strategies depends on local context. In agencies where internal leadership support for implementation is low but need for intervention is high, third-party resource support may still be sufficient for high fidelity. Further research is needed to test effectiveness of collaboration strategies in different conditions and on a broader range of process and implementation outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT03931005, Registered 04/29/2019, https://classic. gov/ct2/show/NCT03931005 .

Performance evaluation of child welfare departments using Data Envelopment Analysis: A comparative study across US states

Public child welfare agencies play a pivotal role in safeguarding the well-being of children and thus, the future of our society. While the performance of child welfare agencies is of critical importance, limited previous research relying on operations research and advanced analytics appears to exist in the analysis of their performance. We conduct a multi-criteria analysis for benchmarking the performance of the United States child welfare system, using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to evaluate the performance of public child welfare agencies across different US states. We select as outputs various statewide data indicators from the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR), while our inputs include the total annual expenditure by each state on the child welfare system. We use clustering to differentiate agencies based on the presence of the “Alternative Response” policy, which provides for preventive and support options for families, and apply DEA to each homogenous cluster. We identify best-practice agencies and provide benchmarks for the remaining agencies to enhance their performance. Our study offers data-driven directions for child welfare agencies to improve safety and permanency outcomes for children.

What challenges exist within the child welfare system in meeting the health needs of children in care?

Abstract From society’s perspective, the goal of societal care is to protect disadvantaged children and provide them with improved opportunities. In the realm of social care, the child welfare system takes the place of parental responsibilities to safeguard children’s well-being and developmental needs, including their health. However, while holding child welfare agencies responsible, national legislation often lacks specific methods for fulfilling this mandate. Over the years, evidence has shown that limited health care access and unmet health needs often endure in care. In Sweden, efforts to address the issue include mandatory health assessments upon entry into care and collaborative agreements between social services and health care sectors. However, recent studies reveal that only one-third of children undergo these assessment, and collaborative agreements remain lacking in many local authorities. This suggests that additional legal requirements do not offer a straightforward solution. Dr Forsman, with a background in social work, will discuss the child welfare system’s responsibilities and the traditional reliance on social workers and foster carers to address health needs and coordinate care. What are the underlying barriers to successful advocacy and comprehensive health care coordination within the child welfare system? How can the system better respond to the health needs of children in care?

Caregivers on point: a randomized treatment–control prevention trial for foster and kinship caregivers to reduce behavior challenges among children in foster care

BackgroundChildren in foster care who are newly placed with licensed or kinship caregivers are often vulnerable to increased behavior problems associated with trauma and social disruptions. When those issues are not addressed, children are susceptible to placement disruptions that exacerbate behavior problems. Few preventive interventions are available for foster and kinship caregivers, and none are designed to be delivered at the time of a child’s placement into the home. This study aims to examine the impact of the Chicago Parent Program adapted and customized for foster and kinship caregivers (CPP-FC), locally branded as Caregivers on Point, on caregiver stress, parenting confidence and strategies, children’s behaviors, and placement stability.MethodsCaregivers (N = 300) are being recruited from a specialized foster care clinic that sees children and caregivers within five business days of a new placement. Upon completing baseline surveys and behavioral observation, caregiver-child dyads are randomized to receive CPP-FC (n = 150) or usual care (n = 150). Those in the treatment condition will complete 11 weekly sessions addressing child behavior management and caregiving approaches. A booster session will occur one month after the weekly sessions conclude. A mid-point assessment and behavioral observation will be collected four months after the baseline assessment for all participants, coinciding with the completion of the CPP-FC programming. At 6 months post-baseline, an end-of-study assessment will be collected. Administrative data will be extracted from the child welfare record to determine placement stability for the 12 months following enrolment. The primary outcome of interest is child behavior, indicated by changes in caregiver reports and objective ratings of behavior from observations, where raters are blinded to the treatment arm and timing of data collection. Secondary outcomes include placement stability and changes in caregiver stress and confidence in managing children’s behavior.DiscussionIf found to be effective, CPP-FC would be helpful for families involved with child welfare. It could be delivered by child welfare agencies, licensing and kinship navigator agencies, and foster care clinics and may be eligible for government reimbursement as a preventive intervention for children in foster care.Trial registrationThis study was prospectively registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT06170047.

Foster parents’ need for greater information sharing when caring for children with prenatal substance exposure within child welfare

ABSTRACT This article presents information on how the child welfare (CW) system informs caregivers about prenatal substance exposure (PSE) and related concerns, and how those caregivers communicate back to CW about PSE issues. Focus group and interview data for this qualitative study were collected in Fall 2019 and Spring 2020 from two states, each including four local (regional/county) CW agency sites. Caregivers were eligible for inclusion if they had cared for a child served by one of the sites, with priority for those who had cared for a child with known PSE or related special needs, resulting in a total of 44 caregivers. Of these, 41 had served as non-relative caregivers, while 10 had served as informal or formal kinship caregivers. Caregivers emphasized the need for more information-sharing from CW professionals related to the histories and needs of the children in their care. Thematic findings underscore that having more information about the general impact of PSE and exposure status of individual children could better prepare caregivers. CW agencies can use these findings to inform training, information sharing, and caregiver support.When caregivers have relevant information about the children in their care, outcomes for development, family preservation, and support can be improved.

Impact of being taken into out-of-home care: a longitudinal cohort study of First Nations and other child welfare agencies in Manitoba, Canada

Across Canada, Child Protection Services (CPS) disrupt Indigenous families by apprehending their children at alarmingly high rates. The harms borne by children in out-of-home care (OoHC) have been extensively documented. We examined the impact of OoHC on Manitoba children's health and legal system outcomes to provide rigorous evidence on how discretionary decision-making by CPS agencies can affect these outcomes. In partnership with First Nations researchers, we used linked administrative data to identify Manitoba children (born 2007-2018) served by First Nations and other Manitoba CPS agencies. We compared those taken into OoHC (n=19,324) with those never in care but with an open CPS file due to child protection concerns (n=27,290). We used instrumental variable analysis (CPS agency rates of OoHC as the instrument) to obtain odds ratios (aOR) and 95% confidence intervals adjusted for child, maternal, and family factors. Mean age (yrs±standard deviation) at first CPS contact for children taken into OoHC was 2.8±3.7 (First Nations) and 3.0±3.8 (other), and for children never in care was 4.5±4.5 (First Nations) and 5.1±4.7 (other). Among children served by a First Nations agency, males made up 50.6% (n=5496) in OoHC and 51.0% (n=6579) never in care. Among children served by other agencies, males made up 51.0% (n=4324) in OoHC and 51.0% (n=7428) never in care. Odds of teen pregnancy (First Nations aOR 3.69, 1.40-9.77; other aOR 5.10, 1.83-14.25), teen birth (First Nations aOR 3.23, 1.10-9.49; other aOR 5.06, 1.70-15.03), and sexually transmitted infections (other aOR 7.21, 3.63-14.32) were higher for children in care than children never in care, as were odds of being accused (other aOR 2.71, 1.27-5.75), a victim (other aOR 1.68, 1.10-2.56), charged with a crime (other aOR 2.68, 1.21-5.96), or incarcerated (First Nations aOR 3.64, 1.95-6.80; other aOR 1.19, 1.19-8.04). Being in OoHC worsened children's health and legal system outcomes. The importance of reducing the number of children taken into care was emphasized in briefings to provincial and First Nations governments. The government response will be monitored. Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (no. 890-2018-0029).

“Suffering in silence”: How social workers in child welfare practice experience and manage burnout

Social workers in child welfare practice encounter dilemmas, tensions, contradictions, ambiguities, and ambivalence as they attempt to meet the competing demands of the Tri-sphere — the formal child welfare system, the professional theories and values guiding practice, and the child welfare service recipients. This study explored how these encounters result in worker burnout and how that is managed. The study used a constructivist grounded theory approach. Data were collected in St. John’s, NL, Canada, employing in-depth individual interviews with 18 frontline child welfare social workers. Findings reveal that child welfare social workers regularly experience varied feelings and emotions of burnout and utilize a variety of self-care strategies to manage. Recommendations include a call for child welfare agencies to provide opportunities for workers to feel heard and acknowledged about any negative feelings and emotions, strengthen positive peer supports, and promote essential self-care practices such as offering reduced membership cost for physical activities.

Employee Compensation of Nonprofit Child Welfare Agencies in New York: Crises and Strategies

ABSTRACTWhile existing literature documents the low compensation of nonprofit human services workers, it is not well understood how managers of these organizations perceive and respond to the problem. Adopting resource dependency and competing institutional logics perspectives, we chose the New York nonprofit child welfare sector—a heavily government‐funded field—as a collective case to study these issues. Based on interviews with 17 leaders of the primary NY nonprofit child welfare agencies, we found that these agencies' employee compensation was primarily constrained by government contracts, and they were torn by conflicting institutional logics from the state, the labor market, private funders, and unions. Overall, government contracts and market competition determined worker pay, and nonprofit child welfare agencies faced labor competition not only from peer organizations, but also from the government and for‐profit sectors. With the “great resignation” atmosphere and increased cost of living intensified by the COVID‐19 pandemic, agencies were under tremendous pressure to raise worker pay. However, programs chronically underfunded by the government were incapable of providing competitive wages and were experiencing high staff turnover and vacancies. Agency leaders agreed on the need to push the government to pay programs adequately but disagreed about advocacy goals and messaging. Most leaders had reservations about aggressive collective bargaining measures such as “going on strike.” These common but attenuated labor dynamics, related managerial responses, and implications for the future of the sector are discussed, particularly in response to competing institutional pressures.

Residential mobility for young adults in extended foster care

BackgroundPlacement stability is tied to well-being among children living in foster care, yet residential mobility remains largely unexplored for transition-age youth residing in extended foster care (EFC) between ages 18 and 21. During the time young adults in EFC can remain in foster homes, child welfare agencies offer living arrangements tailored to the transition into adulthood. In supervised independent living placements (SILPs), residents receive monthly stipends to cover their housing expenses and are responsible for covering food, utilities, and other basic needs-related costs. Transitional housing placements (THPs) offer light-touch caregiving during the transition to independence to ensure that residents have their basic needs met. ObjectiveThe current study is the first comprehensive examination of factors associated with residential mobility in a statewide population of young adults residing in EFC. ParticipantsUsing California administrative Child Protective Services records, we identified young adults who turned 18 between 2016 and 2019 and lived in care for at least 1 week (N = 10,517). MethodsNegative binomial regression evaluated the association between residential characteristics and per-year EFC moves. ResultsWe found that young adults had a median number of 1.0 moves during EFC, with a median rate of 0.67 moves per year in EFC (i.e. roughly one move every 18 months). SILPs and THPs were the most common primary residence types among the study population (41.6 % and 26.0 %, respectively). The average duration of stay in EFC was two years, which varied by primary residence type. Regression results showed that predominant residence type in EFC was associated with EFC mobility, with young adults in SILPs being more likely to experience slightly higher mobility than those primarily living in other residence types (0.82 versus 0.75 moves per year in EFC). ConclusionsFindings suggest that housing for EFC residents tends to be long-lasting and relatively stable in California. Modest variations in mobility by residential type and by experiences in foster care before age 18 underscore the importance of integrating housing and psychosocial resources during independent living planning processes. The commonality of out-of-county residence should be considered when determining housing and transportation expenses for residents, given its potential implications for access to medical and behavioral health care, academic institutions, and employment opportunities for young adults receiving EFC services.

A Mediating Effect of Public Service Motivation on Retention Intention Among Child Welfare Students: Task Self-Efficacy

ABSTRACT Purpose This study investigates the role of Public Service Motivation (PSM) in retaining highly skilled and qualified child welfare graduates within the public child welfare sector. Materials and methods Three entire cohorts of child welfare student social workers over three years (N = 125) in BSW and MSW child welfare programs at seven universities in a Southern state were surveyed to examine the effects of task self-efficacy achieved through the curriculum and public service motivation on retention intention among social work students specializing in child welfare practice at both the baccalaureate and master’s levels. Mediation analysis was conducted to estimate the indirect effect of self-efficacy on students’ retention intention. Results The self-efficacy of child welfare students, operationalized as their confidence in performing competencies, significantly influences their intention to remain in the field of child welfare. Furthermore, self-efficacy among child welfare students has a statistically significant effect on their PSM. PSM, in turn, significantly impacts their intention to persist in child welfare work. Discussion The findings indicate that PSM partially mediates the relationship between students” self-efficacy and their intent to remain in child welfare work, even when controlling for educational background. We recommend that child welfare agencies recognize and nurture workers” PSM by incorporating practices that promote PSM.

Exploring the effects of a graduate level trauma-informed care education program for child welfare professionals

The national child welfare agency in Ireland identified the integration of trauma-informed practices as a service need, in the current significantly challenging practice climate. A promising program that meets the need of child welfare professionals to support need has been developed and is reported on in this paper. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of a newly developed post-graduate level trauma-informed care program for professionals in the national child welfare agency in Ireland. Study participants were 41 child welfare professionals that included front-line practitioners, supervisors, and senior managers. A pretest–posttest study design was used, data was collected over three-time points to measure the effects of the program on pre-defined outcomes of Trauma-informed Knowledge, Professional Self-efficacy, Professional Quality of Life, and Intention to Leave. Statistically significant positives effects were found in trauma-informed knowledge, professional confidence, burn-out and compassion fatigue/secondary traumatic stress, with effect sizes ranging from medium-large to large (η2=.133toη2=.721) across the intervention time period. The positive impacts arising from the program were sustained for 3 months post-intervention. The results of this initial evaluation are promising in supporting child welfare professionals’ capacity to integrate trauma-informed practices and addressing the need for trauma informed practitioners. The need for further research is highlighted.

Nonprofit Management’s Perceptions of Unions in Government-Funded Child Welfare Agencies: Can They Help Raise Wages in This Triangular Relationship?

ABSTRACT This study explores the potential of unions as a solution for addressing chronic low compensation in government-funded nonprofit human services organizations. We used the primary child welfare agencies in New York as a collective case to study nonprofit management’s views on the role labor unions can play in addressing these issues. Our in-depth interviews with 15 nonprofit leaders reveal several findings: 1) Existing unions were relatively weak and had achieved limited gains for workers, which in turn demotivated workers to unionize; and 2) Most leaders doubted that unions can help in this matter because government, as opposed to nonprofits, controls prices. Some leaders, however, expressed a belief that a larger-scale worker unionization could provide nonprofit management with more leverage to ensure the government pays adequate contracts. We also discuss the theoretical and practical implications of the role unions can play in helping improve worker compensation in nonprofit-union-government funder triangular relationships.

Caseload factors predictive of family abuse and neglect treatment outcomes

BackgroundIn child welfare, caseloads are frequently far higher than optimal. Not all cases are created equal; however, little is known about which combination and interaction of factors make caseloads more challenging and impact child and family outcomes. ObjectiveThis study aims to identify which case, provider, and organizational factors most strongly differentiate between families with favorable and less-than-positive treatment outcomes. Participants and settingParticipants were 25 family advocacy program providers and 17 supervisors at 11 Department of the Air Force installations. MethodsFollowing informed consent, participants completed demographic and caseload questionnaires, and we collected information about organizational factors. Providers were sent a weekly case update and burnout questionnaire for seven months. We used linear mixed-effects model tree (LMM tree) algorithms to determine the provider, client, and organizational characteristics that best distinguish between favorable vs. unfavorable outcomes. ResultsThe LMM tree predicting provider-rated treatment success yielded three significant partitioning variables: (a) commander involvement, (b) case complexity, and (c) % of clients in a high-risk field. The LMM predicting client-rated treatment progress yielded seven significant partitioning variables: (a) command involvement; (b) ease of reaching tenant unit command; (c) # of high-risk cases; (d) % of clients receiving Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment services; (e) ease of reaching command; (f) % of clients with legal involvement; (g) provider age. ConclusionsThis study is a first step toward developing a dynamic caseload management tool. An intelligent, algorithm-informed approach to case assignment could help child welfare agencies operate in their typically resource-scarce contexts in a manner that improves outcomes.

Integrating trauma-informed practices in child welfare: a process study of graduate education

ABSTRACT This study explored the experiences of child welfare professionals who participated in a graduate level Trauma-informed Care program in Ireland. Through three focus groups, thematic analysis revealed four overarching themes: 1. Program Acceptability; 2. Learning to Weave the Old with the New; 3. Integration into Practice and 4. Sustaining New Ground. Findings suggest participants experienced a process of change that led to knowledge integration which in turn led to concrete practice changes. Sustaining changes requires ongoing supports, a national strategy for trauma-informed practice integration in the Irish child welfare agency and across child serving systems of care.

Examining the role of the parent-caseworker relationship in child maltreatment decision-making

ABSTRACT Child welfare (CW) professionals are charged with investigating reports of alleged child maltreatment and determining whether and what type of maltreatment has occurred. Multiple factors contribute to the difficulty of making maltreatment-related decisions. The Decision-Making Ecology (DME) as developed to capture the various factors – beyond child safety-related information – that influence CW decision-making, ranging from family-to community-level factors. This study examined how the relationship between CW-involved parents and child protective caseworkers affects maltreatment-related decision-making. We propose that this relationship independently influences CW decision-making processes and should be included in the DME framework. Finally, we make recommendations to CW agencies that would improve maltreatment decision-making processes.

State Implementation of Congregate Care Reforms for Children in Foster Care.

The Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) allows states to use federal Title IV-E funds to provide time-limited, clinically appropriate use of congregate care, including Qualified Residential Treatment Programs (QRTPs), for youth in foster care. October 1, 2021 marked the deadline for states to begin implementing these FFPSA congregate care reforms. From June to September 2022, we conducted a mixed-methods study to obtain a baseline understanding of implementation barriers, successes, and recommendations to inform congregate care policy and practice. We fielded a national survey with state child welfare agency directors and conducted focus groups with youth with QRTP experiences, child welfare agency administrators, and QRTP executive leaders. We integrated a descriptive analysis of survey data with focus group themes to summarize state implementation progress. A total of 47 states (90%) responded to the survey. Most states reported ongoing congregate care reforms aligned with FFPSA, reducing the use of congregate care and increasing kinship foster care. QRTPs have become the primary congregate care setting. Top implementation barriers concerned workforce resource and capacity constraints, funding, and access to therapeutic foster care models and foster families. Focus group themes converged on the lack of tailored treatment, quality staff, coordinated aftercare, and a need for QRTP outcome evidence. Early implementation lessons of FFPSA congregate care reforms call for additional funding and technical assistance, oversight of congregate care, professionalization and investment in QRTP staff, youth advisory boards to promote youth-driven treatment, and performance- and outcome-based monitoring of QRTPs.

Packing for your JCAMP journey and reflecting on lessons learned along the way

AbstractState Court Improvement Programs (CIPs) are responsible for conducting assessments of their foster care and adoption laws and judicial processes, and developing and implementing projects that improve child welfare court practices and the delivery of legal services in child welfare. JCAMP, the Judicial, Court, and Attorney Measures of Performance, provides states with the tools to collect the data necessary to inform those projects and measure their success. This article walks CIPs, judges, child welfare agencies, attorneys, parents and youth with lived experience, and anyone else with an interest in improving the child welfare court system through the JCAMP implementation process while reflecting on lessons learned by jurisdictions currently using JCAMP to collect court data. Key takeaways from these states include the importance of diverse teams, strong project management, and long‐term planning for data use and project sustainability.

Juveniles and Animal Abuse in Finland – Prevalence and Associations with Antisocial Behavior

ABSTRACT In this paper, we analyze the prevalence of animal abuse and its associations with antisocial behavior using representative random school sample from Finnish adolescents (N = 5674; Mage = 15.3). According to our results, the lifetime prevalence of animal abuse in adolescents was 5%, with 13% reporting exposure to animal abuse. The likelihood of animal abuse was positively associated with bullying and nonviolent delinquent behavior, low empathy toward animals, and exposure to animal abuse. Violent offending was not found to be associated with animal abuse, highlighting bullying-specific dynamics. Our findings partly comply with the deviance generalization hypothesis, which suggests that animal abuse is part of a more generic pattern of antisocial behavior among adolescents. We conclude that because animal abuse and antisocial behavior are related many of the same tools used to address and prevent bullying or criminal behavior can be expected to work, at least partly, in preventing animal abuse. Collaboration and information-sharing between animal and child welfare agencies are important and warrant further investigations and development.

Exploring alternative care options for children in China: recent developments and challenges

ABSTRACT In recent years, there has been increasing recognition of the complexities surrounding alternative care arrangements for children, especially within China’s changing childcare landscape. This paper addresses the gap in understanding the nuances of alternative care options in China by conducting a narrative review of existing literature and governmental documents, focusing specifically on kinship care, institutional care, family foster care, and adoption. The review reveals recent developments and current challenges associated with each form of alternative care, providing insights into the evolving childcare system in China. Key findings include significant progress in diversifying childcare options, increased funding investment in the system, and efforts to standardize alternative childcare practices through policies and legislative measures. However, challenges persist in promoting psychosocial development and preparing individuals living in institutions for leaving care, ensuring adequate resources and support for kinship caregivers, and enhancing participation rates in family foster care and adoption practices. Practical implications for policymakers and child welfare agencies are discussed, emphasizing the importance of promoting family-based care options, providing quality caregiver training, considering various aspects of children’s needs, extending support for kinship care, and formulating inclusive adoption policies.

Inclusive Leadership to Address Discrimination and Improve Retention in Child Welfare: Examining Multiple Pathways

Inclusive leadership has been discussed as an effective approach to workforce retention and workplace racial discrimination by satisfying the demand for belongingness and uniqueness. However, scant research has investigated the relationship between inclusive leadership and retention in child welfare. Using survey data collected from child welfare workers (n = 2469) across three public child welfare agencies, the current study examined the direct impact of inclusive leadership on child welfare workers’ intent to stay at their agency, as well as its indirect impact on intent to stay by influencing workplace racial discrimination. This study also explored the moderation effect of inclusive climate on the direct and indirect impacts of inclusive leadership using the PROCESS Program for SPSS. The research findings revealed that the direct and indirect impacts of inclusive leadership on intent to stay were significant. The findings also suggest that inclusive climate strengthened the positive association between inclusive leadership and intent to stay. Overall, this study demonstrated the potential of inclusive leadership to enhance racial equity and workforce retention in public child welfare systems. Future research needs to explore how specific behaviors of inclusive leaders improve workforce retention and explore other factors that could explain the impact of inclusive leadership.