Child Welfare Policy Research Articles

Adoption from care, the reunification principle and consensual placements: the political promotion of a controversial child protection measure in Sweden

ABSTRACT Swedish child welfare policies have traditionally been family-centred, and great importance has been placed on consensual measures and the reunification of children in care with their birth families. Adoptions of children from care are rare. Thus, when the government commissioned the Swedish Board of Health and Welfare (NBHW) to improve social services’ knowledge about adoption, it seemed to indicate an ideological shift in Swedish child protection policies. For over a year, we documented the activities of the working group at the NBHW as they tried to mediate between what they interpreted as a political attempt to promote adoption on the one hand and social services’ reluctant stance towards adoption on the other. We identified three main challenges in this task: (i) the handling of the commission’s ideological premises, (ii) the question of what kind of knowledge about adoption should be disseminated to social services, and (iii) the question of what knowledge is relevant for social services. The article uses theories of metagovernance to show how the NBHW dealt with these challenges by reframing the commision’s premises, adapting the message and by balancing the objectives of addressing the issues social services identified as relevant and of fulfilling its remit.

United Nations Goals for Child Welfare in Pakistan: An Analysis of Midpoint Agenda

The primary objective of this study was to examine Pakistan's child welfare policies and programs in light of the United Nations' goals for 2030. The study aims to examine Pakistan's performance in child-related SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and to compare it to its neighbors, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and India. As a 'Quant-Qual Cross-sectional Study,' the researchers reviewed a number of secondary data sources available through their websites. Along with these many sources of quantitative data, the researchers also obtained qualitative information (e.g., child policies, programs, legislation, plans of action, etc.). It was a halfway evaluation, named the "Midpoint Agenda," of what is to be achieved by 2030. The Midpoint Agenda was analyzed in May 2024, nearly halfway through the UN goals set in 2015. The analysis of data leads us to the conclusion that child welfare in Pakistan remains at a residual level after 77 years. The welfare personnel's justified attitude has made it clear that Pakistan's residual welfare is the result of insufficient public investment and poor governance. Urgent attention is also required to overhaul all child welfare programs and instruments.

Offering protection to immigrant youths in America: Is asylum or Special Immigrant Juvenile Status truly in the best interest of the child?

AbstractIn the United States (US), children's ‘best interest’ principles are central to child welfare policy, but their incorporation into immigration laws is less robust. Drawing on data from international and domestic policies, interviews with legal professionals and legal guidelines, we compare how Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJS) and asylum – the main forms of immigration relief for undocumented youths in the US – align with children's best interest principles. SIJS, while promising, undermines family integrity by imposing rigid child‐rearing standards that may penalize immigrant families. Asylum upholds family integrity, but the application process involves intense interviews and strict evidentiary standards that harm youths’ well‐being. Given asylum's high denial rates, the process often results in trauma without much promise of the permanency asylum can offer. Consequently, both SIJS and asylum fall short of protecting children's rights and best interests. We argue that how legal systems manage youths significantly affects youths’ well‐being and their access to rights and benefits. The impact of legal processes on youths should be paramount to best interest policies and practices. We conclude with policy recommendations for SIJS and asylum that better promote children's best interests.

"I Want Everybody to Know as Much of My Life Story as They Can": Life Stories of Former Foster Youth.

The power of stories shared by young people in foster care is well-documented. Largely left unexplored is a story of foster care that is told within a fuller context of the life course. Using narrative and life history methods, this study sought to retrospectively identify and connect life experiences in histories of young people and explore how systems are portrayed. Twelve adults formerly in foster care completed three interviews each and nominated six professionals from foster care for an interview. A three-phase analytical process identified and displayed themes across six developmental stages. Results suggest that life stories contained adversities that were: (1) intergenerational, (2) chronic, (3) complex, and (4) structural. The participants intentionally acted to try to mitigate adversities by accessing opportunities for prosocial pathways. These exploratory findings challenge child welfare policy and practice to attend to young people's life stories and their conceptions of systems that advance well-being.

Preventing foster care entry at the community, systems, and societal levels: Recommendations from the child-serving workforce

Child welfare policy and practice in the United States is increasingly concerned with the prevention of child maltreatment and foster care entry. Expanding prevention capacity through new programs and supports will require the buy-in of the current child-serving workforce both in child welfare systems as well as other settings such as mental health, schools, and early childhood services. The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify a set of recommendations for preventing foster care entry from members of the child-serving workforce to gauge their alignment with current strategies and to better understand workers’ priorities for reforming our current approach to promoting child and family wellbeing. Data were collected via interview, focus groups, and open-ended survey questions from a total of 614 participants working in child-serving settings. Through theoretical thematic analysis, we identified a set of 14 recommendations for preventing foster care entry across the community, systems, and societal levels. Broadly, recommendations focused on promoting community connectedness, adopting a public health approach to child maltreatment prevention, shifting child welfare practice to be more proactive in providing resources to families, enhancing cross-systems collaboration, and passing a range of policies to enhance family and child wellbeing with a particular emphasis on income supports. Findings from the study suggest that the current child-serving workforce is strongly committed to the national shift toward maltreatment prevention, and that they endorse strengths-based, data-informed strategies for achieving this objective.

Childhood Environmental Instabilities and Their Behavioral Implications: A Machine Learning Approach to Studying Adverse Childhood Experiences.

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) include a range of abusive, neglectful, and dysfunctional household behaviors that are strongly associated with long-term health problems, mental health conditions, and societal difficulties. The study aims to uncover significant factors influencing ACEs in children aged 0-17 years and to propose a predictive model that can be used to forecast the likelihood of ACEs in children. Machine learning models are applied to identify and analyze the relationships between several predictors and the occurrence of ACEs. Key performance metrics such as AUC, F1 score, recall, and precision are used to evaluate the predictive strength of different factors on ACEs. Family structures, especially non-traditional forms such as single parenting, and the frequency of relocating to a new address are determined as key predictors of ACEs. The final model, a neural network, achieved an AUC of 0.788, a precision score of 0.683, and a recall of 0.707, indicating its effectiveness in accurately identifying ACE cases. The model's ROC and PR curves showed a high true positive rate for detecting children with two or more ACEs while also pointing to difficulties in classifying single ACE instances accurately. Furthermore, our analysis revealed the intricate relationship between the frequency of relocation and other predictive factors. The findings highlight the importance of familial and residential stability in children's lives, with substantial implications for child welfare policies and interventions. The study emphasizes the need for targeted educational and healthcare support to promote the well-being and resilience of at-risk children.

Calling on kin: Poverty, the family safety net, and child welfare policy

AbstractObjectiveThis study examined parents' accounts of how their extended kin networks shaped and were shaped by the child protective services (CPS) process.BackgroundArguably the most important recent shift in child welfare policy has been a move away from non‐relative foster care and toward kin placement. Yet increasing family complexity along with network disadvantage may weaken kin support.MethodThis study draws on 81 in‐depth interviews with a sample of parents with prior involvement with the CPS system in New Jersey. Our sample includes 54 Black, 19 white, and 8 Hispanic parents. We used inductive analysis and iterative, qualitative coding to interpret participants' accounts and classify their networks.ResultsParents often indicated that the quality of kin ties helped to steer case outcomes, benefitting parents with supportive and resourced family connections and impairing those isolated from family or embedded in disadvantaged networks. State intervention in the family also affected kin ties, often compromising parents' relationships with relatives.ConclusionThe results of this study reveal that child welfare agencies prioritize kin support as a solution to addressing family needs even though the parents who come under the purview of CPS often lack supportive kin networks. This study has implications for understanding the family safety net and the role of kin networks in government processes.

Intergenerational conflict, contact with biological parents, and child functioning in kinship caregiver families

Over time, federal child welfare policy has shaped a preference for states to make every effort to place children with kinship caregivers before non-kin, foster caregivers. The current study focuses on two aspects of out-of-home care that past research indicates differ between kin and non-kin foster care arrangements: frequency of conflict between caregivers and biological parents (higher among kin foster care) and children’s contact with biological parents (easier to facilitate among kin foster care). Using a convenience sample of kinship caregivers recruited from a midwestern state, we examined cross-sectional associations between intergenerational conflict, child contact with biological mothers and fathers, and child well-being among kinship care households. N = 205 kinship caregivers completed an extensive telephone interview about a range of relevant topics, including study child well-being (i.e., the child that requires the most care and attention from the kin caregiver). After controlling for a range of caregiver, child, and contextual factors, more frequent intergenerational conflict was associated with a greater likelihood of child hyperactivity disorder, mental health concerns, learning disabilities, and any of the diagnoses individually or in combination. Results concerning child contact with biological mothers and fathers were less conclusive. The findings will add to our understanding of kinship care as a preferred form of non-parental care and have value to those implementing the 2018 Family First Prevention Services Act (H.R. 1892).

Honoring Family: Using parent partner expertise to strengthen a child welfare coaching program

Increasingly, the child welfare system is acknowledging the importance of incorporating parent voice and expertise into changes in child welfare practice, policy, and research; however, there is limited knowledge on how to incorporate parents’ expertise into program-level change. This study sought input from parent partners on the shared principles of a statewide coaching program for child welfare supervisors. Two focus groups were conducted, an initial focus group (n = 17) and a member checking focus group (n = 14). Data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Findings included three key themes: (a) understand parent context, (b) activate engagement, and (c) bridge principles and practice. Strategies for incorporating parent partner input into the coaching program are discussed.

Attention to disability in child protection policies across four liberal welfare regimes

ABSTRACT How child protection and welfare policies address the disability community is a matter of utmost importance and urgency in the context of well-established inequalities. We present a policy content analysis of national policy documents across the United States, Northern Ireland, Australia, and the Republic of Ireland through the theoretical frame of a welfare regimes typology. Key findings include the conflation of disability with vulnerability in all but one context. Also evident is a lack of overt definition of disability, and opportunities for developing specific jurisdictional guidance and regulations focussed on embedding best practices in supporting disabled clients at all system levels.

Reconsidering Recognition in the Lives of Children and Young People in Care: Insights from the Mockingbird Family in South Australia

This study explored the experiences of children and young people in the Mockingbird Family, South Australia, during implementation and roll-out. The study involved semi-structured interviews with a diverse group of 54 participants, including 21 children and young people, 12 foster carers, and 14 agency workers. Thematic analysis, with the application of Axel Honneth’s recognition theory, showed the Mockingbird Family model to validate the emotional, cognitive, and social support needs of children and young people. Through interconnected experience, the nurturing of care and the promotion of rights-based, holistic approaches were crucial for achieving social recognition, dignity, and developmental growth. The study indicates the potential benefits of the Mockingbird Family model for addressing the needs of children and young people in care. The research suggests that a community-based support model such as the Mockingbird Family should be considered in child welfare practices. However, further research is necessary to fully understand the model’s long-term effects and justify its integration into wider child welfare policies.

Caregiver Psychological Maltreatment Behaviors Toward Children on TikTok.

We examined TikTok user engagement when parents post videos engaging in psychological maltreatment (PM) behaviors towards their children, using the APSAC-endorsed definition of PM. A new TikTok account was created and seeded with PM behavior videos identified previously; similar videos then appeared on the new account's "For You Page" (an algorithmic feed curated by TikTok). Researchers identified 35 creators who had posted at least one PM behavior video, resulting in their full profile being coded (N = 2684 videos) for five engagement metrics, presence of children, and presence of PM behavior. Non-parametric paired comparisons (Mann-Whitney tests) were made within individual creators for: (1) engagement metrics before and after the first PM behavior video, (2) engagement metrics for PM behavior videos versus non-PM videos, (3) engagement metrics for child videos versus non-child videos, and (4) proportion of videos containing children before and after the first PM video. All but one analysis was significant (effect sizes from .28 to .59, average r = .46). We discuss directions for future research, as well as how child welfare and content moderation policy can be updated to change social norms around sharenting.

State-level policies and reunification: A multi-level survival analysis

BackgroundA growing body of research has focused on the relationships of policies and other macro factors and child welfare outcomes. However, to date, few studies have examined state child welfare policies and reunification, despite reunification being the priority case goal among children in foster care. ObjectiveThis study examined the relationship between state child welfare policies and other macro factors and reunification, while controlling for child factors. Participants and settingData came from the 2016–2019 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis Reporting System (AFCARS), which contains case-level information on all children in foster care during each fiscal year. MethodsWe conducted a series of multi-level survival analyses to observe the fixed effects of state-level factors and child-level factors on time to reunification among children who entered foster care in 2016. ResultsIn the unadjusted model, children in states with Title IV-E stipend programs for caseworkers had higher hazards of reunification (HR = 1.21, 95 % CI = 1.01–1.44) as did children in states with statewide in-home post-reunification services (HR = 1.63, 95 % CI = 1.16–2.28). Children in states that required a master's degree for caseworkers had lower hazards of reunification (HR = 0.72, 95 % CI = 0.59–0.95). ConclusionsFindings from this study highlight the importance of considering state policies and their impact on reunification. Implications for policy, practice, and research are explored.

Colonial constructions: Systemic racism in child welfare practice

Summary Drawing on historical constructions of Indigenous peoples, this paper analyses the continued impact of settler discourses of Indigenous families, parenting, and children on child welfare policy in Canada today. Findings In this work, two provincial children's Advocate reports on the deaths of Indigenous children in care, Tina Fontaine and Alex Gervais, are critically assessed in order to explore the processes through which these colonial constructions operate to create adverse outcomes for Indigenous people. Through this analysis, a number of contemporary colonial narratives are made visible, including the belief that Indigenous parents are inherently incapable of caring for their children, and the gendered construction of Indigenous men and boys as criminal and deviant and Indigenous girls as sexually exploitable. Application These findings suggest that greater critical reflection is needed when working with Indigenous peoples, including greater awareness of the ongoing impact of settler colonialism and the necessity of engaging in anti-colonial work.

“I read about it in that book” – towards a child safe approach to literature

ABSTRACT A reluctance to speak about child sexual abuse that occurs in domestic settings complicates the dissemination of accurate prevention information to families. Fiction can provide context that assists to translate evidence-based prevention strategies in everyday ways, but to do so safely necessitates careful consideration of ethics. Five modern works of fiction were analysed to determine how intrafamilial child sexual abuse was elucidated and how the novels aligned with empirical findings. The results are considered with respect to developing a child safe approach to literature – a framework for critiquing literature that prioritises children's rights to safety over authorial rights to creative expression. Consideration is also given to how child welfare organisations, practitioners, policy makers and researchers might harness a child safe approach to fiction to disseminate accurate prevention information. PRACTICE IMPACT STATEMENT This review of modern works of fiction about intrafamilial child sexual abuse considers how the abuse is represented by contemporary authors. Reviewing fiction through a child safe lens permits critical examination of the myths reinforced or dispelled by the work. Adopting a child safe approach to fiction potentially affords practitioners, researchers, agencies and advocates an avenue to disseminate accurate prevention information that can reach individuals in everyday settings.

Narrating Paradox Affects: Unaccompanied Minor Asylum-Seekers in Austria

Asylum-seeking unaccompanied children and youngsters are situated at the crossroads between exclusionary and repressive asylum policies, on the one hand, and relatively inclusive and caring child welfare policies, on the other. This is the ‘asylum-child welfare paradox’ (Dursun and Sauer 2021). In this article, we explore the role of affect, feelings, and emotions in how unaccompanied minors respond to and process but also co-construct and resist this structural paradox through their ‘affective narratives’ (Bargetz and Eggers 2022). Based on qualitative interviews conducted with (former) unaccompanied minors in Austria in 2015, we observe that minors mobilize a set of feelings of fear, disappointment, frustration, and uncertainty due to experiences of rejection or loss of control; but unaccompanied minors also express feelings of confidence, joy, hope, and solidarity vis-à-vis their new environment and their future. Furthermore, the highly affective issues of belonging and non-belonging to their host country, of proximity and distance to other human beings hold an important place in their narratives as well as the ordering of time. We conclude that, rather than merely reacting to paradoxes that structure their social positions, minors actively shape such paradoxes and render them tangible and workable by means of narrating contradictory feelings and emotions and by mobilizing affectivity.

Who makes the call? Examining the relationship between child maltreatment referral sources and case outcomes in the United States, 2008-2018

BackgroundResearch shows general increases in child maltreatment reports in the U.S. However, less is understood about how reporting varies across states and changes over time, from a perspective of referral sources. While recent studies during COVID-19 reported a reduction in maltreatment referrals, predominantly school referrals, little research has examined changes in maltreatment referrals by referral sources before the pandemic and how different referral sources are associated with case outcomes, particularly out-of-home placement. ObjectivesThis study examined 1) variations across states and changes over time in maltreatment reporting by referral source and 2) the relationship between referral sources type and two case outcomes: substantiated maltreatment and out-of-home placement. Participants and settingWe used 2008–2018 data (N = 24,349,293) from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System. MethodsWe used descriptive trend analysis and pooled, fixed effects binary logistic regression. ResultsWe found gradual increases in reporting during 2008–2018, with substantial variations across states and referral sources. States rely differently on certain reporter types, while we see the largest increase in education referrals and a small decrease in social services referrals. Regression results showed that education referrals were less likely to result in out-of-home placement; law enforcement referrals were most likely to be substantiated, while social service referrals were most likely to result in out-of-home placement. ConclusionThis study makes unique contributions to literature by expanding our knowledge of referral sources and examining the likelihood of substantiation and out-of-home placement by referral source type. We provide child welfare policy and practice implications.

Reducing Foster Care Entry Rates for Children in Sacramento County: A Spotlight on Practice

Beginning in 2006, Sacramento County implemented multiple child welfare practices and policies to reduce high rates of foster care entries (e.g., early intervention family drug courts, differential response, team decision-making, a family-centered approach to safety and risk assessment). Those strategies were identified through interviews with County child welfare leaders; and then the strategies were placed chronically in a table to inform a longitudinal data analysis. Between 2000 and 2020, entry rates in Sacramento County declined at a faster rate than entry rates in California (when all state counties but Sacramento were combined), and by 2020 were statistically significantly lower than entry rates in California. Between 2000 and 2020, recurrence of maltreatment rates for children in Sacramento County were higher than California; however, those declined more rapidly than recurrence rates in California and were similar by 2020. Both foster care entry and child maltreatment recurrence rates for children in Sacramento County declined between 2000 and 2020, indicating that foster care entry rates were safely reduced but additional data about child safety and well-being are needed. In addition, although Black children less than one year old continue to enter care at higher rates within Sacramento County, their entry rates declined more rapidly than other ethnic and age groups. This suggests that Sacramento’s focus on the youngest children, with multiple services specially designed for Black children and families, may be contributing to these positive trends. Future studies should examine the individual impact of the multiple interventions and programs implemented in Sacramento County on the rates of entry into foster care. Further investigations could also help unpack the racial/ethnic group and age differences seen in Sacramento County foster care entry rates and inform the timing of future practice improvements.

For all seasons? Exploring the policy-context for co-creation

IMPACT ‘Co-creation’ is a major buzzword in contemporary governance. A range of public sector organizations nowadays declare co-creation as an overall strategy for their policies and actions. However, what co-creation should mean in operational terms often remains less clear. This article explores what co-creation could look like within three significantly different policy contexts: the exercise of authority, service delivery and regulation. To illustrate the argument, the article also explores the extent to which co-creation as a practice already exists in three Norwegian policy fields which resemble the three policy contexts. These three policy fields are child welfare and protection (authority), elderly care (service delivery) and climate policy (regulation). Although the illustrative examples are derived from a single country, they will be relevant to other countries as well.

Points of foster parent stress in the system: A qualitative interpretive meta-synthesis

Foster parents provide invaluable care for just under half of the almost 400,000 U.S. children in foster care due to experiences of child maltreatment. Indeed, while many of these children present with various physical or mental health needs because of the complex, often interpersonal traumas they have experienced, some scholars say healthy relationships are a key pillar in healing. The breadth and depth of foster parents’ roles make their wellbeing a key consideration in the wellbeing of the child welfare apparatus itself. Existing literature details a variety of sources of foster parent stress, noting in particular the impact of foster child behavior. However, it seems much more could be gleaned about the nuances of foster parent stress with a more holistic inquiry. The present study aimed to answer the question, “What do foster parents tell us about their greatest points of stress in the foster care system?” Utilizing a Qualitative Interpretive meta-Synthesis (QIMS) research design, the authors synthesized 21 previously published qualitative research articles conducted across the U.S. with a broad sample of 572 foster parent responses. Four primary themes emerged from the analysis, including (1) fighting for respect and inclusion; (2) feeling unsupported; (3) missing information; and (4) parenting stress. Additional subthemes yielded even greater insight into the experience of foster parent stress. Notably, foster parent stress appears to be impacted by interpersonal dynamics with caseworkers, lack of supportive resources, and tension between the respective needs of their children. Implications for child welfare policy, practice, and training are provided.