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Date: April 29, 2024 Mon
Time: 10:57 pm
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Results for foster care
26 results foundAuthor: Cusick, Gretchen Ruth Title: Crime During the Transition to Adulthood: How Youth Fare as They Leave Out-of-Home Care Summary: This study examines criminal behavior and criminal justice system involvement among youth making the transition from out-of-home care to independent adulthood. It considers the importance of earlier experiences with maltreatment and within the child welfare system on criminal behavior during the transition to adulthood. In addition, it examines whether social bonds predict criminal behavior and the risk for criminal justice involvement among former foster youth. Details: Unpublished report to the U.S. National Institute of Justice, 2010. 83p. Source: Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: Shelf Number: 118076 Keywords: Child MaltreatmentChild Welfare AgenciesCriminal CareersFoster CareJuvenile Offenders |
Author: Biehal, Nina Title: Maltreatment and Allegations of Maltreatment in Foster Care. A Review of the Evidence Summary: Since the 1980s The Fostering Network (UK), and its predecessor the National Foster Care Association (NFCA), have expressed concern about the sensitive issue of allegations of abuse against foster carers. This concern is shared by the Department for Education, the Scottish Government and DCSSF in Northern Ireland (Department for Education and Skills, 2006; Department for Children Schools and Families, 2009b; Department for Children Schools and Families, 2009a). Such allegations are profoundly upsetting for foster carers, can lead to the removal of children from their care and may result in some carers giving up fostering. Unfounded allegations therefore create immense stress for both children and carers, may cause placement disruption and may reduce the already inadequate supply of foster carers. In cases where such allegations are substantiated, the implications are even more serious. Concern about abuse in care has been expressed at least since the late 1970s. Following a series of high profile scandals about abuse in children’s homes a number of official enquiries were conducted into abuse in residential care, but there has been far less attention to the question of maltreatment in foster care. However, the Utting review of safeguards for children living away from home did highlight the importance of awareness of abuse in foster care. It argued that since fostering is essentially a private activity, fostered children may be isolated and particularly vulnerable, especially as many of them are very young (Utting, 1997).This report also suggested that children in private fostering placements may be particularly vulnerable, as local authorities are unaware of how many such placements exist in their area. Both unfounded allegations of maltreatment by foster carers and actual maltreatment of children in foster care are matters of serious concern. Yet despite the importance of these issues, there is little awareness in the policy, practice and academic communities of the research evidence available. This review has been conducted by the University of York, in partnership with The Fostering Network, and funded by The Nuffield Foundation. It draws together the research evidence that exists both on allegations of abuse and confirmed maltreatment and considers the implications of this rather limited body of evidence. Details: York, UK: Social Policy Research Unit, University of York, 2010. Source: Internet Resource: Working Paper No. WP 2437: Accessed October 7, 2010 at: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/pdf/FCabuse.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/pdf/FCabuse.pdf Shelf Number: 119880 Keywords: Child AbuseChild MaltreatmentFoster Care |
Author: Biehal, Nina Title: A Report on the Intensive Fostering Pilot Programme Summary: This intervention is targeted at serious and persistent young offenders for whom the alternative to fostering would be custody or an Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme. In 2005, the Youth Justice Board commissioned agencies in three parts of England to pilot the evidence-based intervention Multi-Dimensional Treatment Foster Care model which had been developed by the Oregon Social Learning Centre in the USA and which, in the context of the English youth justice system, was to be known as Intensive Fostering. We conducted an evaluation using both qualitative and quantitative data to explore the successes and challenges of IF implementation. The study examines the experiences and outcomes of the first participants in the programme in England and compares them with the outcomes of a comparison group who were sentenced to custody or an Intensive Supervision and Surveillance Programme (ISSP). This study also compares the cost of IF placements with custodial placements and assesses the cost of services used. This study draws on information provided by the IF teams and carers, and the views of young people and their parents. Details: London: Youth Justice Board for England and Wales, 2010. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 7, 2010 at: http://www.yjb.gov.uk/publications/Resources/Downloads/A%20Report%20on%20the%20Intensive%20Fostering%20Pilot%20Programme.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.yjb.gov.uk/publications/Resources/Downloads/A%20Report%20on%20the%20Intensive%20Fostering%20Pilot%20Programme.pdf Shelf Number: 119877 Keywords: Alternatives to IncarcerationFoster CareIntensive SupervisionJuvenile OffendersRehabilitation, Juvenile Offenders |
Author: Warburton, William P. Title: The Impact of Placing Adolescent Males into Foster Care on their Education, Income Assistance and Incarcerations Summary: Understanding the causal impacts of taking youth on the margins of risk into foster care is an element of the evidence-base on which policy development for this crucial function of government relies. Yet, there is little research looking at these causal impacts; neither is there much empirical work looking at long-term outcomes. This paper focuses on estimating the impact of placing 16 to 18 year old male youth into care on their rates of high school graduation, and post-majority income assistance receipt and incarceration. Two distinct sources of exogenous variation are used to generate instrumental variables, the estimates from which are interpreted in a heterogeneous treatment effects framework as local average treatment effects (LATEs). And, indeed, each source of exogenous variation is observed to estimate different parameters. While both instruments are in accord in that placement in foster care reduces (or delays) high school graduation, the impact of taking youth into care on income assistance use has dramatically different magnitudes across the two margins explored, and, perhaps surprisingly, one source of exogenous variation causes an increase, and the other a decrease, in the likelihood of the youth being incarcerated by age 20. Our results suggest that it is not enough to ask whether more or fewer children should be taken into care; rather, which children are, and how they are, taken into care matter for long-term outcomes. Details: Bonn, Germany: Institute for the Study of Labor, 2011. 38p. Source: Internet Resource: IZA Discussion Paper No. 5429: Accessed February 1, 2011 at: http://ftp.iza.org/dp5429.pdf Year: 2011 Country: International URL: http://ftp.iza.org/dp5429.pdf Shelf Number: 120643 Keywords: AdolescentsFoster CareJuvenile Offenders |
Author: Allegheny County Department of Human Services Title: Children of Incarcerated Parents Summary: This report explores the impact parental incarceration is having on children in Allegheny County. The goals of the study were to explore who these children and parents are and, to the extent possible, to describe their experiences in the child welfare and human services systems and the impact that a maternal incarceration had on their entry into foster care placement. Details: Pittsburgh, PA: Allegheny County Department of Human Services, 2007. 28p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 4, 2011 at: http://www.alleghenycounty.us/uploadedFiles/DHS/About_DHS/Report_and_Evaluation/children_incarcerated_parents(1).pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.alleghenycounty.us/uploadedFiles/DHS/About_DHS/Report_and_Evaluation/children_incarcerated_parents(1).pdf Shelf Number: 121228 Keywords: Child WelfareChildren of Prisoners (Pittsburg, PA)Foster Care |
Author: National Center for Youth Law Title: Broken Promises: California’s Inadequate and Unequal Treatment of its Abused and Neglected Children Summary: The National Center for Youth Law examined key child welfare outcomes that indicate whether California’s 58 counties are protecting child abuse victims and meeting the needs of children in foster care. Our Report is based upon 12 performance measures — an equal number of federal and state measures that address the six areas listed below. The state measures were established as a part of California’s 2001 legislative mandate (AB 636) for greater accountability among county child welfare programs. The federal measures are used by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (USDHHS) to determine state compliance with federal mandates for child safety, stability, and permanency, and states are sanctioned if they do not meet federal performance standards. The measures are: • Recurrence of Abuse or Neglect • Incidence of Child Abuse and/or Neglect in Foster Care • Foster Care Re-entries • Stability of Foster Care Placements • Length of Time to Reunification • Length of Time to Adoption These outcome measures provide a gauge to determine how well children are being protected and, when they enter foster care, whether they are moved promptly back to a safe home, whether it be with their biological parents, a relative, adoptive parents, or other permanent placement. For those children who remain in care longer, the measures show whether a county has provided that child with a stable placement. Finally, by tracking the rate at which children re-enter care, the measures provide some indication of whether children are being returned to their families too soon, or if families are not given enough support to allow parents to properly care for their children. Details: Sacramento, CA: National Center for Youth Law, 2006. 66p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 11, 2011 at: http://www.teenhealthlaw.org/fileadmin/ncyl/youthlaw/publications/2006_broken_promises.pdf Year: 2006 Country: United States URL: http://www.teenhealthlaw.org/fileadmin/ncyl/youthlaw/publications/2006_broken_promises.pdf Shelf Number: 121308 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (California)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionChild WelfareFoster Care |
Author: George, Susan Title: Incarcerated Women, Their Children, and the Nexus with Foster Care Summary: This study illustrates how state administrative data can be used to assess the relationships between the criminal justice and child welfare systems. After matching corrections data on female offenders from Illinois to the state’s child welfare records, we examine the incidence of childhood foster care spells among incarcerated women, the incidence of female prisoners having their own children in foster care, and how time in prison or jail is associated with different foster care outcomes, such as the loss of parental rights. Details: Berkeley, CA: University of California at Berkeley; Chicago: Harris School, University of Chicago, 2007. 146p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 3, 2011 at: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/234110.pdf Year: 2007 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/grants/234110.pdf Shelf Number: 121590 Keywords: Child Welfare (Illinois)Children of PrisonersFemale InmatesFemale OffendersFoster Care |
Author: Wagner, Dennis Title: California Department of Social Services Validation of the SDM® Reunification Reassessment Summary: In early 1999, the State of California began a phased implementation of a new case management system for child welfare services (CWS). The California child welfare Structured Decision Making® (SDM) system was developed in 1998 by seven pilot counties with the assistance of Children’s Research Center (CRC) and the California Department of Social Services (CDSS). Workgroups comprised of staff from pilot counties and CRC developed several objective assessments to improve child welfare case management, including the following: A hotline screening protocol, to help determine if an intake referral meets the criteria for an in-person investigative response; A response priority assessment, to help intake workers decide how quickly to respond to an allegation of abuse and/or neglect; A safety assessment, to identify service interventions to protect children during a protective service investigation; An actuarial risk assessment, which estimates the family’s risk of future maltreatment at the close of an investigation; A family strengths and needs assessment, to help workers identify case plan goals and appropriate interventions when a case is opened for in-home or foster care services; A child strength and needs assessment, for identifying service interventions to improve the well-being of children. An in-home case risk reassessment, to evaluate progress toward case plan goals, update case plans, and estimate the likelihood of subsequent child maltreatment; and A foster care reunification reassessment, to monitor family progress towards reunification and inform the worker’s decision to reunify a child. The primary objectives of the SDM® system are to help child welfare agencies improve child well-being and safety and to expedite permanency. Workers complete SDM assessments at critical points in the child welfare case management process, e.g., safety planning, case opening, case plan goal identification, and child reunification. The assessments are fully integrated into CDSS case management policy guidelines for intake screening, child protective services (CPS) investigation, and ongoing family services. Since SDM implementation in 1999, the California family risk assessment and risk reassessment have been validated twice, and the construct validity of the response priority and safety assessment has also been assessed. Since the SDM assessments workers use in foster care took longer to implement, and placement case outcomes require additional time to observe, it was not possible to assess them until recently. By 2005, 17 California counties had implemented the family strengths and needs assessment (FSNA) for case planning and the California reunification reassessment (CRR) for evaluating caregiver progress toward reunification. In 2009 CDSS contracted with CRC to conduct a validation study of the CRR and the FSNA. Since the objectives of the SDM system are to improve child safety and expedite permanency, preferably by reunifying the child and family, this study attempts to (1) examine the relationship between foster care case assessment findings and two outcomes which reflect permanency and safety—child reunification and foster care reentry; (2) evaluate the utility of both assessments as constructs for improving reunification or reentry outcomes; and (3) propose changes in assessment procedure or content that may improve their performance. Details: Madison, WI: Children's Research Center, National Council on Crime and Delinquency, 2010. 89p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 22, 2011 at: http://www.nccd-crc.org/crc/crc/pdf/CRR_Validation_Report.pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://www.nccd-crc.org/crc/crc/pdf/CRR_Validation_Report.pdf Shelf Number: 122459 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Welfare (California)Foster Care |
Author: Applied Research Services, Inc. Title: The Georgia Cold Case Project Summary: The Adoption Assistance and Child Welfare Act of 1980 had three goals: prevent unnecessary foster care placements; reunify children with parents whenever possible; and bring about the expeditious adoption of children unable to return home. The aim was to produce positive outcomes for both children and families. Compliance with federal requirements is assessed by the Child and Family Services Review (CFSR) conducted by the Children’s Bureau of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Georgia’s first CFSR in 2001 indicated the state was not performing in conformity with federal requirements, thus it was required to develop a Program Improvement Plan (PIP) to address each area of concern and given two years to implement the plan. By 2006 the Children’s Bureau determined that Georgia failed to complete all PIP requirements successfully and assessed a $4.3 million penalty, with additional penalties each year until compliance. Despite areas of positive performance, Georgia failed its second CFSR which indicated a difficulty with establishing permanency in a timely manner for children with extended stays in foster care (referred to herein as “cold cases”). In response, the Supreme Court of Georgia Committee on Justice for Children dedicated Court Improvement Project funds to develop a method for improving permanency outcomes for long term foster care “cold cases.” This project is timely as Georgia strives to improve performance in this area and anticipates successful successful completion of the PIP by August 2010. Working in full partnership and support with the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) and the Georgia Office of the Child Advocate, the Committee implemented the Georgia Cold Case Project in 2009. The Georgia Cold Case Project (June 2010) describes the process of defining and identifying “cold” cases, the development of a program protocol, the analyses of 214 cold cases, and feedback from anonymous surveys of case managers and attorneys. Fifteen policy recommendations are presented to help Georgia better respond to the permanency needs of children in foster care. The study found that the typical cold case child was 14 years old and had been in care for six years (ranging from less than one year to 16 years). The vast majority (85%) had some type of identified disability. Nearly two thirds of the children (64%) lived in an institution or group home; one third lived in a family setting (foster family, foster relative, or pre-adoptive home). The group averaged nine placements per child; 25% of the children had a dozen or more placements. For 90% of the children there was more than one reason for DFCS involvement in their lives. Parental substance abuse was the most frequently observed primary reason, followed by child neglect. One third of the children (36%) had previously been removed from their home. One in three children came from a single female-headed home. While one in three was part of a sibling group that could be placed together, only 25 kids in our sample were in a placement with a sibling. The abuses suffered by the children of this study were overwhelming. They often involved the drug addiction or mental illness of parents. Nearly one in three (29%) children had been a victim of sexual assault, primarily by parents and family members. The negative effects of sexual abuse permeate into adulthood as traumatic sexualization can lead to hypersexual or sexual avoidance behaviors. The feelings of intense guilt can manifest as substance abuse, self-mutilation and suicidal gestures. Details: Atlanta, GA: Applied Research Services, Inc., 2010. 72p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed August 26, 2011 at: http://w2.georgiacourts.org/cj4c/files/The%20Georgia%20Cold%20Case%20Project_2010(1).pdf Year: 2010 Country: United States URL: http://w2.georgiacourts.org/cj4c/files/The%20Georgia%20Cold%20Case%20Project_2010(1).pdf Shelf Number: 122485 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild MaltreatmentChild Welfare (Georgia)Foster Care |
Author: U.S. Government Accountability Office Title: Child Welfare: More Information and Collaboration Could Promote Ties Between Foster Care Children and Their Incarcerated Parents Summary: Federal law sets timelines for states' decisions about placing foster care children in permanent homes, and, in some cases, for filing to terminate parental rights. Some policymakers have questioned the reasonableness of these timelines for children of incarcerated parents and expressed interest in how states work with these families. GAO was asked to examine: (1) the number of foster care children with incarcerated parents, (2) strategies used by child welfare and corrections agencies in selected states that may support contact or reunification, and (3) how the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) have helped these agencies support affected children and families. GAO analyzed national data, reviewed federal policies, interviewed state child welfare and corrections officials in 10 selected states that contain almost half of the nation's prison and foster care populations, and visited local child welfare agencies and prisons. Foster care children with an incarcerated parent are not a well-identified population, although they are likely to number in the tens of thousands. HHS data collected from states show that, in 2009 alone, more than 14,000 children entered foster care due at least partly to the incarceration of a parent. This may be an undercount, however, due to some underreporting from states and other factors. For instance, the data do not identify when a parent is incarcerated after the child entered foster care--a more common occurrence, according to case workers GAO interviewed. HHS is currently developing a proposal for new state reporting requirements on all foster care children; however, officials had not determined whether these new requirements would include more information collected from states on children with incarcerated parents. In 10 selected states, GAO found a range of strategies that support family ties. Some state child welfare agencies have provided guidance and training to caseworkers for managing such cases; and local agencies have worked with dependency courts to help inmates participate in child welfare hearings by phone or other means. For their part, some corrections agencies ease children's visits to prisons with special visitation hours and programs. In several cases, corrections agencies and child welfare agencies have collaborated, which has resulted in some interagency training for personnel, the creation of liaison staff positions, and video visitation facilitated by non-profit providers. HHS and DOJ each provide information and assistance to child welfare and corrections agencies on behalf of these children and families. For example, both federal agencies post information on their websites for practitioners working with children or their incarcerated parents, with some specific to foster care. The HHS information, however, was not always up to date or centrally organized, and officials from most of the state child welfare and corrections agencies GAO interviewed said they would benefit from information on how to serve these children. Further, DOJ has not developed protocols for federal prisons under its own jurisdiction for working with child welfare agencies and their staff, although GAO heard from some state and local child welfare officials that collaboration between child welfare and corrections agencies would facilitate their work with foster care children and their parents. This would also be in keeping with a DOJ agency goal to build partnerships with other entities to improve services and promote reintegration of offenders into communities. GAO recommends that HHS improve its data on the foster care children of incarcerated parents and that it more systematically disseminate information to child welfare agencies. GAO also recommends that DOJ consider ways to promote collaboration between corrections and child welfare agencies, including establishing protocols for federal prisons to facilitate communication between these entities. HHS and DOJ agreed with GAO's recommendations. Details: Washington, DC: GAO, 2011. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: GAO-11-863: Accessed September 27, 2011 at: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11863.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d11863.pdf Shelf Number: 122921 Keywords: Child Welfare (U.S.)Children of PrisonersFamilies of InmatesFoster Care |
Author: Macallair, Daniel Title: Renewing Juvenile Justice Summary: The Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice (CJCJ) was commissioned by Sierra Health Foundation to critically examine California’s juvenile justice system and consider the potential role of foundations in promoting systemic reform. The information gathered by CJCJ researchers for this report suggests that foundations can perform a key leadership role in juvenile justice by assisting counties in their efforts to develop a broader array of interventions, especially for special needs youth. The treatment needs of special-needs youth, particularly the mentally ill, are a primary challenge for county juvenile justice systems, especially when it comes to accessing services and funding streams across jurisdictional, institutional and administrative boundaries. Despite the current statewide economic crisis, many counties continue to underutilize resources and funding streams that could diversify their treatment service, bolster resources and improve the quality of care. In addition, the need to develop data gathering and management information systems is present in many California juvenile justice systems. In developing the recommendations contained in this report, Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice researchers examined the evolution of California’s juvenile justice system from its origins in the 1850s through the creation of the juvenile court in 1903 to the tumultuous events of the past decade. CJCJ has attempted to provide a comprehensive historical account that illustrates the origins of today’s issues and provides a direction for establishing a model 21st century juvenile justice system for California. Site visits to selected counties revealed a high level of commitment to quality care among California’s juvenile justice professionals. In some instances, California counties offer a model for not just the state, but the nation. However, our research also revealed vast discrepancies and disparities within county systems. As a result, youth residing in certain counties do not have access to the same level of services as youth in other counties. We believe that based on this analysis, foundations can promote the development of a coherent and consistent level of juvenile justice care throughout California. We recommend that foundations focus their resources in assisting counties to develop behavioral health-oriented services that target the highest-need youth. Demonstrating successful strategies with this most challenging population promotes systemic reform by changing long-term assumptions and practices about appropriate interventions. Eliminating the disparity in treatment for youth in the juvenile justice system will create better outcomes and improve the health of the communities in which they reside. Due to the state’s dire budget situation, counties will be asked to absorb more oversight of youthful offenders. This change offers a rare opportunity for foundations to exercise a sizable influence on juvenile justice practice for the 21st century. Details: San Francisco: Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, 2011. 68p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed January 17, 2012 at: http://www.cjcj.org/files/Renewing_Juvenile_Justice.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.cjcj.org/files/Renewing_Juvenile_Justice.pdf Shelf Number: 123642 Keywords: Foster CareJuvenile Justice Reform (California)Juvenile Justice Systems |
Author: Blades, Rachel Title: Care - a stepping stone to custody? The views of children in care on the links between care, offending and custody Summary: Less than 1% of all children in England were looked after at March 2011. Compare this with the fact that up to half the children held in young offender institutions are, or have been previously, looked after and you need to ask the question: is care a stepping stone to custody? If so, how and why does this happen and what can be done to help children in care avoid getting into trouble and ending up in custody? Looked after children and care leavers have long been over-represented in our prisons. Research published by the Social Exclusion Unit in 2002 suggested that 27% of the adult prison population had once been in care. Annual surveys of 15-18 year olds in prison suggest that anywhere between a quarter and a half have been in care at some point previously. This is likely to be an under-estimate. Research on children in the youth justice system generally, and those who end up in custody in particular, has demonstrated the links between offending and vulnerability. A census of every child imprisoned over a 6 month period in 2008 highlighted this in stark detail: 76% had an absent father; 47% had run away or absconded; 39% had been subject to a child protection plan and/or experienced abuse or neglect; 27% had been or were looked after; and 13% had experienced the death of a parent or sibling. For children in care, these indices of disadvantage are likely to be heightened, as we know three quarters of looked after children are in care as a result of abuse, neglect or family dysfunction. Concerns at the involvement of looked after children in the youth justice system are not new. Government statistics have consistently shown that rates of known offending by children in care far outstrip those of their peers, and practice in some placements, especially children’s homes, has been criticised for bringing children in care into the justice system unnecessarily. In the year ending March 2010, 7.9% were given a reprimand, warning or conviction, compared with just 3% of all children. Yet, as we have seen, abuse and family breakdown are by far the most common reasons why children are taken into care, rather than offending. If we are better to understand the relationship between care and offending, and tackle the disproportionate number of children in custody who are, or have been, looked after, we need to understand the factors affecting looked after children’s chances of offending, and the relationship between them. We believe children with direct experience of being looked after are best placed to identify, and comment on, aspects of the care system which protect against, and those that increase the risk of, criminalisation. This research seeks to place the voice of looked after children at the heart of the debate on care and crime and proposes a blueprint for preventing offending which draws on their contributions. This report presents the findings of research carried out by the National Children’s Bureau (NCB) Research Centre to explore the views of children with relevant experiences. The research was commissioned by Out of Trouble, the Prison Reform’s Trust’s five year programme to reduce child and youth imprisonment, which is supported by The Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund. This qualitative study, set in the context of current research and policy, involved 23 indepth face to face interviews with children in care who were aged between 13 and 17 years old. Their experience of, and involvement in, the youth justice system varied. Some had no formal experience, having never been cautioned or convicted. Others had, and the majority were either in custody at the time of interview (including on remand) or had been previously. In partnership with VOICE (www.voiceyp.org), a children’s advocacy organisation for children living away from home, we set up an advisory group to support the research, more details of which can be found on page 63. This group of ten young people in care and care leavers helped to guide the research at three important points: design, analysis, and reporting. Details: London: Prison Reform Trust, 2011. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 22, 2012 at http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/careasteppingstonetocustody.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/Portals/0/Documents/careasteppingstonetocustody.pdf Shelf Number: 124233 Keywords: Child Abuse and NeglectChild ProtectionCrime RatesFoster CareJuvenile DetentionJuvenile Justice System (U.K.)Juvenile Offenders (U.K.) |
Author: Petro, John Title: Increading Collaboration and Coordination of the Child Welfare and Juvenile Justice Systems to Better Serve Dual Jurisdiction Youth: A Literature Review Summary: Dual jurisdiction youth are children and youth who are under the jurisdiction of the child welfare system; who are placed in out-of-home care; and who come to the attention of the juvenile justice system. Out-of-home care can consist of foster care, group care, kinship care, or residential placement. These youth cross between or concurrently exist in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. Research suggests that children who are abused or neglected are more likely to go on to commit delinquent acts than the general population. From the standpoint of child welfare and juvenile justice professionals, dual jurisdiction youth pose special challenges and require special attention, thereby straining limited resources. Although dual jurisdiction youth make up only a small percentage of the juvenile court’s total caseload, the research suggests that these youth may require a disproportionate share of agency resources. Dual jurisdiction youth make up a large proportion of the court’s deeper-end delinquency caseload. For instance, 42% of all juveniles in a probation placement also had a dependency petition active for at least a portion of that calendar year (Halemba et al., 2004). Dual jurisdiction youth also have higher recidivism rates than those with no history of involvement with the child welfare system. From the standpoint of the youth themselves, contact with the juvenile justice system may result in heightened trauma, increased instability, contribute to a child’s propensity to antisocial behavior, and impair a child’s educational attainment and income. The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), therefore, is seeking to identify ways in which the child welfare and juvenile justice agencies can collaborate and coordinate their efforts to better serve dual jurisdiction youth and prevent those children with a history of maltreatment from going down the path of delinquency. It is to this effect that CWLA is undertaking the creation of practice guidelines. Developed with the assistance of a national advisory committee comprised of behavioral health, child welfare, and juvenile justice practitioners, experts, and advocates, the practice guidelines will delineate the necessary factors and components of systems collaboration on behalf of youth in out-of-home care entering and transitioning through the juvenile justice system. Practice guidelines are developed to provide practical guidance to the field in a particular area and represent the “best thinking” of professionals across program areas. This review of the literature will give first an overview of the research that suggests a link between maltreatment and delinquency. Second, we will review the research that evaluates the effect of placement on a child’s likelihood of delinquency. Next, we will examine programmatic responses child welfare and juvenile justice agencies may undertake to identify and deliver services to those children at risk of becoming dual jurisdiction youth. Lastly, we will examine models of collaboration between these agencies and review any policies, practices, or programs that have been evaluated for their effectiveness in assisting dual jurisdiction youth. Details: Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America, . 25p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 25, 2012 at http://www.cwla.org/programs/juvenilejustice/jjlitreview.pdf Year: 0 Country: United States URL: http://www.cwla.org/programs/juvenilejustice/jjlitreview.pdf Shelf Number: 124737 Keywords: Child WelfareFoster CareJuvenile Justice SystemsPartnerships |
Author: Wessler, Seth Freed Title: Shattered Families: The Perilous Intersection of Immigration Enforcement and the Child Welfare System Summary: This report presents a national investigation on threats to families when immigration enforcement and the child welfare system intersect. It explores the extent to which children in foster care are prevented from uniting with their detained or deported parents and the failures of the child welfare system to adequately work to reunify these families. Immigration policies and laws are based on the assumption that families will, and should, be united, whether or not parents are deported. Similarly, child welfare policy aims to reunify families whenever possible. In practice, however, when mothers and fathers are detained and deported and their children are relegated to foster care, family separation can last for extended periods. Too often, these children lose the opportunity to ever see their parents again when a juvenile dependency court terminates parental rights. In fiscal year 2011, the United States deported a record-breaking 397,000 people and detained nearly that many. According to federal data released to ARC through a Freedom of Information Act request, a growing number and proportion of deportees are parents. In the first six months of 2011, the federal government removed more than 46,000 mothers and fathers of U.S.-citizen children. These deportations shatter families and endanger the children left behind. Details: New York: Applied Research Center, 2011. 65p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 28, 2012 at: http://act.colorlines.com/acton/form/1069/0041:d-0001/0/index.htm Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://act.colorlines.com/acton/form/1069/0041:d-0001/0/index.htm Shelf Number: 124753 Keywords: Child WelfareDeportation (U.S.)Foster CareImmigrant ChildrenImmigrant DetentionImmigrationImmigration Enforcement |
Author: Petro, John Title: Juvenile Justice and Child Welfare Agencies: Collaborating to Serve Dual Jurisdiction Youth Survey Report Summary: Research suggests that children who are abused or neglected are more likely to commit delinquent acts than the general population (Carter et al., n.d.; English et al., 2002). Those that do become delinquent form a population of youth known as dual jurisdiction youth. For the purposes of this report, dual jurisdiction youth are children and youth under the jurisdiction of the dependency system, placed in out-of-home care, and who come to the attention of the juvenile justice system. Out-of-home care can consist of foster care, group care, kinship care, or residential placement. These dual jurisdiction youth cross between or concurrently exist in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems. From the standpoint of child welfare and juvenile justice professionals, dual jurisdiction youth pose special challenges and require special attention, thereby straining limited resources. From the standpoint of dual jurisdiction youth, contact with the juvenile justice system may result in heightened trauma and also contribute to a child’s propensity to antisocial behavior and impair a child’s educational attainment and income (Conger & Ross, 2001). The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA), therefore, is seeking to learn about and provide support for methods by which child welfare and juvenile justice agencies can collaborate, coordinate, and integrate public agency and private provider efforts to better serve dual jurisdiction youth and prevent children with a history of maltreatment from penetrating deeper into the delinquency system. Through the ongoing generous support of the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Juvenile Justice Division of CWLA and the Research and Evaluation Division conducted a nationwide survey of child welfare and juvenile justice professionals to gauge what agencies are doing at the state level to address the challenges and issues that surround dual jurisdiction youth. The survey specifically examined whether collaborative efforts are underway, and if so, what collaborative efforts have these agencies undertaken to identify and deliver services to dual jurisdiction youth? Details: Washington, DC: Child Welfare League of America, Undated. 15p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 8, 2012 at http://www.cwla.org/programs/juvenilejustice/jjsurveyreport.pdf Year: 0 Country: United States URL: http://www.cwla.org/programs/juvenilejustice/jjsurveyreport.pdf Shelf Number: 125207 Keywords: Child WelfareFoster CareJuvenile Justice SystemsPartnerships |
Author: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Permanency Planning for Children Department Title: Right From the Start: The CCC Preliminary Protective Hearing Benchcard Study Report: Testing a Tool for Judicial Decision-Making Summary: This report presents findings from the Courts Catalyzing Change: Achieving Equity and Fairness in Foster Care (CCC) Preliminary Protective Hearing (PPH) Benchcard Study. The CCC initiative, supported by Casey Family Programs and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, was created and launched through the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ) Model Courts project. In the fall of 2009, the Permanency Planning for Children Department (PPCD) of NCJFCJ began a study to examine the effects associated with judges’ use of the PPH Benchcard, which had been developed as part of the CCC agenda. Three sites agreed to participate in a pilot and assessment of the Benchcard. For the assessment study, data were collected on more than 500 children in Los Angeles, California; Omaha, Nebraska; and Portland, Oregon. Data were gathered from case file information (both court and agency files) and from courtroom observations. Researchers collected data at several junctures, from placement to establishment of jurisdiction and disposition. To explore Benchcard implementation effects, the study was designed to allow for several different comparisons. Researchers collected information on numerous data points, including demographic details, information about the families involved, hearing participants, dates of case events, and details on allegations, services, and placement. Data from a baseline sample were collected at each of the three sites, and judicial officers at each site were randomly assigned to either a Benchcard implementation group or a control group. Judicial officers in the Benchcard group were trained on its use, including receipt of a draft Technical Assistance Bulletin explaining the development of the Benchcard (Right from the Start: A Judicial Tool for Critical Analysis & Decision-Making at the PPH Hearing). They began implementation of the Benchcard in their preliminary protective hearings. Each randomly assigned judicial officer heard 10 preliminary protective hearings using the Benchcard, while the control group of judicial officers in each of the sites heard 10 preliminary protective hearings without Benchcard implementation. The Benchcard was not shared with stakeholders during the research project in order to isolate the judicial intervention. Based upon systematic courtroom observation and a standardized count methodology, the data indicate that those judicial officers who used the Benchcard discussed more key topics during the preliminary protective hearings than did the control group. Benchcard implementation appears to be associated with substantially higher quantities and quality of discussion of key dependency topics identified in both the RESOURCE GUIDELINES and the CCC initiative when compared to the control group. Benchcard implementation also corresponds to an increased thoroughness of discussion and judicial inquiry, as demonstrated by the number of topics and how thoroughly they were discussed. Tests indicate that these differences are statistically significant. These process findings indicate that Benchcard implementation is associated with substantial increases in the quantity and quality of discussion in PPH hearings. Benchcard use also was associated with more family placements—placement with a charged parent, with a non-charged parent, or with a relative—at the initial hearing and even more again at adjudication when comparing the same judges before and after Benchcard implementation. (Reciprocally, Benchcard use was also associated with fewer children placed in non-relative foster care at the initial hearing and even fewer again at adjudication.) Statistical tests show these findings to be significant. Similarly, the percentage of children who were reunified with the charged parent at the initial hearing and at the adjudication hearing increased after Benchcard implementation. Differences did exist across the three sites, but the findings remained significant when the three sites were accounted for in the statistical analysis. The study found race differences in filing trends. White mothers (in comparison to African American and Hispanic mothers) tended to enter court with a higher number of allegations. White mothers also had more allegations of substance abuse, homelessness, and mental health issues (each of these represent statistically significant differences). ReportOverall, African American mothers came into court with fewer allegations and were more likely to have their case dismissed by the time of the adjudication hearing. Allegations of substance abuse show a different pattern. White families in the sample were much more likely than other families to face allegations of failure to supervise or parent adequately due to substance abuse (drugs or alcohol) than were families of other racial groups (statistical tests show these differences to be statistically significant). Differences among racial groups are also apparent in allegations involving poor parenting due, in major part, to poor mental health functioning. As with substance abuse allegations, White families were much more likely to be brought to court with allegations relating to mental health. White families were almost three times as likely to face a mental health allegation as families from other racial groups (again statistically significant). Looking at placement differences by race in the baseline sample, children with White mothers were the most likely to be placed in foster care at the initial hearing, and children with African American mothers were the least likely to be placed in foster care. However, when allegations are taken into account, race does not appear to be related to placements at all. Statistical tests show that there may be differences in placement by racial group, but children with similar case allegations tend to be equally likely to be placed in foster care regardless of race. While allegation differences could explain apparent differences by race in placement trends, by the permanency hearing these differences were more substantial. At the permanency hearing, African American children were more likely to be currently placed in foster care than children from White or Hispanic families. Also, African American children were less likely to be currently placed with a parent or with relatives at the permanency hearing than children from Hispanic or White families. Details: Reno, NV: National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, Permanency Planning for Children Department, 2011. 36p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed October 24, 2012 at: http://www.ncjfcj.org/sites/default/files/CCC%20Benchcard%20Study%20Report.pdf Year: 2011 Country: United States URL: http://www.ncjfcj.org/sites/default/files/CCC%20Benchcard%20Study%20Report.pdf Shelf Number: 126785 Keywords: Child ProtectionDiscriminationFoster CareJudgesJudicial Decision-Making (U.S.)Racial Disparities |
Author: Biehal, Nina Title: Keeping Children Safe: Allegations Concerning the Abuse or Neglect of Children in Care. Final Report Summary: For most looked after children and young people, foster and residential care provides a safe environment. This study has focused on the minority of children who do not always receive safe care and who, in some instances, experience abuse or neglect at the hands of those responsible for ensuring their wellbeing. Despite long-standing concerns about historic abuse in children's homes and about the implications of allegations for foster carers and their families, very little is known about the extent of these allegations. We know even less about the proportion of allegations that are substantiated, the nature of the abuse and neglect experienced by some children in care settings and the characteristics of the adults and children involved. The aim of this study was to investigate these important questions. It provides new UK evidence on:* the number of allegations against foster carers and residential social workers and the proportion of these that are substantiated * the extent and nature of confirmed abuse and neglect in foster and residential care * the characteristics of the children and adults concerned. Details: York, UK: University of York; London: NSPCC, 2014. 148p. Source: Internet Resource: Impact and Evidence Series: Accessed July 25, 2014 at: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/pdf/Abuseincare.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://www.york.ac.uk/inst/spru/research/pdf/Abuseincare.pdf Shelf Number: 132747 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (U.K.) Child Maltreatment Foster Care |
Author: Kendrick, Andrew Title: Protecting and Safeguarding Children in Care : A Review of Developments in Services for Children in Care in Scotland Summary: This review will focus on developments to protect and safeguard children and young people in residential and foster care that have happened, for the most part, over the past 25 years, although it will touch on longer term developments when necessary. It will complement and update the Shaw Historical Abuse Systemic Review (1). It will bring together existing evidence on changes in legislation, policy and practice which have been aimed at improving the quality and safety of residential and foster care, and it will identify gaps in existing knowledge. This review does not focus specifically on the abuse of children in care but rather the developments in care practice which have been triggered by reviews and inquiries into abuse in care. Previous work on the abuse of children in care settings has identified three key aspects of residential and foster care practice which have been linked to the safety and protection of children in care: recruitment, selection, support and training of carers; inspection, monitoring and standards; and listening to children and children's participation (2). This review will use these three areas as a framework to discuss developments in residential and foster care in Scotland. Details: Glasgow: University of Strathclyde, Centre for Excellence for Looked After Children in Scotland, 2014. 48p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed February 16, 2015 at: http://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/50417/1/Kendrick_2014_Protecting_and_safeguarding_children_in_care.pdf Year: 2014 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/50417/1/Kendrick_2014_Protecting_and_safeguarding_children_in_care.pdf Shelf Number: 134630 Keywords: Child Abuse and Neglect (Scotland)Child MaltreatmentChild ProtectionFoster CareResidential Care |
Author: Valentine, Erin Jacobs Title: Becoming Adults: One-year impact findings from the Youth Villages transitional living evaluation Summary: Young adults with histories of foster care or juvenile justice custody experience poor outcomes across a number of domains, on average, relative to their peers. While government funding for services targeting these groups of young people has increased in recent years, research on the effectiveness of such services is limited, and few of the programs that have been rigorously tested have been found to improve outcomes. The Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation is testing whether the Transitional Living program, operated by the social service organization Youth Villages, makes a difference in the lives of young people with histories of foster care or juvenile justice custody. The program, which was renamed "YVLifeSet" in April 2015, is intended to help these young people make a successful transition to adulthood by providing intensive, individualized, and clinically focused case management, support, and counseling. The evaluation uses a rigorous random assignment design and is set in Tennessee, where Youth Villages operates its largest Transitional Living program. From October 2010 to October 2012, more than 1,300 young people were assigned, at random, to either a program group, which was offered the Transitional Living program's services, or to a control group, which was not offered those services. Using survey and administrative data, the evaluation team is measuring outcomes for both groups over time to assess whether Transitional Living services led to better outcomes for program group youth compared with the control group's outcomes. This is the second major report in the evaluation. An earlier report provides a detailed description of the Transitional Living program model and assesses its implementation. This second report assesses whether the program affected key outcomes during the first year after young people enrolled in the study. It shows that the Transitional Living program improved outcomes in three of the six domains that it was designed to affect. The program boosted earnings, increased housing stability and economic well-being, and improved some outcomes related to health and safety. However, it did not improve outcomes in the areas of education, social support, or criminal involvement. These results indicate that the Transitional Living program can improve multiple outcomes for young adults with histories of foster care or juvenile justice custody, a notable finding given the paucity of documented positive effects for programs that serve these populations. While the individual effects of the program were modest, their breadth across several domains is consistent with the highly individualized nature of the program model, which is designed to address the wide variety of needs and circumstances of the young people it serves. These findings set the stage for additional analysis using a second year of follow-up data and an assessment of the program's benefits relative to its costs. Those results will be available in 2016. Details: New York: MDRC, 2015. 156p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2015 at: http://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/Becoming_Adults_FR.pdf Year: 2015 Country: United States URL: http://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/Becoming_Adults_FR.pdf Shelf Number: 135676 Keywords: At-Risk YouthFoster CareJuvenile AftercareJuvenile Justice ProgramsJuvenile OffendersJuvenile Reentry |
Author: Scott, Sara Title: South Yorkshire Empower and Protect Child Sexual Exploitation Innovation Project: Evaluation Report Summary: South Yorkshire Empower and Protect (SYEP) involved a new partnership between the local authorities in Sheffield, Barnsley and Rotherham and Doncaster Children's Services Trust, working with voluntary and community sector (VCS) partner Catch 22. The aim was to develop an original, sub-regional delivery model for young people experiencing or at high risk of sexual exploitation which would enable them to remain safely at home, or in stable foster care in South Yorkshire, rather than being placed in out-of-area residential or secure accommodation. For young people already in care, this involved the recruitment and training of specialist foster carers, intensive support and therapeutic input to help sustain placements and prevent breakdowns. For young people living at home, a parallel provision included working with family members to increase their understanding of child sexual exploitation (CSE), ability to manage risks and provide appropriate care. The project intended to undertake some direct work with families, carers, children and young people while at the same time skilling up other professionals to do this work, through modelling and by providing supervision and training. This workforce development element of the project was to be directed towards staff in fostering, child protection and CSE teams and was intended to help increase reflective social-work practice based upon relationships rather than process. Key Findings The programme has successfully demonstrated that young people who are likely to be placed out-of-area or in secure accommodation because they are being sexually exploited, or are at high risk of CSE, can be safely cared for in their own communities - if sufficient, appropriate support is provided for both them and their carers. Some aspects of a model for providing such support have been tested by the SYEP Innovation and found to be effective. An extremely skilled and committed core team have been successful in achieving some very positive outcomes for a small number of young people. However, the impact of the project has been limited by the following factors: a very short time to co-design a new model; a late start caused by delays in appointing key staff; the huge challenge of recruiting foster carers for very complex adolescents; and a failure to fully engage social workers and managers with the project. This would have been an ambitious project for any single local authority; the complexity of attempting to undertake it across a sub-region was greatly underestimated. The programme needed a more substantial development period in order to build relationships with key stakeholders and existing providers across South Yorkshire; fully involve young people, parents, carers and multi-agency staff in co-producing the model; develop a strategy to bring social care staff on board and recruit foster carers; and negotiate the necessary alignment of policies, procedures and budgets across the 4 authorities. The Innovation has benefited from committed leadership at children's services director level, which has followed through into a commitment to mainstream elements of the innovation in each of the 4 areas. However, there has remained throughout a 'missing middl' at a management level where engagement and ownership were crucial if the hoped-for impacts on workforce development were to be achieved. Details: Feethams, Darlington; UK Department of Education, 2017. 106p. Source: Internet Resource: Children's Social Care Innovation Programme Evaluation Report 25 ; Accessed May 19, 2017 at: http://cdn.basw.co.uk/upload/basw_45246-5.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://cdn.basw.co.uk/upload/basw_45246-5.pdf Shelf Number: 145641 Keywords: Child ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationFoster Care |
Author: Scott, Sara Title: Wigan and Rochdale Child Sexual Exploitation Innovation Project: Evaluation report Summary: The Wigan and Rochdale Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) Innovations Project is a partnership between Wigan and Rochdale local authorities, Greater Manchester Phoenix CSE Project, the Children's Society and Research in Practice, on behalf of the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities. It has aimed to address the problem of too many young people affected by sexual exploitation being placed in high cost or secure accommodation that was not always meeting their needs. The project was designed in three phases: 1) a programme of action research to understand more about the problem identified, especially the journeys of young people affected; 2) co-design of a new pilot service, involving young people, parents-or-carers, social workers and key agencies; and 3) implementation of the pilot service to work across Wigan and Rochdale, and a cost-benefit analysis of its impact. Learning from the pilot was intended to lead to the adoption of more effective ways of working in each authority, with the longer-term goal of replicating best practice across Greater Manchester. Details: Feethams, Darlington: UK Department of Education, 2017. 78p. Source: Internet Resource: Children's Social Care Innovation Programme Evaluation Report 26: Accessed May 19, 2017 at: http://cdn.basw.co.uk/upload/basw_54623-8.pdf Year: 2017 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://cdn.basw.co.uk/upload/basw_54623-8.pdf Shelf Number: 145642 Keywords: Child ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationCost Benefit AnalysisFoster Care |
Author: Scott, Sara Title: Aycliffe CSE innovation project: evaluation report: July 2016 Summary: The rise in concern about sexual exploitation and the difficulties of keeping exploited young people safe in the community has resulted in more referrals of sexually exploited young women to secure accommodation. However, depriving young people of their liberty on welfare grounds is a contentious issue, particularly given a lack of evidence of its effectiveness in improving outcomes. Within this context, the central question being tested by this pilot was: can secure accommodation provide a therapeutic environment, engage sexually exploited young people with appropriate therapeutic support and support their transitions into a safer life in the community? Key Findings Development of the pilot: - The pilot project was efficiently established and, by June 2015, staff for the specialist house were appointed and trained and the first young women were admitted. - A strong core team was created which included Barnardo's and Odysseus staff working alongside residential workers. A shared ethos was developed, although in the first few months, consistency of approach was sometimes impeded by under-staffing and reliance on cover staff. - Over the course of its implementation the planned model of working has evolved with a number of changes made to its original design: - The step-down facility was not pursued; - Individual trauma-focused therapy was not provided for most young women; - After a brief period of education being provided in the house, almost all young women attended Aycliffe's main provision. However, the biggest difference between what was planned and what occurred related to the source of referrals. Rather than coming mainly from the north east, referrals came from much further afield and this has a major impact on the sustainability of the transitional and throughcare support that has been provided. Outcomes for young people: - Over the course of the pilot period, eleven young women have been resident in the specialist house, mainly referred on 3 month orders (with some extended to 6 months). Ages have ranged from 13 to 17 years. - Most of these young women had extremely troubled backgrounds, often including major experiences of violence and abuse. In most cases, the precipitating factor for seeking a secure order was frequency of missing episodes, placement breakdowns and serious concerns for the young women's safety. - The development of positive relationships with staff was a key objective of the pilot and staff succeeded in developing some very postive relationships. However, the attachment difficulties of the young women have presented major challenges. These have been compounded by the time-limited and brief nature of the secure placements as well as the mix of young people in terms of age and need. - There is some evidence for an increase in the young women's understanding of the impact of child sexual explanation (CSE), although this has varied between individuals. - There is also some evidence of improvements in the mental and emotional well-being of some young people during their time at Aycliffe. However, the project has been unable to address the complex underlying difficulties affecting many of the young women referred in the short time available to do so. - Some young people have engaged well with education while at Aycliffe although there has been uncertainty about how best to accommodate education alongside therapeutic needs. Planning for future education or training has been limited by the difficulties of achieving well planned transitions to suitable placements. - In most cases, positive transitions into suitable placements have not been achieved. Local Authority planning has been poor and placements difficult to find. Placements have often been identified only very shortly before young women have been due to move. However, the project has involved families well wherever possible and, despite many placements being far-flung, workers have provided considerable support to young people during and following transitions. Outcomes for Aycliffe - Staff report increased knowledge and confidence in relation to working with CSE affected young people. 100% of staff have completed a 5 day training course on trauma, attachment and CSE which was very positively received. - There is some early evidence that a more therapeutic culture is emerging across Aycliffe and this can partly be attributed to the Innovations project. The introduction of clinical supervision has been welcomed by most staff and is making a difference. - There is evidence that sustaining relationships across transitions from secure accomodation into the community is appreciated by young people, parents and social workers. Details: Feethams, Darlington: UK: Department of Education, 2016. 84p. Source: Internet Resource: Children's Social Care Innovation Programme Evaluation Report 03: Accessed August 28, 2017 at: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/26762/1/Aycliffe_CSE_Project_report.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United Kingdom URL: http://dera.ioe.ac.uk/26762/1/Aycliffe_CSE_Project_report.pdf Shelf Number: 146924 Keywords: Child ProtectionChild Sexual AbuseChild Sexual ExploitationCost Benefit AnalysisFoster CareYoung Adults |
Author: Skemer, Melanie Title: Striving for independence: Two-year impact findings from the Youth Villages transitional living evaluation Summary: Young adults with histories of foster care or juvenile justice custody often experience poor outcomes across a number of domains, on average, relative to their peers. While government funding for services targeting these groups of young people has increased in recent years, research on the effectiveness of such services is limited, and few of the programs that have been rigorously tested have been found to improve outcomes. The Youth Villages Transitional Living Evaluation is testing whether the Transitional Living program, operated by the social service organization Youth Villages, makes a difference in the lives of young men and women with histories of foster care or juvenile justice custody. The program, which was renamed "YVLifeSet" in April 2015, is intended to help these young people make a successful transition to adulthood by providing intensive, individualized, and clinically focused case management, support, and counseling. The evaluation uses a rigorous random assignment design and is set in Tennessee, where Youth Villages operates its largest Transitional Living program. From October 2010 to October 2012, more than 1,300 young people were assigned, at random, to either a program group, which was offered the Transitional Living program's services, or to a control group, which was not offered those services. Using survey and administrative data, the evaluation team measured outcomes for both groups over time to assess whether Transitional Living services led to better outcomes for the program group compared with the control group's outcomes. This is the third major report in the evaluation. The first report provides a detailed description of the Transitional Living program model and assesses its implementation. The second report assesses whether the program improved key outcomes during the first year after young people were enrolled in the study. That report relies largely on survey data to analyze the program's impacts in the six domains that it was designed to affect: education; employment and earnings; housing stability and economic well-being; social support; health and safety; and criminal involvement. This third report uses administrative data to assess the program's impacts in three of the original six domains - education; employment and earnings; and criminal involvement - during the second year after study enrollment. Taken together, the one- and two-year results show that participation in the Transitional Living program had modest, positive impacts on a broad range of outcomes. The program boosted earnings, increased housing stability and economic well-being, and improved some outcomes related to health and safety. However, it did not improve outcomes in the areas of education, social support, or criminal involvement. These results indicate that the Transitional Living program can improve multiple outcomes for young adults with histories of foster care or juvenile justice custody, a notable finding given how few other programs that serve these populations have been shown to have an effect. As a next step, Youth Villages aims to build on the areas where the program has already been successful by testing modifications to the YVLifeSet model; the hope is that such modifications will further improve young people's outcomes, particularly in domains where the program has not yet produced positive impacts. Details: New York: MDRC, 2016. 80p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed November 13, 2018 at: https://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/YV_2016_FR.pdf Year: 2016 Country: United States URL: https://www.mdrc.org/sites/default/files/YV_2016_FR.pdf Shelf Number: 153415 Keywords: At-Risk YouthFoster CareJuvenile AftercareJuvenile Justice ProgramsJuvenile OffendersJuvenile Reentry |
Author: Mendes, Philip Title: Good Practice in Reducing the Over-Representation of Care Leavers in the Youth Justice System Leaving Care and Youth Justice: Phase Three Report Summary: Young people leaving state out of home care are one of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups in society, and are over-represented in the criminal justice system and youth detention facilities. This report presents findings from phase 3 of the Leaving Care and Youth Justice project, and makes recommendations for policy and practice to prevent and address this over-representation with a trauma-informed approach. Program and policy examples are also included, across the child and family welfare services, youth justice, education, mental health, and youth drug and alcohol services sectors. Details: Melbourne: Monash University, 2014. 104p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed March 19, 2019 at: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/pacra/good-practice-reducing-over-representation-care-leavers-youth-justice-system Year: 2014 Country: Australia URL: https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/pacra/good-practice-reducing-over-representation-care-leavers-youth-justice-system Shelf Number: 155051 Keywords: At Risk YouthChild ProtectionChild WelfareChildren in CareFoster CareOut Of Home CareResidential Care |
Author: Carr, Nicola Title: Care and Justice: Children and Young People in Care and Contact with the Criminal Justice System Summary: The Irish Penal Reform Trust launched an independently commissioned exploratory research study on the connections between care and justice in Ireland on Tuesday 26th February 2019. Care and Justice: Children and Young People in Care and Contact with the Criminal Justice System was supported by a Private Donor Fund at the Community Foundation for Ireland. Research evidence from several countries shows that children with care experience are over-represented in the criminal justice system but, to date, no research has been conducted on this topic in the Irish context. This report aimed to explore the extent to which children with care experience are over-represented in the Irish youth justice system. The report was authored by Dr Nicola Carr (University of Nottingham) and Dr Paula Mayock (Trinity College). The report highlights that contact with the youth justice system is a particular issue for a small cohort of young people. The association between care and justice is an area of concern, particularly at the 'higher end' of the youth justice system, that is, when children are prosecuted in the courts and are placed in detention. This is identified as an issue for children with multiple and complex needs, many of whom are accommodated within residential care. Systemic factors including the profile of care provision, the prosecution of children in care placements and the responsiveness of the youth justice system to children in care are explored. This report identifies a lack of data in Ireland on the extent to which children in care come into contact with the criminal justice system. There is a lack of a coordinated policy between Tusla, care providers and An Garda Siochana in this area and the development of such a policy is recommended. The report also focuses on the transition of children from care into leaving care and aftercare and the lack of information on outcomes for this group. The need for reform is outlined in 12 recommendations made in the report. These include: A joint protocol aimed at addressing the involvement of children in care with the criminal justice system should be developed by the Department of Children and Youth Affairs and the Irish Youth Justice Service with the involvement of An Garda Sochana and Tusla. The Irish Youth Justice Service should consider adaptations to the Bail Support Scheme to ensure equity of service provision for young people in care. Tusla should develop a mechanism to systematically record and report on the numbers of children in care and those in receipt of aftercare services coming into contact with the criminal justice system. In its review of the Youth Justice Action Plan, the Irish Youth Justice Service should consider the specific needs of care-experienced young people. Tusla should revise its guidance on Complex Needs in Aftercare to provide explicit guidance on the needs and supports required for young people in contact with the criminal justice system. Details: Dublin: Irish Penal Reform Trust, 2019. 61p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed April 10, 2019 at: http://www.iprt.ie/files/Care-and-Justice-web.pdf Year: 2019 Country: Ireland URL: http://www.iprt.ie/files/Care-and-Justice-web.pdf Shelf Number: 155356 Keywords: Child ProtectionFoster CareJuvenile JusticeLocked After ChildrenResidential CareYouth Justice System |
Author: O'Higgins, Aoife Title: What is the relationship between being in care and the educational outcomes of children? An international systematic review Summary: The education of children in care has long been a concern for policy-makers, practitioners, foster carers, teachers and young people themselves. Government data and research have demonstrated an achievement gap between children in care and their peers that has sustained over many years. Furthermore, international research demonstrates that low educational attainment of children in care is an issue in many countries (Dill, Flynn, Hollingshead, & Fernandes, 2012). Research spanning several decades and three continents has also documented poor health, employment and general well-being outcomes of care experienced adults (Blome, 1997; Buehler, Orme, Post, & Patterson, 2000; Dill et al., 2012; Harris, Jackson, O'Brien, & Pecora, 2009; Jackson, 2013; Social Exclusion Unit, 2003). Those who have been in care are more likely than the general population to be unemployed, have mental health problems, spend time in prison or psychiatric institutions or experience homelessness at some point in their lives (Centre for Social Justice, 2015; Jackson & McParlin, 2006). Greater educational success has been linked to better long-term outcomes in the general population, so raising attainment is an important strategy to interrupt these negative life trajectories (Gorard, Beng, & Davies, 2012). This review aims to contribute to this literature by reviewing the evidence on the relationship between being in foster or kinship care and educational outcomes. The review was undertaken in order to examine existing research evidence that addresses the following three questions: - Is there an association between being in care and educational outcomes? - What is the nature of the association between being in care and educational outcomes? - Is there any evidence to suggest that this association is causal? Electronic databases and websites were used to identify 28 studies including two reviews/meta-analyses from the UK, US, Canada and Australia. Comparisons across countries are subject to limitations of different cultures and services. Studies identified for the review were published after 1990 and were all in English. All but two studies (Barber & Delfabbro, 2005; Conger & Rebeck, 2001) employed comparison groups or compared children in care to the general population. Study samples ranged from 107 to over 222,000 young people. Details: Oxford, UK: Rees Centre for Research in Fostering and Education, University of Oxford, 2015. 20p. Source: Internet Resource: Accessed May 16, 2019 at: http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ReesCentreReview_EducationalOutcomes.pdf Year: 2015 Country: International URL: http://reescentre.education.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/ReesCentreReview_EducationalOutcomes.pdf Shelf Number: 155861 Keywords: Children in CareEducational OutcomesFoster CareLooked After Children |