Effective Support For Children Research Articles

Relationship between quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers and children's language development: the mediating role of kindergarten language education activities quality.

Strengthening the professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers is crucial for improving the quality of kindergarten education and promoting children's development. In order to explore the impact of the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers and kindergarten language education activities quality on children's language development, a study was conducted. A total of 1,584 children from 90 kindergartens in 5 provinces in China were randomly selected as research participants. Utilizing an independent sample t-test and correlation analysis (with SPSS 26.0 as the tool), the study analyzed the disparities in the professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers of different types, kindergarten language education activities quality, and the children's language developmental levels, as well as the interrelationships among these factors. A multilevel structural equation model (using MPLUS 8.3 as the tool) was employed to analyze the mediating role that the kindergarten language education activities quality plays between the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers and children's language development levels. The results indicate that children in public kindergartens demonstrate significantly higher language development levels than those in private kindergartens. A positive correlation exists between the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers, kindergarten language education activities quality and children's language development levels. Furthermore, kindergarten language education activities quality shows partial mediating effects on the relationship between them. These findings highlight the need to enhance the quality of education in private kindergartens, reduce the disparities in language development levels between private and public kindergartens, and reinforce the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers to provide effective support for children's language development. Ultimately, the study suggests concentrating on the organization and implementation of kindergarten language education activities as a means of evaluating the quality of professional capacity building for kindergarten teachers.

The Coaching Fidelity Scale (CFS)

Effective support for children with developmental disabilities or delays is dependent on the successful collaboration between families and professionals and among professionals. For years, researchers and professionals have been coaching caregivers and other professionals to implement evidence-based practices with children with disabilities. However, a gap in the relevant literature suggests that a valid, reliable, and observation-based measurement tool is needed to accurately assess coaching across different disciplines, contents, and contexts. The Coaching Fidelity Scale (CFS) was designed to evaluate the extent to which professionals implement a set of coaching practices with fidelity. The purpose of this exploratory study was to introduce the CFS as an observational tool for coaching fidelity and to pilot its psychometrics. On the basis of the analyses, the CFS produced valid and reliable measures of coaching fidelity of different professionals who provide services to families and children with disabilities.

The professional identity of school counsellors in East and Southeast Asia

AbstractA strong counsellor professional identity is associated with the provision of more effective school counselling programmes. However, many school counsellors in East and Southeast Asia carry out wide‐ranging and poorly defined roles, occupy marginalised positions in schools, and have limited access to communities of practice and professional development. To provide more effective support for children’s well‐being, a greater focus on the professional identity of school counsellors in the region is needed. A significant task for professional school counselling organisations is the promotion of counselling in schools as an important and distinct professional role.

Remote Management of Otitis Media with Effusion (Glue Ear) with a Bone Conducting Headset Kit During COVID-19

Background: Otitis Media with Effusion (OME) causing hearing impairments affects ~1 in 10 children starting school in UK/ Europe. 80% have at least one episode with most having conductive hearing loss. Studies showed children with OME hear better with bone conducting headsets. During COVID-19 we investigated whether children with deafness secondary OME, without access to audiology or grommet surgery, could be aided with bone conduction kits and the HearGlueEar app.Methods: Starting July 2020, during COVID-19, children aged 3-11 years with OME and on a grommet waiting list were invited to a single arm, prospective study. They received the kit, instructions and HearGlueEar app by post. By 3 weeks parents were asked to charge and pair the devices, attend a remote consultation and complete an OMQ-14 questionnaire. Remote follow-up lasted 3 months. Outcomes: ability to use the equipment, complete the questionnaire about child’s hearing and behaviour before and with the equipment, declining grommet surgery or where deafness resolved, and give opinion about the intervention.Findings26 children enrolled. Families used the kit at home and school. Most found remote consultations positive and convenient. OMQ-14 responses were 90% positive. Comments were: “Other people have said, wow his speech is clearer.”, “It is making a real difference at home.”, “He said over and over again, “I can hear everybody, wow, wow, wow.”, “It is no exaggeration to say this has made an astronomical improvement to his quality of life”. One child reported “I can hear my best friend again”. “She is getting on really well with the headphones - pairing them with the iPad at home is simply brilliant.” Three families continued with the headset to avoid grommets.Interpretation: Posting a bone conduction kit, HearGlueEar app and remote consultation is effective support for children with deafness secondary to OME.Trial Registration: The study was registered IRAS 262816.Funding Statement: None of the authors have received any funding or payment for completing the research nor benefitted from sales of the equipment.Declaration of Interests: Dr Tamsin Holland Brown helped create the free, charity funded, Hear Glue Ear app that was used in this study. Dr Holland Brown has not received funding or payment related to the Hear Glue Ear app. Other authors declare no conflict of interest.Ethics Approval Statement: The study was approved by the Solihull REC and Health Research Authority (HRA).

\u201cit\u2019s a medical condition \u2026 you need to support as much as possible\u201d: a qualitative analysis of teachers\u2019 experiences of chronic fatigue syndrome / myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME)

BackgroundAn increasing number of children with complex health needs are being educated in mainstream classes. CFS/ME is a complex and disabling condition, and there is little guidance on how primary school teachers can support younger children with this condition. To improve care, it is important to understand what these children need in the school setting, and the barriers and facilitators to teachers providing this support. The aims for this qualitative study were to explore teachers’ views about CFS/ME, their experiences of supporting a pupil with CFS/ME and their perspectives on the barriers and facilitators to providing support.MethodsWe recruited families from an NHS specialist paediatric CFS/ME service and families were eligible if the child was aged between 5 and 11 years and had a diagnosis of CFS/ME. We gained written consent/assent from families to invite the child’s teacher to participate in a qualitative interview. We contacted these teachers, gained written consent and then carried out semi-structured qualitative interviews. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, anonymised and analysed thematically. Interviews took place between July 2018 and December 2018.ResultsWe interviewed 11 teachers; their pupil’s age ranged from 5 to 11 years and school attendance ranged from 0 to 80%. Theme 1: Most teachers provided rich descriptions of their pupil’s CFS/ME; they consistently described cognitive dysfunction and significant fatigue, but beyond this the symptoms varied from one account to the next (from mobility problems, to aches and pains, digestive problems, headaches, nausea and hypersensitivity). These teachers noted the ripple effects on their pupil’s social, emotional and academic functioning. Two of the eleven teachers said that they did not observe symptoms of CFS/ME, expressing a degree of scepticism about the diagnosis. Theme 2: Teachers described a close relationship with their pupil. They said they understood the individual needs of the child and portrayed positive and proactive attitudes towards providing support. The type of support provided included facilitating rest breaks and limiting strenuous activities; using practical strategies to address cognitive, physical, social and emotional difficulties; maintaining a connection with the child during their absences from school; and encouraging the child to talk about their health and wellbeing. Teachers noted that receiving formal confirmation of the child’s diagnosis enabled them to put this support in place. Theme 3: The adaptations they described were often intuitive, rather than being based on a knowledge of CFS/ME. Teachers wanted more resources to increase their understanding of the condition and its management.ConclusionsPrimary school teachers want to provide effective support for children with CFS/ME. Clinical services should consider working in collaboration with teachers to equip them with evidence-based strategies for CFS/ME management in the primary school setting.

Views of professionals about the educational needs of children with neurodevelopmental disorders

BackgroundProfessionals play a key role in supporting children with special educational needs in schools. However, the views of those working with neurodevelopmental disorders are less known. AimsThis study examined the views of professionals (including teachers, teaching assistants, educational psychologists, speech and language therapists, physio and occupational therapists etc.) working with children with Williams Syndrome (WS), Down Syndrome (DS) or with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) in terms of how informed professionals are about the disorder and their views about the type of support these children need to be receiving. Methods and proceduresProfessionals working with 77 children with ASD, 26 with DS and 38 with WS completed an online questionnaire. Outcomes and resultsProfessionals in all three groups highlighted relevant areas of difficulty for these children, but they did not recognise some of the less phenotypical difficulties that children with a specific disorder may experience. In addition, there was a disconnect between the difficulties identified by the professionals and the type of specialist support that may be necessary. Conclusions and implicationsAlthough professionals have a lot of knowledge about the specific neurodevelopmental disorders, further evidence-based training would allow more effective support for children with neurodevelopmental disorders in the classroom but also equip professionals better and raise their confidence in meeting these children’s needs.

An Evaluation of an Inter-Disciplinary Training Programme for Professionals to Support Children and Their Families Who Have Been Sexually Abused Online

The psychological consequences of child sexual abuse on children’s mental health and emotional well-being are well documented, and the importance of safeguarding training for professionals working with children and young people unequivocal. Effective support for children who have been sexually abused online is essential to enable them to progress towards recovery. Yet many professionals feel they lack knowledge and understanding of how best to work with children who have been sexually abused online. This study therefore evaluates the outcomes of a short inter-professional training course designed to develop professionals’ competence and confidence when responding to the needs of children and their families after online sexual abuse. Participants (n = 114) were recruited on a voluntary basis from a range of professional backgrounds, including some teaching and social work students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. The questionnaire collected both quantitative and qualitative data. There were consistent, statistically significant improvements in the professionals’ views on their knowledge of the subject, their ability to assess online risk and their confidence levels after completing the training course. The feedback from the participants suggested that the learning tools adopted in the training were highly appropriate and that the inter-professional delivery was a key aspect to the positive learning experience. This study suggests that multidisciplinary training, combined with real-life case studies, can be highly effective in improving knowledge and understanding of online Child Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (CSEA), thereby improving professionals’ confidence in supporting children, young people and their families. The need for and the importance of inter-professional training are highlighted.

Factors Affecting the Occurrence of Mental Disability in Ponorogo District, East Java

Background: Children with mental disability show below average intellectual abilities and social behavior adaptability. Living with a disabled child can have profound effects on the entire family–parents, siblings, and extended family members. Meeting the needs of children with disabilities can be challenging for schools and families. However, effective support for children’s mental health and wellbeing involves efforts to meet the social, emotional and learning needs of all children. This study aimed to investigate factors affecting the occurrence of mental disability in children aged 6 to 15 years old. Subjects and Method: This was an analytic observational study using case control design. The study was conducted in Ponorogo District, East Java, from March to April 2017. A sample of 150 children aged 6 to 15 years old, consisting of 50 children with mental disability and 100 children without mental disability, were selected for this study by fixed disease sampling. The exogenous variables were prematurity, maternal age during pregnancy, maternal stress during pregnancy, hereditary history, family income, parental education, and environmental exposure. The endogenous variables were maternal nutritional status, low birthweight, and mental disability. The data were collected by a questionnaire, and analyzed by path analysis. Results: Mental disability was directly affected by maternal age (b= 2.52, 95% CI = 1.23 to 3.81, p<0.001), low birthweight (b= 2.32, 95% CI = 1.11 to 3.54, p<0.001), hereditary history (b= 2.54, 95% CI = 1.34 to 3.74, p<0.001). Mental disability was indirectly affected by maternal nutritional status, maternal stress, maternal education, family income, and environmental exposure. Conclusion: Maternal age, low birthweight, and hereditary history, directly affect mental disability. Maternal nutritional status, maternal stress, maternal education, family income, and environmental exposure, indirectly affect mental disability. Keywords: mental disability, children aged 6 to 15 years old Correspondence: Risye Endri Purwiyanti. Masters Program in Public Health, Sebelas Maret University, Jl. Ir. Sutami 36 A, Surakarta 57126, Central Java, Indonesia. Email: risye310390@gmail.com. Mobile: 085736575029. Journal of Maternal and Child Health (2017), 2(3): 257-269 https://doi.org/10.26911/thejmch.2017.02.03.07

The Effect of Child Support Enforcement on Abortion in the United States*

This project aims to answer a critically important question of public policy: Does effective child support enforcement lead to a change in the incidence of abortion across the United States? Using state-level data collected from 1978–2003 from a variety of sources, we employ fixed effects regression analysis to examine whether financial security as measured by five types of child support enforcement effectiveness impacts abortion outcomes. We find that child support enforcement effectiveness decreases the incidence of abortion as measured by the abortion rate, but not the abortion ratio. Income transfer policies such as child support enforcement can affect certain fertility outcomes such as abortion rates across the states.

Parental Beliefs About Nonresident Fathers’ Obligations and Rights

We examine whether parents rely on principles of equity or equality in making judgments about nonresident fathers’ obligations and rights. The data are taken from the first wave of the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study. The analysis sample includes 4,304 new mothers and 3,414 new fathers. Results indicate that fathers perceive obligations and rights as independent concerns (equality principle), whereas mothers see obligations and rights as linked (equity principle). The findings raise questions about previous claims that women favor equality principles, whereas men favor equity principles. They also underscore the importance of considering gender differences in perceptions of fathers’ rights and obligations in designing effective child support and visitation policies.

The impact of child support enforcement policy on nonmarital childbearing

AbstractThe interaction of welfare and child support regulations has created a situation in which child support policy's incentives that discourage unwed fatherhood tend to be stronger than its incentives that encourage unwed motherhood. This suggests that more stringent child support enforcement creates incentives that reduce the likelihood of nonmarital childbearing, particularly among women with a significant chance of needing public assistance in the event of a nonmarital birth and their male partners. We investigate this hypothesis with a sample of women from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, to which we add information on state child support enforcement. We examine childbearing behavior between the ages of 15 and 44 before marriage and during periods of non‐marriage following divorce or widowhood. The estimates indicate that women living in states with more effective child support enforcement are less likely to bear children when unmarried, especially if they are young, never‐married, or black. The findings suggest that improved child support enforcement may be a potent intervention for reducing nonmarital childbearing. © 2006 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

Child Support Enforcement and Father Involvement for Children in Never-Married Mother Families

This paper uses the 1988-1998 waves of the Current Population Survey—Child Support Supplement to track trends in father involvement for children in never-married families and to examine whether state child support enforcement affects their levels of involvement. Father involvement is measured by child support payments and visitation. The results indicate that father involvement for children in never-married mother families increased substantially over the 10-year period investigated and that effective child support enforcement significantly increased not only child support payment but also visitation for children in never-married mother families.

The needs of children with life-limiting conditions: A healthcare-provider-based model

Pediatric hospice and palliative care has progressed in recent years with the development of new programs and models of care. Missing from the empirical literature, however is a model of the needs of children. The purpose of the present study was to develop an empirically based conceptual model of the needs of children with life-limiting conditions. Recognizing the value of both qualitative and quantitative data, concept mapping methodology was selected as an effective way to obtain data that reflected both the "big picture" and subtleties of pediatric end-of-life needs. The seven-cluster concept map appeared best in terms of both interpretability and parsimony. This model includes the following clusters of needs: 1) pain, 2) decision making, 3) medical system access and quality, 4) dignity and respect, 5) family-oriented care, 6) spirituality, and 7) psychosocial issues. We believe that the development of a comprehensive model of the needs of such children is a step toward concrete, measurable, and effective support for children and their families.

Child Support Enforcement, Joint Legal Custody, and Parental Involvement

This article uses the 1992–98 waves of the Current Population Survey‐Child Support Supplement to examine whether state child support enforcement affects the likelihood of divorced parents choosing joint legal custody and whether such custody increases the involvement of nonresident parents. This involvement is measured by child support payment and visitation. We find that effective child support enforcement increases the probability of joint legal custody. Joint legal custody also increases the involvement of nonresident parents in their children’s lives, although these effects diminish over time.

The Rise and Fall of Court Prerogatives in Paternity Establishment

Much of the policy analysis literature takes the institutional structure in which a program operates?bureaucratic agencies or the courts?as given. Policy inputs proceed through the "black boxes" of institutions to produce a given set of outcomes. In this model, insti tutions are merely the channels by which policy goals are measured by either qualitative or quantitative impacts on a target population. What is missing from that paradigm, however, is the recognition that the mediating institutions themselves are the result of a particular constellation of determining forces and that these forces can have very real consequences on individuals' lives. One increasingly contentious area of debate surrounding institutional choice is paternity establishment in child support cases. Paternity establishment is a fundamental component of effective child support collection, especially as the number of out-of-wed lock births has risen from 400,000, or 10 percent of all births, in 1970 to 1.3 million, or 33 percent of all births, in 1999.1 The central question is, where should it be conducted, in the state courts or in the state administrative agencies that run the child support pro gram? Most recently, the states have answered that paternity establishment should take place under the direction of the variety of administrative agencies that run the country's child support programs. These agencies run the gamut from public welfare agencies in most states to attorney general offices and departments of revenue in others. These child support agencies, in turn, also supervise paternity establishment procedures in numerous local units, such as hospitals and town halls. This choice represents a dramatic break with past practices of deciding all such cases in the court system. How has such a mon umental change in public policy taken place? What factors mobilized such a change, and what does the current system look like? In describing this process of institutional evolution, the first section of this analysis will present the ways in which paternity cases were routinely determined under the state

Effective child support policy for low‐income families: evidence from street level research

Since 1984, policymakers have increasingly turned their attention to reforming the child support system. Despite this attention, the child support system has often failed to increase the economic security of single-parent families. This article analyzes findings from recent qualitative studies to explain why the child support system breaks down for so many low-income families. This research suggests that parents often prefer informal arrangements of support and do not comply with child support regulations they perceive to be unfair, counterproductive, or punitive. It also suggests that there is a mismatch between the premises and goals of child support policy and what low-income parents desire from the system. This mismatch impedes low-income parents' willingness and ability to comply with existing policy, even when they wish to do so, and will make reform difficult. © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

Effective child support policy for low-income families: evidence from street level research

Since 1984, policymakers have increasingly turned their attention to reforming the child support system. Despite this attention, the child support system has often failed to increase the economic security of single-parent families. This article analyzes findings from recent qualitative studies to explain why the child support system breaks down for so many low-income families. This research suggests that parents often prefer informal arrangements of support and do not comply with child support regulations they perceive to be unfair, counterproductive, or punitive. It also suggests that there is a mismatch between the premises and goals of child support policy and what low-income parents desire from the system. This mismatch impedes low-income parents' willingness and ability to comply with existing policy, even when they wish to do so, and will make reform difficult. © 2001 by the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management.

Teacher intervention for Reception children predicted to experience literacy difficulties

ABSTRACT Teachers in the UK are under considerable pressure to provide effective support for children expected to experience difficulties with learning. The DFEE's special needs Code of Practice emphasizes the need for early identification and intervention; and new, national guidelines for baseline assessment of children at entry to school have been developed in part to encourage teachers to plan learning activities more closely tailored to the measured abilities and skills of individuals and groups of children. Against this background of policy‐making to prevent failure, this study focused on teachers' predictions of early literacy development and subsequent intervention in a sample of four primary schools drawn from two local education authorities in south‐western England. It was found that teachers were able to predict baseline and outcome literacy levels with some accuracy. The study examined support arrangements made during the Reception year for 30 children, including 13 for whom literacy difficulties were predicted and 17 for whom literacy success was predicted. On the measures used (entries in home/school reading diaries), low expectation children received significantly less support. It also emerged that teachers were not always in agreement about the appropriateness of early intervention, with a general lack of planned, systematic assistance for the cohort with literacy difficulties. There were wide individual teacher differences in the levels of support offered and in the value accorded to early intervention. Implications for schools are outlined from this relatively small‐scale study in moving towards more consistent and appropriate practice, while it is proposed that more attention should be paid to teachers' intuitive judgements about children's potential for literacy development.

The Long Arm of Justice: The Potential for Seizing the Assets of Child Support Obligors

The Long Arm of Justice: The Potential for Seizing the Assets of Child Support Obligors* Maureen A. Pirog-Good** and Lydia Amerson This article explores the potential for the Child Support Enforcement (CSE) program to expand its asset seizure activities by documenting the size and composition of asset portfolios of fathers who live apart from their children using data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Labor Market Experiences-Youth Cohort (NLSY). Further, current CSE asset seizure practices are evaluated in light of the results presented on the asset holdings of nonresidential fathers. The CSE program, enacted in 1975, is state administered with oversight provided by the federal government. State CSE personnel locate nonresidential parents owing child support, establish paternities and child support orders, enforce court orders, and distribute collections. Most state child support collection efforts focus on securing the obligor's income flow rather than his or her stock of accumulated assets. Of the $8.9 billion in child support collected nationwide in 1993, the percentage secured through the liquidation of seized assets is unknown (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 1993). This number is undoubtedly small some state CSE programs have only recently begun to explore the use of asset seizure to secure past-due child support. The gravity of securing child support is highlighted by the passage of the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996. The law changes welfare as we know by requiring recipients to be working within two years of receiving a welfare check or lose their benefits. In addition to restricting benefits to teenagers and legal immigrants who have lived in the country less than ten years, the new law penalizes recipients if a child's paternity is not established, places tighter restrictions on food stamp eligibility, and also places a five-year lifetime limit on cash benefits. Balancing the prospect of reduced public aid, the law also includes provisions for more effective child support enforcement to assist needy families. The number of children who are eligible to receive child support is large and growing: nearly 27% of all children in the U.S. live in a single parent household (U.S. House of Representatives, 1994), and by age 18 about half of all children will have lived in a one-parent household at some point in their lives (Bumpass & Sweet, 1989). However, a 1992 Census study indicates that of the 11.5 million custodial parents, only 5.3 million had active child support orders. Even among those with active child support orders, only half received full payment, one-quarter received partial payment, and the rest received nothing (U.S. Department of Commerce, 1995). The new welfare law authorizes states to restrict drivers' licenses of obligors and prioritizes outstanding child support ahead of federal debts. With regard to asset seizure for the collection of child support arrearage, the act improves credit bureau, banking, and financial institution data matches for the identification of noncustodial parents who owe past-due support. The law also improves the ability of child support enforcement officials to place liens and levies on obligors' real and personal property out-of-state. We extend the literature in this policy area in two ways. First, this is the only study of assets owned by fathers who do not live with their children. We focus on noncustodial fathers because 88% of the 17.6 million children who lived in a single parent household in 1992 lived with their mothers (U.S. House of Representatives, 1993, p. 744). The assets of nonresidential fathers who range from 20 to 35 years of age are compared to those of men who live with their children or who are childless. One limitation of this study is that it describes the asset holdings of all nonresidential fathers, yet only some nonresidential fathers are noncompliant obligors. …

Public Policy as if Women Mattered

Abstract The current system of child support in the United States emerged out of an effort to recover AFDC (Aid to Families with Dependent Children) costs from absent parents with children receiving AFDC benefits. Given its origin in social welfare policy, although child support seems to be intended to aid single parents- who are still overwhelmingly women-4n supporting their children, it also provides mechanisms for greater state control over women's decisions about family life, especially for those women who receive AFDC benefits. Thus, while effective child support enforcement does benefit middle-class custodial parents, it provides very few benefits for custodians who receive AFDC. Some changes to the program, including more extensive protections of the rights of custodial parents who apply for AFDC and the provision of child support collections directly to custodial parents in addition to AFDC benefits, would make this program more woman-friendly.