Child Care Workers Research Articles

Working With Traumatised Children During Traumatic Times: Residential Child Care Educators' Compassion Fatigue and Work Engagement

Working With Traumatised Children During Traumatic Times: Residential Child Care Educators' Compassion Fatigue and Work Engagement

Residential childcare worker perceptions of work-related achievement and pride

Residential childcare worker perceptions of work-related achievement and pride

“Who I am at work” - sources and determinants of childcare workers professional work.

“Who I am at work” - sources and determinants of childcare workers professional work.

Professional Boundaries in Working with Young People: The Perspectives of Child and Youth Care Workers in Durban, South Africa

Professional Boundaries in Working with Young People: The Perspectives of Child and Youth Care Workers in Durban, South Africa

The Professionalisation of Child and Youth Care: Perspectives of Child and Youth Care Workers in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

The Professionalisation of Child and Youth Care: Perspectives of Child and Youth Care Workers in eThekwini, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Experiences of Child and Youth Care Workers in Managing Challenging Behaviours of Young People in Residential Care in South Africa

Experiences of Child and Youth Care Workers in Managing Challenging Behaviours of Young People in Residential Care in South Africa

Impacts of demographic factors and the COVID-19 pandemic on job stress in Japanese childcare workers

BACKGROUND: Japan has a shortage of childcare personnel, and the high levels of stress causing turnover in childcare workers must be urgently resolved. However, there is a lack of knowledge regarding the characteristics and influencing factors of job stress in Japanese childcare workers. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the job stress of childcare workers and explore the influence of demographic factors and the COVID-19 pandemic on such stress. METHODS: The data were collected through an Internet survey from 2,472 respondents. A 23-item version of the Brief Job Stress Questionnaire was used to measure occupational stress in childcare workers. The instrument is recommended in the stress-check program implemented as a mental health measure in workplaces in Japan. RESULTS: The percentage of childcare workers with high stress exceeded that of general workers. Multiple regression analyses showed that the only factor affecting all job stressors and social support was the fear of contracting COVID-19. Job stressors and the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant large effect on stress responses. Additionally, being married and having children moderated childcare workers’ stress. CONCLUSIONS: This study provided basic data regarding job stress in Japanese childcare workers and compared them with those of other professionals. In the future, it will be necessary to clarify how stress is related to turnover intention and turnover in Japanese childcare workers to promote their career continuity.

Initial validation of the Health Environment Rating Scale-Early Childhood Consultation-Classroom (HERS-ECC-C).

The present study validated a newly developed easy-to-use observational instrument, the Health Environment Rating Scale-Early Childhood Consultation-Classroom version (HERS-ECC-C), to measure the quality of the classroom environment within early care and education centers participating in a mental health consultation program in a diverse area of the southeastern United States.Using a confirmatory factor analysis, three factors emerged capturing critical aspects of a high-quality classroom environment and demonstrated good reliability: (1) Supportive Practices, Positive Socioemotional Practices, and Classroom Management (α=.88), (2) Health and Family Communication (α=.79), and (3) Individualizing to Children's Needs (α=.80). Criterion-related validity was established through concurrent associations between the three HERS-ECC-C subscales and the domains of the Classroom Assessment Scoring System (CLASS) and predictive associations with the Childcare Worker Job Stress Inventory. The HERS-ECC-C Supportive Practices and Health and Family Communication subscales were associated with all three CLASS domains, and the Individualizing to Children's Needs subscale was associated with the CLASS Instructional support domain. Higher HERS-ECC-C subscale scores were associated with lower teacher-reported job stress. Findings provide initial evidence to support the use and continued development of the HERS-ECC-C as a tool to evaluate programs and classrooms engaged in mental health consultation professional development interventions.

Shishur Sevay: Promoting Civic Engagement and Belonging for Disabled Young Women in India

This is a case study of Shishur Sevay, an inclusive home and school for orphaned young women in Kolkata, West Bengal presented through the lens of disability rights and civic engagement from two disabled Desi scholars. It contrasts practices in the organization with disability policies in India and examines how emphasis on full inclusion contributes to the young women’s experiences of civic engagement. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with students, teachers, childcare workers, administrators, and board members (n = 32). Secondary artifacts (i.e. news articles, blogs) were used to inform the study. Transcripts were analyzed using structural and in vivo codes with applications of Bhattacharya’s Par/Des(i) framework. Fostering community involvement has been key to a shared value of civic engagement – as seen by the organization’s challenging of institutional apathy and segregation, working towards equal rights in the home and providing opportunities for leisure for all.

Unveiling the significant contribution of Child and Youth Care Workers in South African township schools

The deployment of Child and Youth Care Workers (CYCWs) in South African schools is a recent development prompted by the growing barriers to learning faced by learners. This study explored the critical role of CYCWs and their contributions to eight township schools in Botshabelo, South Africa. The aim was to explore and understand the experiences of stakeholders’ regarding the contributions of CYCWs within the Thari programme to township schools in South Africa and how their contributions affected the school environment and aided the well-being of learners. The study followed a qualitative case study design, which integrated the insights from the programme staff, CYCWs (n = 9), principals (n = 5), educators (n = 16), and stakeholder forum members (n = 4) forming part of the Thari programme. Programme documents were also analysed as background and the face-to-face individual and group interviews were thematically analysed.Aligned with the developmental approach to social services, the findings revealed that CYCWs partake in diverse semi-professional activities which significantly contribute to helping learners navigate the challenges they experience in their daily lives. These activities encompass providing psychosocial support, conducting awareness campaigns, organising group sessions, and facilitating educational games. Furthermore, they assume the role of surrogate parental figures and role models for children facing vulnerabilities.The study found that the CYCWs registered in the auxiliary category were not supervised by CYCWs in the professional category. They also had restricted access to full-time social workers for referrals. These challenges underscore the pressing need for increased resources and professional development opportunities for CYCWs so that they can fully attend to their responsibilities in schools.Several recommendations are made, such as increasing resources for the Thari programme, investing in CYCW training, promoting collaboration with other professionals, conducting regular evaluations, engaging parents through workshops, and acknowledging the pivotal role of CYCWs as role models and parental figures. The study offers valuable insights into enhancing the impact and effectiveness of CYCW interventions in township schools, thereby contributing to South African children’s holistic development and well-being.

Curriculum Reform of Preschool Education Majors

The course of "Early Childhood Health Care" covers a lot of knowledge about the protection and maintenance of young children's health, which plays an important supporting role in frontline childcare work. After reforming the course, students can improve their childcare skills and be more competent in childcare work in kindergartens. Due to the high degree of coupling between the OBE (output based education) concept of higher education curriculum reform and the curriculum reform of early childhood health care in preschool education majors, this concept is closely related to the curriculum reform of early childhood health care. Because the course of "Early Childhood Health Care" is a practical course that emphasizes practical application and is very important for improving students' childcare skills, this article analyzes the shortcomings in the current implementation process of the "Early Childhood Health Care" course in preschool education majors and proposes reasonable curriculum reform measures.

Frictions between familism and neoliberalism: exploring the intergenerational ambivalence narratives of migrant older parents in China

ABSTRACT This article explores the narratives of Chinese migrant older parents and addresses how the interplay between familism and neoliberalism, as structural forces behind older parents migrating to reside with their adult children, influences their perceptions of intergenerational relationships in the context of internal migration in China. Adopting the intergenerational ambivalence perspective, this study thus analyzes the connections between participants’ lived experiences and the structural forces and processes. The empirical data are drawn from 16 semi-structured interviews with 10 migrant older parents in Shenzhen. Through narrative and thematic analyzes, three main areas of intergenerational ambivalence are identified, which were expressed through how they talk about: (1) their adult children; (2) the childcare work they provided; (3) their expectation about filial care. These narratives highlight a strong focus on the younger generation’s socioeconomic success, with older parents inscribing themselves the role of supporting them to achieve this goal. This entails a change in the norms that regulate intergenerational relationships in contrast to the traditional direction of obligation around filial piety. Furthermore, the analysis demonstrates that the intergenerational ambivalences experienced by migrant older parents are created by their unfavourable positions across two incompatible systems: the neoliberal state-capitalist economy and unchanged family-based welfare/care regime.

Female Labor-Force Participation as Suicide Prevention: A Population Study in Taiwan

Objective Female labor-force participation (FLFP) has been theorized as contributing to higher suicide rates, including among women. Evidence on this relationship, however, has been mixed. This study explored the association between FLFP and suicide in an understudied context, Taiwan, and across 40-years. Methods Annual national labor-participation rates for women ages 25–64, and female and male suicide-rates, for 1980–2020, were obtained from Taiwan’s Department of Statistics. The associations between FLFP rates and sex/age-stratified suicide-rates, and between FLFP rates and male-to-female suicide-rates ratios were assessed via time-series regression-analyses, accounting for autoregressive effects. Results Higher FLFP rates were associated with lower female suicide-rates (ß = −0.06, 95% CI (Credibility Interval) = [−0.19, −0.01]) in the adjusted model. This association held in the age-stratified analyses. Associations for FLFP and lower male suicide-rates were observed in the ≥45 age-groups. FLFP rates were significantly and positively associated with widening male-to-female suicide-rates ratios in the adjusted model (ß = 0.24, 95% CI = [0.03, 0.59]). Conclusion This study’s findings suggest that FLFP protects women from suicide, and point to the potential value of FLFP as a way of preventing suicide. In Taiwan, employed women carry a double-load of paid and family unpaid care-work. Child care-work is still done by mothers, often with grandmothers’ support. Therefore, this study’s findings contribute to evidence that doing both paid work and unpaid family care-work has more benefits than costs, including in terms of suicide-protection. Men’s disengagement from family care-work may contribute to their high suicide rates, despite their substantial labor-force participation.

Critical Reflections on the Usefulness of eConnect to a Sample of Child and Youth Care Workers in South Africa

ABSTRACT In South Africa, most children in care have been removed from homes characterized by violence, abuse, poverty, and neglect, with many of these children often exposed to multiple traumatic events. Research points to a strong causal association between child trauma and attachment difficulties. Poor attachment increases children’s risk for a range of externalizing behaviors, with related negative consequences for the child in both the short and long term. Addressing attachment difficulties of children who have experienced disrupted care is therefore vital. This paper reflects critically on the usefulness of eConnect, a trauma informed and attachment-based programme in such cases. It reports the interview-facilitated insights of 11 child and youth care workers (CYCW) from a care facility in Johannesburg, South Africa, who completed the eConnect programme in 2021. The first interviews were conducted in the last eConnect session (2021); follow-up interviews were done in 2022. The resulting insights allow evaluation of the contextual fit of eConnect for CYCW in SA and understanding of which programme aspects had enduring uptake. They nudge continued sensitivity to situational and cultural dynamics to optimize programme efficacy and best enable care workers.

위탁 어린이집 원장의 현실과 대안 모색

The purpose of this study is to examine the problems of foster daycare centers and to suggest alternatives. Based on the importance of infant education, it was seen that the number of national and public daycare centers and workplace daycare centers increased during reservation integration. There are several problems in operating national, public, and workplace daycare centers, and it was found that there were problems related to reconsignment and instability of the director's status. The problems of the entrusted daycare center and their solutions were presented in two ways. First, it is the instability of the status that comes from the consignment screening process. In order to solve these problems, the director of daycare centers should be recognized as a worker. In addition, national and public daycare centers need to operate by rotating the heads of national and public daycare centers in the region rather than re-entrustment screening, and implement a circular job system so that they can demonstrate their skills. Second, close cooperation with the operating entities related to consignment is required. Related entities are also involved in the operation of daycare centers due to a lack of understanding of childcare work, market economy logic, and corporate logic. In order to solve this problem, various subjects and managers related to daycare centers need to be educated to enhance the importance of childcare work and understanding of the childcare field. Institutional managers and parents need to recognize that daycare centers are not institutions operated by employee welfare, but are specialized childcare institutions that do their best to grow and raise children. It is necessary to change the perception of the mindset to respect and cooperate with childcare teachers, and the subject of the establishment of daycare centers and the trustee should provide parental education in which daycare centers can be recognized as one institution.

Forensic Insights: Unmasking Technology-Assisted Child Sexual Abuse Through the Lens of Child Healthcare Workers

COVID-19 infection prevention measures have enhanced risks of abuse for children, especially in terms of high vulnerability to technology. Despite the rise in technology-assisted child sexual abuse (TA-CSA), little research has been conducted on Child Healthcare Workers’ perceptions beyond reporting on young people’s experiences. This novel study aims to understand how Childcare Workers perceive technology-assisted child sexual abuse, risks, impacts, therapeutics, and perceptions of need. Qualitative research methodology was used for the study. Child healthcare workers volunteering to participate in the study were approached by a purposive sampling strategy and interviewed in person. Field notes were taken to record the conversation. Grounded theory approach was used to analyze the results to eliminate bias associated with presumptive knowledge from literature. Participants reported an exponential rise in cases of TA-CSA during the COVID-19 pandemic. Impacts of TA-CSA such as self-blame, fear of offender, and inability to manage emotions were the most common and peculiar aspects of TA-CSA in this population. Though the childcare workers recognized the risks and impacts of TA-CSA, they were unaware of the need for distinct frameworks and therapeutic approaches essential for handling cases of TA-CSA. Complexities in TA-CSA necessitate an algorithm in addressing TA-CSA as a separate entity. Therapy should be focused on the specific impacts of TA-CSA. Further, the observations of the study stipulate the exigent shift in community perspective from blaming the victim to shaming the offender.

Risks, solutions and implementation of a participatory ergonomic intervention in 16 day nurseries: A process evaluation of the TOY wait-list cluster-randomized controlled trial

More evidence-based initiatives to reduce physical work demands during childcare work to prevent ill health and promote the ability to care for the children among childcare workers are needed. In a process evaluation performed alongside a two-arm, cluster-randomized study with a waiting-list control among 16 day nurseries lasting 20-weeks that significantly reduced musculoskeletal pain-related sickness absence we investigated 1) risk factors and solutions perceived by the childcare workers, and 2) implementation of the intervention. Most of the perceived risk factors were categorized as physical (70 %) with most of the suggested solutions also being categorized as physical (61 %). The remaining risk factors were categorized as organizational risk factors (16 %) and psychosocial risk factors (13 %). The remaining solutions were distributed almost equally between the organizational (20 %) and psychosocial categories (19 %). About half (51 %) of the action plans showed high implementation success. Of 16 workshops, 100 % were delivered with a fidelity of 83 %. Average participation, exposure, responsiveness and implementation were 68 %, 56 %, 83 % and 47 %. The implementation score differed for timing of intervention but not for nursery characteristics. This study showed that complex and diverse participatory ergonomic interventions should focus on physical, organizational and psychosocial factors to have a positive effect.

"The Nidcap gave me the impression of having a fairer and more objective perception of the child"

Certified Neonatal Individualized Developmental Care and Assessment Program (Nidcap) childcare worker, Fabienne Grillère first experimented with this practice in the neonatology department before doing so in maternal and child care. Indeed, the principle of Nidcap care can be applied indifferent professional sectors since they refer to the premature or sick newborn and its observation. Its use brings an undeniable advantage in the support offered to the child and his family.

ENHANCING CHILDREN’S SAFETY AND WELLBEING: EXPLORING THE ROLE OF A NEW SOCIAL SERVICE PROGRAMME IN FREE STATE TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS

In response to the pervasive violence affecting children's psychosocial wellbeing in South Africa, the Adopt-a-School Foundation introduced the Thari programme, targeting behavioural challenges that manifest in gangs, substance abuse and classroom disruptions. This article presents findings from a pilot project in Botshabelo, Free State, where gangsterism, academic struggles and social issues prevailed. The main study used an exploratory sequential mixed-methods design (qualitative/quantitative), but this article reports only on a part of the qualitative data from group and individual interviews that explored participants' perspectives. The study focused on children's behavioural challenges and observed school changes during implementation of the Thari programme. Results show a notable reduction in gangsterism and psychosocial issues, leading to decreased disruptive behaviour among children and highlighting improved behaviour after the introduction of psychosocial services. Keywords: child and youth care worker, psychosocial services, school safety, school social work, vulnerable children

STRENGTHENING FAMILY CONNECTEDNESS IN FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WITH BEHAVIOURAL PROBLEMS: KEY EXPERTS’ AND PRACTITIONERS’ EXPERIENCES IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PARENTING PROGRAMMES

Parenting enhancement contributes to the development of positive child behaviour and strengthening of family connectedness. This qualitative study explores the experiences of 10 experts (social workers, child and youth care workers, and researchers) in the field of parenting through semi-structured interviews to strengthen family connectedness in families with children with behavioural problems (FCBPs). Using Tesch’s qualitative analysis, three main themes emerged: (a) barriers to family connectedness, (b) parenting styles, and (c) parenting programmes in strengthening family connectedness. The findings of the study highlight the barriers experienced by experts and the lack of evidence-based parenting programmes in the strengthening of family connectedness in FCBPs in rural areas in South Africa. The study therefore recommends that practitioners in the field of parenting should receive specialised parenting training on how to strengthen family connectedness in FCBPs. Keywords: children with behavioural problems, family connectedness, parenting, parenting programmes