May 2017Vol. 18, No. 3Print issueSpotlight on National Foster Care Month

A new podcast explores a recent study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that shows how home visit programs that include videotaped parent-child interactions can improve the parent-child relationship and reduce child maltreatment and removals from the home. The podcast discusses a recent article, "Promoting First Relationships: Randomized Trial of a 10-Week Home Visiting Program for Families Referred to Child Protective Services of Home-Visit Program in Child Maltreatment Cases Strengthens Parent-Child Interaction," which appeared in the November 2016 issue of Child Maltreatment (http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1077559516668274). The article features a study that was conducted over a 3-year period (between 2011 and 2014). It followed 247 families with children between 10 months and 2 years of age who were involved in an investigation by child protective services for recent allegations of maltreatment. The study randomly assigned families to either a telephone-based intervention service—including three 30-minute sessions and a packet of parent resource materials—or a home visiting program with 1-hour visits over a 10-week period.

The research was specifically designed to review the Promoting First Relationships home visiting model, which helps primary caregivers become more aware of a child's social and emotional cues and increases parental sensitivity, competence, and insight over time. The intervention involves videotaping a parent's or primary caregiver's interactions with an infant or young child, which a training specialist then reviews with the parent to help make the parent become more aware of how they are responding to their child.

Parents or caregivers participating in the 10-week home-based intervention were found to score higher than those receiving the telephone-based intervention on measurements of parental sensitivity and engagement, and the home-based intervention group experienced approximately less than half the number of home removals.

The podcast features Dr. Valerie Maholmes, chief of the Pediatric Trauma and Critical Illness Branch at NIH's Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD), and Dr. Monica Oxford, director of the Barnard Center for Infant Mental Health at the University of Washington Department of Family and Child Nursing. It is available on the NIH/ NICHD website at https://www.nichd.nih.gov/news/releases/Pages/122716-podcast-child-maltreatment.aspx.
 

A new report from Child Trends highlights successful community-based initiatives to support early, healthy childhood development and elements needed to cultivate them. The report stems from a 2016 national symposium on investing in early childhood supports and explores innovative and varied initiatives underway in three diverse communities: Tulsa, OK; Durham, NC; and the State of Oregon.

• Tulsa, OK, was selected because of its use of the Educare program, a public-private cross-sector collaborative effort that supports infants and young children, ages 6 weeks through 4 years, and their families through coordinated health, parenting, educational, and related services.
• Durham, NC, was featured because of its place-based neighborhood initiative that spans a 120-block area and seeks to ensure all participating children graduate from high school and are prepared for college or a career. The East Durham Children’s Initiative (EDCI) operated as both program coordinator and a service provider. It coordinated with over 40 partners to provide a continuum of early childhood-related services. Services provided by EDCI included a universal home visiting program and a half-day bilingual preschool program for children who would otherwise lack access to any formal preschool experience prior to entering kindergarten.
• Oregon was chosen as the third community to demonstrate the role a State government can take in supporting community-based early childhood initiatives. The State's regionally based Early Learning Hubs were designed to bring multiple community partners together to ensure school readiness for young children.

The February 2017 report features lessons learned from the various approaches and recommendations for establishing similar early childhood initiatives. It also highlights cross-cutting themes for successful community-based efforts, including the following:

• Use of data to measure progress toward goals and evaluate outcomes
• Broader supports and services at the county, city, or State level
• Meeting community needs
• Intentional and ongoing support
• Evidence-based programs, innovation, and cross-sector collaboration

The report, Building Our Future: Supporting Community-Based Early Childhood Initiatives, was funded by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the George Kaiser Family Foundation and is available at https://www.childtrends.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/2017-15BuildingOurFuture.pdf (1,070 KB).
 

One of the greatest contributions of a transitional living program (TLP), a youth housing model, is the supportive environment it creates for its youth residents. A recent journal article points out that many youth in TLPs may have never before experienced positive relationships. While young people experiencing homelessness face many challenges, less is known about the effectiveness of programs designed to address these hurdles. This latest study, which was funded by the Fahs-Beck Fund for Research and Experimentation at the New York Community Trust, looks at the impact of TLPs from the perspective of former homeless youth.

The study is based on interviews with 32 young people who had been part of a Chicago-based TLP. Interviewees emphasized the themes of family, individual connections, community, and their level of preparedness to be on their own as those that most characterize the TLP experience and make it a developmentally appropriate program model for youth in transition.

The study participants emphasized how much they valued the family environment within the TLP and the ability to build a sense of community. Participants reported that the observance of everyday rituals and basic rules and responsibilities within the TLP environment were instructive in helping them adopt new habits that will be useful in attaining future goals. For some participants, the TLP was their first experience of hearing a regular "good morning" greeting or returning at the end of the day to a place where others cared about their well-being. Participants also shared that while living in a group home was difficult at times, it taught them valuable interpersonal skills they have found useful in subsequent living environments and the workplace.

The author points out that the themes of family and supportive community are not generally included in discussions of the "housing first" approach, which places a priority on housing. What is most important to vulnerable young people, the study finds, are the emotional, practical, and developmental supports provided by the TLP model. Most participants valued the 24-hour access to support from staff and peers as a critical step toward long-term stability and believed that young people need time to adequately prepare for independent living. The study participants also emphasized the importance of preparing for independent living surrounded by those who share similar circumstances and goals and by those who can support their transition to stability and wellness.

To view the article abstract, visit http://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.04.009.

Holtschneider, Casey. (2016). A part of something: The importance of transitional living programs within a Housing First framework for youth experiencing homelessness. Children and Youth Services Review, 65, 204–215.
 

Child Welfare Information Gateway released the first episode in a two-part podcast series called Protective Factors. Part 1 of this series focuses on the definition of protective factors as they pertain to child welfare, how child welfare professionals can identify and distinguish protective factors when working with parents and families, and how protective factors can be applied across entire communities and community-based programs.

This podcast features interviews with Cailin O’Connor, a senior policy analyst for the Center for Study in Social Policy (CSSP) and a key figure in CSSP’s Strengthening Families Approach and Protective Factors Framework, and Tabitha Kelly, division chief with the Arlington County, VA, Children and Family Services.

Ms. O'Connor discusses the five primary protective factors under the Strengthening Families Framework:

• Parental resilience includes the ability of parents to thrive despite adversity and refers to parents’ mental health status and ability perform their parental duties despite the challenges they may be facing in their day-to-day lives.
• Knowledge of parenting and child development includes having appropriate expectations for what children can do at certain ages, making appropriate decisions based on the individual child and his or her developmental readiness, and, particularly with families who have children with special needs, understanding their own child.
• Social connections include the importance of having a support system for parents, such as having someone to call when they need someone to watch the children on short notice.
• Concrete supports in times of need includes having access to services like child welfare intervention and domestic violence support, food pantries, and supportive neighbors during challenging times.
• Nurturing children’s social-emotional competence includes supporting parents as they help their child develop social-emotional skills.

 
Ms. Kelly describes some strategies that workers in Arlington, VA, use based on the protective factors framework to partner with families to create positive future outcomes for children. These strategies include asking parents questions that touch on each protective factor, interviewing families to get a better sense of their situations and support systems, and more.

To listen to the first installment of the Protective Factors podcast series, visit https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/child-welfare-podcast-protective-factors-part1.
 

Having a father or father figure in a child's life contributes greatly to a child's well-being and positive outcomes. By offering a little time—as few as 12 hours per year—to a fatherless child, a mentor can make a large difference in a child's life. The National Fatherhood Initiative has put together a guide to encourage men to mentor children within their social networks who are growing up without fathers due to their father’s military service, business travel, incarceration, or other situations (e.g., death) that cause separation for an extended amount of time. This 19-page guide begins with a mentoring pledge, a brief introduction to mentoring, and breaks down mentoring into the following five points:

• Find children in your "circle of influence"—This includes children who may be family members, living in the neighborhood, or a family member of someone living within the community.
• Get permission—Ask permission from the child's mother or primary guardian and be clear about the types of activities the child will be partaking in.
• Plan ahead—Make plans based on the child's interests and meet the child on their "turf."
• Save your advice for later—Building trust is the first step to creating a meaningful mentoring relationship. Giving advice and trying to be a father figure should come second.
• Encourage, encourage, encourage—Promote the child's interests as well as the importance of staying in school, going to college, and getting work experience.

The guide also offers a list of possible activities, tips for how mentoring boys and girls can differ, and mentoring organizations and resources that can help mentors get started.

To read the National Fatherhood Initiative's Guide to Mentoring Fatherless Children, visit https://cdn2.hubspot.net/hubfs/135704/Offers/eBooks/Guide%20to%20Mentoring%20Fatherless%20Children/Guide%20to%20Mentoring%20Fatherless%20Children.pdf (11,890 KB).
 

There are currently more than 60,000 youth in juvenile correctional facilities, with a large portion of these youth being identified as having a disability. Despite these statistics, however, less than half of those youth report that they are receiving special education services while incarcerated.

The toolkit, Improving Outcomes for Youth With Disabilities in Juvenile Corrections includes evidence- and research-based practices, tools, and resources that families, educators, facilities, communities, and agencies can use to better support and improve the long-term outcomes for youth with disabilities in juvenile correctional facilities. This resource is part of the IDEAS That Work initiative of the Office of Special Education Programs within the U.S. Department of Education. Given the number of children and youth who are involved in both the child welfare and juvenile justice systems, this toolkit may be of interest to child welfare professionals.

This toolkit is divided into four sections:

• Facility-wide practices include a continuum of academic and behavioral supports and services, trauma-informed care, and restorative justice. They are aimed at ensuring a focus on prevention and consistent reinforcement of expectations across facility environments.
• Educational practices include ensuring access to a high-quality education, individualized instruction, and compliance with the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act. They are organized into a tiered delivery system that can assist in meeting the varied educational levels and needs of incarcerated youth with disabilities.
• Transition and reentry practices include beginning transition planning at entry, prioritizing family involvement, and coordinating after-care services. These practices are aimed at ensuring youth with disabilities are able to exit correctional facilities ready to return to school, community, or employment settings.
• Community and interagency practices include interagency agreements, expeditious records transfer, and staffing. They focus on how services for these youth should be coordinated across a variety of partners, such as schools, community agencies, and probation programs.

To learn more about the toolkit, Improving Outcomes for Youth With Disabilities in Juvenile Corrections, visit https://www.osepideasthatwork.org/jj.
 

Being able to understand and navigate social and interpersonal situations is an important skill that every youth must learn in order to interact appropriately with others and handle difficult situations. Unfortunately, many youth with disabilities have difficulty building these skills, leaving them at a disadvantage in securing employment, developing relationships, and connecting with the community.

The toolkit, Skills for Independent Living: Parents Help Build Social Skills, which was produced by PACER's National Parent Center on Transition and Employment, describes the following seven tools that parents can use to help their children practice and improve social skills:

• Use social skills stories to build skills in understanding situations—Situational stories can be used to illustrate certain social skills. The stories should clearly identify the topic, who is involved, and where and when the situation usually occurs. Additionally, the stories should explain what is happening, how it happens, and why it happens as well as the reasoning behind what people think, do, or say in a given situation.
• Define boundaries with a five-point scale—This tool is aimed at helping children understand that there are different degrees of behavior, different boundaries, and that there are consequences for going too far beyond a boundary. For example, parents can teach their children to rate their anger levels or the appropriateness of different behaviors using this scale.
• Teach social boundaries with a circle chart—A circle chart made up of concentric circles can help define personal space, such as knowing when it is appropriate to hug or touch another person. The circle illustrates examples of groups a child may interact with, such as strangers, familiar people in the neighborhood, friends and acquaintances, personal caregivers, extended family and close friends, close family, and individuals.
• Practice role playing—This tool gives children the opportunity to practice what they would do in various situations. Roll playing encourages children to think about, anticipate, and develop alternate plans for unexpected situations.
• Create opportunities to practice skills—This tool encourages parents to create real-life opportunities for their child to interact with others, such as practicing how to greet someone and conversation starters.
• Explore a social skills training program—This tool encourages parents to consider enrolling their child in a social skills training program that would give them a structured opportunity to learn and practice new skills, such as dating and relationships or ensuring personal safety. In these programs, trained instructors introduce new skills and the ways they are used and then models them for students. The student then models these new skills back and continues to practice at home.
• Help young adults try social skills groups—Social skills groups can provide an opportunity for youth to explore, practice, and use the social skills they have learned with a group of peers. These groups can be centered on extracurricular activities or friendship groups at school, recreational groups in the community, or other educational activities.

The toolkit also includes the "Parent Social Skills Action Plan" worksheet that allows parents to list their social skills goals for their children and determine the best course of action to help them attain these skills. This tool may be of interest to child welfare professionals working with children with disabilities and their families.

The Skills for Independent Living: Parents Help Build Social Skills toolkit is available at http://www.pacer.org/transition/resource-library/publications/NPC-47a.pdf (205 KB).
 

Upcoming national conferences on child welfare and adoption from May through July 2017 include the following:

May 2017

• 16th National Citizen Review Panel Conference
  Alaska Citizen Review 
  May 10–12, Anchorage, AK
  http://cantasd.org/crpconference/history.html

• Center for Fostering Success Conference
  Western Michigan University
  May 15–20, Kalamazoo, MI
  https://www.evensi.us/center-for-fostering-success-conference-kalamazoo-michigan/186310740

• 2017 Adoptive Family & Youth Training Seminar: Ties That Bind: Parents & Children Strengthening the Bond
  Family Matters Consulting, Inc.
  May 19–20, Atlanta, GA
  http://www.ties-that-bind.org/

• 2017 National Title IV-E Roundtable
  Arizona State University’s Center for Child Well-Being
  May 23–25, Phoenix, AZ
  https://sites.google.com/site/2017titleiveroundtable/

• 20th Annual National Human Services Training Evaluation Symposium
  California Social Work Education Center, Kent School of Social Work, University of Louisville
  May 23–26, Louisville, KY
  http://calswec.berkeley.edu/2017-national-human-services-training-evaluation-symposium
   

June 2017

• One Child, Many Hands: A Multidisciplinary Conference on Child Welfare
  Field Center for Children's Policy, Practice & Research at the University of Pennsylvania
  June 7–9, Philadelphia, PA
  http://www.onechildmanyhands.org

• Violence Intervention and Prevention (VIP) Summit
  Gundersen National Child Protection Training Center
  June 20–22, Rogers, AR
  https://www.gundersenhealth.org/ncptc/trainings-education/violence-intervention-prevention-summit
   

July 2017

• Child Welfare Virtual Expo 2017: Strengthening Assessment and Decision-Making for Improved Outcomes
  Capacity Building Center for States
  July 13, 2017, online, 10 a.m.–5 p.m. EDT
  https://capacity.childwelfare.gov/virtualexpo/

• National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges 80th Annual Conference
  National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges
  July 16–19, Washington, DC
  http://www.ncjfcj.org/80th-annual-conference

• Family Focused Treatment Association 31st Annual Conference
  Family Focused Treatment Association
  July 16–19, Chicago, IL
  http://www.ffta.org/conference

• North American Council on Adoptable Children 43rd Annual Conference
  North American Council on Adoptable Children
  July 19–22, Atlanta, GA
  http://www.nacac.org/conference/conference.html
   

 

The Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, in partnership with the Minnesota Center for Chemical and Mental Health, created a three-part video series called Supporting Recovery in Parents With Co-Occurring Disorders in Child Welfare. This video series features experts discussing the challenges parents with co-occurring disorders (CODs) face and the resources and strategies child welfare workers can provide to help support these parents and their families.

The first video, "Supporting Parents With Co-Occurring Disorders in Child Welfare," provides an introduction to the topic and defines CODs as a simultaneous diagnosis of mental health and substance use disorders. Experts in the child welfare field featured in the video report that approximately 70–80 percent of parents involved in child welfare have CODs, making it a significant hurdle to a family's well-being. The experts discuss the importance of understanding each disorder individually as well as part of the dual diagnosis in order to create an appropriate case plan that addresses the challenges associated with CODs. 

The second video, "Case Planning That Supports the Path to Recovery," stresses the importance of identifying the correct providers and resources to help families dealing with CODs and emphasizes finding a provider who has an integrated approach to dealing with both diagnoses, collaborative case planning, and safety planning.

The third video, "Integrated Approaches, Bias, and Meeting Parents Where They Are," focuses on roadblocks to recovery, specifically bias and other types of judgmental behavior, which can shape the way workers view the people they are working with and hinder their efforts to employ the appropriate case-planning strategies and support that parents with CODs need.

The complete video series, Supporting Recovery in Parents with Co-Occurring Disorders in Child Welfare, is available at https://www.cascw.org/portfolio-items/supporting-recovery-in-parents-with-co-occurring-disorders-in-child-welfare-training-videos/.