Well-being Of Vulnerable Children Research Articles

Implications of the Cass Review for health policy governing gender medicine for Australian minors.

To summarize the key recommendations of England's independent inquiry into gender identity services for children and young people (the Cass Review) and to evaluate their relevance to Australian health policy. The Cass Review's findings and recommendations have clear applicability to Australian health policy. As a matter of priority, Australian health authorities need to seriously engage with the Cass Review's findings and recommendations. To not do so will put the health and well-being of vulnerable children and young people at risk.

Stepping into the shoes of absent parents to provide educational support

Parental involvement is recognised as a significant factor in education globally. However, evidence suggests a scarcity of research focusing on parental involvement in education of vulnerable children in South Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the perspectives of house parents at Sunshine Haven Children’s Home regarding parental involvement in the education of vulnerable children. Informed by Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres of influence, the qualitative study adopted an interpretivist paradigm and a case study design. Data were obtained through focus group interviews with a group of five purposefully selected house parents at Sunshine Haven Children’s Home. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal that, according to house parents’ perspectives, parental involvement in education for vulnerable children is not satisfactory. House parents experienced challenges in offering educational support, including lack of resources, lack of confidence in assisting with children homework and lack of effective communication between school and home. Therefore, the study recommends the forging of a viable partnership between teachers and house parents, the development of targeted interventions and training programmes and the allocation of resources to enhance parental involvement and ultimately improve the academic performance and wellbeing of vulnerable children.

Importance of support groups to the health and well-being of vulnerable children and young people living with HIV: a\xa0case study of the Kids Clubs program in Haiti

BackgroundAlthough access to antiretroviral therapy (ART) among children and young people living with HIV has increased in recent years, adherence to medication and viral suppression remain challenges. Evidence of benefits of support groups is growing and reflects a range of models and approaches. Since 2014, hospital-linked psychosocial support groups for children and young people living with HIV, known as Kids Clubs, have been established throughout Haiti. The program provides safe spaces for them to meet with peers, supports medication adherence, delivers health and life skills education, and facilitates linkages with clinic visits and social services. This study describes program enrollment and participant engagement, ART adherence and viral suppression among participants, and other outcomes attributed to the program by participants, caregivers, and program implementers.MethodsOur mixed methods study included quantitative analysis of program monitoring data on rollout and attendance, and medication adherence and viral load results extracted from medical records. We collected qualitative data from club members, caregivers, and implementers about their experiences with the clubs and the impact of participation.ResultsFrom January 2014–December 2018, 1330 individuals aged 8–29 were enrolled in the program; over three-quarters participated for at least 12 months. In 2018, 1038 members attended at least one club meeting; more than half missed three or fewer monthly meetings. Three-quarters of ever-enrolled members reported consistent medication use at their most recent clinic visit; 64.2% (600/935) of those with a recent viral load test were virally suppressed. Level of club attendance was positively associated with ART adherence (p < 0.01) and viral suppression (p < 0.05). Club members, caregivers, and implementers noted the value of the clubs to participants’ retention in care and medication adherence, health knowledge, and capacity to deal with peer pressure, stigma, shyness, and depression.ConclusionsThe Kids Club program has been successful in scaling HIV support services to highly vulnerable children and young people through peer-based groups, and program participation has led to a range of benefits. Efforts to innovate, evaluate, and scale support strategies for vulnerable young populations must be accelerated in order to ensure that they survive, thrive, and reach their full potential.

Capabilities and well-being of child and adolescent social services clients in the Czech Republic

The aim of this empirical paper was to answer the following question: “What are the desirable and the actually achieved capabilities in relation to the well-being of children and adolescents using social services in the Czech Republic from their own point of view, from that of their parents or foster parents and social workers?“ Our research study was based on thecapability approach and looked at the well-being of vulnerable children who are clients of social service providers in the Czech Republic. It was conducted through a combination of qualitative and quantitative research techniques. Children and adolescents aged 11–22 years (n = 28) and their parents or foster parents (n = 16) were surveyed using the technique of in-depth semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire survey. We also held a focus group with 15 social workers working with these clients. The study has shown that what children need the most for their sense of well-being are harmonious relationships, particularly with their parents. This finding is all the more serious as parents are not fully aware of the importance of their love and care for their children’s lives, as also evidenced in our empirical findings. The research finding that we consider the most disturbing is that children lack capabilities that would allow them to experience a meaningful life. This is most pronounced in their views of their future, which they do not associate with any hope. They do not see their future as providing opportunities for a positive life experience. Another key finding is that both children and parents marginalise capabilities developed through education. What is particularly alarming is that parents were much more likely to marginalise education than their children. Although these children are users of social services, these services proved unable to provide adequate formal support for them and their parents. Based on our study of children and families using social services we recommend that social services should focus on fostering the relationship between parents/foster parents and children. Particular attention should be paid to developing adolescents’ potential, while taking into consideration their natural need to learn new skills so that they could live a more active life translating into a more meaningful life experience at present, as well as into a sustained sense of meaning in life in the future.

Systemic barriers to effective utilization of decision making tools in child protection practice

This qualitative research was designed to evaluate the extent to which a national reform in Israeli child protection decision making committees was achieving its aim to strengthen professional judgment through introducing a new standard tools package into practice.Twenty-one case studies of families referred to the committee were investigated and followed up after six months. Data were collected through interviews with social workers, field observations of the committees’ discussions and document review. Using a systems approach as a conceptual framework, everyday practice was studied within its organizational context. A key finding of the research was a very limited utilization of the tools in practice. Evidence showed no advanced performance in the few cases where the tools were used, and that when they were used they mainly operated to record customary practice. Follow up data provided limited evidence of improvement in the safety and well-being of vulnerable children. The analysis revealed several systemic factors that interfered with the tools being fully and successfully implemented, including pressure of workloads, practitioners’ inadequate skills, limited professional support, and an organizational culture that discouraged sound practice. The research directs attention to the organizational changes needed in order to enhance the provision of effective help for children and families.

Improving psychosocial well-being of child laborers and young people who are engaged in low-income economic activities in Istanbul, Turkey

ABSTRACTChild laborers are typically subjected to multiple and chronic traumatic experiences. With no parents or caregivers to act as a buffer zone against stressors, they grow up in chaotic and unpredictable work environments. Child laborers are more at risk of developing a range of psychological, emotional, and behavioral problems. The authors established an 8-month psychosocial support program for child laborers and young people attending a vocational training center one day a week. The authors found that anxiety and depression moderately correlated with negative self-concept, somatization, and hostility. Toward the end of the 8-month program, participants reported improved psychological and emotional well-being. The provision of a safe and mediated psychosocial program enhanced the emotional and mental well-being of vulnerable children and young people.

Intimate Partner Violence and Child Behavioral Problems in South Africa.

Research in high-income countries has repeatedly demonstrated that intimate partner violence (IPV) experienced by women negatively affects the health and behavior of children in their care. However, there is little research on the topic in lower- and middle-income countries. The population-based Asenze Study gathered data on children and their caregivers in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. This data analysis explores the association of caregiver IPV on child behavior outcomes in children <12 years old and is the first such study in Africa. This population-based study was set in 5 Zulu tribal areas characterized by poverty, food insecurity, unemployment, and a high HIV prevalence. The Asenze Study interviewed caregivers via validated measures of IPV, alcohol use, caregiver mental health difficulties, and child behavior disorders in their preschool children. Among the 980 caregivers assessed, 37% had experienced IPV from their current partner. Experience of partner violence (any, physical, or sexual) remained strongly associated with overall child behavior problems (odds ratio range: 2.46-3.10) even after age, HIV status, cohabitation with the partner, alcohol use, and posttraumatic stress disorder were accounted for. Childhood behavioral difficulties are associated with their caregiver's experience of IPV in this population, even after other expected causes of child behavior difficulties are adjusted for. There is a need to investigate the longer-term impact of caregiver partner violence, particularly sexual IPV, on the health and well-being of vulnerable children in lower- and middle-income countries. Studies should also investigate whether preventing IPV reduces the occurrence of childhood behavior difficulties.

Introducing MABL: A New Social Innovations Programme at the University of Melbourne

The purpose of this paper is to familiarise readers with a new social innovations programme at the University of Melbourne. MABL is an abbreviation for Mobilising change Alliance for Better Lives. The paper outlines the rationale for establishing MABL and describes the processes and principles it uses to generate, design, test and scale novel solutions to improve the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable children and adolescents. Information on how to join the change Alliance and/or invest in solving a better lives challenge is provided.

Risk terrain modeling predicts child maltreatment

As indicated by research on the long-term effects of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), maltreatment has far-reaching consequences for affected children. Effective prevention measures have been elusive, partly due to difficulty in identifying vulnerable children before they are harmed. This study employs Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM), an analysis of the cumulative effect of environmental factors thought to be conducive for child maltreatment, to create a highly accurate prediction model for future substantiated child maltreatment cases in the City of Fort Worth, Texas. The model is superior to commonly used hotspot predictions and more beneficial in aiding prevention efforts in a number of ways: 1) it identifies the highest risk areas for future instances of child maltreatment with improved precision and accuracy; 2) it aids the prioritization of risk-mitigating efforts by informing about the relative importance of the most significant contributing risk factors; 3) since predictions are modeled as a function of easily obtainable data, practitioners do not have to undergo the difficult process of obtaining official child maltreatment data to apply it; 4) the inclusion of a multitude of environmental risk factors creates a more robust model with higher predictive validity; and, 5) the model does not rely on a retrospective examination of past instances of child maltreatment, but adapts predictions to changing environmental conditions. The present study introduces and examines the predictive power of this new tool to aid prevention efforts seeking to improve the safety, health, and wellbeing of vulnerable children.

Association Between Family Composition and the Well-Being of Vulnerable Children in Nairobi, Kenya

The objective of this study is to examine the relationship between a vulnerable child's family composition (family size and primary caregiver) and three child well-being indicators (immunization status, access to food, educational security). Using 2006-2009 intake data from a Kenyan non-governmental aid agency, this cross-sectional study evaluated a population of 1,424 children in two urban slum settlements in Nairobi. Logistic regression was used to obtain adjusted odds ratios and 95% confidence intervals to examine the relationship between family composition measures and child well-being. Multivariate results were also stratified by orphan status. Vulnerable children who live in household sizes of 4-6 members and vulnerable children who live with non-relatives had greater odds of inadequate immunization (OR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.13-2.01, OR = 9.02, 95% CI: 4.62-17.62). Paradoxically, vulnerable children living with non-relative caregivers were at lower risk for inadequate food (OR = 0.19, 95% CI 0.07-0.33). Single orphans with an HIV positive parent were less likely to be fully immunized than single orphans with an HIV negative parent. The results provide information on specific groups which could benefit from increased attention related to childhood immunization education and intervention programs. The findings also underscore the need for policies which support families as a means of supporting vulnerable children. Finally, findings reinforce the wisdom of programs which target vulnerable children based on needs, rather than orphan status. These findings can be useful for informing future program and policy development designed to meet needs of vulnerable children.

Family social security benefits in South Africa

South Africa's international legal commitments, constitution and existing legislative framework place specific responsibilities upon the state to provide for the basic needs of children, in terms of health care, nutrition, shelter and social services, as well as access to social assistance. South Africa's current system of social assistance makes a major contribution to the welfare of vulnerable children and their families. Yet there are currently many children in South Africa who are falling through the gaps in the social security system, in part because of problems of uptake, targeting and administration, whilst the extent of poverty and unemployment undermine the benefits of the existing grants. What is needed is a comprehensive package of social protection for families and children, to meet children's basic survival needs, to ensure that they develop to their potential and participate fully in society, and to facilitate the attainment of their rights.