The Interplay Between Housing Stability and Child Separation: Implications for Practice and Policy

Greater understanding of how residential stability affects child separation and reunification among homeless families can guide both child welfare and homeless policy and practice. This article draws upon two longitudinal studies examining services and housing for homeless families and their relationship to family and housing stability. Both studies were conducted in the same state at roughly the same time with similar instruments. The first study, examining families’ experiences and outcomes following entry into the homeless service system in three counties in Washington State, found that at 18 months following shelter entry, families that are intact with their children were significantly more likely to be housed in their own housing (46%) than families that were separated from one or more of their children (31%). The second study, a quasiexperimental evaluation of a supportive housing program for homeless families with multiple housing barriers, found that the rates of reunification for Child Protective Services (CPS)‐involved families receiving supportive housing was comparable to that for families entering public housing without services, but significantly higher than the rate of reunification for families entering shelter. Taken together, the findings from both studies contribute to the evidence underscoring the importance of housing assistance to homeless families involved in the child welfare system.     

Fathers' views of the effects on their families of children with Down syndrome

This study examined fathers' views about the effects of children with Down syndrome on themselves and their families. Taped interviews were obtained from 90 fathers of children aged from 7 to 14 years. Qualitative analysis of the interview data revealed 28 categories of comments made by fathers. The most frequent comment, made by 46% of fathers, was about the cheerful personality of their child with Down syndrome. About 42% of fathers talked about the initial trauma they experienced following the diagnosis; 43% of them bemoaned the restrictions imposed on the family, and 30% commented that the child had minimal effects on family life. The greatest concern expressed by fathers was the long-term provision for their children. More fathers commented on the positive effects on their marriage than on negative effects. The results of this study provide a somewhat different view of fathers' experiences to that found in the existing literature.     

Community Participation Needs of Families With Children With Behavioral Disorders: A Systems of Care Approach

The purpose of the current study was to convey findings regarding the community participation needs of families who have children with behavioral disorders. The changing focus of community-based service provision to the systems of care approach for children with mental health needs requires family input to identify and better address their needs. This study identified characteristics of community participation in families of children with mental health needs through a survey, using mixed methods design and purposeful sampling. Evolved themes supported challenges for policymakers to make changes in professional, school, and community supports. Occupational therapists have a strong skill set to offer these families and must work collaboratively with family organizations, provide support for successful engagement in desired social activities, and build adaptive behaviors in children with mental health needs.     

Very Young Child Well-being in Military Families: A Snapshot

Since the September 11th attacks on the U.S., more than 2 million children have experienced parental deployment during their early years, with potentially lasting impact. When a parent is deployed, a number of factors may affect the well-being of the service member and his/her family. One parental factor—posttraumatic stress disorder or distress—might be particularly powerful in its effect on young children and the family system. We analyzed baseline data from an intervention development project which focused on supporting military families with very young children during post-deployment. The purpose of this research is to understand the relationships between parental mental health status, parenting stress, couple functioning, and young child well-being. The effects of mental health status of home-front and service member parents and the role of couple functioning on parent–child interactions and behavioral problems of young children were examined in a sample of military families during the post-deployment period. Findings suggest that service member posttraumatic stress symptoms are associated with higher parental report of child behavior problems. Higher quality of the couple relationship appears to lessen the impact of parental posttraumatic stress but is not related to parent perceptions of child behavior concerns. Implications for future research with military families are discussed.     

Prolonged Separation and Reunification among Chinese Immigrant Children and Families: An Exploratory Study

The present study explored the lived experiences of Chinese immigrant parents in New York City who went through prolonged separation and faced challenges after reunification in the United States. The study assessed their attitudes, perceptions, and reactions to the separation and reunification process to gain better understanding of the ways prolonged separation and reunification impact on child development and family wellbeing. A phenomenological research approach was used to study qualitatively the narrative data from in-depth interviews. The analytical process was based on data immersion, coding, sorting codes into themes, and comparing the themes across interviews. The sample included 18 Chinese immigrant families who had sent their American-born children to China for rearing and reunited with their children within the past 5 years. Data analyses revealed specific themes that included reasons for separation, parenting methods, child’s initial adjustment, behavior, and family relationship, child’s social, emotional, and academic challenges, parental stress and challenges, and recommendations for services. This study contributed to our knowledge of prolonged separation, a common practice among a vulnerable, hard-to-reach immigrant population. It shed light on specific needs of Chinese immigrant families by examining closely the unique circumstances pertaining to prolonged separation, parenting practice, and related family challenges. An understanding of the approaches these families adopt to cope with life challenges may help inform practitioners in formulating service strategies for these families. Specific assessments in child-care, education, and health care settings are essential to prompt immediate follow-up and intervention when needed.     

The Links Among Perceived Adherence to the System of Care Philosophy,Consumer Satisfaction,and Improvements in Child Functioning

The present study investigated the associations among perceived adherence to the system of care philosophy, changes in internalizing and externalizing behaviors, and consumer satisfaction with services. Participants included 98 families, interviewed at two time points across a one-year period. Hierarchical multiple regressions indicated that the more a child and family perceived services to be consistent with the system of care philosophy, the greater their level of satisfaction with services and the fewer internalizing and externalizing behaviors they reported one year after receiving services (controlling for initial levels of problem behaviors). Implications for children’s mental health service delivery are offered.     

Children with SED and Their Families in an Urban Public Mental Health System: Characteristics, Needs, and Expectations

We present information with implications for the design of comprehensive systems of care for children with severe emotional disturbance and their families. Combining quantitative data derived from children and caregivers on multiple standardized assessments and qualitative data based on the caregivers' personal comments, we provide a detailed account of child clinical status, service needs, involvement in normative childhood activities, aspects of family coping and functioning, and expectations of mental health services. Research participants were from a random sampling of children, 9 to 11 years of age, receiving an above average number of services from a large urban public mental health system. Results from this comprehensive needs assessment demonstrate the serious nature of the children's disabilities, illuminate the corresponding challenges for families, and provide direction for enhancing the system of care. The caregivers rated recreation and after school programs as their first priority. Since traditional mental health services are fairly well articulated and evolved, we concentrate on using information about child functioning and family context to inform the development of recreation and after school programs that can accommodate children with extremely challenging behaviors.     

Building a research base for community services for children and families: What we know and what we need to learn

We examine the knowledge base for community-based mental health services for youth and their families. A brief historical perspective on the development of community services is presented, and the fundamental components of a comprehensive child mental health service system are described. Outcome studies for service components as well as the service system as a whole are summarized. Research related to the context of treatment, i.e., service setting, cost, is presented. The authors conclude that a research base for child and family services is emerging, but there is still a paucity of well designed studies that address the complexities of a community-based system as well as the critical outcome questions that need to be addressed. Finally, promising service system developments are described and recommendations for future research are presented.     

Understanding Respite Care Use by Families of Children Receiving Short-Term, In-Home Psychiatric Emergency Services

Respite care is widely believed to be an important support service for families raising a child with a disability. We report the findings of a respite care utilization study conducted within the context of a larger research and demonstration project examining three models of intensive, in-home services for children experiencing psychiatric crises. Respite care, both in-home and out-of-home, was a support service available to families in two of the three study conditions. Overall, 34% of 146 eligible families used in-home and or out-of-home respite care. Utilization was lower than the estimates developed prior to implementation, prompting an inquiry at the end of the first project year designed to maximize use and to gather more information on caregiver and service provider attitudes toward respite care. The inquiry included caregiver and provider focus groups, surveys, and enhanced data collection and analysis. Caregiver interviews indicated that many families did not fully understand what it meant to receive respite care or even that it was available to them. A comparative analysis of respite care users and non-users revealed that respite care users were more likely to have younger children, children who had a greater number of assessed functional impairments, and fewer social supports. Respite care users also reported greater difficulty managing their children's difficult behaviors.     

The Strengths and Limitations of Case Record Reviews in Examining Family Preservation Outcome Formulation and Treatment Planning

Much debate has centered on what are reasonable outcomes of the short-term intensive family preservation services (IFPS). However, little attention has been given to how therapists actually formulate outcomes in their practices. The files of 98 families who used IFPS were reviewed to determine how therapists formulated outcomes and whether formulated outcomes varied by service sector (child welfare or mental health) and child age. It was found that formulated outcomes in mental health were more likely than those in child welfare to have a child focus and an interpersonal locus. Variation in outcome formulation in child welfare by child age was found, with outcomes of younger children more likely to be parent-focused than were outcomes of older children. The issues pointed out by these findings are discussed. Since case records are a potential data source for researchers, the paper concludes with a discussion of the strengths and limitations of case record reviews for research purposes.     

Physical Abuse in U.S. Children: Risk Factors and Deficiencies in Referrals to Support Services

More than 600,000 U.S. children are reported for physical abuse annually. Risk factors are proposed in the literature, but a comprehensive, national assessment of risk factors and support services has not been conducted. An analysis of national data from the National Child Abuse and Neglect Dataset revealed that domestic violence, parental alcohol and drug use, prior child abuse and neglect, public assistance receipt, and child behavior problems are associated with higher odds of substantiated physical abuse reports, compared to unsubstantiated reports. Most families, however, failed to receive relevant support services for any of these risk factors. Screening by physicians, child protection workers, and others for these risk factors could help identify children at increased risk for physical abuse and inform prevention efforts and support-service provision.     

Pathways to Housing Policy: Translating Research to Policy to Achieve Impact on Well Being

Policy emerges from the legislative, agency, and practice levels and from several pathways, including litigation; high profile or tragic events; community‐based service provision and practice innovations; and research evidence. This commentary places an emphasis throughout on discussions of the articles included in this issue. It explores pathways that influenced the development of housing policy targeting child and family well being and provides examples to illustrate each pathway. The article further highlights how research on housing and child well being has influenced policy and practice and notes gaps for further research. It concludes with suggestions for structuring research to more effectively assist policymakers to make informed decisions that achieve positive change for children, youth, and families.     

Parent Perspectives on Child Health and Wellbeing in Same-Sex Families: Heteronormative Conflict and Resilience Building

Measurable aspects of child health and wellbeing for children in same-sex parented families show that these children develop well, overall. Increasingly however, it is understood that stigma can have a negative impact on their health within a same sex family context. The aim of this study is to understand how child health in same-sex parented families is constructed by same-sex attracted parents and what this teaches us about the impact of stigma on child health in this context. Families from across Australia were sampled from a larger study of child health and wellbeing. We used family interviews, which took place between January and August 2013. Thematic analysis was used to identify themes. We report on the data from 11 parents with 10 children. Families presented stories of heteronormative conflict that arose from their position in society. Through family constructs, gender assumptions, discrimination and challenging interactions with institutions this heteronormative conflict had a significant influence on child health, sometimes through the generation of broader familial stress. Resilience building was used by parents to construct a positive environment for child health by combating the lack of understanding and discrimination seen at a societal level. Resilience that is developed to combat stigma provides significant benefits, particularly in a heteronormative world where traditional assumptions about families dominate. The anticipation of stigma, and heteronormative pressures, can stimulate same-sex attracted parents to prepare their children for potential negativity. This should be supported through appropriate school programs and considered political leadership.     

Determinants and Consequences of Child Culture Brokering in Families from the Former Soviet Union

Child culture brokering occurs when immigrant children help their families navigate the new culture and language. The present study develops a model of the child culture broker role that situates it within the family and community economic and acculturative contexts of 328 families from the former Soviet Union. Path analysis was utilized to explore the relationships of community and family economic and cultural contexts with child culture brokering, child emotional distress, and family disagreements. All children reported some culture brokering for their parents. Less English proficient parents with lower status jobs, and living in areas with more Russian speaking families tended to utilize their children as brokers more often. Further, community economic conditions also predicted brokering indirectly, mediated by parent job social status. Brokering was related to child emotional distress and family disagreements. Further, culture brokering was a mediator of the impact of parent job social status on both child emotional distress and family disagreements. These results add to our understanding of the culture broker role and emphasize the utility of approaching research on it from an ecological perspective.     

Enabled or disabled? Working parents of disabled children and the provision of child‐care

This research explores the reported experiences of working parents of disabled children with respect to formal and informal sources of child‐care, the need for which extends beyond the childhood years. Forty families with at least one disabled child, representing a variety of family structures and work situations, participated in semi‐structured interviews. The resultant data revealed an analytical axis of disabling and enabling features of child‐care. These are illustrated here with reference to the parents' accounts. Disabling barriers were physical, attitudinal or material. However, some features of either formal or informal care served to dismantle these barriers. Where formal child‐care was available, appropriate, flexible and accommodating to the needs of both the parents and the disabled child, the parents reported being able to combine working and caring roles successfully. However, where formal supports were inadequate or non‐existent, parents who could rely on the support of family and friends to supply emotional and instrumental assistance reported balance between work and caring roles. Whilst all parents need satisfactory child‐care in the early years, these parents' needs extend beyond the childhood years: the parents' accounts highlighted their complex and long‐term child‐care needs. Options for further research were proposed which would emphasize negotiation within families over time, or would focus on intersections of other parts of the work‐family‐community system. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Job Satisfaction of Child Welfare Workers in an Urban Setting: Status and Predictors

Large urban areas present many challenges to those children and adults who reside in those settings. The social service workers in urban areas have clients with complex, multiple needs. Reliable and consistent workers are essential to successfully working with these families. In the current study, the job satisfaction of 29 social service workers in an urban child welfare agency was assessed using the Job Satisfaction Scale (JSS). The JSS measures satisfaction in 7 areas of one's job (i.e., work, supervision, coworkers, pay and promotion, work environment, training, and position). Data indicated that the staff were relatively satisfied, that satisfaction did not vary by staff position (family worker vs. social worker/supervisor), and that neither demographic factors nor prior experiences were predictors of job satisfaction. Implications for agency management and the provision of social services to urban families are discussed.     

Preschool child care and parents' use of physical discipline

Parenting practices, including the use of physical discipline, are shaped by multiple influences. Although much research focuses on how parent, child, and dyadic characteristics shape parenting practices, extra‐familial resources may also play a role. This paper focuses on how children's experiences of child care during the preschool years may affect one aspect of parenting—discipline practices. Using a rich, nationally representative data set, we explore the correlation between children's participation in centre based care, Head Start, or other non‐parental care arrangements and parents' use of physical discipline, and related phenomena, parents' experience of domestic violence and parenting stress. We conduct probit regressions of parents' use of physical discipline, and parents' experiences of domestic violence, on preschool child care experiences. For disadvantaged groups of children, who have higher risks of experiencing physical discipline and witnessing family violence, we find that Head Start participation is associated with an increase in the likelihood that parents say they never spank their children and reduction in reports of domestic violence. And, for children in two‐parent families, Head Start is associated with an increase in the likelihood that parents say they never spank their children and the likelihood that they do not say they would resort to spanking in a hypothetical situation. However, we find no evidence that non‐parental child care is associated with a lasting reduction in parenting stress. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Family involvement and empowerment in mental health service provision for children with emotional and behavioral disorders

Involvement of families is a critical component in effective systems of care for children with disabilities and their families. We investigated the sociodemographic correlates of family involvement in mental health services for children who have emotional and behavioral disorders. Further, we investigated the relationship between family involvement and family empowerment. The Family Involvement Scale-Family Version was used to measure involvement of families in the provision of mental services for their children and the Family Empowerment Scale was used to measure pempowerment in families with children who have emotional and behavioral disorders. In additions, demographic data concerming family composition, race, education, incone, membership in a parent support group, and the mental health status of the children were also collected. The results showed that mothers, as well as respondents with less formal education, reported greater involvement in services for their children than fathers and those who were more educated. Further, the knowledge subscale of empowerment was significantly correlated with all, subscales of family involvement and personal empowerment was significantly correlated with the treatment subscale of family involvement.