Child Welfare Organizations Research Articles

Child welfare experiences with automated medical data sharing for children in protective custody

There are multiple factors contributing to the poor health of children in protective custody, i.e. foster care, including a critical gap in information sharing. A hospital-driven solution was developed in collaboration with child welfare to facilitate automated information sharing between healthcare and child welfare organizations, resulting in a web-based data exchange platform. This study explored the utilization and impact of the data sharing solution by child welfare professionals, learning about the perspectives of child welfare professionals accessing the new health information data sharing platform, and by surveying temporary caregivers about the health information they received from child welfare professionals when children were newly placed with them. Interviews revealed three important themes: (1) The necessity of automated data sharing for child welfare professionals to complete tasks related to managing children’s health and managing child welfare requirements; (2) Recognition that data sharing can reduce work burden and; (3) Even with good automated data sharing, there remained gaps in obtaining the complete picture of children’s health. Temporary caregivers reported no statistically significant increase in health knowledge for new placements before and after the implementation of the data sharing system. This study demonstrated that implementing a data sharing system between the child welfare and healthcare systems is feasible and will be utilized by child welfare professionals who recognize the value both for child health and on their own workload. However, additional research is needed to understand how to best ensure transfer of appropriate health information from child welfare professionals to temporary caregivers.

Understanding the overrepresentation of Black children in Ontario's child welfare system: Perspectives from child welfare workers and community service providers

BackgroundThe overrepresentation of Black children in the child welfare system is a social problem that has received longstanding attention in the United States, but has recently received increasing attention in Canada. ObjectiveThis qualitative study explores the findings of two quantitative studies (Antwi-Boasiako et al., 2020, 2021) in order to interpret them through the perspectives of child welfare workers and community service providers. The aim is to gain a deeper understanding on the potential factors that contribute to the overrepresentation of Black children in Ontario's child welfare system. Participants and settingThe study involved twenty-one child welfare workers from two child welfare organizations in Ontario serving lots of Black families and thirteen community service providers in Toronto. MethodsSix focus groups were completed with thirty-four participants. Each of the focus groups was audio recorded and manually transcribed verbatim. Constant comparison analysis was used to analyze the transcribed data. ResultsThemes that emerged from the study include the following concerns: racism and bias from referral sources; racism and bias from child welfare workers; lack of cultural sensitivity; lack of workforce diversity/training; lack of culturally appropriate resources; assessment tools; duty to report; fear of liability; lack of collaboration; and poverty. ConclusionsThe results from this study reinforce the need to shift practice that acknowledges Black families as valuable stakeholders and experts of their own lives and involves them in the development and implementation of policies and practices that affect them.

Addressing the overrepresentation of Black children in Ontario's child welfare system: insights from child welfare workers and community service providers

BackgroundThe overrepresentation Black children experience in the child welfare system is well documented in the United States, but such studies are now emerging in Canada. In Ontario, there are few studies that address this issue concerning Black families. ObjectiveThis study is to explore the insights of child welfare workers and community service providers on how to potentially address Black children's overrepresentation in Ontario's child welfare system. Participants and settingTwenty-one child welfare workers from two child welfare organizations in Ontario that serves many Black families and thirteen community service providers in Toronto participated in the study. MethodsSix focus groups were conducted with thirty-four participants. Audio recording from each of the focus groups was manually transcribed verbatim. We utilized constant comparison analysis to analyse the transcribed data. ResultsPotential solutions to overrepresentation that emerged from the focus group discussions included viewing Black families as experts of their own lives; increasing workforce diversity; educating referral sources and Black families on child welfare practices; subjecting referral sources to detailed questioning; stopping harmful record keeping on families; providing cultural sensitivity training and education; partnering with community organizations; and providing mentorship opportunities. ConclusionsThe findings from this study emphasize the need for changes related to child welfare assessment tools, workforce development, and shifts in system orientation to address systemic racism and Black children's overrepresentation in the child welfare system.

Child protection plans in the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany: Maintained, adjusted, or suspended?

BackgroundCOVID-19 infection prevention measures have enhanced risks of abuse and neglect for children and youth. Simultaneously, they have affected the practice of child protection, especially impacting the social infrastructure on which child protection work tends to rely, as well as the ability of practitioners to meet with family members face-to-face and in their homes. ObjectivesThis article focuses on the ways in which infection prevention measures have shaped child protection plans in Germany, i.e. family support and counselling, which is accompanied by monitoring and scrutiny. MethodsThe article is based on a qualitative study, in which 40 semi-structured interviews were held with first-line management representatives of German Youth Welfare Agencies between July and October 2020. ResultsThe study's results show that protection plans have either been maintained, modified or (temporarily) suspended. Several influencing factors were identified. First, the extent to which the social infrastructure relevant for child protection could be maintained, or emerging gaps be filled in a timely fashion by child and youth welfare organisations. Second, the degree of effectiveness of the working relationship between practitioners and parents under the new conditions, including practitioners' ability to resort to flexible, digital or hybrid communication methods with families proved important. Moreover, everyday practical help from Youth Welfare Agencies and family service providers could often change the parental perception of these professionals for the better, thereby strengthening the relationship between practitioners and parents. LimitationsA key limitation of the study comprises the fact that the study findings are limited to the earlier phase of the pandemic.

How child welfare professionals search for, access, and share information: Findings from the National child welfare information study

Child Welfare Information Gateway, with funding from the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, conducted the National Child Welfare Information Study between January and May 2019 to better understand how child welfare professionals search for, access, and share information. Topics covered in the survey included the general level of access to child welfare information, proactive searches for child welfare information, receiving child welfare information, sharing child welfare information, training, using mobile technology to access child welfare information, and using social media to access and share child welfare information. The results, based on 3,313 responses, provide a valuable profile of how child welfare professionals interact with information as part of their work responsibilities. These findings will be useful to (1) technical assistance providers seeking to disseminate information to this audience, (2) people responsible for managing and directing child welfare organizations, and (3) other researchers who can use the data for additional exploration on these topics.

Minding the maps: Using visual mapping methodology and installation art to understand differences in client service accessibility among nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles.

This study highlights the pathways of clients' social service usage through qualitative interviews and visual mapping methodology. Undergraduate students interviewed clients at diverse social service agencies in Los Angeles that include homeless shelters, child welfare organizations, domestic violence organizations, LGBTQIA youth-oriented agencies, nonprofits serving older adults, schools, and organizations serving low-income families. Students used the information gathered from the interviews to visually map their clients' environmental and structural barriers, as well as their pathways to service. The research team then analyzed the students' visual maps to create one cohesive, complex, and multilayered visual map representing clients' overall barriers and pathways to social services in Los Angeles.

Validation and further development of a risk assessment instrument for child welfare

BackgroundAlthough many child maltreatment risk assessment instruments have been implemented in child welfare organizations, thorough studies on their predictive validity are scarce. ObjectiveTo examine (1) the predictive validity of a risk assessment instrument that has been widely implemented in the Netherlands, and to examine (2) whether the actuarial risk estimation could be improved and simplified to widen the instrument’s applicability to different organizations serving different populations. Participants and settingThe sample comprised risk assessments (N = 3,681) performed for families enrolled at one of five child welfare agencies in the Netherlands between January 2015 and December 2017. MethodsIn a follow-up period of at least one year, child maltreatment was operationalized as whether or not child protection orders, residential care, or hotline reports occurred. Area Under the Curve values were calculated to determine the predictive accuracy of the risk classifications. Chi-square Automatic Interaction Detection was used to develop a new risk classification based on a new cumulative risk variable. ResultsThe original risk classification and the newly developed and simplified risk classification showed a similar discriminative accuracy for the different outcome measures: Area Under the Curve values were .68 and .69 for child protection orders, .62 and .63 for residential care, and .58 and .60 for hotline reports, respectively. ConclusionsThe original and new risk classification of the instrument had a medium predictive validity with the latter being simpler, more widely applicable, and based on more valid risk factors.

Covid 19 pandemic and its impact on children

Introduction: Covid-19, like on every other age group, showed a detrimental impact on children. We predicted more adversities among vulnerable lower socio economic groups but outcome is contrasting due to varied reasons. Despite minimal morbidity and mortality, There is a substantial impact on lifestyle, development , mental health and learning behaviour patterns in Paediatric population. Some of the positive impact1 : • Awareness regarding pandemic in detail is explained ,reassurances and practical measures to be taken to keep themselves and others safe. • Spending quality time with children during the lockdown enabled closer relationship and bonding. • Children had an opportunity to understand the value of nature and eco systems. • Introduction of E learning helped the children to develop more creative skills and activities that would benefit them in later life keeping in pace with education. Some of negative impact: • Closing schools and library facilities which is only mode of education for some children who cannot access to internet impacted most in their learning. This is more seen in rural areas and lower socio economic background2 . • Anxiousness and frustration regarding reaching higher heights in their career and success is seen in children. • Lack of outdoor physical activity which resulted in overeating and obesity. • Nutritional deficiency is seen in children from rural and lower socio economic groups due to school closure who are dependent on government food programmes provided at school3 . • Isolation, physical distance , loneliness, fear of deprived of company and misunderstanding with their own peer groups are some challenging situations which brought drastic behavior changes in children4,5. • There is a spike in child marriages mostly in lower socio economic groups .Child right crisis like child labour, child abuse, more so seen in lower socio economic classes. Editorial 1 • Addiction to social media and internet leading to cyber bullying and sexual exploitation. Conclusion: Long term impact on children are yet to be seen. Although some of these may be positive, but negative impacts may be devastating and could affect child development .There is a definite need for Government to work together with child welfare organizations and international health care organizations working for children to minimize the negative impact on children

The Journey to Evidence: Adopting Evidence-Based Programs in an Australian Child Welfare Organization

ABSTRACT In response to a crisis in the child welfare sector in Australia, the OzChild executive leadership team (ELT) moved to adopt evidence-based programs (EBPs) to deliver improved outcomes to children and families. This case study focuses on the adoption and implementation of the first suite of EBPs, examining the strategies, decision-making processes and challenges addressed by the ELT. Interviews with leaders and managers involved are situated within existing research on organizational change and EBP adoption in human service organizations. The case study concludes with a set of questions to encourage discussion and reflection.

Why Healthcare and Education Professionals Underreport Suspicions of Child Abuse: A Qualitative Study

Education and healthcare professionals are crucial in detecting and reporting child abuse and neglect. However, signs of child abuse are often undetected, and professionals tend to underreport their suspicions of abuse and neglect. This qualitative study aimed to examine experiences, attitudes, perspectives, and decision-making skills of healthcare and education professionals with regard to identifying and reporting child abuse and to gain insight into how detection and reporting can be improved. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 49 Dutch professionals working in child health care, mental health care, primary schools, and secondary schools. The I-Change model was used as a theoretical framework to organize the results. Many professionals believe they miss child abuse signs in their daily work, partially due to a lack of focus on child abuse. Further, professionals indicated having insufficient knowledge of child abuse, and lack communication skills to detect or discuss signs indicative of child abuse in conversations with parents or children. As for risk assessment, professionals barely use structured instruments even though these are regarded as very helpful in the decision-making process. Finally, professionals experience deficits in the cooperation with child welfare organizations, and in particular with Child Protective Services (CPS). Various directions for improvement were discussed to overcome barriers in child abuse detection and reporting, including developing tools for detecting and assessing the risk of child abuse and improving communication and information transfer between organizations.

Workers’ Attitudes about Domestic Violence (DV): Does Personal Experience with DV Matter?

ABSTRACT This study examined how workers’ personal experience with domestic violence (DV) and their training and education impact their attitudes and beliefs about DV. Understanding workers’ attitudes is necessary to ensure an effective and non-judgmental service response. A statewide survey of child welfare and DV organization workers was analyzed using linear regression to predict workers’ victim blaming attitudes (N = 846). Gender, type of education, recognizing the impact of DV in one’s life, and DV training are all significantly associated with workers’ attitudes toward survivors. Those working with survivors should be provided with the training necessary to recognize the pervasive nature of DV.

The effect of increased mobility on SARS-CoV-2 transmission: a descriptive study of the trends of COVID-19 in Zimbabwe between December 2020 and January 2021.

Introductionwhen the first cases of COVID-19 were reported in Zimbabwe in March 2020, the local outbreak was characterised by an insidious increase in national caseload. This first wave was mainly attributable to imported cases, peaking around July 2020. By October 2020, the number of cases reported daily had declined to less than 100 cases per day signalling the end of the first wave. This pattern mirrored the global trends. In December 2020, reports of new COVID-19 variants emerged and coincided with the beginning of the second wave within the ongoing pandemic. This paper reports on the analysis conducted on the new wave of COVID-19 beginning December 2020 to January 2021. The objective of this study was to document the evolving presumptive second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Zimbabwe from December 2020 to January 2021.Methodsthis is a retrospective analysis of secondary data extracted from the daily situation reports published by the Ministry of Health and Child Welfare, Zimbabwe and World Health Organization Country Office, Zimbabwe. The period under consideration started from 1st December 2020 to 31st January 2021.Resultsthere was a 333% increase in the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases starting 1st December 2020, to 31st January 2021. These new cases were mainly attributed to community transmission though there were a few imported cases. There was a 439% increase in the absolute number of deaths; however, the case fatality rate remained low at 3.6%, and comparable to that from other countries. Harare, Bulawayo and Manical and provinces accounted for 60% of the case burden, with the other seven provinces only accounting for 40%. By mid-January, the number of incident COVID-19 cases started to decline significantly, to levels similar to the residual levels seen during the first wave.Conclusionthe second wave, which lasted a period of less than 2 months, had a steep rise and sharp decline in the incident cases and fatalities. The steep rise was attributable to increased mobility, with a consequent increase in the chains of community transmission. The declines, noted from mid-January 2021, may be partly attributable to a strict national lockdown, though more in-depth exploration of the drivers of transmission is needed to tailor effective interventions for future control. Differentiated strategies maybe needed according to the case burdens in the different provinces. In anticipation of further waves, the introduction of safe and effective vaccines might be the game changer if the vaccines are widely availed to the population to levels adequate to achieve herd immunity. Meanwhile, infection prevention and control guidelines must continue to be observed.

The Victim-Perpetrator Cycle of Sexual Abuse and Offending Behavior

Background: Child sexual abuse (CSA) is highly prevalent in India and a major public health challenge. CSA victims are at a greater risk for developing a range of negative behavioral and psychological outcomes across their life span. In this case report, we highlight the diagnosis and management of a boy who sexually victimized his classmate subsequent to his trauma of being sexually abused by a peer. Clinical Description: A 10-year-old child, was referred for sexual acting out behaviors, wherein he had attempted anal penetration of a classmate. History revealed multiple stressors including the death of his mother, history of sexual abuse by an older boy, prolonged exposure to digital sexualized content, father's remarriage, adjustment problems with stepmother, relocation, and a new school. A comprehensive psychosocial evaluation was conducted including the administration of a risk assessment tool, the Juvenile Sex Offender Assessment Protocol-II. Management: The mainstay of management was psycho-education that focused on guiding his parents on the importance of intensive parental supervision, academic support, restricting the use of the Internet, and promoting healthy friendships. The child was encouraged to have healthy extracurricular interests, especially outdoor physical activities. Regular follow-up for over a year revealed significant behavioral improvement and no repeat of sexual offending behavior. Conclusion: High-risk children need to be provided with supportive family services and linked to child welfare organizations for long-term intervention. Health-care professionals can play a pivotal role in the prevention of inappropriate sexual behaviors and the promotion of healthy development among youth.

Screening for intimate partner violence in the early postpartum period: Maternal and child health and social outcomes from birth to 5-years post-delivery

BackgroundIntimate partner violence (IPV) during pregnancy is a substantial public health concern, yet little is known about the developmental trajectory of these women and their children after birth. ObjectiveThe objective was to examine maternal and child health as well as social outcomes from birth to 5-years post-delivery associated with a positive (vs. negative) maternal IPV screen around the time of delivery. Participants and SettingManitoban women giving birth to a live singleton infant from January 1, 2003 to December 31, 2006 were followed from birth to 5-years post-delivery (analytic sample: N = 40,051). MethodsAdministrative databases from the Manitoba Centre for Health Policy provided data for the study. Descriptive statistics and logistic regression were used to examine relationships between IPV screen response around the time of birth (i.e., current, or history of, violence between parenting partners) with maternal and child health as well as social outcomes. ResultsWomen screening positive for IPV had increased odds of diagnosed mood/anxiety disorders, personality disorders, substance use disorders, diabetes, respiratory morbidity, and intentional/non-intentional injury hospitalizations (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] range 1.81–5.59, p < .01). Children of women screening positive for IPV had increased odds of diagnosed attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder, lower respiratory infections, and injury hospitalizations (AOR range 1.53–2.00, p < .01), child welfare organization contact (AOR = 8.84, p < .01), and of being more developmentally vulnerable at kindergarten across domains of functioning (AOR range 1.69–1.93, p < .01) than children of mothers screening negative for IPV. ConclusionA positive IPV screen was associated with poorer maternal and child health, increased child and family services contact, and children being more developmentally vulnerable in the 5-years after delivery.

Increased child abuse in Uganda amidst COVID-19 pandemic.

Globally, COVID-19 lockdown measures have exposed children to more sexual, physical and emotional abuse and neglect. Although the COVID-19 pandemic is likely to have long-lasting adverse psychological effects on children, there have been comparatively few studies on children's health as compared with adults, particularly in low-income countries. Uganda implemented one of the most stringent lockdowns with bans on transportation and gatherings as well as the closure of schools, stores and places of worship. In order to address the dearth of information in less developed regions, the article aims to provide an insight into the increased cases of child abuse in Uganda during the COVID-19 pandemic. The data and information were primarily compiled from government and child welfare organisation open-source databases. The psychosocial impacts of COVID-19 have greatly disrupted the living conditions of children, limiting their access to basic needs such as food and health care. In addition, there is a lack of social support, thus putting children at an increased risk of different forms of child abuse. Since the implementation of the COVID-19 lockdown in Uganda, there has been a rise in the incidence of child abuse. Increased cases of physical and sexual abuse against children have been reported in different parts of the country as well as increased cases of child labour. To strengthen child protection during the COVID-19 pandemic, this article highlights a need for multi-level stakeholder cooperation to ensure increased funding, increased community awareness and sensitisation, early detection and effective management and referral of child abuse cases.

University partnership in child welfare workforce preparation and program implementation

ABSTRACTIn this article, we present a university partnership with public and private child welfare organizations that simultaneously transformed MSW field curricula and informed installation and implementation of new child welfare practice models. Anchored in implementation science and frameworks, the partnership’s plan-do-study-act feedback loops identify challenges and opportunities, integrate lessons for students, instructors, and participating organizations, and prepare future workforce and leaders to deliver evidence-informed practice. Its focus, processes, structures, and tools offer academic professional degree programs an example of how workforce preparation and the implementation of service programs can be mutually reinforcing and beneficial.

Cultivating emotional intelligence in child welfare professionals: A systematic scoping review

Emotional intelligence (EI) refers to the ability to recognize and appropriately respond to emotions in oneself and others; these competencies include, but are not limited to, empathy, emotion regulation, reflective ability, self-awareness, and psychological flexibility. Such abilities are crucial to meaningful and effective child welfare work. Further, they are part of resilience and healthy coping mechanisms, which are important for those working in child welfare if compassion fatigue and burnout are to be combated. However, little is known about how to cultivate these competencies in child welfare professionals. The present study had two goals: 1) To conduct a systematic scoping review of the literature on interventions purporting to develop and/or enhance EI-related competencies in this population, whether those interventions be at the caseworker, supervisor, or organizational level; 2) To consider future directions for the teaching and enhancement of EI competencies for child welfare professionals. A total of 18 studies met inclusion criteria, with the majority focused on developing mindfulness and/or empathy skills. However, no studies focused on child welfare professionals, and instead focused on social work students or professionals, with a few including other helping professionals. Additionally, none were focused on a supervisory or organizational level. Future directions for research are discussed, including the use of experiential or simulation-based training in order to elicit emotions within a safe and supportive learning context, the use of reflective supervision to help develop self-reflection and emotion regulation skills, and system-wide interventions that enhance the development of emotional intelligence competencies in public child welfare organizations.

Able or unable: how do professionals determine the parenting capacity of mothers with intellectual disabilities

ABSTRACT Within the context of the child welfare court, parenting capacity assessments are heavily relied upon to make decisions in the lives of families headed by parents with intellectual disabilities. However, little is known about the specific data that is included in these reports. The first aim of this study was to identify the data that underpins the conclusions and recommendations within parenting capacity reports. The second aim was to compare the sections of these reports from child welfare organizations and specialized intellectual disabilities service agencies. The results of this study indicate that child welfare reports usually conclude that the parent lacks the capacity to raise their children. Conversely, reports that were completed by specialized intellectual disabilities services identified that with appropriate support, parenting capacity was adequate. The results of this study have implications for assessment guidelines and system capacity initiatives to improve the quality of life of families headed by parents with ID.

Ten Answers Every Child Welfare Agency Should Provide

A university-child welfare agency partnership between the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto and Highland Shores Children’s Aid (Highland Shores), a child welfare agency in Ontario, allowed for the identification and examination of ten questions to which every child welfare organization should know the answers. Using data primarily from the Ontario Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (OCANDS), members of the partnership were able to answer these key questions about the children and families served by Highland Shores and the services provided to children and families. The Ontario child welfare sector has experienced challenges in utilizing existing data sources to inform practice and policy. The results of this partnership illustrate how administrative data can be used to answer relevant, field-driven questions. Ultimately, the answers to these questions are valuable to the broader child welfare sector and can help to enhance agency accountability and improve services provided to vulnerable children and their families.

Racial diversity and inclusive representation in urban public child welfare

ABSTRACTThis study explores racial diversity and inclusive representation in child welfare organizations, including demographic differences between White workers (WW) and workers of Color (WOC), representation of WOC across all levels of the agency, and influence of racial identity on intentions to remain employed. WW and WOC have many demographic and perceptual similarities regarding their work, yet WOC were significantly more likely to be in caseworker positions, and WW were more likely to be supervisors and managers (p = .015). At the same time, WOC significantly lower burnout scores suggest they are more resilient, although less likely to intend to stay.