Child Care Professionals Research Articles

Child sexual exploitation

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to offer an overview of the research to date, including how some findings have informed practice within child care organisations in England and Wales. The challenges of applying this research are considered, along with some of its key limitations. Avenues for future research are proposed, but understanding will only progress further if research is underpinned by appropriate theory. This paper suggests promising theory that could be applied to CSE. There is also a need to consider CSE risk more holistically and not just in relation to the presence or absence of discrete vulnerability factors. Design/methodology/approach This is a brief overview of the literature to date, with a focus on how it has been applied by child care professionals. Findings Discusses how some findings have informed practice within child care organisations in England and Wales. Originality/value This is a viewpoint piece.

CODEPEH 2014 recommendations for the early detection of delayed hearing loss

The latest scientific literature considers early diagnosis of deafness as key element to define the educational prognosis and inclusion of the deaf child, as advantage can be taken in the critical period of development (0-4 years). Highly significant differences exist between those deaf persons who have been stimulated early and those who have received late or inappropriate intervention. Early identification of late-onset disorders requires special attention and knowledge of all childcare professionals. Programs and additional actions beyond neonatal screening should be designed and planned in order to ensure that every child with a significant hearing loss is detected early. For this purpose, the Committee for the Early Detection of Deafness (CODEPEH) would like to highlight the need for continuous monitoring on the hearing health of children. And, for this reason, CODEPEH drafts the recommendations included in the present document.

Benefits of and Issues Regarding Sick Child Care for Children and Their Parents

Aim: We surveyed users of sick child care services about the benefits of and issues regarding such care, in order to obtain an insight into its practice. Methods: The study subjects comprised a total of 144 parents whose children had used any of the 15 sick child care facilities in Prefecture A in 2015. These parents consented to participate in the study. Using a quantitative and qualitative method, we surveyed them about their usage of sick child care, care-related requests, as well as perceived benefits and difficulties. Results: Sick child care was used mainly by children from either double-income nuclear families (n=123) or single-mother households (n=12) because of infectious diseases. The systems for reducing care fees were utilized by 58% of the single mothers. Subjects viewed the following factors as the benefits of sick child care: 1) a sense of ease achieved through appropriate and professional childcare, 2) being able to work free from anxiety, 3) a reduced burden on children and their normal development, and 4) child raising support for parents. On the basis of difficulties in utilizing sick child care, parents desired improvement in care services, such as an increase in the number of both care facilities and days such care is available, and the capacity to accept children. Conclusions: The results of this study suggest that, to facilitate sick child care based on the needs of care service users, there is a need to increase the number of care facilities, and expand the capacity to accept children

Liens entre maltraitance pendant l’enfance ou l’adolescence et consommations de substances à risque chez les jeunes adultes

AimsMaltreatment during childhood or adolescence has been linked to later physical and social-emotional symptoms, and in particular to the use of risk-related substances. This paper draws up a review of the literature concerning the relationships between childhood maltreatment and risk-related substance use in young adulthood, which is known to be a period of increased psychological vulnerability. MethodA comprehensive literature review was conducted on several online databases with a set of predefined keywords. Only empirical, prospective or retrospective studies, published from the year 2000 onwards and specifically relating to the effects of childhood maltreatment on risk-related substance use in young adulthood were selected. ResultsThis literature review clearly supports the link between childhood maltreatment and an increased risk of legal and illegal substance use. However, most available studies are retrospective and/or correlational and therefore do not enable prospective exploration of the processes that link these two phenomena. The main explanatory hypotheses are based on the long-term consequences of childhood exposure to a multi-risk psychosocial environment or to dysfunctional parental models, on disturbances in the construction of attachment, on lack of emotional regulation and mentalisation, and on the neurodevelopmental impact of trauma. DiscussionDespite the significant body of research demonstrating its long-term effects, child abuse is still widespread, often unrecognized, and the children concerned are not protected. However, relatively few studies provide an analysis of subsequent risk-related substance use taking into account all types of maltreatment. Emotional abuse and neglect may be deemed less harmful and/or may be more difficult to identify, leading to their exclusion from some of the studies that only consider physical, severe and/or legally established forms of abuse, which results in some bias. ConclusionThis review stresses not only the need for improvement in early prevention strategies targeting parents and child care professionals, but also for implementation of prevention and support programs directed towards young adults with a past history of childhood abuse.

Early childhood educators’ understanding of early communication: Application to their work with young children

Young children need rich learning experiences to maximize their potential. Early childhood educators (ECEs) working in childcare have knowledge of individual children as well as skills and professional knowledge that afford opportunities to provide language-rich environments for learning. To successfully work in partnership with ECEs, speech-language pathologists need to understand what they know about early communication development and how they apply it in their work. This study explored ECEs’ understanding of early communication development in childcare contexts, and how they related this to the education and care they provided. In this exploratory study we conducted three focus groups with 19 ECEs who were employed in eight different childcare centres in low socio-economic areas in metropolitan Adelaide, South Australia. Data were analysed thematically revealing three core themes: ‘Knowing and doing in context’; ‘ECEs’ role’; and ‘ECEs’ challenges’. Participants articulated understanding of early communication development and the importance of strong relationships between ECEs, children and their families. These ECEs’ skills and knowledge of children in their care was the basis from which they provided language-rich learning environments with individually tailored educational programmes to support all children, including those experiencing communication difficulties. They highlighted challenges in delivering this care, including the need for more explicit support from speech-language pathologists. There is potential to further develop interdisciplinary partnerships between ECEs in childcare and other professionals, such as speech-language pathologists, to maximize early developmental opportunities for children attending childcare.

Suicide and Suicide Attempts in Adolescents.

Suicide is the second leading cause of death for adolescents 15 to 19 years old. This report updates the previous statement of the American Academy of Pediatrics and is intended to assist pediatricians, in collaboration with other child and adolescent health care professionals, in the identification and management of the adolescent at risk for suicide. Suicide risk can only be reduced, not eliminated, and risk factors provide no more than guidance. Nonetheless, care for suicidal adolescents may be improved with the pediatrician's knowledge, skill, and comfort with the topic, as well as ready access to appropriate community resources and mental health professionals.

Partnerships to Integrate Health Education for Child Care Professionals

Partnerships to Integrate Health Education for Child Care Professionals

Menores extranjeros no acompañados en España: necesidades y modelos de intervención

The arrival of numerous unaccompanied asylum seeker children (UASC) over the past 20years has been a challenge for the child welfare system in Spain. Child care resources and professionals have made a big effort to adapt services and procedures to the specific needs of these adolescents. This paper aims to describe the characteristics and needs of the UASC welcomed in Spain, and the intervention process carried out, in comparison with other countries. The documents published in each territory were examined, and individual interviews (n=42) and group interviews (n=8) were conducted with adolescents and professionals (n=68) in 9 territories. The similarities and differences in each of the phases of care, as well as the specific needs of these adolescents in education, health, housing, transition to adulthood and social support, are described. There are significant differences in the model of intervention in each region, and in the creation of programs and services to assist these adolescents with adaptation to the host country. Further support for the transition to adulthood and attention to their emotional distress should be included in service provision.

The Usefulness of Figurative Image Work to Promote the Understanding of Children for Childcare Professionals and the Challenges that Lie Ahead

The Usefulness of Figurative Image Work to Promote the Understanding of Children for Childcare Professionals and the Challenges that Lie Ahead

Celebrating African Men's Role in Child Care and Early Childhood Development Programs

In many cultures, early child care and education has been considered the purview of women, who were thought to be more nurturing and better suited to the role. Hand-in-hand with this notion is the historical misconception that early child care and education is unimportant, and that the most valued members of society should focus on other, more important things. Thankfully, we are recognizing the importance of early care and education and the value of both male and female involvement in child rearing. Research consistently shows the benefits of strong male role models and father figures in children's lives. In Africa, where many local cultures have enforced traditional and strict gender divisions of labor, this change is beginning to take root. Men are increasingly joining the early child care and education profession and are proud to contribute to the positive development of their own children and the children in their communities. In this article, the author champions dedicated and passionate men in the profession, and calls for campaigns and policies to reduce discrimination against male caregivers in early childhood.

Making Practice Visible Through Writing for Professional Publication

Writing is often considered such a tedious, time-consuming task that many practitioners, teachers, policymakers, and child care professionals find an assortment of excuses to avoid it. I often joke...

Mij een zorg!?

Who cares? A comparison of care ideals of government and citizens Who cares? A comparison of care ideals of government and citizens In the public debate on participation there is much focus on the reconciliation of work and care for vulnerable groups. In this article we analyze the ideals of the government on care for children and the elderly and how these policies are related to the care ideals of citizens.Successive governments have considered professional child care as an important labor market instrument, needed to enable young parents to continue participating in the labor market. In policy documents on care for elderly there is also a focus on ‘participation’ but this refers to social participation. The professional elder care is inhibited as much as possible by encouraging informal care by family. These principles of policy do not correspond to the preferences of citizens. Most citizens find that care for ill parents is mainly a task for the government, but parents are somewhat reluctant to use formal child care.In the public debate on participation there is much focus on the reconciliation of work and care for vulnerable groups. In this article we analyze the ideals of the government on care for children and the elderly and how these policies are related to the care ideals of citizens.Successive governments have considered professional child care as an important labor market instrument, needed to enable young parents to continue participating in the labor market. In policy documents on care for elderly there is also a focus on ‘participation’ but this refers to social participation. The professional elder care is inhibited as much as possible by encouraging informal care by family. These principles of policy do not correspond to the preferences of citizens. Most citizens find that care for ill parents is mainly a task for the government, but parents are somewhat reluctant to use formal child care.

Trajectory Analysis of the Campus Serial Rapist Assumption.

Rape on college campuses has been addressed recently by a presidential proclamation, federal legislation, advocacy groups, and popular media. Many initiatives assume that most college men who perpetrate rape are serial rapists. The scientific foundation for this perspective is surprisingly limited. To determine whether a group of serial rapists exists by identifying cohesive groups of young men, indicated by their trajectories of rape likelihood across high school and college. Latent class growth analysis of the 2 largest longitudinal data sets of adolescent sexual violence on college campuses using 2 distinct groups of male college students. The first group was used for derivation modeling (n = 847; data collected from August 1990 through April 1995) and the second for validation modeling (n = 795; data collected from March 2008 through May 2011). Final data analyses were conducted from February 16, 2015, through February 20, 2015. Rape perpetration assessed using the Sexual Experiences Survey. Across samples, 178 of 1642 participants (10.8%) reported having perpetrated at least 1 rape from 14 years of age through the end of college. A 3-trajectory model best fit both the derivation and validation data sets. Trajectories reflected low or time-limited (92.6% of participants), decreasing (5.3%), and increasing (2.1%) rape patterns. No consistently high trajectory was found. Most men who perpetrated a rape before college were classified in the decreasing trajectory. During college, the increasing trajectory included 14 men (15.2%) who reported having perpetrated a rape, the decreasing trajectory included 30 men (32.6%), and the low or time-limited included 48 men (52.2%). No participant in the low or time-limited trajectory reported perpetrating a rape during more than 1 period. Most men (67 [72.8%]) who committed college rape only perpetrated rape during 1 academic year. Although a small group of men perpetrated rape across multiple college years, they constituted a significant minority of those who committed college rape and did not compose the group at highest risk of perpetrating rape when entering college. Exclusive emphasis on serial predation to guide risk identification, judicial response, and rape-prevention programs is misguided. To deter college rape, prevention should be initiated before, and continue during, college. Child and adolescent health care professionals are well positioned to intervene during the early teenage years by informing parents about the early onset of nonconsensual sexual behavior.

Improving Empathy in the Prevention of Sexual Abuse Against Children and Youngsters

The aim of this research is to study the improvement of empathy in child-care professionals (i.e., teachers, psychologists, social workers) involved in the prevention of sexual abuse against children and youngsters. An E-Learning training pilot program was conducted with pre- and post-measures (T1 = at the beginning and T2 = after 6 months) using the program’s standardized questionnaires of Situational Empathy and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI) as a Dispositional Empathy measure. A sample of 42 experienced professionals involved in activities with children and youngsters was obtained from the International Movement of Popular Education in Latin America called “Fe y Alegría.” Significant progress was found in the scales of Situational Empathy and in some Coping subscales. The final outcomes seem to indicate that the prevention program elicits important changes in the cognitive sphere and that these changes are more intense when the implication level for the situation is greater. This research shows that empathy can be improved through professional experience and careful situational involvement.

Do Intervention Programs in Child Care Promote the Quality of Caregiver-Child Interactions? A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

This meta-analysis reports on the effectiveness of targeted interventions focusing on child care professionals to improve child care quality, caregiver interaction skills, and child social-emotional development. Within randomized controlled trials, interventions are moderately effective in improving overall caregiver-child interactions (k = 19, Hedges’ g = 0.35) and in improving child care quality on the classroom level (k = 11; Hedges’ g = 0.39), the caregiver level (k = 10; Hedges’ g = 0.44), and the child level (k = 6; Hedges’ g = 0.26). Based on these findings, the implementation of evidence-based targeted interventions on a larger scale than currently exists may lead to better social-emotional development for children under the age of 5 years. There remains, however, an urgent need for more and larger randomized controlled trials with a solid design and high quality measures in order to shed more light on which child care components for which children are most critical in supporting children’s socio-emotional development.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11121-015-0602-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Recomendaciones CODEPEH 2014 para la detección precoz de la hipoacusia diferida

The latest scientific literature considers early diagnosis of deafness as key element to define the educational prognosis and inclusion of the deaf child, as advantage can be taken in the critical period of development (0-4 years).Highly significant differences exist between those deaf persons who have been stimulated early and those who have received late or inappropriate intervention.Early identification of late-onset disorders requires special attention and knowledge of all childcare professionals. Programs and additional actions beyond neonatal screening should be designed and planned in order to ensure that every child with a significant hearing loss is detected early.For this purpose, the Committee for the Early Detection of Deafness (CODEPEH) would like to highlight the need for continuous monitoring on the hearing health of children. And, for this reason, CODEPEH drafts the recommendations included in the present document.

The emotional labor of playing cool: How Black male transracial adoptees find ways to cope within predominately White settings

This article is concerned with the efforts used by Black male adoptive children to cope with systemic White racial oppression when raised by White adoptive families, specifically the emotional labor expended through the use of cool pose. Drawing from theoretical concepts and frameworks from the social and behavior sciences, this article analyzes the “cool” element as a protective factor and posits this phenomenon is more than esthetic, but instead a fundamental aspect of Black male survival no matter the context. The central aim of this paper is to provide information to White adoptive parents, social workers, psychologist, academics, and other childcare advocates or professionals with cognitive tools to understand the behavior of Black male adoptees, as they search for meaning in their lives and find ways to manage the pain and frustration they often hide deep beneath the skin.

Infant Safe Sleep Interventions, 1990-2015: A Review.

Sleep-related infant deaths remain a major public health issue. Multiple interventions have been implemented in efforts to increase adherence to safe sleep recommendations. We conducted a systematic review of the international research literature to synthesize research on interventions to reduce the risk of sleep-related deaths and their effectiveness in changing infant sleep practices. We searched PubMed, CINAHL, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar for peer-reviewed articles published between 1990 and 2015 which described an intervention and reported results. Twenty-nine articles were included for review. Studies focused on infant caregivers, health care professionals, peers, and child care professionals. Targeted behaviors included sleep position, location, removing items from the crib, breastfeeding, smoke exposure, clothing, pacifier use, and knowledge of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Most articles described multi-faceted interventions, including: one-on-one or group education, printed materials, visual displays, videos, and providing resources such as cribs, pacifiers, wearable blankets, and infant t-shirts. Two described public education campaigns, one used an educative questionnaire, and one encouraged maternal note taking. Health professional interventions included implementing safe sleep policies, in-service training, printed provider materials, eliciting agreement on a Declaration of Safe Sleep Practice, and sharing adherence data. Data collection methods included self-report via surveys and observational crib audits. Over half of the studies utilized comparison groups which helped determine effectiveness. Most articles reported some degree of success in changing some of the targeted behaviors; no studies reported complete adherence to recommendations. Future studies should incorporate rigorous evaluation plans, utilize comparison groups, and collect demographic and collect follow-up data.

Negotiating the Digital Line: A Qualitative Inquiry into the Use of Communication Technologies in Professional Child and Youth Care Practice

While social and communication technologies are changing the world at warp speed, little is known about how Child and Youth Care (CYC) practitioners are using these technologies in their work with children, youth, and families. This article reports findings from a qualitative study that explored potential boundary and ethical implications related to the integration of communication technologies by CYC practitioners in their professional relationships with children, youth, and families. The study also sought to examine what form of communication technologies is being used most commonly and the nature of agency policies, standards, and procedures that address the use of this technology by CYC practitioners with clients. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2015.v4n1s2p75

G221 Early help in early years: professional review of a universal assessment tool: Abstract G221 Table 1

Serious case reviews nationally have highlighted the need for child care services to improve communication between professionals, to focus more on the voice of the child than of the adults involved and to develop a consistent approach to assessment of risk. A universal assessment tool for use by all professionals involved with families (from pregnancy to 2.5 years of age) named “My Family Profile” was developed by a multiagency team to address these issues. Independent formal professional review of the early draft formed a key element in the development of this intervention. Aim To discuss the importance of formal professional review during intervention design using the example of the development of a multiagency family assessment tool. Method Focus group methodology was employed for the professional review stage in the development of our multiagency tool, as it provides a valuable opportunity to discuss, evaluate and question within a constructive environment. This professional review focus group aimed to ascertain the views of child care professionals on the structure, format and usability of “My Family Profile” prior to pilot testing in practice. It was conducted in April, 2014 with professionals representing both pilot sites: three midwives, three health visitors and two early year’s practitioners. The focus group was audiorecorded and transcribed, then subjected to thematic analysis. Results In total the four themes presented below (Table 1) were identified from the analysis: Findings were used to revise the structure and content of the tool prior to pilot testing. Each of the first three themes generated alterations or additions in “My Family Profile”. However the fourth theme was an emerging concern of potential impact and as such is a recommendation prior to implementation. Conclusion The findings indicate support from practitioners for the implementation of “My Family Profile”. These findings demonstrate the value of using a multiagency professional review within intervention design and should be highlighted as best practice. It is important to acknowledge professional ownership is not only a part of the design process but potentially an aspect of professional engagement with “My Family Profile” in practice.