child welfare case study

Case studies in child welfare

About this guide, child welfare case studies, real-life stories, and scenarios, social services and organizational case studies, other case studies, using case studies.

This guide is intended as a supplementary resource for staff at Children's Aid Societies and Indigenous Well-being Agencies. It is not intended as an authority on social work or legal practice, nor is it meant to be representative of all perspectives in child welfare. Staff are encouraged to think critically when reviewing publications and other materials, and to always confirm practice and policy at their agency.

Case studies and real-life stories can be a powerful tool for teaching and learning about child welfare issues and practice applications. This guide provides access to a variety of sources of social work case studies and scenarios, with a specific focus on child welfare and child welfare organizations.

• Real cases project Three case studies, drawn from the New York City Administration for Children's Services. Website also includes teaching guides
• Protective factors in practice vignettes These vignettes illustrate how multiple protective factors support and strengthen families who are experiencing stress. From the National Child Abuse Prevention Month website
• Child welfare case studies and competencies Each of these cases was developed, in partnership, by a faculty representative from an Alabama college or university social work education program and a social worker, with child welfare experience, from the Alabama Department of Human Resources

• Immigration in the child welfare system: Case studies Case studies related to immigrant children and families in the U.S. from the American Bar Association
• White privilege and racism in child welfare scenarios From the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare more... less... https://web.archive.org/web/20190131213630/https://cascw.umn.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/WhitePrivilegeScenarios.pdf
• You decide: Would you remove these children from their families? Interactive piece from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation featuring cases based on real-life situations
• A case study involving complex trauma This case study complements a series of blog posts dedicated to the topic of complex trauma and how children learn to cope with complex trauma
• Fostering and adoption: Case studies Four case studies from Research in Practice (UK)
• Troubled families case studies This document describes how different families in the UK were helped through family intervention projects
• Parenting case studies From of the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Resource Center's training entitled "Understanding Reactive Attachment Disorder"
• Children’s Social Work Matters: Case studies Collections of narratives and case studies

• Race for Results case studies Series of case studies from the Annie E. Casey Foundation looking at ways of addressing racial inequities and supporting better outcomes for racialized children and communities
• Systems of care implementation case studies This report presents case studies that synthesize the findings, strategies, and approaches used by two grant communities to develop a principle-guided approach to child welfare service delivery for children and families more... less... https://web.archive.org/web/20190108153624/https://www.childwelfare.gov/pubPDFs/ImplementationCaseStudies.pdf
• Child Outcomes Research Consortium: Case studies Case studies from the Child Outcomes Research Consortium, a membership organization in the UK that collects and uses evidence to improve children and young people’s mental health and well-being
• Social work practice with carers: Case studies
• Social Care Institute for Excellence: Case studies
• Learning to address implicit bias towards LGBTQ patients: Case scenarios [2018] more... less... https://web.archive.org/web/20190212165359/https://www.lgbthealtheducation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/Implicit-Bias-Guide-2018_Final.pdf
• Using case studies to teach
• Last Updated: Aug 12, 2022 11:21 AM
• URL: https://oacas.libguides.com/case-studies

Child welfare reform from the bottom up: A case study of San Francisco County

Author:  Jill Duerr Berrick Publication date:  December 31, 2022 Publication type:  Book Chapter Citation:  Hernandez, J., & Berrick, J.D. (2022). Child welfare reform from the bottom up: A case study of San Francisco County. In G. Anderson & K. Briar-Lawson, (Eds). Strategic child welfare agency-university partnerships to advance workforce development. Washington, D.C.: Child Welfare League of America Press.

• Youth topic page
• Systems of Care for Children/Families/Older Adults topic page
• Child Welfare topic page

Critical Thinking in Child Welfare

We developed 23 scenarios that reflect best practices and expertise in child welfare. Our approach encourages child welfare staff to discuss the critical thinking involved in making complex decisions.

Domain: Child Welfare

Focus: Decision Making; Prioritizing

Improve critical thinking in the highly-proceduralized and high-stakes domain of front-line child welfare investigation as workers make decisions about how to protect children.

Our team collaborated with the Annie E. Casey Foundation and skilled practitioners at public child welfare agencies to create a cognitive skills training program. The program includes 23 high-challenge scenarios that illustrate common child welfare themes such as domestic violence, substance use, and physical abuse. Our scenarios reflect best practices and expertise in child welfare and provide an opportunity for child welfare staff to discuss the critical thinking involved in making complex decisions about child welfare.

ShadowBox is being used at the largest child welfare agency in Ohio for continuing worker education and for new worker training. ShadowBox is expanding to other regions, including rural counties in Northwest Ohio and Southeast Ohio. Findings from an evaluation study suggested that ShadowBox training improved critical thinking.

Background and Description

Frontline child welfare investigators must routinely make potentially life-altering decisions in situations with incomplete and sometimes contradictory information. Their role requires them to respond to allegations of child abuse and/or neglect and make determinations about child safety within a short period of time. When failures (such as a child’s death or undetected abuse) occur, they are high-profile and often spur an emotional outcry from the public. Knee-jerk reactions from public child welfare agencies often result, such as adding new rules, layers of oversight, and checklists or other ways of proceduralizing decisions. These solutions can have an unintended side effect of disempowering workers from making decisions that reflect their unique understanding of the families they work with.

ShadowBox collaborated with a large non-profit organization to address the perceived lack of critical thinking in frontline decision making. From 2014 to 2019, ShadowBox developed a library of 23 case scenario exercises that reflect best practices in child welfare. To develop scenarios, ShadowBox personnel interviewed experienced practitioners from three different counties across the country. Child welfare experts with a broad range of experiences vetted our scenarios and provided their perspectives about key decisions.

Another major component of our child welfare effort was implementing ShadowBox training into practice with two child welfare agencies. The collaborative team carefully considered and tested various approaches and incorporated multiple rounds of feedback from participants. Agencies determined that meeting once per month in small groups led by a skilled facilitator was the optimal approach. ShadowBox personnel trained a selected group of workers, supervisors, and managers from the two agencies to facilitate ShadowBox small groups. We also engaged agency leadership to plan for the sustainability of the ShadowBox effort.

Next, our team collected data from a six-month implementation period. Participants in ShadowBox training showed an average of 13% improvement from the pre-test (administered before participating in ShadowBox sessions) to a post-test (given after the final session). Participants in the training reported high degrees of satisfaction with the facilitator-led discussion and indicated that the training scenarios were realistic and challenging. Common feedback from participants was that they found it valuable and interesting to engage in peer-to-peer discussion.

Child Welfare Journal Archives

Child welfare journal archives, vol. 101. no. 5.

Culturally Responsive Services for Families in Child Welfare who are Immigrants and Refugees: The Interaction between Cultural Competence at Individual and Organizational Levels Jangmin Kim, Wooksoo Kim, Isok Kim, Qi Zhou and Krisztina Baltimore

What Master of Social Work Students with a Child Welfare Focus Need to Know About Youth Who Sexually Harm Adam Brown and Julie Glickman

Unraveling the Layers: Developmental Challenges in Children Who Have Experienced Maltreatment Richard Alboroto and Meripa Godinet

Preventing Unintentional Pediatric Window Falls: Epidemiology, Strategies, and Policy Implications Sarah Flores, Jennifer Barrows, Gary Taylor, Makenzie Ferguson, Jennifer Hayakawa and Laura F. Goodman

Parent–child Communication and Children’s Mental Health: The Mediating Effect of Peer Group Characteristics Hongfei Li and Jian Mo

Exploring Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Support Life Skills Education for Young Adults in Extended Foster Care Amy Armstrong-Heimsoth, Heather J. Williamson, Anthony Thornton and Samantha Maloney

Vol. 101, No. 4

Child Welfare Workers’ Perceptions on Pandemic Service Disruptions and Areas of Improvement: Working with Newcomer Families in Ontario, Canada, during COVID-19 Daniel Kikulwe, Derrick Ssewanyana and Sarah Maiter

Lessons Learned: Facilitating a Health and Wellness Intervention for Frontline Child Welfare Workers during COVID-19 Kara S. Haughtigan, Austin Griffiths, Kim Link, Oliver W.J. Beer and Lindsey Powell

Promoting Equity in Child Welfare through Culturally Responsive Workforce Development: A Pilot Study Micki Washburn, Catherine LaBrenz, Jandel Crutchfield, Lacey Jenkins, Min Jin Choi and Scott Ryan

A Textual Analysis of Dental Neglect in the Child Abuse User Manual Series Arthur Begotti Silva, Stephanie Anne Deutsch and Katheryn Goldman

The Sexual Exploitation of Children in Travel and Tourism: A Critical Literature Reviews Almudena Otegui Carles, José Antonio Fraiz Brea, Noelia Araújo Vila

Racial and Ethnic Disparities in Adverse Childhood Experiences and Childhood Neighborhood Cohesion and Safety Jisuk Seon, Esther Son, Hyunkag Cho, Jungeun Olivia Lee, Seunghye Hong and Yein Yoon

Happy, Healthy, and Needs Met: How Kinship Caregivers Define Success and Well-being Jaymie Lorthridge, Lucia M. Reyes, Elisa Rosman and Sarah Kaye

Vol. 101, No. 2 & No. 3

Special Issue: Opportunities for Child Welfare to Respond to Prenatal Alcohol and Other Substance Exposures 

Special Foreword: Prenatal Substance Exposure and Child Welfare

A Constellation of Adversity: A Developmental Perspective on Children with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in the Child Welfare System Douglas Waite

Behavioral Impact of Childhood Traumatic Stress in Children with Prenatal Substance Exposure Philip Bowers, Julie Kable, Molly Millians and Claire D. Coles

Policy and Practice in Responding to Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders in California: Challenges and Opportunities Sid Gardner

Iowa Children and Family Collaborative: An Integrated System of Maternal and Child Behavioral Health Care Ira J. Chasnoff , Miriam J. Landsman, Lauryn Muzny, Kathy Thompson, Gabriell Carpenter and Kayla A. Scanlan

FASD and Young Children in Foster Care: Early Detection and Interventions for Caregivers Sebastian Del Corral Winder, Amy Rinner and Amy Dickson

Exploring Child Welfare Practices to Care for Children with Prenatal Substance Exposure Kathleen Wang, Tammy Richards, Kathleen Kopiec, Sharon Newburg-Rinn and Jacquelyn Bertrand

Family Care Plans for Infants with Prenatal Substance Exposure Margaret Lloyd Sieger, Cynthia Nichols, Ira J. Chasnoff, Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Stephen W. Patrick and Michael Copenhaver

“The Problem’s Bigger than We Are”: Understanding How Local Factors Influence Child Welfare Responses to Substance Use in Pregnancy, A Qualitative Study Sarah F. Loch, Alexandra Muhar, Kathryn Bouskill, Bradley D. Stein, Qi Shi, Kemberlee Bonnet, David Schlundt, Margaret Lloyd Sieger, Elizabeth Parker, Caroline Orgel and Stephen W. Patrick

Case Study of a Prevention-oriented, Strengths-based Approach to Services for Prenatal Substance Exposure in a Tribal Child Welfare Agency Erin Geary, Priscilla Day, Natalie Moyer, Amy Red Cloud, Andrea Goodwin and Cheri Goodwin

Vol 101, No. 1

From the Editor: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow

Doorways to Adversity: Challenges of Youth Involved in Multiple Systems Svetlana Yampolskaya

Child Protective Services Workers and Supervisor Responses to Unsafe Home Visit Experiences Karlissa Wise, Joan Blakey, Andrea Dickey, Adam Chancy, Darrian Dawson and Leigh Beck

Experiences with and Perceptions of the Child Welfare System for Mothers Experiencing Incarceration Susan J. Rose and Thomas P. LeBel

Experiences of Parents with Psychiatric Disabilities who have Child Welfare Involvement: Perspectives from Parents and Staff Providing Legal Services Miriam Heyman, Robyn Powell, Kimberly The and Monika Mitra

Gender Differences in Sex-related Education, Knowledge, and Attitudes among Chinese Adolescents Hongfei Li, Mantang Gan, Jing Chen, Xinlong Rao, Chengzhu Xiong, Xin Guan, Dongdong Liu and Yanfen Liu

Safety in Oversight: A New Approach for Children’s Ombudsmen in Critical Incident Review Moira K. O’Neill and Heather M. Kennedy

A Systematic Review of the Effect of Active Commuting to School on Children’s Well-being: A Physical, Psychological, Social, and Academic Approach Idoia Legorburu Fernández, Nahia Idoiaga Mondragon, Argia Langarika-Rocafort, Maria Dosil-Santamaria and Naiara Berasategui

Vol. 100, No. 6

Special Issue: Understanding the Connection between Social Determinants of Health and Child Welfare

Special Foreword: The Intersection of Social Determinants of Health, Child Welfare, and Health Care

Cascading System Failures: How Systems Contribute to Poverty, Poor Health, and Child Welfare Involvement, and how to Redress This Shadi Houshyar, Elisa Minoff and Megan Martin

A Public Health Approach to Preventing Intergenerational Transmission of Substance Use Disorder: Applying a Social Determinants of Health Framework to Child Welfare and Across Systems Amanda D. Latimore, Elizabeth Schoyer, Sarah Mossburg, Brett Kellett, Taletha M. Derrington, Koray Caglayan and Dajun Lin

DULCE: Addressing Social Determinants of Health by Connecting Families to Concrete Supports as a Primary Prevention Approach to Child Welfare Whitney Hewlett Noël, Martha L. Raimon, Samantha J. Morton, Lia Hsu-Rodriguez and Jayne Singer Impacts of the Prevention and Aftercare Program in Los Angeles County: A Propensity Score Analysis of Subsequent Child Protective Services Involvement Lindsey Palmer, Jacquelyn McCroskey, John Prindle, Andrea Lane Eastman, Rebecca Rebbe and Regan Foust

Identifying Family Housing Stability: Exploring the Intersection of Social Determinants of Health, Housing and Child Welfare Involvement Leah Lindstrom Rhea, Amy Stetzel, Andrew Johnson, Karen Bartos and Frank Alexander

Redefining Culture in the CANS Assessment Tool to Improve Assessment of the Social Determinants of Health Maria E. Torres, Hannah E. Karpman and Thomas Mackie

Addressing the Social Determinants of Health to Stabilize Families in Crisis: Lessons from the Field in Five Nations Ian Forber-Pratt, Nicole Wilke and Trisha Weber

Vol. 100, No. 5

From the Editor: Pandemic as Metaphor

Parent Visits to Children in Foster Care and Institutional Care: What Impact do they Make? Stéphanie Chartier and Adélaïde Blavier

The Life Circumstances of Diverse Parents with Disabilities with Child Welfare Involvement Miriam Heyman, Frank Li, Luca Swinford and Monika Mitra

Online Parenting Information Through the Lens of Child Abuse Prevention: A Content Analysis Amy J.L. Baker, Marla R. Brassard, Julia Kagan, Bri Stormer, Kevin Lee Adkins III, Janet Rosenzweig and Naomi Chandler-Ofuya

Child Welfare Workforce Health: Exploring Stress, Burnout, Depression, and Sleep During COVID-19 Kim Link, Austin Griffiths, Kara Haughtigan, Oliver W. J. Beer and Lindsey Powell

COVID-19 and Servicing Youth in Foster Care Transitioning to Adulthood: Challenges and Opportunities Yuk C. Pang, Pond Ezra , Anna Stern, June Simon and Timothy Ross

Fetal and Childhood Maltreatment: A Systematic Review Marian Swindell and Andrea Germany

The Impact of Family Resource Centers on Referral Rates to Child Protective Services: A Comparison Group Study Catherine Roller White, Paul Bonfanti, Peter J. Pecora, Jorge Cabrera and Toni Rozanski

Vol 100, No. 4

Special Issue: Promotion of Latino and Hispanic Child & Family Well-Being

From the Editor: Familismo

Special Foreword: Latinx and Child Welfare: A Status Update

Sociopolitical Indicators that may Influence Latinx Children’s and Youth’s Entry into the Child Welfare System and Services Jorge A. Velázquez

Porque Me Desahogué: Expressive Writing as a Tool for School-based Trauma Treatment in Central American Adolescents Stephanie Carnes

Bilinguals Serving Latinx Families in Child Welfare Vania Buck

The Role of the Foster Care Agency and Foster Parents in the Lives of Children who are Unaccompanied Immigrants from Central America Kerri Evans, Dominique Culley and Thomas M. Crea

Hispanic Family Resiliencies Improve with a Family-based Prevention Program,  ¡Celebrando Familias! Edward Cohen, Rosemary Tisch, Maria Ramirez and Toni Torres

An Examination of Latinx Immigrant Families’ Social Service Needs Following a Deportation-related Family Separation Kristina Lovato and Laura S. Abrams

Exploring the Experiences of of Latinx Immigrant Families who are Undocumented during the COVID-19 Pandemic through an Ecosystemic Perspective Laura Jeannette Ramirez Diaz, Kaeli Flannery, Martie Gillen and Suzanna Smith

Latinx Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Language Kathryn E. Parr, Mollie Lazar Charter, Juliany Polar, Shireena McGee and Harini Buch

Child Welfare and Latinx Immigration: The Connecticut Experience Loida Reyes, Carlos A. Torre and Jennifer Avenia

Vol. 100, No. 3

Intrinsic and Extrinsic Motivations of Parent Advocates Working with Families in Child Welfare Marina Lalayants and Inga Saitadze

Addressing Child Welfare through Comprehensive Early Intervention during COVID-19 Erika J. Hildebrandt, Alegnta F. Felleke, Rebecca J. Gomez, April C. Bowie-Viverette and Angela Matijczak

Children’s Social Workers’ Views on Cultural Sensitivity in Mandated Reporting Michelle R. Cox , Bryan D. Bowens and Terrance D. Newman

Untangling the Effects of Welfare and Poverty on Children’s Involvement in Bullying Jun Sung Hong, Jungtae Choi, Yolanda C. Padilla, Chi-Fang Wu, Na Youn Lee, and Dorothy L. Espelage

Characteristics of Family Treatment Courts, the Families They Serve, and Their Capacity to Meet the Demands of their Communities Michael Shattuck Rodi, Jessica A. Dahlgren, Lyndsey Smith and Katherine Kissick

Ethnic Minority Children’s Perceptions of Violence Exposure in Communities Caleb Kim, Rana Hong and Philip Young P. Hong

Closing the Racial Wealth Gap: The Potential for Unconditional Cash Benefits to Reduce Racial Disproportionality in the Child Welfare System Katherine M. Ginn, Brittani Kindle and Valerie Pacino

Vol. 100, No. 1 & No. 2

Special Issue: Transforming Child Welfare through Anti-Racist Approaches

From the Editor: ‘ Why are All the Kids Black and All the Staff White?’: Anti-racism Work in Child Welfare

Introduction: Transforming Child Welfare through Anti-Racist Approaches

Approaches from Related Fields to Integrate Anti-racist Initiatives into Child Welfare Anita P. Barbee, Andrew M. Winters and Emma M. Sterrett-Hong

Racial Disproportionality and Disparity in Child Welfare: A Problem With ‘Bias’ in the Research Reiko Boyd

Investing in Families through Economic Supports: An Anti-racist Approach to Supporting Families and Reducing Child Welfare Involvement Alexandra Citrin, Megan Martin and Clare Anderson

Beyond Human-centered Design: The Promise of Antiracist Community-centered Approaches in Child Welfare Program and Policy Design Sonya Soni, Jessica Mason and Jermeen Sherman

‘Our Agency Doesn’t Like to Use the Word Racism Let Alone Talk about It’: Firsthand Stories of Workplace Racism in Child Welfare Sreyashi Chakravarty and Catherine K. Lawrence

‘They Don’t Understand Us and are Afraid of Us’: Black Social Workers’ Perspectives on the Role of Anti-Blackness within Foster Care Service Provision to Black Children Dominique Mikell Montgomery

Aunties, Uncles, Me Maws, and Play Cousins: Exploring Trends in Formal Kinship Care for Black Families in Texas Sherri Y. Simmons-Horton, Tanya N. Rollins, Richard Harris and Ashley Blackmore

Child Welfare Services: Its Ontology of Colonial Difference Mirna E. Carranza

Families with Black Caregivers Were More Likely to Reunify? Explaining Findings from a RCT for Families who are Housing-unstable and Have Children in Foster Care Cyleste Collins, Rong Bai , David Crampton and Rob Fischer

Parenting Amid Child Welfare Oversight: A Case Study of a Black Mother Darcey H. Merritt, Rachel D. Ludeke and Kimberly D. Hudson 

Closing the Front Door of Child Protection: Rethinking Mandated Reporting Miriam Itzkowitz and Katie Olson

Using Institutional Analysis to Examine the Systemic Sources of Racial Disproportionality and Disparity: A Case Example Kelechi Wright, Becci A. Akin, Kaela Byers, Sarah McCall, Dennis Alford, Amittia Parker, Shelby L. Clark, Nina Shaw-Woody, Melinda Kline, Nozella Brown, Evelyn Hill , Sharon Davis-Mays, Wes Parham and Rhonda Rush

Real or Imagined: Racial Bias in Family Assessments Michele D. Hanna and Stephanie Rogers

Navigating Racism in the Child Welfare System: The Impact on Black Children, Families, and Practitioners Nia I. Cantey, Lamar W. Smith, Shemeka Frazier Sorrells, Dianne Kelly, Candis Jones and Deborah Burrus

Vol. 99, No. 6

From the Editor: Protection: What All Children and Youth Need

Fostering Success in Higher Education: An Evaluation of a Holistic Model to Bridge Gaps for Foster Care Alumni and Youth who have been Displaced Taylor Ellis, Holly Register, Stefanie Binion and Kristin W. Alberda

Infants Born to Mothers in Buprenorphine Treatment during Pregnancy: Involvement with Child Protective Services Alane B. O’Connor, Liam M. O’Brien, Katelyn Staring, Laura Gurenlian and William Alto

Trajectories of Foster Care Entry for Infants’ Substance Exposure in States Hyesu Yeo, Allison Dunnigan, Rachel Annette Fusco and Madison Watson

Child Welfare Policies and Practices Regarding Children with Prenatal Exposure to Alcohol and Other Drugs: An Exploratory Study Kristen Usher, Ashley Brizzo, Christine Leicht, Sharon Newburg-Rinn, Megan R. Reynolds, Heather McCann and Jacquelyn Bertrand

Identifying the Relationship between Implementation and Outcomes of Foster Youth Advisory Boards in the United States: The Push for Accountability Brad Forenza and Judy Havlicek

The Safe Systems Improvement Tool: A Quality Improvement Approach to Learning from Child Fatalities and Other Critical Incidents in Child Welfare Michael J. Cull, Tiff any O. Lindsey, Elizabeth N. Riley and John S. Lyons

Vol. 99, No. 5

From the Editor: Meaningful and Authentic Family Engagement

Child Maltreatment, Peer Victimization, Bystander Intervention Outcomes, and Survivors’ Long-term Health Hyunkag Cho, Esther Son, Jisuk Seon, Sung Hyun Yun, Ga-Young Choi and Jungeun Olivia Lee

Head Start Impact on Social–emotional Outcomes Among Children from Families who are Low-income: Interaction Effects of Parental Outcomes Kyunghee Lee and Kayla Kreutzer

Family Treatment Drug Court Cost Analysis: An In-depth Look at the Cost and Savings of a Southeastern Family Treatment Drug Court Ashley R. Logsdon, Becky F. Antle and Cindy Kamer

Safety Science, Innovation, and Change in a State Child Welfare System: A Case Study James M. Nyce, Noel Hengelbrok and Scott Modell

Authentic Family Engagement and Strengthening: A Promising Family-Centered Approach for Advancing Racial Justice with Families Involved with the Child Protection System Corey Best, Morgan E. Cooley, Marianna L. Colvin and Vaughn Crichlow

An Evaluation of a Diversionary Program for Children of Color on Reentry into the Child Welfare System Mathangi Swaminathan

Vol. 99, Nos. 3 & 4

Special Issue: Poverty, Race, and Child Welfare

From the Editor: Poverty and Child Welfare

Special Foreword: Family Poverty, Racism, and the Pandemic: From Crises to Opportunity for Transformation

The Need for Justice in Child Welfare Jerry Milner and David Kelly

Neglect as Collective Failure to Provide for Children: Toward a New Theoretical Approach Anne Blumenthal

Racial Bias, Poverty, and the Notion of Evidence Alan J. Dettlaff , Reiko Boyd, Darcey Merritt, Jason Anthony Plummer and James D. Simon

Studying the Spaces around Families: Critical Considerations for Neighborhood Research Methods Related to Child Protection Involvement Johanna Caldwell, Ashleigh Delaye and Tonino Esposito

Poverty and the Overrepresentation of First Nations Children in the Quebec Youth Protection System Patricia Montambault, Maude Ostiguy-Lauzon, Marie-Pier Paul, Carl Lacharité and Tonino Esposito

 ‘I Would Never Want to Live That Again’: Centering Mothers’ Acquired Knowledge to Better Understand their Experiences in Child Welfare Prevention Services Linda M. Callejas, Lakshmi Jayaram and Anna Davidson Abella

Poverty’s Pathways: How Poverty Hinders Parents’ Efforts to Reunify with their Children Placed in Foster Care Amy D’Andrade

Effects of Length and Predictability of Poverty Spells on Probability of Subsequent Substantiated Allegations of Child Maltreatment Ignacio Navarro

Association Between Community-Level Material Hardships and Foster Care Entry by Race/Ethnicity Holly J. White-Wolfe, Raphaël Charron-Chénier and Ramona Denby-Brinson

The COVID-19 Pandemic and Social Safety Net Policy Responses: Implications for Child Maltreatment Prevention Michelle Johnson-Motoyama

Vol. 99, No. 2

From the Editor: What We Say and What We Do Matters

Striving for Success: Youth Formerly in Foster Care and their Ability to Lead Successful Lives Donald Jackson and Carla Cesaroni

Attitudes toward Transracial Adoption Among African American MSW Students Jaegoo Lee, Trenia L. Allen, Bridgette Harris and Tamara Pace-Glover

Motivation to Foster Among Single Foster Parents Morgan E. Cooley, Brittany P. Mihalec-Adkins, Heather M. Thompson and Aakansha Mehrotra

Do Parenting Resources Sufficiently Oppose Physical Punishment?: A Review of Books, Programs, and Websites Amy J.L. Baker, Stacie Schrieffer LeBlanc and Mel Schneiderman

Safety Assessment and Family Evaluation Model: A Systematic, Change-Based Approach to Public Child Welfare Intervention Todd Holder

‘There’s Just a Certain Armor that You Have to Put On’: Navigating College as a Youth with Foster Care Experience Susan A. Dumais and Naomi J. Spence

Vol. 99, No. 1

From the Editor:  The Sting of Homelessness among Youth Exiting the Foster Care System

Prevalence of Risk and Protective Factors for Homelessness among Youth in Foster Care G. Lawrence Farmer, Janna C. Heyman, Peggy L. Kelly and Tara Linh Leaman

Women in the Waves: Learning from Mothers in Recovery through Photovoice Heather Howard and Marianna L. Colvin

Understanding and Partnering with Amish Communities to Keep Children Safe Jeanette Harder

Providing Parents with Advice about Alternatives to Psychological Maltreatment: A Survey of Professionals in the Field of Child Maltreatment Amy J. L. Baker, Marla R. Brassard and Janet F. Rosenzweig

Systematic Review of Foster Parent Recruitment Ryan Hanlon, Alanna Feltner, Angelique Day, Lori Vanderwill, JaeRan Kim and Elise J. Dallimore

A Case Study of the Nutritional Status of Children Living in a Residential Care Institution in Mexico City Claudia Nieto, Georgina Ibáñez, Benjamin Aceves, Isabel Valero-Morales, Yareni Gutiérrez-Gómez and Ana Gabriela Maafs-Rodríguez

Vol. 98, No. 6

Special Issue: Global Perspectives on Child Protection and Neglect

Special Foreword: The Importance of Cross-National Collaboration Katharine Briar-Lawson, Christine James-Brown and Donna Petras

From the Editor: Go Fast Alone or Go Far Together?

Child Protection in Ethiopia’s Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR): Conceptual Understanding, Policy, and Practice Meseret Kassahun Desta

Neglect of Young Children in South Africa: Implications for Prevention, Identification, and Intervention Kim Schmidt and Lenette Azzi-Lessing

Tanzanian Child Welfare Policy Since British Colonial Rule: From Probation to Social Welfare Amana Mbise, Theresa Kaijage, Paul Mwangosi, Naftali Ng’ondi, Jeanne Ndyetabura, Zainab Kitembe, Daudi Chanila and Rita Minga

Thinking and Learning Together: Applying an Educational Intervention for Children Affected by Violence in Northern Uganda to a U.S. Classroom Martha Bragin, Joseph Mikulka, Opiro Wirefred George, Michael Lewis and Sam Guzzardi

P.I.P.P.I.: The Program of Intervention for the Prevention of Institutionalization: Integrating Intervention, Training, Research, and Policy to Support Families and Professional Marco Ius

Child Welfare Services: Considerations for Disaster Planning Preparedness Hilda P. Rivera-Rodríguez and Jennifer Oliveras-Del Río

Family-Centered Anti-Poverty Strategies to Address Child Neglect Katharine Briar-Lawson, Jessica A. Pryce and Salome Raheim

Resourcing the System and Enhancing Relationships: Pathways to Positive Outcomes for Children Impacted by Abuse and Neglect Allison Cox, Bruce D. Perry and Margarita Frederico

Enabling Community-led Child Protection: The Journey of an Experimental Field Site in Madhubani Bihar, India Kajol (Devasmita) Menon and Nicole Rangel

Case Study: Taiwan’s Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention: The Child and Youth High-Risk Family Program Pai Li-Fang

Vol. 98, No. 5

From the Editor: Yes, Words Do Matter

Assessing Trauma in American Indian/Alaska Native Parents as an ICWA Active Effort Nancy M. Lucero, Marian Bussey, and Tabitha Carver-Roberts

Transitioning Children in Foster Care to Adoptive Homes Redmond Reams

An Analysis of the Demographic Predictors of the Use of a Louisiana Parenting Helpline Lisa M. Olson

Social Work Degrees and Title IV-E Stipends: Predictive Factors for Worker Retention in Public Child Welfare Patrick Leung, Monit Cheung, and Lindamarie Olson

Do Race, Racial Disproportionality, and Disparities Remain Foci of Child Welfare?: Words Matter Harold E. Briggs, Christi P. Hardeman, Leon Banks, Adam C. Briggs, Junior Lloyd Allen, June Gary Hopps, and Daniel McCrary

Vol. 98, No. 4

From the Editor: The Impact of Trauma-Informed Care and Cultural Humility in Child Welfare Systems

Trauma-Informed Care Intervention for Culture and Climate Change within a Child Welfare Agency Molly M. Garwood, Maria R. Beyer, Jennifer Hammel, Tricia Schutz, and Heather A. Paradis

Effectiveness of Critical Ongoing Resource Family Education Teen Edition (CORE-Teen): Support for Resource Parents of Teens who are American Indian Angelique Day, Stacie Tao, Nicolas Squirrell, Sasha Jumper, Meghan Arnold, and Suzanne Cross

Foster Parent Perceptions of Feeding Infants Prenatally Exposed to Substance Use Sara E. Moore

Intersectionality and Child Welfare Policy: Implications for Black Women, Children, and Families Abigail Williams-Butler, Kate E. Golden, Alicia Mendez, and Breana Stevens

A Multi-Level Analysis of the Effects of Independent Living Programs Chun Liu

Implementing Trauma Screening and Trauma Assessment in Child Welfare: The Journey of Seven Colorado Counties Christine Rizzo, Stephanie Seng, Marc Winokur, Catherine Weaver, Thad Paul, and Lise Youngblade

Vol. 98, No, 3

From the Editor:  Black and Brown Children’s and Families’ Lives Matter: Addressing Racial Bias and Oppressive Policies and Practices in the U.S. Child Welfare System

We Can Do Better: Mitigating Negatively Racialized Attitudes in Child Welfare through Self-awareness Training Adrianne M. Crawford Fletcher and Tohoro Akakpo

Strengthening Caregivers’ Adoption Experiences through Support Services  Marina Lalayants

Frontline Worker Perceptions of Organizational Supports to Promote Evidence Use in Private Child Welfare Agencies Crystal Collins-Camargo, Emmeline Chuang, Nicole Lauzus, Amy Bonilla, and Bowen McBeath

Perceptions of Workload and Job Impact as Predictors of Child Welfare Worker Health Status  Austin Griffiths, David Royse, Chris Flaherty and Crystal Collins-Camargo

Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome and Trends in Infant Foster Care Admissions Margaret H. Lloyd Sieger and Jessica Becker

Outcomes of Young Adults Aging out of Foster Care: A Latent Class Analysis Pedro M. Hernandez and Jaegoo Lee

Vol. 98, No. 2

Governors as Policy Entrepreneurs: Setting the Agenda for Children Mary Elizabeth Collins and Sook Hyun Kim Understanding the Role of Coaching in Implementing and Sustaining Interventions in Child Welfare: A Review of the Literature April Allen, Nancy Hafer and Susan Brooks

Mental Health Screening in Treatment Foster Care Bonnie D. Kerker, Carol A. Quinlan, Glenn N. Saxe and Erika Tullberg

The Context-Specific Service Provision of CASA Colleen Cary Katz, Kerry Moles, Peggy Grauwiler and Sloan Silverman Post

A Model to Improve Educational Stability Collaborations between Child Welfare and Educational Agencies: Applying the Theory of Collaborative Advantage Kalah M. Villagrana

Understanding Individual and Organizational Factors Related to the Implementation Fidelity of the Family Finding Intervention to Support Youth in Foster Care who are Transitioning to Independent Living Liat Shklarski

Vol. 98, No. 1

‘We’re the Eyes for these Children 24 Hours a Day’: Foster Parents’ Understanding of their Role as Foster Carers Corey S. Shdaimah and Jonas Rosen

The Perception of Mentors and Mentorship among Youth at Risk in the Russian Federation Alexandra Telitsyna, Tatiana Arakantseva, and  Olga Zavodilkina

Examining Social Support Needs of Emerging Adults Transitioning out of Foster Care Francine E. Packard and Lorraine T. Benuto

Social Inclusion Outcomes: Evaluation of Proyecto Nacer’s Model Anayra Tua and Srikanta Banerjee

Suicide Prevention Training in the Child Welfare Workforce: Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practice Patterns Prior to and Following safeTALK Training Eskira Kahsay, Christina S. Magness, Seth Persky, Patricia K. Smith, and Cynthia Ewell Foster

Vol. 97, No. 5 & 6 Special Issue: Twenty Years after the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 (‘Chafee’): What We Know Now About Meeting the Needs of Teens and Young Adults

Special Foreword: Twenty Years after the Foster Care Independence Act of 1999 (‘Chafee’): What We Know Now About Meeting the Needs of Teens and Young Adults Cassandra Simmel and Victoria Kelly

Ensuring Young People Flourish: Applying the Science of Adolescent Development through the Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative Jeffrey M. Poirier, Leslie Gross, Alex Lohrbach, Leonardo Johnson and Sandra Wilkie

Factors Predicting Patterns of Service Use among John F. Chafee Independent Living Services Recipients Alfred G. Pérez, Richard J. Harris and Ka Ho Brian Chor

Countdown to 21: Outcomes from a Transition Support Program for Older Youth Exiting Foster Care Sonya J. Leathers, Beth L. Vande Voort, Kuan Xing, Kevin Walsh, Jill E. Spielfogel, Lee Annes, Tracy Frizzell and Dondieneita Fleary-Simmons

Educational Trajectories of Youth Formerly in Foster Care who are LGBTQ: Before, During, and After Emancipation Sarah Mountz, Moshoula Capous-Desyllas and Lalaine Sevillano

‘That Piece of Paper is Your Golden Ticket’: How Stigma and Connection Influence College Persistence among Students who are Care Leavers John Paul Horn

Factors Associated with Postsecondary Engagement for Youth Leaving Foster Care: An Analysis Using the National Youth in Transition Database Amy M. Salazar, John Paul Horn and Michael J. Cleveland

We Need That Person That Doesn’t Give up on Us’: The Role of Social Support in the Pursuit of Post-Secondary Education for Youth with Foster Care Experience who are Transition-Aged Colleen C. Katz and Jennifer M. Geiger

The Impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences on Sexual Well-being among Youth Formerly in the Foster Care System Richard A. Brandon-Friedman and J. Dennis Fortenberry

Identifying Strategic Entry Points for Services among Transition-aged Mothers who are Homeless Mayra K. Cazares and Julia Hernández

Bridging the Transition: What Makes for Success in a Formal Mentoring Program for Youth Exiting Foster Care? Sarah C. Narendorf, Reiko Boyd, Caitlyn Mytelka, Katy Vittoria and Mary Green 

‘There are a Lot of Good Things that Come Out of it at the End’: Voices of Resilience in Youth Formerly in Foster Care During Emerging Adulthood Kim Hokanson, Sarah Elizabeth Neville, Samantha Teixeira, Erin Singer, and Stephanie Cosner Berzin

Strategies for Engaging Youth Currently and Formerly in Foster Care in Child Welfare Policy Advocacy: Lessons from the New England Youth Coalition (NEYC) Astraea Augsberger, Noor Toraif, Julie Sweeney Springwater, Grace Hilliard Koshinsky and Linda Sprague Martinez

Supporting the Healthy Development of Adolescents with Lived Experience in Foster Care: The Youth Thrive Framework Lisa Mishraky, Susan Notkin and Sarah B. Greenblatt

Mentoring for Teens with Child Welfare Involvement: Permanency Outcomes from a Randomized Controlled Trial of the Fostering Healthy Futures for Teens Program Heather N. Taussig, Kimberly Bender, Rachel Bennett, Katie Massey Combs, Orah Fireman and Robyn Wertheimer

Meeting Teens’ Needs and Preventing Unnecessary Out-of-Home Placements in Delaware Karen Angelici, Jaime Dohn and Pamela Clarkson Freeman

From Data to Practice: The Impact of Placement with Family on Permanency and Well-Being Jorge Cabrera, Matthew Claps, Kirk O’Brien, Yvonne H. Roberts, Whitney L. Rostad, Toni Rozanski, Stephen Shimshock and Amy Sharp Zimmermann

Early Warning Indicators of Dropping Out of School for Teens Who Experienced Foster Care Elysia V. Clemens, Trent Lalonde, Kristin Klopfenstein and Alison Sheesley

Transition Age Youth (TAY) Needs Assessment: Feedback from TAY and Providers Regarding TAY Services, Resources, and Training Tawny R. Spinelli, Tracey J. Riley, Nicole E. St. Jean, Jessica D. Ellis, Jonathan E. Bogard and Cassandra L. Kisiel

Speaking Back to the System: Recommendations for Practice and Policy from the Perspectives of Youth Formerly in Foster Care who are LGBTQ Sarah Mountz, Moshoula Capous-Desyllas and Nayeli Perez

‘Not Independent Enough’: Exploring the Tension Between Independence and Interdependence among Former Youth in Foster Care who are Emerging Adults Kim Hokanson, Kate E. Golden, Erin Singer and Stephanie Cosner Berzin

Connect: An Attachment-Based and Trauma-Informed Program for Foster Parents of Teens Marlene M. Moretti, Katherine A. O’Donnell and Victoria Kelly

Long-Term Economic Benefit of Treatment Foster Care Oregon (TFCO) for Adolescent Females Referred to Congregate Care for Delinquency Lisa Saldana, Mark Campbell, Leslie Leve and Patricia Chamberlain

A Longitudinal Examination of Service Utilization and Trauma Symptoms among Young Women with Prior Foster Care and Juvenile Justice System Involvement Daschel J. Franz, Amanda M. Griffin, Lisa Saldana and Leslie D. Leve

Examining Non-response Bias in the National Youth in Transition Database Rachel Rosenberg, Claire Kelley, Sarah Kelley and Alaina Flannigan

Transitioning from Foster Care to Independence: Lessons from Recent Research and Next Steps Mary Elizabeth Collins

  Vol. 97, No. 4

From the Editor: Let’s Stop the Inhumane Practice of Separating Children From Their Families

Hearing the Voices of Young Adult Adoptees: Perspectives on Adoption Agency Practice Krystal K. Cashen, Dominique K. Altamari, Harold D. Grotevant and Ruth G. McRoy

Training Strategies in Child Welfare and their Association with Certification Outcomes Mi Jin Choi, Carla S. Stover and Pamela E. Aeppel

A Systems Approach to Child Death Review Noel Hengelbrok, Scott Modell, Tom Cheetham and James M. Nyce

A Decade in Review of Trends in Social Work Literature: The Link between Poverty and Child Maltreatment in the United States Ashley L. Landers, Domenica H. Carrese and Robin Spath

30 Days to Family®: Confirming Theoretical and Actual Outcomes Anne J. Atkinson

Vol. 97, No. 3

From the Editor: The Career-Long Benefits of Supervisory Wisdom

Culture and Emotional Well-Being in Adolescents who are American Indian/Alaska Native: A Review of Current Literature Puneet Sahota

Relationships between the Working Alliance, Engagement in Services, and Barriers to Treatment for Female Caregivers with Depression Emily Hamovitch, Mary Acri and Geetha Gopalan

An Integrative Model for Taming the Storm: Casework Supervision in Child Protection Services for Working with Families Involved in High-Conflict Child Custody Disputes Michael Saini, Kristina Nikolova and Tara Black

Retention of Child Welfare Caseworkers: The Wisdom of Supervisors Austin Griffiths, Patricia Desrosiers, Jay Gabbard, David Royse and Kristine Piescher

Use of Technology to Facilitate Practice Improvement in Trauma-Informed Child Welfare Systems Crystal Collins-Camargo, Jessica Strolin and Becci Akin

Social Inclusion Model: An Adolescent Parents Intervention Case Study for Measuring Social Inclusion Outcomes Anayra Tua and Srikanta Banerjee

Vol. 97, No. 2

From the Editor: Promoting Well-Being: The Importance of Compassionate Siblings, Caring Foster Parents, Supportive Peers, and Loving Grandparents in the Lives of Children and Youth

Victim Narratives of Sibling Emotional Abuse Courtney McDonald and Katherine Martinez

The State of Evaluations of Campus-Based Support Programs Serving Foster Care Alumni in Higher Education Lisa Schelbe, Angelique Day, Jennifer M. Geiger and Megan Hayes Piel

Foster Parent Skills and Dilemmas: A Qualitative Study Liat Shklarski

Kinship Care for Children who are American Indian/Alaska Native: State of the Evidence Puneet Chawla Sahota

School-aged Children Living in Grandfamilies: Grandparent Caregiver Confidence in Community Resources Matters Tamar E. Shovali, Kerstin G. Emerson and McKenzie Augusta

Vol. 97, No. 1

From the Editor: The Perils of Research Misuse — and the Importance of IRBs

Attachment Theory, Supervision, and Turnover in Child Welfare M. Elizabeth Bowman

Formal and Informal Social Support and Academic Achievement among College Students with Unstable Childhood Experiences Jisuk Seon, Kristen A. Prock, Joshua D. Bishop, Anne K. Hughes, Amanda T. Woodward and Sister Miriam MacLean

Psychological Maltreatment: The Response of Quebec Child Protection Services Claire Malo, Sonia Hélie, Chantal Lavergne and Jacques Moreau

Family Earnings and Transfer Income among Families Involved with Child Welfare Ji Young Kang, Jennifer Romich, Jennifer L. Hook, JoAnn Lee and Maureen Marcenko

Evaluation in Multiple Sites of the Safe Babies Court Team Approach Cecilia Casanueva, Sarah Harris, Christine Carr, Chelsea Burfeind and Keith Smith

A Grounded Theory Study of Organizational Readiness for Change in Public Child Welfare: Developing a Theoretical Model Natallie Gentles-Gibbs and Hyejin Kim

An Exploratory Study of Prospective Foster Parents’ Experiences during the Licensing Process Laurie Friedman

Vol. 96, No. 5 & No. 6 Special Issue: The Intersection of Immigration and Child Welfare

Special Foreword : The Intersection of Immigration and Child Welfare

State Immigration Enforcement Policies and Material Hardship for Immigrant Families Julia Gelatt, Heather Koball, and Hamutal Bernstein

Detached and Afraid: U.S. Immigration Policy and the Practice of Forcibly Separating Parents and Young Children at the Border Benjamin J. Roth, Thomas M. Crea, Jayshree Jani, Dawnya Underwood, Robert G. Hasson III, Kerri Evans, Michael Zuch, and Emily Hornung

Unraveling Disparities in Child Neglect Risk between Hispanics who are Immigrants and those Born in the United States: A Social-Ecological Approach Using Structural Equation Modeling Michelle Johnson-Motoyama and Wei Wu

Parental Detention and Deportation in Child Welfare Cases Prudence Beidler Carr

Promising Practices and Policies to Support Grandfamilies that Include Immigrants Ana Beltran and Cristina Ritchie Cooper

Working across Borders: Effective Permanency Practices at the Intersection of Child Welfare and Immigration Jorge Cabrera, Yvonne Humenay Roberts, Ada Lopez, Leo Lopez, Ana Zepeda, Robin Sanchez, Carol Punske, George Gonzalez, Maria Nuño, Lily Garay-Castro, Iris Lopez, Terri Aguilera-Flemming, and Yoshimi Pelczarski

A Pathway to Permanency: Collaborating for the Futures of Children who are Immigrants in the Child Welfare System Joanne Gottesman, Randi Mandelbaum, and Meredith Pindar

Exploring the Needs of Children and Families who are Immigrants and Involved in Child Welfare: Using a Title IV-E Learning Community Model Robin Hernandez-Mekonnen and Dawn Konrady

Supporting Youth at the Intersection of Immigration and Child Welfare Systems Alexandra Citrin, Megan Martin, and Shadi Houshyar

Outcomes for Youth Served by the Unaccompanied Refugee Minor Foster Care Program: A Pilot Study Kerri Evans, Morgan Pardue-Kim, Thomas M. Crea, Lindsay Coleman, Kylie Diebold, and Dawnya Underwood

Well-Being and Permanency: The Relevance of Child Welfare Principles for Children Who are Unaccompanied Immigrants Adam Avrushin and Maria Vidal de Haymes

Vol. 96, No. 4

From the Editor : Stepping Out and Stepping In—Learning to Negotiate the Role of Parenting an Adult with Disabilities

Invisible Parents: Foster Home Licensing Transparency on State-Level Websites Andrew I. Repp and Jennifer M. Geiger

Fostering the Initiation of Discretionary Psychotropic Medication Reviews by Child Welfare Caseworkers Heather J. Walter and David R. DeMaso

Implications for Practice: Risks to Youth in Boomtowns Thomasine Heitkamp and Roni Mayzer

Examination of the Influence of Court Disposition Status (Under Investigation, Founded) on Pre-Intervention Assessment Results in Child Protective Services Referrals Brad Donohue, Christopher P. Plant, Kimberly A. Barchard, Jesse Scott and Marina Galante

Parental Supports for Parents with Disabilities: The Importance of Informal Supports Elizabeth Lightfoot, Traci LaLiberte and Minhae Cho

Building Effective Child Welfare-Early Care & Education Inter-Agency Partnerships: Lessons from Research Sacha Klein and Susan M. Jekielek

Vol. 96, No. 3

From the Editor : Thriving Rather than Tweeting

The Relationship between State Supports and Post-Secondary Enrollment among Youth Aging Out of Foster Care: An Analysis of the National Youth in Transition Database Toni Terling Watt, Seoyoun Kim and Kaytlin Garrison

Social Support among Parents of Children with ADHD in Vietnam: Psychometric Properties of the Family Support Scale Nam-Phuong Hoang

The Child Abuse Prevention and Treatment Act: Knowledge of Health Care and Legal Professionals Ira J. Chasnoff, Gail Barber, Jody Brook and Becci A. Akin

Optimizing Knowledge of Maternal and Non-maternal Risk Factors in Child Maltreatment Investigations: The Utility of Administrative Data Sheridan Miyamoto, Patrick S. Romano, Emily Putnam-Hornstein, Holly Thurston, Madan Dharmar and Jill G. Joseph

Effect of Mental Health Treatment, Juvenile Justice Involvement, and Child Welfare Effectiveness on Severity of Mental Health Problems Jeremiah W. Jaggers, Eprise Armstrong Richardson and James A. Hall

The Impacts of Domestic Violence on Children: Perspectives from Women in Malaysia who Experience Abuse Mariny Abdul Ghani

Vol. 96, Nos. 1 & 2 Special Issue: Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity/ Expression, and Child Welfare

From the Editor: Gay and No Place to Go, Redux

Special Foreword: It is Time to Start Counting Kids Who are LGBTQ in Child Welfare Tracey Feild

Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative: Experiences and Outcomes of Youth who are LGBTQ Jeffrey M. Poirier, Sandy Wilkie, Kristin Sepulveda and Tania Uruchima

Creating Safer Spaces for Youth who are LGBTQ in Broward County, Florida: Collecting SOGIE Data for Life-Coaching Services Marissa L. Greif-Hackett and Sue Gallagher

Strengthening Family Connections and Support for Youth in Foster Care who Identify as LGBTQ: Findings from the PII-RISE Evaluation Jaymie Lorthridge, Marneena Evans, Leanne Heaton, Andrea Stevens and Lisa Phillips

Gender Diversity and Child Welfare Research: Empirical Report and Implications of the Los Angeles County Foster Youth Study Soon Kyu Choi and Bianca D. M. Wilson

‘Because We’re Fighting to Be Ourselves’: Voices from Former Foster Youth who are Transgender and Gender Expansive Sarah Mountz, Moshoula Capous-Desyllas and Elizabeth Pourciau

Queering the Question: Using Survey Marginalia to Capture Gender Fluidity in Housing and Child Welfare Amy Castro Baker, Kel Kroehle, Henisha Patel and Carrie Jacobs

Reversing Erasure of Youth and Young Adults Who are LGBTQ and Access Homelessness Services: Asking about Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Pronouns Jama Shelton, Jeffrey M. Poirier, Coco Wheeler and Alex Abramovich

Child Welfare Systems and LGBTQ Youth Homelessness: Gender Segregation, Instability, and Intersectionality Brandon Andrew Robinson

Out of the System and onto the Streets: LGBTQ-Identified Youth Experiencing Homelessness with Past Child Welfare System Involvement Nicholas Forge, Robin Hartinger-Saunders, Eric Wright and Erin Ruel

Developing Relationship-Building Tools for Foster Families Caring for Teens who are LGBTQ2S Amy M. Salazar, Kristin J. McCowan, Martie L. Skinner, Bailey R. Noell, Jessica M. Colito, Kevin P. Haggerty and Susan E. Barkan

Yes We Can Allegheny: Implementing SOGIE Inclusive System Improvements in Child Welfare Micki Washburn, Megan Good, Shauna Lucadamo, Kristen Weber, Bill Bettencourt and Alan J. Dettlaff

Strengthening the Workforce to Support Youth in Foster Care who Identify as LGBTQ+ through Increasing LGBTQ+ Competency: Trainers’ Experience with Bias Angela Weeks, Danielle Altman, Andrea Stevens, Jaymie Lorthridge and Leanne Heaton

Vol. 95, No. 6

From the Editor: In the Caring Embrace of Parental Love

Always Together? Predictors and Outcomes of Sibling Co-Placement in Foster Care Carolyn E. Seale and Gissele Damiani-Taraba

​Delinquency, Anger, and Parental Warmth: An Analysis of Youth who are Minorities and Living in Extreme Poverty Jeremiah W. Jaggers, Sara Tomek, Lisa M. Hooper, Missy T. Malone and Wesley T. Church, II

The First Two Years out of Residential Care in South Africa: A Critical Period for Care-Leaving Services Adrian Van Breda

​Longitudinal Evaluation of ‘Pathways to Safety’: A Child Maltreatment Prevention Program in Monterey County, California Ignacio Navarro, Zuleima L. Arevalo and Martha J. Tweed

The Atlas Project: Integrating Trauma-Informed Practice into Child Welfare and Mental Health Settings Erika Tullberg, Bonnie Kerker, Nawal Muradwij and Glenn Saxe

Vol. 95, No. 5

From the Editor: Connections and Relationships throughout Life

Evaluating Prevention: Communities NOW: Connecting for Kids Lara Bruce, Megan Lane and Elizabeth Ann Deaton Wacker

​Improving Preparation for Foster Care: Developing a Child-Friendly Training Curriculum for Families who Foster Bethany Strauss and Leah Wasburn-Moses

​Factors Affecting Perceptions of Self-Value among Employees of Child Welfare Agencies Floyd Quinn

Partnership for Multimethod Evaluation in Child Welfare: Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration Program James A. Hall, Teresa M. Imburgia, Kori R. Bloomquist, Jangmin Kim, Barbara J. Pierce, Jeremiah W. Jaggers, Eprise Armstrong-Richardson, Marie Danh and Devon J. Hensel

Prevalence of Chronic Illness among Youth with DSM-IV-TR Axis I Diagnoses at a Large Mental Health Agency in Northeast Ohio Julie M. Merker, Jacqueline Dolata, Earl Pike, Elizabeth Newman, Debra Rex and Ashwini R. Sehgal

Vol 95, No. 4 Special Issue: Kinship Care and Child Welfare: New Directions for Policy and Practice (Second of Two Issues)

From the Editor: The Apple Tree Has Many Healthy Apples: Kinship Caregiving

Introduction: Kinship Care Policy and Practice Mark F. Testa

Using Family Group Decision-Making to Assist Informal Kinship Families Leonard H. Feldman

Using Kinship Navigation Services to Support the Family Resource Needs, Caregiver Self-Efficacy, and Placement Stability of Children in Informal and Formal Kinship Care Michele Cranwell Schmidt and Julie Treinen

Supporting Kinship Caregivers: Examining the Impact of a Title IV-E Waiver Kinship Supports Intervention Cailin Wheeler and Justin Vollet

Protective Factors as Mediators and Moderators of Risk Effects on Perceptions of Child Well-Being in Kinship Care Ramona W. Denby, Mark F. Testa, Keith A. Alford, Chad L. Cross and Jesse A. Brinson

New Directions for Kinship Care Policy and Practice: A Position Paper from the Kinship Summit at Albany, New York, September 2016

Vol 95, No. 3 Special Issue: Kinship Care and Child Welfare: New Directions for Policy and Practice (First of Two Issues)

Health and Well-Being of Children in Kinship Care: Findings from the National Survey of Children in Nonparental Care Matthew D. Bramlett, Laura F. Radel and Kirby Chow

The Relationship between Kinship Diversion and Child Behavior Problems Qi Wu

Placement Stability of Children in Informal Kinship Care: Age, Poverty, and Involvement in the Child Welfare System Eunju Lee, Mi Jin Choi, Yeonggeul Lee and Catherine Kramer

A Kinship Navigator Program: A Comprehensive Approach to Support Private and Voluntary Kinship Caregivers Berenice R. Rushovich, Kantahyanee W. Murray, Kristen Woodruff and Pamela Clarkson Freeman

Vol. 95, No. 2

Once Upon a Time: Lessons Learned from the Benefits of Parent-Child Mother Goose Daphne S. Ling, Gillian Tibbetts and Elaine Scharfe

Theories on Child Protection Work with Parents: A Narrative Review of the Literature George Karpetis

From Classroom to Caseload: Transition Experiences of Frontline Child Welfare Workers Melissa Radey and Lisa Schelbe

Sense of Community through Supportive Housing among Foster Care Alumni Bradley Forenza and David T. Lardier

Training and Preparation for Caregiving of Older Foster Youth: Perspectives of Foster Parents Elizabeth J. Greeno, Mathew C. Uretsky, Bethany R. Lee, Haksoon Ahn and Deborah S. Harburger

Vol. 95, No. 1

From the Editor: Real Scholarship on Real-World Issues for America’s Children, Youth, and Families

The Family Unification Program (FUP): A Housing  Option for Former Foster Youth Amy Dworsky, M. Robin Dion, Rebecca Kleinman and Jackie Kauff

Adoption Policy and the Well-Being of Adopted Children in the United States Ashley J. Provencher, Nicholas E. Kahn and Mary Eschelbach Hansen

Child Sexual Abuse and the Impact of Rurality on Foster Care Outcomes: An Exploratory Analysis Austin Griffiths, April L. Murphy and Whitney Harper

Psychological Maltreatment, the Under-Recognized Violence Against Children: A New Portrait from Quebec Claire Malo, Jacques Moreau, Chantal Lavergne and Sonia Hélie 

Vol. 94, No. 6

From the Editor: It’s Still All About Families

Assessing the Needs of Reunified Families from Foster Care: A Parent Perspective Tricia Nichola Stephens, Tyrone Parchment, Geetha Gopalan, Geraldine Burton, Aida Ortiz, Taishawn Brantley, Selestina Martinez and Mary McKay

Transition-Age Foster Youth and Caregiver Perceptions of Self-Sufficiency Marina Lalayants, Laura Montero, Laura S. Abrams and Susanna R. Curry

Family Finding Project: Results from a One-Year Program Evaluation Liat Shklarski, Vincent P. Madera, Katricia Bennett and Kimberley Marcial

Principled Quality Assurance in Child Welfare: A New Perspective Andrew Koster and Gissele Damiani-Taraba

Resources, Race, and Placement Frequency: An Analysis of Child Well-Being Jeremiah W. Jaggers, Eprise Armstrong Richardson, Matthew C. Aalsma and James A. Hall

Vol. 94, No. 5

Promising Results for Cross-Systems Collaborative Efforts to Meet the Needs of Families Impacted by Substance Use Kimberly Dennis, Michael S. Rodi, Gregory Robinson, Kenneth DeCerchio, Nancy K. Young, Sidney L. Gardner, Elaine Stedt and Marianna Corona

Predictors of Substance Abuse Assessment and Treatment Completion for Parents Involved with Child Welfare: Child Welfare: One State’s Experience in Matching across Systems Dorian E. Traube, Amy S. He, Limei Zhu, Christine Scalise and Tyrone Richardson

Examining the Relationships between Family Drug Court Program Compliance and Child Welfare Outcomes Holly Child and Dara McIntyre

Changes in Adult, Child, and Family Functioning among Participants in a Family Treatment Drug Court Merith Cosden and Lauren M. Koch

Making It Work Without a Family Drug Court: Connecticut’s Approach to Parental Substance Abuse in the Child Welfare System Jane Ungemack, Marilou Giovannucci, Samuel Moy, Karen Ohrenberger, Thomas DeMatteo and Staceyann Smith

Peer Mentoring in Child Welfare: A Motivational Framework Anna Rockhill, Carrie J. Furrer and Thuan M. Duong

Enhancing Family Protective Factors in Residential Treatment for Substance Use Disorders Joan E. Zweben, Yael Moses, Judith B. Cohen, Genny Price, William Chapman and Joanna Lamb

An Integrated Intervention to Address the Comorbid Needs of Families Referred to Child Welfare for Substance Use Disorders and Child Neglect: FAIR Pilot Outcomes Lisa Saldana

Effects of Intensive Family Preservation Services in Rural Tennessee on Parental Hopefulness with Families Affected by Substance Use Edwina Chappell, Kathryn Sielbeck-Mathes, Randall Reiserer, Hannah Wohltjen, Wendy Shuran and Elizabeth McInerney

Vol. 94, No. 4

How Many Families in Child Welfare Services Are Affected by Parental Substance Use Disorders? A Common Question that Remains Unanswered Kristen Seay

Mental Health Disorders among Children within Child Welfare who have Prenatal Substance Exposure: Rural vs. Urban Populations Ira J. Chasnoff, Erin Telford, Anne M.Wells and Lauren King

Co-Occurrence of Parental Substance Abuse and Child Serious Emotional Disturbance: Understanding Multiple Pathways to Improve Child and Family Outcomes Becci A. Akin, Jody Brook and Margaret H. Lloyd

Practice-Informed Approaches to Addressing Substance Abuse and Trauma Exposure in Urban Native Families Involved with Child Welfare Nancy M. Lucero and Marian Bussey

Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams in Rural Appalachia: Implementation and Outcomes Martin T. Hall, Ruth A. Huebner, Jeanelle S. Sears, Lynn Posze, Tina Willauer and Janell Oliver

Effects of a Rural Family Drug Treatment Court Collaborative on Child Welfare Outcomes: Comparison Using Propensity Score Analysis McLean D. Pollock and Sherri L. Green

Family-Based Recovery: An Innovative In-Home Substance Abuse Treatment Model for Families with Young Children Karen E. Hanson, Dale H. Saul, Jeffrey J. Vanderploeg, Mary Painter and Jean Adnopoz

Rethinking Child Welfare to Keep Families Safe and Together: Effective Housing-Based Supports to Reduce Child Trauma, Maltreatment Recidivism, and Re-Entry to Foster Care Marny Rivera and Rita Sullivan

New Approaches for Working with Children and Families Involved in Family Treatment Drug Courts: Findings from the Children Affected by Methamphetamine Program Michael S. Rodi, Colleen M. Killian, Philip Breitenbucher, Nancy K. Young, Sharon Amatetti, Russ Bermejo and Erin Hall

Vol. 94, Nos. 2 & 3 Special Issue: Improving the Use and Usefulness of Research Evidence

Introduction Joe Bock

Special Foreword: Making Research Work in Child Welfare: Overcoming Challenges Kimberly DuMont and Christine James-Brown

Strategies to Improve the Use and Usefulness of Research in Child Welfare Lydia F. Killos, Catherine Roller White, Peter J. Pecora, Erin Maher, Kirk O’Brien, Dave Danielson, Kimberly DuMont, Fred Wulczyn, Bryan Samuels and Clare Anderson

Innovation and the Use of Research Evidence in Youth-Serving Systems: A Mixed-Methods Study Lawrence A. Palinkas, Qiaobing Wu, Dahlia Fuentes, Megan Finno-Velasquez, Ian W. Holloway, Antonio Garcia and Patricia Chamberlain

From a Provider’s Perspective: Integrating Evidence-Based Practice into the Culture of a Social Service Organization Miranda Yates, Jennifer Nix, Jennifer Schurer Coldiron and Laurie Williams

Selecting an Evidence-Based Practice in Child Welfare: Challenges and Steps to Identifying a Good Fit Jared Martin, Cambria Rose Walsh and Jennifer Rolls Reutz

Co-Creating the Conditions to Sustain the Use of Research Evidence in Public Child Welfare Allison Metz and Leah Bartley

Research Evidence Use in the Child Welfare System Fred Wulczyn, Lily Alpert, Kerry Monahan-Price, Scott Huhr, Lawrence A. Palinkas and Laura Pinsoneault

Exploring the Integration of Systems and Social Sciences to Study Evidence Use among Child Welfare Policy-makers Thomas I. Mackie, R. Christopher Sheldrick, Justeen Hyde and Laurel K. Leslie

Learning to Listen and Listening to Learn: Recursive Information Flow to Build Relationships and Improve Practice Anita M. Larson and Sara E. Langworthy

Tensions and Opportunities: Building Meaningful Partnerships Between Child Welfare Decision-makers and Evaluators Emily Fisher, Jacquelyn Spangler and Ruth Huebner

Benefits of Embedding Research into Practice: An Agency-University Collaboration Michael A. Nunno, Elliott G. Smith, William R. Martin and Sharon Butcher

Strategies for Strengthening the Utility of Research in Supportive Housing-Child Welfare Partnerships Miriam J. Landsman and Mitchell Rosenwald

From Novel to Empirical: Developing CommunityBased Programs into Research-Ready Programs Rebecca J. Macy, Dania M. Ermentrout, Phillip H. Redmond, Jr., Cindy Fraga Rizo and McLean D. Pollock

Engaging the Child Welfare Community in Examining the Use of Research Evidence Susan Maciolek

Vol. 94, No. 1 Special Issue: Housing, Homelessness, and Economic Security

Introduction Nan Roman

Special Foreword Ruth Anne White and Debra Rog

Factors Influencing Risk of Homelessness among Youth in Transition from Foster Care in Oklahoma: Implications for Reforming Independent Living Services and Opportunities Brandon L. Crawford, Jacqueline McDaniel, David Moxley, Zohre Salehezadeh and Alisa West Cahill

Housing Trajectories for Youth Transitioning from Foster Care: Gender Differences from 2010–2014 Robert G. Hasson III, Andrew D. Reynolds and Thomas M. Crea

Economic Well-Being and Independent Living in Foster Youth: Paving the Road to Effective Transitioning out of Care Elizabeth Trejos-Castillo, Gayle Davis and Terri Hipps

Partnering to Leverage Multiple Data Sources: Preliminary Findings from a Supportive Housing Impact Study Jessica Raithel, Miranda Yates, Amy Dworsky, Maryanne Schretzman and Whitney Welshimer

Physically Hazardous Housing and Risk for Child Protective Services Involvement Bomi Kim Hirsch, MiYoun Yang, Sarah Font and Kristen S. Slack

Poverty, Homelessness, and Family Break-Up Marybeth Shinn, Jessica Gibbons-Benton and Scott R. Brown

Housing Matters for Families: Promising Practices from Child Welfare Agencies Mary Cunningham and Michael Pergamit

Integrated Solutions for Intertwined Challenges: A Statewide Collaboration in Supportive Housing for Child Welfare-Involved Families Anne F. Farrell, Kellie G. Randall, Preston A. Britner, Betsy Cronin, S. Kim Somaroo-Rodriguez and Lisa Hansen

The Family Unification Program: A Randomized-Controlled Trial of Housing Stability Patrick J. Fowler and Michael Schoeny

Family Stability and Child Welfare Involvement among Families Served in Permanent Supportive Housing Debra J. Rog, Kathryn A. Henderson and Andrew L. Greer

Vol. 93, No. 6

Using Qualitative Data-Mining for Practice Research in Child Welfare Colleen Henry, Sarah Carnochan and Michael J. Austin

Implementing ASFA with Vulnerable African American Families: A Community Capacity Approach Adrienne L. Edwards and April L. Few-Demo

Efficacy of Blended Preservice Training for Resource Parents Lee White, Richard Delaney, Caesar Pacifici, Carol Nelson, Josh Whitkin, Maureen Lovejoy and Betsy Keefer Smalley

Parental Disability in Child Welfare Systems and Dependency Courts: Preliminary Research on the Prevalence of the Population Ella Callow and Jean Jacob

Social Supports in the Lives of Child Welfare-Involved Families Marina Lalayants, Meaghan Baier, Anne Benedict and Diana Mera

Vol. 93, No. 5

Understanding Correlates of Higher Educational Attainment among Foster Care Youths Dana R. Hunter, Pamela A. Monroe and James C. Garand

Exploring Cyberbullying among Primary Children in Relation to Social Support, Loneliness, Self-Efficacy, and Well-Being Dorit Olenik-Shemesh and Tali Heiman

Trust-Based Relational Intervention® (TBRI®) for Adopted Children Receiving Therapy in an Outpatient Setting Amanda R. Howard, Sheri R. Parris, Lauren E. Nielsen, Rob Lusk, Kathleen Bush, Karyn B. Purvis and David R. Cross

Marathon County Community Response: Voluntary Services for Families Screened out of Child Protective Services Kathryn Maguire-Jack and Jessica Bowers

Building Learning Organizations within Public Child Welfare Agencies through Internal Research Capacity Ruth A. Huebner, Peter Watson, Laura Dyer, Christeen Borsheim and Colleen M. Caron

Evaluation of Smoke-free Foster Care Education for Foster and Adoptive Caregivers Cam Escoffery, Michelle C. Kegler, Lucja Bundy, Debbie Yembra, Shadé Owolabi, Dianne Kelley and Dorothy Mabry

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The Treehouse Community: An Innovative Intergenerational Model for Supporting Youth Who Have Experienced Foster Care Jen H. Dolan and Harold D. Grotevant

Therapeutic Visiting in Treatment Foster Care Sally Palmer, Duane Durham and Margaret Osmond

Kinship Care and Undocumented Latino Children in the Texas Foster Care System: Navigating the Child Welfare-Immigration Crossroads Jennifer Scott, Monica Faulkner, Jodi Berger Cardoso and Jane Burstain

Status Offenders and Delinquent Youth: Actual or Artificial Taxonomy Camela M. Steinke and Elisa M. Martin

Young Offender Sexual Abuse Cases Under Protection Investigation: Are Sibling Cases Any Different? Delphine Collin-Vézina, Elizabeth Fast, Sonia Hélie, Mireille Cyr, Stéphanie Pelletier and Barbara Fallon

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Need for Trauma-Informed Care Within the Foster Care System: A Policy Issue Brittany A. Beyerlein and Ellin Bloch

Family Engagement in “Voluntary” Child Welfare Services: Theory and Empirical Evidence from Families under Differential Response Referrals in California Ignacio Navarro

Risk Management in Child Protective Services: A Balanced Scorecard Approach Michael J. Camasso and Radha Jagannathan

The Caregiver-Reported Value of Participation in a Kinship Support Center Ron J. Hammond, Jacci Graham, Anna-Lee Hernandez, and Kent Hinkson

Measuring Social Support among Kinship Caregivers: Confirming the Factor Structure of the Family Support Scale David Kondrat, Jayme R. Swanke, Kerry Littlewood, and Anne Strozier

When Rights Collide: A Critique of the Adoption and Safe Families Act from a Justice Perspective Adrienne Whitt-Woosley and Ginny Sprang

Vol. 93, No. 2

Homeless Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Youth in New York City: Insights from the Field Geoffrey L. Ream and Nicholas R. Forge

Children and Youth with Disabilities in the Child Welfare System: An Overview Elizabeth Lightfoot

Leveraging the Experiences of Foster Care Alumni: A Mixed-Method Model for Organizing J. Jay Miller and Larry W. Owens

Facilitating Ethical Decisions in Practice: The Professionalization Efforts of One Title IV-E Collaboration Angela R. Ausbrooks, Amy D. Benton, Rhonda Smith and Martha S. Wildberger

Collaborative Relationships and Improved Service Coordination among Child Welfare and Early Childhood Systems Samantha M. Brown, Sacha Klein and Julie S. McCrae

Vol. 93, No. 1

Mental Health Care of Families Affected by the Child Welfare System Manny J. Gonzalez

 The Scottish Children’s Panels as a Catalyst for Civic Engagement and Child Well-Being Anne S. Robertson

Child Maltreatment Entrenched by Poverty: How Financial Need is Linked to Poorer Outcomes in Family Preservation Jody Hearn Escaravage

Former Foster Youth’s Perspectives on Independent Living Preparation Six Months After Discharge Loring P. Jones

Risk of Early Sexual Initiation and Pregnancy Among Youth Reported to the Child Welfare System Ellen Wilson, Cecilia Casanueva, Keith R. Smith, Helen Koo, Stephen J. Tueller, and Mary Bruce Webb

Differential Effects of Single and Double Parental Death on Child Emotional Functioning and Daily Life in South Africa Lorraine Sherr, Natasha Croome, Claudine Clucas, and Elizabeth Brown

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The Path from Process to Outcomes: A Cross-Site Evaluation of 24 Family Connection Grantee Projects Jennifer Dewey, Grace Tipton, Joanna DeWolfe, Carolyn Sullins, and Chi Connie Park

Measuring the Impact of Enhanced Kinship Navigator Services for Informal Kinship Caregivers Using an Experimental Design Leonard H. Feldman and Amanda Fertig

Family Team Conferencing: Results and Implications from an Experimental Study in Florida Robin Perry, Jane Yoo, Toni Spoliansky, and Pebbles Edelman

All in the Family: Variations in the Use of Family Meetings in Child Welfare Heather Allan and Erin Maher

Using Multi-Informed Fidelity Data to Determine the Impact of a Neutral Child Welfare Facilitator for Permanency Decision Teams Elizabeth J. Greeno, Kantahyanee Murray, and Berenice Rushovich

Residential Family Treatment for Parents with Substance Use Disorders who are Involved with Child Welfare: Two Perspectives on Program Design, Collaboration, and Sustainability Gretchen Clark Hammond and Amanda McGlone

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PART II: PRACTICE METHODS TO REDUCE RACIAL DISPROPORTIONALITY AND DISPARTY OF OUTCOMES

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Children and the Child Welfare System: Problems, Interventions, and Lessons from Around the World

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• Published: 30 January 2021
• Volume 38 , pages 127–130, ( 2021 )

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Securing the welfare of children and the family is an integral part of social work. Modern society has experienced enormous changes that present both opportunities and challenges to the practice of social work to protect the welfare of children. It is thus essential that we understand the experiences of social work practitioners in different parts of the world in order to adapt practice to the changing times. To help achieve this, we present a collection of papers from around the world that presents findings on various aspects of social work research and practice involving children and the potential for improved service delivery.

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The protection of children’s welfare in many parts of the world involve different institutions and professionals ranging from social workers to the police, courts, schools, health centers, among others. In the course of their duties, some form of collaboration to varying degrees occur between these institutions and professionals in order to secure the welfare of children (Lalayants, 2008 ).

The child welfare system and social work particularly, has been observed to have undergone complex changes from its inception till now (Bamford, 2015 ; McNutt, 2013 ; Mendes, 2005 ; Stuart, 2013 ). Historically, the family and the local community were in many societies, solely responsible for a child’s well-being. When in crisis, the family including the wider extended family, was primarily responsible for supporting the child and solving their problems.

In response to wider changes in contemporary society, the child welfare system has increased the involvement of aid institutions protecting the welfare of children while reducing the role of the family. The family as a unit has also undergone changes, from the involvement of a broader network of relatives and the local community to the dominance of the nuclear family. Family ties have been weakened in many societies and the way the family unit functions has changed. Many children experience problems that often exceed the capacity of help available to these nuclear families. This has made it necessary to involve professional institutions (education, health, etc.) to aid in other areas outside of their core mandates to ensure children are secure, healthy, fed, and entertained and also to help families regain their own strength.

Although certain challenges to child welfare have persisted over time, children in contemporary times face some threats to their welfare unique to the times. Advancement in technology on one hand presents novel problems such as internet-use addictions and extensive means of child exploitation whiles on the other hand, these advancements in technology also provide opportunities to reach more clients effectively, gather data for analysis, and monitor and assess the performance of workers as well as the effectiveness of services. Modern ICT tools (such as online platforms and mobile applications) provide more flexibility in engagement between social workers and clients and the frequency of such meetings or engagements. However, an uncritical over-reliance on these tools presents other problems. Some social workers may be prone to avoid difficult situations involving uncooperative or violent families (Cooper, 2005 ) and an over-reliance on online meetings may worsened such cases, leaving vulnerable children unprotected.

All around the world, differences exist in the degree of exposure and the severity of problems facing children based on their age group (infants, toddlers, teens, and, youth), gender, geography, economic background, and culture. For instance, among the genders, differences exist in the probability of falling victim to child sexual abuse (Wellman, 1993 ) and the consequences of such victimization (Asscher, Van der Put, & Stams, 2015 ). Children from poor families are more at risk of being involved with the welfare system in certain countries (Fong, 2017 ) while poor and developing countries lack some resources needed to support children and families compared to more developed and richer countries. In addition, cultural attitudes towards parenting in different parts of the world may exacerbate the problems of child neglect, corporal punishment, and other forms of abuse.

To ensure that social workers are better equipped to deal with the daunting task of protecting the welfare of children, reforms have been proposed which are aimed at improving on the knowledge and skills of social workers, instituting standards of practice based on data, striving for continuous excellence in organizations (Cahalane, 2013 ) among others. The social work interventions aimed at improving the welfare of children of any given society can be affected by political, cultural, and socio-economic factors and this needs to be understood and addressed during the design, implementation, and assessment stages of interventions. Reisch and Jani ( 2012 ) describe how politics affect the development of social programs at the macro and micro levels, workplace decision-making processes, and resource allocation for agencies and clients.

With the aim of understanding the various challenges facing social work and the child welfare system around the world and the existing opportunities to address them, several papers on varying topics related to child welfare have been collated into this special issue. The contributors come from Asia, Africa, North America, and Europe and present the results of research into different areas affecting child welfare, child welfare workers and institutions, and interventions. Many lessons can be learnt from understanding the problems facing children and their families from around the world, the services and interventions instituted to combat such problems, the state of mind of children and their relationships with others, and the potentials of modern tools to improve service delivery in the child welfare sector.

In the special issue, Filippelli, Fallon, Lwin and Gantous ( 2021 ) present the paper, “Infants and Toddlers Investigated by The Child Welfare System: Exploring the Decision to Provide Ongoing Child Welfare Services”. Following the concerns of limited research into decision-making process of young children involved in the welfare system, the authors aimed to contribute to the literature on cases of maltreatment of young children and decisions to address them. The authors sought to answer the questions of the character of investigations of alleged child maltreatment, what factors influence decisions to recommend welfare service provision, and what differences may exist between cases involving infants and toddlers. After reviewing data on investigations into suspected cases of child maltreatment in Canada, it was determined that assessment by welfare workers and the mental health of caregivers are important indicators of decisions to transfer cases for further services. For cases involving infants, results indicate caregiver characteristics and household income are unique factors influencing decision-making while in toddler-involved cases, the toddler and the caregiver characteristics are factors that affect decisions.

Van Dam, Heijmans, and Stams ( 2021 ) aimed to determine the long-term effect of the intervention program, Youth Initiated Mentoring (YIM) organized in the Netherlands. They sought to find out how the mentors and the youth mentees were doing several months or years after the program and their impression of the whole program. In the paper “Youth Initiated Mentoring in Social Work: Sustainable Solution for Youth with Complex Needs?”, they show some findings on the present situation of mentees, the quality and trajectory of mentor–mentee relationships, and the level of support from social workers. Results indicate a sustained relationship between majority of the mentors and mentees and a reduction in the likelihood of out-of-home placement among other long-term benefits. The authors offer some recommendations for future research into Youth Initiated Mentoring.

Mackrill and Svendsen ( 2021 ) in the paper, “Implementing Routine Outcome Monitoring in Statutory Children’s Services” highlights the outcome of a 2-year long study on the effect of implementing a feedback-informed approach to family service provision in Denmark. In the study, they sought to understand how the feedback informed approach assisted in protecting children and families and what gaps exist in the service delivery chain. This involved analyzing by means of a constructivist grounded theory approach, anonymized data derived from field notes and interviews of various stakeholders. They report that the feedback-oriented approach helped service workers to follow legal directives especially in areas of assessment, care planning and follow-up, as well as in their approach to interviewing children. On the other hand, they assert that this approach to service delivery fails to emphasize attention to risk especially within families and the rights of clients to legal advice and recourse, among other issues. They offer some recommendations to address some of the identified challenges.

In order to understand the perceptions of the youth about older people with regards to healthcare and social help so that resources to address any existing negative stereotypes can be identified, Kanios ( 2021 ) surveyed 1084 school-going young people in Poland. Findings of this survey are presented in the paper titled “Beliefs of Secondary School Youth and Higher Education Students About Elderly Persons: A Comparative Survey”. Results show varied beliefs about older people regarding healthcare and social help among Secondary School Youth and Higher Education Students. Most of the respondents from both groups held no stereotypical views of older people. Students in higher education especially were found to maintain a more mature outlook on older people. Kanios concludes the paper with some recommendations of educational interest to combat existing negative stereotypes of older people.

Frimpong-Manso ( 2021 ) aimed to understand the views of social workers in Ghana on the benefits of intervention programs that strengthen families and to identify any existing barriers to their successful implementation in his paper, “Family Support Services in The Context of Child Care Reform: Perspectives of Ghanaian Social Workers”. Qualitative data derived from interviews with social workers point to some benefits of the existing family support services such as capacity building and wellbeing promotion of the families. Some identified challenges to success include inadequate funding and poor interagency cooperation.

Odrowąż-Coates and Kostrzewska ( 2021 ) from Poland present an analysis of the indicators of successful and fulfilling teenage motherhood in their paper titled “A Retrospective on Teenage Pregnancy in Poland. Focusing on Empowerment and Support Variables to Challenge Stereotyping in the Context of Social Work”. With the aim of showcasing positive cases of teenage motherhood as a means of empowerment and a way to tackle stereotypes in Poland, the authors utilized data from interviews and field practice notes involving teenage mothers and family court curators. Findings from this study show these teenage mothers to be empowered, independent, persevering, and with agency. Resources available through social work interventions and other support systems are also highlighted. The authors emphasize the need to show the positive life experiences of teenage mothers and the social work programs that contribute towards that in order to dispel existing stereotypes.

Abu Bakar Ah et al. ( 2021 ) in their paper, “Material Deprivation Status of Malaysian Children from Low-Income Families” relied on data from a self-reported survey of 360 poor children in Malaysia to determine their level of material deprivation. Results indicate a low level of material deprivation among poor Malaysian children. The authors include some recommendations to improve on the well-being of children in Malaysia.

With the hypothesis that the quality and quantity of placement of children with their kin depend on social workers, managers, and some organizational factors, Rasmussen and Jæger ( 2021 ) present a case study of social workers and their field practices related to kinship care in Denmark. Their paper, “The Emotional and Other Barriers to Kinship Care in Denmark: A case study in two Danish municipalities” contains analysis of the findings of their study. Through a mixed method approach of analyzing documents, interviews, observations, and dialogue meetings, data on placement into kinship care in two municipalities in Denmark were gathered. Among all the cases selected for the study, they reported a reasonable level of satisfaction among all parties involved. However, the authors indicate a hesitation among social workers to enter emotionally-charged familial situations which affects their decisions on kinship placement. The paper also points to the non-involvement of families in a systematic manner in placement decisions as another factor that affects placement decisions.

Grządzielewska ( 2021 ) from Poland, reviews how machine-learning can be applied as a tool to predict burnout among social work employees in the paper, “Using Machine Learning in Burnout Prediction: A Survey”. The ability to analyze and interpret large amount of data makes the tools of machine learning very useful. The paper attempts to compare traditional and newer methods of predictive modeling and discusses how different variables affect the choice of appropriate methodologies. It is discussed in this paper how machine-learning algorithms can be incorporated into a burnout monitoring system to create new models of burnout, identify the potential for burnout among new recruits and existing employees, and design appropriate interventions. The author recommends further attention by social work researchers in the study of burnout.

We acknowledge the contributions of the various authors to making this special issue possible by sharing their perspectives on child welfare service delivery.

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Przeperski, J., Owusu, S.A. Children and the Child Welfare System: Problems, Interventions, and Lessons from Around the World. Child Adolesc Soc Work J 38 , 127–130 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10560-021-00740-5

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Article Contents

Introduction, conclusions, research gaps, acknowledgements.

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Children’s Participation in Child Welfare: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews

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Paul McCafferty, Esther Mercado Garcia, Children’s Participation in Child Welfare: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews, The British Journal of Social Work , Volume 54, Issue 3, April 2024, Pages 1092–1108, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad167

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The objective of this research was to conduct a systematic review of systematic reviews related to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as it relates to children and young people involved with child welfare agencies. This systematic review sought to comply with the guidance from the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis on umbrella reviews. Fourteen databases were searched using predefined terms. Six hundred seventy-four original hits were retrieved for title and abstract searching after independent searching by the authors. Of those, fourteen were included for full independent reads and all fourteen were selected after discussion. Each systematic review was appraised using an eleven-point quality checklist from JBI. A thematic review was conducted to ascertain the themes across all systematic reviews. Three themes emerged (i) children’s voice is not taken seriously; (ii) relationships are an important determining factor in (un)successful participation; and (iii) the context of participation is important. Our conclusion is that despite mandated UNCRC requirements to involve children and young people within the child protection system, the possibilities for children and young people to express their views remain restricted.

Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) stipulates that children have the right to express their views and to participate in decisions that directly affect them. Uncomplicated enough one would have supposed, intuitive in fact, for who could possibly argue against children and young people (C&YP) having a voice in decisions that affect them—the most basic of human rights. After all, adults enjoy this right. And for the authors of the Convention, this inalienable right must have seemed obvious too, fundamental almost in its inherent assumption that it is just the right thing to do.

But the reality of successfully applying Article 12 has bedevilled legislators, policymakers and practitioners alike since the inception on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention) as they struggle to decipher and apply their Article 12 obligations to practice ( McCafferty, 2021 ). Consequently, the practice reality regarding enacting Article 12 obligations has created something of a legislative, policy and practice duality; one in which States and state actors are mandated to listen, involve and respond to C&YP’s voice but find doing so exceptionally taxing. What we call the practice reality/legislative mandate duality has arguably led to unintended obfuscation in the participatory landscape with a parallel diminution of the voice of C&YP. This duality is nowhere more apparent than in child welfare, the result of which has generated a disappointing stasis where the voice of arguably society’s most vulnerable C&YP is lost ( McCafferty, 2021 ).

Whilst research in the social work field may have been to some extent sluggish to explore children’s participation, it has increased more recently in both quality and quantity with a growing number of scholars paying greater attention to this field of study. Both empirical and theoretical studies are beginning to enrich our understanding of the opportunities and challenges Article 12 presents for C&YPs participation in child welfare. This increased interest is fuelled by a feeling that we in social work are somehow just not getting it right and we stand accused of persistent failures to involve children fully in decisions affecting them (e.g. Department for Education (DfE), 2020 ).

General themes emerging from research broadly suggest two things. First, that challenges exist at practitioner, managerial, organisational, systems and societal level that frustrate the full actualisation of C&YP’s right to be heard. For example, Toros (2021a,b ) in two systematic reviews suggests that children are not able to participate in decision-making processes often enough and their voices are either not being heard or not taken seriously. Faced with the unenviable task of protecting children in an ever increasingly complex world, child welfare professionals are entrusted both ethically and legally with acting in children’s best interests and deciding where and how those best interests are met. However, these best interest decisions are recognised as being amongst the most testing decisions a child welfare worker is likely to make due to their challenging and contested nature (McCafferty, 2020). In this environment, research by McCafferty et al. (2021) suggests that child welfare practitioners are making increasingly more protectionist and interventionist decisions and that this process instinctively reduces C&YP’s agentic status as individuals capable of forming a view and for that view to be heard. ‘As a result of this deficit archetype based on difference, children tend to be granted protection in social work which excludes them from decisions, deprives them of their autonomy, assumes incompetence and emphasises dependence on adults’ ( McCafferty, 2017 , p. 333).

Secondly, when done well, involving C&YP in decisions that affect their life trajectory has beneficial outcomes for them and evidence of this exists across a range of disciplines such as in health, education and policy making ( van Bijleveld et al. , 2015 ; Kennan et al. , 2018 ). Furthermore, participation in decision-making results in beneficial developmental effects ( Falch‐Eriksen et al ., 2021 ) as well as potentially improving decision-making processes and outcomes by ensuring that decisions are more inclusive, responsive and tailored to specific needs. C&YP’s participation increases the likelihood of assessments being more accurate and outcomes more in line with what C&YP need, contributing to more accurate assessment outcomes, as it increases the accuracy of the understanding of the child’s emotional state, thoughts, feelings and hopes for the future.

So, we know that since 1989 when the UNCRC was first enacted, social work has studied C&YPs participation in child welfare, and several systematic reviews have already been conducted. Collectively they provide a large body of relevant evidence, one so large, however, that it is not easy to summarise the patterns in their findings. This makes it challenging for decision makers, researchers, academics and practitioners to utilise the best available evidence to inform their decisions. The time is right therefore to draw thirty-three years’ worth of data into one study so that we can take stock of where we are at in terms of our knowledge, drawing all the disparate systematic reviews into one place.

The purpose of this systematic review is to condense data from all the existing systematic reviews into one overarching review and deliver a meticulous summary of all the available research from systematic reviews of C&YPs participation in child welfare. Called an umbrella review by Aromataris and Munn (2020) , this umbrella review will appraise and collate all relevant empirical evidence gathered from existing systematic reviews into one place to provide a complete interpretation of research results. Doing so will identify questions for which the available evidence provides clear answers and thus for which further research is not necessary. The review will also identify research gaps in our current understanding of the field and help set the short- to medium-term research priorities for scholars going forward.

Search strategy

The characteristics of a systematic review are well-defined and internationally accepted and they generally agree that the defining characteristics of a systematic review are that it must have (i) clearly articulated objectives and questions to be addressed; (ii) an inclusion and exclusion criteria stipulated a priori that determine the eligibility of studies; (iii) a comprehensive search to identify all relevant studies, both published and unpublished; (iv) an appraisal of the quality of included studies, assessment of the validity of their results, and reporting of any exclusions based on quality; (v) analysis of data extracted from the included research; (vi) a presentation and synthesis of the findings extracted and (vii) a transparent reporting of the methodology and methods used to conduct the review ( Higgins et al., 2022 ). This review sought to comply with the guidance from JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis (Aromataris and Munn, 2020), specifically Chapter 10, Umbrella Reviews, and Evidence-Based Practice ( Aromataris et al. , 2020 ).

In the process of creating a search formula, the topic addressed by this review was converted into four key concept groups as agreed by both authors: <participation> AND <social work> AND <child welfare> AND <children and young people>. For each concept, search terms reflecting its main characteristics were identified and combined into a search formula by both authors in consultation with the subject specialist librarian from Queen’s University Belfast over three meetings. This generic formula was reviewed and later adjusted by both authors along with the subject librarian to fit the databases’ particular facilities. The selection of electronic bibliographic databases was informed by both pragmatic and methodological considerations relating to databases’ quality appraisal, relevance and accessibility. The searches took place over a two-week period between 15 and 29 August 2022.

Overall, fourteen electronic bibliographic databases were selected:

Child Development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOJA).

International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS).

Social Care Online.

Social Policy and Practice.

Social Science Citation Index.

Social Services Abstracts.

Sociological Abstracts.

Campbell Collaboration.

CINAHL Plus.

Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL).

Google Scholar.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Beginning with quality criteria, this umbrella review was restricted to articles published in peer-reviewed journals. Doing so ensures that there was an independent standard of quality applied that goes beyond the knowledge base of the authors and incorporates the expertise of journal reviewers ( Alfandari and Taylor, 2022 ). Regarding relevance criteria, to be included in our umbrella review, studies needed to be (i) a systematic review of relevant papers pertaining to the topic, (ii) the topic needed to relate to C&YP’s participation in child welfare social work, (iii) to qualify as a systematic review, reviews needed to (a) employ a systematic, recognised, explicit and replicable processes for searching the literature to retrieve research related to the topic, and (b) report on empirical research that is based on either quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods research designs—action research or single case study methods that impose greater challenges for determining quality ( Taylor et al. , 2015 ) theoretical material, editorials, government papers and policy documents were all excluded from this review. In addition, the time frame of the search was from 1989 when the UNCRC was enacted to ensure we gained a full representation of every review published since that time. Finally, for practical reasons, the search was restricted to publications in the English language.

Search outcome and screening

There were two rounds of searches, both done independently by each author. Bibliographic data about the studies derived was imported into an Excel spreadsheet with separate pages for each database and when combined there was a total of 889 searches retrieved. Through discussion, 215 duplicates were agreed upon and removed leaving 674 original hits. When agreement was reached about the removal, initial titles and abstract screening against the inclusion criteria took place, again independently. Based on a structured colour coding scheme developed by the authors, each study was tagged with one of four possible colours: (i) blue for inclusion; (ii) red for exclusion; (iii) green in cases of uncertainties that required more discussion; and (iv) grey, in cases of uncertainties that required additional information when bibliographic data were incomplete. Studies coloured red were also recorded by the reasons for their exclusion, which were chosen from our inclusion criteria. The authors then came together and agreed on ninety-eight studies for full-text assessment for inclusion with eligibility carried out independently by the authors. When disagreements arose, they were thoroughly discussed between the authors until a consensus was reached. Of these ninety-eight studies, eighty-four were removed leaving fourteen studies included for the umbrella review.

Once this first round was complete, each author completed an independent review of each study’s reference list by hand. One further study was identified through this search for a full read but was discounted by agreement having not met the inclusion criteria.

The review’s selection process is outlined in Figure 1 using the PRISMA diagram ( Page et al. , 2021 ).

Flowchart of the search and screening process.

Data analysis

Data analysis summarised the included reviews focusing on number of reviews published, type of review (e.g. systematic review, systematic scoping, literature review), aim, period, number of articles, place of publication, analysis and findings. When articles specified the PRISMA flow diagram was used, it was specified. For data analysis, the authors reviewed all the articles and developed three themes—(i) children’s voice is not taken seriously, (ii) relationships are an important determining factor in (un)successful participation and (iii) the context of participation is important.

Included studies

Data analysis is based on fourteen studies published from 1989 to 2022. The characteristics of included studies provided an overview of the existing literature on the subject (see Table 1 ).

Summary of studies analysed.

Quality appraisal

Studies identified as meeting the inclusion criteria were appraised for quality against the JBI Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Synthesis by Aromataris et al. (2015) using an eleven-point quality assessment tool to determine the quality of each of the systematic reviews selected for inclusion. The authors independently scored each of the items before jointly discussing them and coming to a consensus about quality. Discussions focused on what was considered acceptable to the aims of the review in terms of the specific study characteristics and what represented an adequate search strategy or appropriate methods of synthesis. Discussions took place prior to this appraisal so we agreed on what constituted acceptable levels of information to allocate a positive appraisal compared with a negative, or response of ‘unclear’. All fourteen studies were included.

Umbrella review

Data analysis revealed three main themes.

Theme 1: Children’s voice is not taken seriously

Studies show children’s participation in the child protection system is significantly diminished in practice ( Skauge et al ., 2021 ; Toros, 2021a ). Children have the right to be heard and to make decisions about their own lives, but their voices have been weakened and they find that being authentically heard and to exercise their right to participation is challenging ( Brummelaar et al ., 2018 ; Collins et al. , 2021 ; McPherson et al ., 2021 ). This is particularly evident in residential settings ( McPherson et al. , 2021 ; van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ), child maltreatment ( Bartelink et al. , 2015 ) and within mental health services ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ).

This research indicates that despite the recognised importance of children’s rights and participation ( Falch-Eriksen et al. , 2021 ), children are often unable to participate in decision-making processes and that their voices are not taken seriously or heard ( Toros, 2021b ). Kennan et al. (2018) , however, showed how the use of advocates could encourage participation in such contexts, especially with younger children who feel more dissatisfied ( Brummelaar et al ., 2018 ).

Theme 2: Relationships are an important determining factor in (un)successful participation

The relationship between social workers and children is essential to the promotion of participation. McPherson et al. (2021) address the central role of the relationship and relational practice in the process of facilitating participation. Findings across studies suggest several factors influence this relationship and the process and success of participation. First, the age of the child ( Brummelaar et al. , 2018 ; Toros, 2021a ); secondly, protectionist approaches adopted by professionals and welfare agencies ( Toros, 2021a ; van Bijleveld et al. , 2015 ); thirdly, the quality of the professional relationship ( van Bijleveld et al. , 2015 ; Brummelaar et al. , 2018 ; Kennan et al. , 2018 ; Strømland et al. , 2022 ); fourthly, professionals’ attitude towards participation—positive or negative ( Brummelaar et al., 2018 ); fifthly, stigmatising and impairment-focused practices ( Toros et al., 2018 ) and, finally, professional qualities ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ; van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ). From the perspective of C&YP themselves within the child protection system itself, the study by Wilson et al. (2020) emphasises that C&YP’s early experiences of child welfare relationships are felt as frightening due to the pressure of the investigation process, the invasiveness of professionals and that this decreases participatory activity.

In this sense, professionals may have conflicting attitudes towards children’s views and perceptions ( Brummelaar et al ., 2018 ), differences in the interpretation of participation and the weight given to C&YP opinions in the decision-making process exist ( van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ; Skauge et al ., 2021 ), ambivalence towards professional participatory intervention also exists ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ), whilst children’s perspectives differ from that of professionals ( Toros et al., 2018 ).

Theme 3: The context of participation is important

The concept of participation is confusing ( Collins et al ., 2021 ). The lack of full recognition and operationalisation of children’s right to be sufficiently heard is one of the main challenges in the context of participation ( Strømland et al ., 2022 ). This may be because child protection systems are very heterogeneous in terms of legislation, approaches and working methods ( Skauge et al. , 2021 ). Ideas about participation are underpinned by policies in which different cultural and organisational contexts underlie and limit participation itself ( Brummelaar et al ., 2018 ; Jensen et al ., 2020 ; Skauge et al ., 2021 ). Despite attempts to follow processes such as the use of advocates, a child’s attendance at an assessment, planning or review meeting, Family Welfare Conferences and recording a child’s views in writing, spaces are neither inclusive nor conducive to fostering such participation ( Kennan et al ., 2018 ). In the study of Toros et al. (2018) , studies suggest that protection concerns and bureaucratised and authority-based systems limit such a participatory context.

These organisational challenges are related to government perceptions and media representations of public awareness ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ; van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ) and risk assessment of children ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ; Bartelink et al ., 2015 ). The lack of quality time to work directly with C&YP has also been cited as one of the main problems social workers encounter when trying to involve C&YP ( van Bijleveld et al., 2015 ).

Participation has become firmly rooted in child rights discourse, public policy and research around the world ( Skauge et al ., 2021 ). Within the child protection system, it has been considered an important issue, but despite the CRC guidelines, possibilities to express their views and needs are restricted ( Toros, 2021a ).

Cultural conceptions, the adult-centric worldview of social work professionals, age discrimination, denial of opportunities and unhelpful participatory efforts remain a major challenge ( Collins, 2017 ; Strømland et al ., 2022 ). How this power is exercised is influenced by ideology, attitudes and beliefs ( Wilson et al ., 2020 ; McPherson et al ., 2021 ). As such, conceptualisations of protection continue to reflect traditional approaches to participation in child welfare that indicate a reductionist paternalistic attitude that privileges protection over empowerment ( Collins, 2017 ; Collins et al ., 2021 ). The findings found in this article evidence that the fragmented view of children through polarised thinking via dichotomous positions rather than a holistic view may be due to the complexity of child protection work ( Jensen, 2020 ). The poor relationship between professionals and children may be influenced by bureaucratisation, lack of resources and lack of knowledge ( van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ; Falch-Eriksen et al ., 2021 ; Skauge et al ., 2021 ).

Based on the three main themes of this article, several implications can be drawn. First, care and professional systems can break down the division between everyday life decisions and important decisions in children’s lives ( McPherson et al ., 2021 ). Structured and shared methods of assessment and decision making are therefore needed ( Bartelink et al ., 2015 ). Secondly, the role of social workers and their relationship with the child is crucial in fostering the right to participation ( Brummelaar et al., 2018 ). To improve the quality of relationships between workers and children, therefore, a paradigm shift and methods are needed to help professionals increase their competence and confidence to engage children effectively ( Toros et al ., 2018 ). Thirdly, ensuring the best interests of children means that their voices are not silenced and that access to information and helping them to express their views must be one of the tasks of both professionals and child protection systems ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ; Strømland et al ., 2022 ). Therefore, the process of participation involves understanding the importance of the child’s experience in the context of everyday life ( Skauge et al ., 2021 ).

Limitations

In terms of the methodology of the review search, we used the largest number of electronic bibliographic databases that it was feasible to use in the circumstances (i.e. all the databases available in the first author’s library at Queen’s University Belfast), but a funded review might retrieve additional papers. Quality appraisal was affected by restricting inclusion to publications in peer-reviewed journals, but we cannot exclude the possibility of the review having some publication bias. Grey literature was not searched for example, which may have uncovered theses in this area and there is a plethora of evaluations of participatory practice in child welfare agencies that are neither published nor easily accessed. Already recognised by van Bijleveld et al. (2015) , there are still problems with the search terms that challenged us given the variety of terms used across agencies, cultures and countries to describe participation, so greater homogeneity in language would be helpful going forward to reduce the chance of missing valuable research. To reduce this risk, we consulted with the specialist librarian at Queen’s University Belfast and conducted our own initial scoping exercise to identify core terms, which we subsequently used in this research.

To avoid homogenising C&YP as one group, it is important to disaggregate them across age, culture, class, gender, ethnic background, etc., to understand them, not as one amorphous mass but as individuals with different identities, needs and ways of being seen and heard. It is also important to move away from small-scale micro studies that ignore the macro-political, sociocultural, economic, philosophical and geographic influences that are brought to bear on the micro participatory landscape, for these influences (not always benign) undoubtedly impact the opportunities for authentic participation. Finally, we see the importance of large-scale efficacy studies to determine the effectiveness of participatory interventions to develop a more informed evidence base of what works, in what circumstances, why and for who. This of course will necessitate more funding being made available and in a competitive funding landscape this will require funders to realise the importance of this area of study—we remain hopeful.

We would like to thank Norma Menabney for the specialist librarian support provided.

This study has been funded by José Castillejo Programme for mobility abroad youth doctor and carried out by Prof. Dr Mercado at Queen’s University of Belfast (reference number CAS21/0254).

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Child Welfare Case Studies First Edition

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This book consists of actual cases from the author's experience as a child welfare specialist. The cases were selected to introduce the variety of social problems facing families within the child welfare system. Each case is diverse and consists of multiple problems to ensure that readers are challenged to think critically through the problem-solving process. Readers will learn how to apply social work knowledge and skills, how to apply the generalist perspective and how to analyze a case from engagement to termination. Child Welfare Case Studies offers practicing professionals a valuable resource in teaching helping skills as well as the general problem-solving process. For social workers, or other interested in child welfare.

• ISBN-10 0205319092
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