Preventing the breakup of the American Indian family is the fundamental goal of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). However, few models exist to provide CPS workers and other practitioners with effective and practical s...Preventing the breakup of the American Indian family is the fundamental goal of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA). However, few models exist to provide CPS workers and other practitioners with effective and practical strategies to help achieve this goal. This article presents a collaborative and trauma-informed family preservation practice model for Indian Child Welfare services with urban-based American Indian families. The model encompasses both systemic and direct practice efforts that assist families facing multiple challenges in creating a nurturing and more stable family life. System-level interventions improve the cultural responsiveness of providers, encourage partnerships between CPS and community-based providers, and support ICWA compliance. Direct practice interventions, in the form of intensive case management and treatment services, help parents/caregivers become more capable of meeting their own and their children's needs by addressing challenges such as substance abuse, trauma and other mental health challenges, domestic violence, and housing instability. Evaluation of the practice model suggests that it shows promise in preventing out-of-home placement of Native children, while at the same time improving parental capacity, family safety, child well-being, and family environment.
From 2008-2010, a California Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) addressed the disproportionality of African American and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children in public child welfare services in partnership...From 2008-2010, a California Breakthrough Series Collaborative (BSC) addressed the disproportionality of African American and American Indian/Alaska Native (AI/AN) children in public child welfare services in partnership with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Casey Family Program, the Child and Family Policy Institute of California, and the California Department of Social Services. The result was the development of the Continuum of Readiness, to be utilized by California counties to make strategic decisions to achieve Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) compliance and address AI/AN dis-proportionality through collaboration with tribes and urban Indian communities.
Leake R, Potter C, Lucero N
… +2 more, Gardner J, Deserly K
Child Welfare
· 2012 · PMID 23444789
The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Tribes, a member of the Children's Bureau Child Welfare Training and Technical Assistance Network, conducted a national needs assessment of tribal child welfare. This assess...The National Child Welfare Resource Center for Tribes, a member of the Children's Bureau Child Welfare Training and Technical Assistance Network, conducted a national needs assessment of tribal child welfare. This assessment explored current practices in tribal child welfare to identify unique systemic strengths and challenges. A culturally based, multi-method design yielded findings in five areas: tribal child welfare practice, foster care and adoption, the Indian Child Welfare Act, legal and judicial, and program operations.
The Touchstones of Hope reconciliation movement consists of principles (culture and language, self-determination, structural interventions, non discrimination, and holistic approach) that guide a reconciliation process o...The Touchstones of Hope reconciliation movement consists of principles (culture and language, self-determination, structural interventions, non discrimination, and holistic approach) that guide a reconciliation process of truth-telling, acknowledging, restoring and relating to reshape indigenous child welfare led by indigenous peoples and supported by their non-indigenous counterparts. This article describes a reconciliation movement in Canada grounded in Touchstones of Hope principles, involving a reconciliation process between indigenous and non-indigenous individuals, which has enabled culturally relevant concepts of child welfare and plans for child safety to emerge.
Attean EA, Burns P, Proulx M
… +3 more, Bissonette-Lewey J, Williams J, Deserly K
Child Welfare
· 2012 · PMID 23444787
Maine state child welfare staff understand the Indian Child Welfare Act requirements, yet their knowledge of Wabanaki history is limited because it has excluded the voices of the Wabanaki people. A group of Native people...Maine state child welfare staff understand the Indian Child Welfare Act requirements, yet their knowledge of Wabanaki history is limited because it has excluded the voices of the Wabanaki people. A group of Native people and state representatives are creating a truth and reconciliation commission process in Maine, designed to reckon with this history as a way of improving the child welfare system and promoting healing for Wabanaki children and families.
Marshall A, Powell N, Pierce D
… +2 more, Nolan R, Fehringer E
Child Welfare
· 2012 · PMID 23362616
Students, a large percentage with disabilities, are at high risk for poor post-secondary outcomes in state agency education programs. This mixed-methods study describes the understandings of student transitions in state...Students, a large percentage with disabilities, are at high risk for poor post-secondary outcomes in state agency education programs. This mixed-methods study describes the understandings of student transitions in state agency education programs from the perspectives of youth and administrators. Results indicated that: transition is more narrowly defined within alternative education programs; key strengths of transition practice are present in nontraditional schools; and the coordination barriers within this fluid inter-agency transition system are most apparent in students' frequent inter-setting transitions between nontraditional and home schools.
Recent studies have highlighted the progressively increasing number of children prescribed psychotropic medication, while findings have illustrated significantly greater usage among child welfare-involved children. These...Recent studies have highlighted the progressively increasing number of children prescribed psychotropic medication, while findings have illustrated significantly greater usage among child welfare-involved children. These findings have raised serious concerns among mental health and child welfare professionals as well as the general public. To address this issue, the authors explore the factors that may contribute to the higher incidence of psychotropic medication usage among child welfare-involved children and the unintended negative consequences for these children and the public health system. They propose methods to effectively address this problem.
State child welfare risk and safety assessment data were analyzed to determine three levels of in-home service that correspond to the Child Welfare League of America's (CWLA) national caseload standards and to evaluate t...State child welfare risk and safety assessment data were analyzed to determine three levels of in-home service that correspond to the Child Welfare League of America's (CWLA) national caseload standards and to evaluate the number of staff needed to provide services at each level. The analysis revealed that 50% additional case-carrying in-home services staff were needed to provide appropriate risk- and safety-based services to children in their own homes. Findings from this study were used by the state child welfare services agency to allocate vacant worker positions to local jurisdictions.
McCroskey J, Pecora PJ, Franke T
… +2 more, Christie CA, Lorthridge J
Child Welfare
· 2012 · PMID 23362613
The Prevention Initiative Demonstration Project, funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), is a community-specific strategy delivered through eight regional networks designed to...The Prevention Initiative Demonstration Project, funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS), is a community-specific strategy delivered through eight regional networks designed to address the full spectrum of community-based prevention. This article summarizes a strong and meaningful pattern of improvements found in the second year evaluation for three groups of families--those living in high-risk communities but not involved with DCFS, those being investigated by DCFS for possible child maltreatment, and those with open DCFS cases.
Baker A, Schneiderman M, Brassard MR
… +1 more, Donnelly LJ
Child Welfare
· 2012 · PMID 23362612
Psychological maltreatment (PM) is a wide-spread form of child maltreatment, both in high-risk and maltreating parents, yet there are no intervention programs that target it directly. In this study, the content of parent...Psychological maltreatment (PM) is a wide-spread form of child maltreatment, both in high-risk and maltreating parents, yet there are no intervention programs that target it directly. In this study, the content of parenting programs for high-risk and maltreating parents was assessed to determine whether the program manuals include content on PM. Nine evidence-based group parenting programs for high-risk or maltreating parents (e.g., included in the SAMHSA or a comparable model program registry) were identified. Program manuals were rated for whether they included content on 18 types of psychological maltreatment (PM). Only one type of PM was rated as being included in all nine programs. Not one of the remaining PM types was rated as being included in more than four programs; and many of the PM types were not rated as being included in any program manual. Therefore, existing parenting program manuals do not contain content related to many forms of psychological maltreatment.
This article discusses the service design, implementation, and evaluation findings of two residential family treatment programs: Wayside House (MN) and OnTrack (OR). Both programs specialize in family-centered services f...This article discusses the service design, implementation, and evaluation findings of two residential family treatment programs: Wayside House (MN) and OnTrack (OR). Both programs specialize in family-centered services for adults with substance use disorders (SUD) who are involved with child welfare. Information on program design, services offered, and key collaborations are detailed. Implications for program sustainability are provided.
Few studies have included fidelity monitoring and critical approaches to the evaluation of family decision meetings. The current study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the implementation and fidelity adherence of...Few studies have included fidelity monitoring and critical approaches to the evaluation of family decision meetings. The current study uses a mixed-methods approach to examine the implementation and fidelity adherence of one state's family decision meeting model. Main findings indicate that while individuals facilitating the meetings perceive their fidelity to the model is strong, the observation data suggest that model adherence is inconsistent among those facilitating the meetings. Practice implications are discussed.
The current state of family meeting practice within and across child welfare jurisdictions in the United States is widespread and varies greatly, presenting challenges for rigorous research and evaluation. Three illustra...The current state of family meeting practice within and across child welfare jurisdictions in the United States is widespread and varies greatly, presenting challenges for rigorous research and evaluation. Three illustrative jurisdiction-level case studies are provided, which demonstrate not only commonalities and differences in practice across agencies but the underlying reasons for this variation. The associated challenges for evaluation of this practice are also discussed.
This article reports the outcome evaluation findings of an experimental study conducted with families in the child welfare system in Florida. Families were randomly assigned to one of three Family Team Conferencing (FTC)...This article reports the outcome evaluation findings of an experimental study conducted with families in the child welfare system in Florida. Families were randomly assigned to one of three Family Team Conferencing (FTC) models. In Pathway 1, the comparison model, FTCs were facilitated by case-workers. In Pathway 2, one of two experimental models, FTCs were cofacilitated by caseworkers and a designated/trained facilitator, and included expedited family engagement as well as the provision of FTCs throughout the life of a case. Pathway 3, also an experimental model, had the same components of Pathway 2 but also included family alone time. In approximately three years of the project period, 623 families agreed to participate in the study. Study findings showed no statistically significant change observed for families participating in Pathway 1 FTCs in terms of protective factors, achieving family-defined service and plan-of-care goals, and emotional and behavioral symptomology of children. Cases in Pathway 2 demonstrated significant improvement in family functioning and resiliency, nurturing and attachment, and increasing parents' knowledge about "what to do as a parent." Caregivers and teens in Pathway 3 reported significant improvement in expression of emotional symptomology/problems, conduct problems, hyperactivity, peer problems, and a measure of total difficulties. However, foster care re-entry rates were significantly higher for Pathway 3 than Pathway 2 (but not Pathway 1). Moreover, Pathway 2 and Pathway 3 FTCs had a significant effect on moving the family toward agreed upon service goals. Taken together, these findings suggest that the experimental FTC models in which facilitators were used and family engagement was expedited and sustained through subsequent FTCs demonstrated moderate, yet mixed benefits to children, youth, and families.
While relative care may offer significant benefits to kin children as compared to non-relative foster care, informal kinship caregivers often experience various hardships and needs without the resources of the child welf...While relative care may offer significant benefits to kin children as compared to non-relative foster care, informal kinship caregivers often experience various hardships and needs without the resources of the child welfare system to aid them. They may benefit from services provided by an expanded kinship navigator program. This study, using an experimental design, adds to knowledge about the characteristics and needs of kinship caregivers and the impact of enhanced navigator services. The relative effect of this more intensive intervention was mixed. Caregivers had many of their expressed needs met. Yet, the enhanced services group did not demonstrate: an increase in perceived social support; reduction in caregiver stress; or improvement in child behavior compared to the families receiving brief, traditional navigator services. Little difference was found in post intervention involvement in the child welfare system. Further enhancements to the model are suggested.
Dewey J, Tipon G, DeWolfe J
… +2 more, Sullins C, Park CC
Child Welfare
· 2013 · PMID 26030979
This paper presents process and outcome results from 24 federally-funded grants designed to reconnect family members with children in or at risk of entering foster care. Authors used local evaluation designs, data collec...This paper presents process and outcome results from 24 federally-funded grants designed to reconnect family members with children in or at risk of entering foster care. Authors used local evaluation designs, data collection, analyses, and grantee reporting, along with site visits and interviews, to implement a cross-site evaluation. Target populations; service models; parent, child, and family-level outcomes; and organizational and system-level outcomes are summarized. Limitations of the evaluation and recommendations to the field are discussed.