Two commentaries from the report, Military and Veteran Families and Children: Policies and Programs for Health Maintenance and Positive Development, deepen the discussion about how best to support military and veteran children and families. In the first commentary, Michelle Sherman, who has spent many years working in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system, describes innovative efforts of VHA programs to partner with community organizations to better support children and families. She also calls for VHAs to expand their focus to support veterans and their families. (Author abstract…
This report presents the results of a study that identified areas of Oregon in which greater investments in effective prevention services may be particularly beneficial. For the study, Portland State University’s Center for the Improvement of Child and Family Services (PSU) conducted a county-level assessment of rates of child abuse and neglect, risk factors for maltreatment, and level of implementation of 12 maltreatment prevention programs that had been highlighted in CTFO’s 2013 report “Preserving Childhood: Oregon’s Leading Efforts to Prevent Child Abuse and Strengthen Families”.…
This fact sheet explains close to 2.7 million children have a parent in prison or jail, describes the increased risked faced by children of incarcerated parents, and highlights efforts by Reentry Council agencies to ensure children of incarcerated parents are not negatively impacted. Accomplishments of Reentry Council agencies are listed and include the development of materials for children about having an incarcerated parent and tips for caregivers on talking to children about incarceration, the establishment of an online consolidation of the federal resources available to support children…
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Journal Article Although much is known about 'parents' in child protection families, very little research has specifically examined fathers in these families. The scant extant research indicates that child welfare workers in many countries tend to have negative stereotypes of these men, assuming them to be uncommitted and uninvolved parents, and unable to cease drug use. The present study sought to add to the knowledge about fathers in child protection families, and to investigate whether or not there was support for these negative stereotypes within this sample. Study participants were 35 fathers associated…
Report, Other
This report considers the role of family participation in government entities such as boards, advisory committees, and task forces that make policy and implementation decisions regarding services for California's 1.4 million children and youth with special health care needs (CSHCN). Information was gathered through interviews with parents, advocates, and administrators, a review of literature regarding family participation, and preliminary research regarding family participation on more than 60 California State- and county-level government policy entities that have role sin programs that…
Report, Other
During 2013, the Ohio Intimate Partner Violence Collaborative (OIPVC) enabled local child protective services (CPS) agencies in 13 Ohio counties to participate in the Safe and Together training program. The training aims to improve the ability of CPS agencies to work effectively with families that are experiencing domestic violence through skill building and values clarification. The training sought to provide participants with information and practice skills such as screening, assessment, documentation, interviewing, partnering and engaging. Intensive training was provided to CPS staff;…
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Journal Article Hegemonic representations of masculinity and dominant images of fatherhood have usually been linked to the domain of work. This article explores the experiences of men under the hardship of unemployment and the impact of these experiences on the construction of their gender identities, specifically on the construction of their fatherhood identity. In addition, the article examines how culture and national context affect the interrelationship between unemployment and fatherhood. Drawing on a post-structural constructivist theoretical perspective, the article describes a qualitative study of…
This chapter provides an overview of the findings about everyday living and child welfare service involvement from 18 life stories collected from fathers involved with one Children's Aid Society in southern Ontario. Results indicate fathers appreciated understanding and supportive service providers, useful assistance, and connecting to useful resources.
This chapter discusses the need for interventions that bring fathers and paternal family members to the table in child protection efforts, and shares a case study from Vermont that illustrates how restorative justice can be used in family group meetings to challenge totalizing characterizations of fathers and men and help social workers partner with families and collaboration with their professional colleagues to create balanced assessment’s and manage risks. 64 references.
This paper provides background information on the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), explains the basic requirements of ICWA, provides an overview of tribal child welfare and court systems, discusses disproportionality and its relationship to trends in ICWA compliance, highlights promising practices in State policy and practice that support ICWA, and underscores the necessity of working with tribal advocates on State child welfare policy change. Key ICWA requirements are summarized, as well as recommended practices that address State law, intergovernmental agreements, tribal-state forums,…
