Including parents, foster parents and parenting caregivers in the assessments and interventions of young children placed in the foster care system
Section snippets
Young children in the foster care system
The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse indicates that there are approximately 542,000 children in the United States living in foster care (National Clearinghouse on Child Abuse and Neglect Information, 2003). This figure does not include the “hidden” displaced children and youth who may have been abandoned, run away, or living in informal arrangements with relatives or friends. In an attempt to improve the delivery of services to families involved in the child welfare system, the 1980
The role of parents in the assessment of young children
Given the current child welfare statistics, there is a growing awareness of the critical importance of appropriate assessment of all young children, but particularly children in foster care who are most vulnerable to socio-emotional problems, developmental delays or health problems. Early identification of neglect or abuse is particularly important for young children and critical for infants “whose signs of distress may be overlooked or dismissed” (Hochman et al., 2004, p. 14). However,
“Contextualization” and the intensive, integrated aspects of assessment and intervention
Despite the difficulties of incorporating parents into assessment and interventions, a growing body of research indicates the importance of family-centered practice and social networks for a child's healthy development (Dunst, 2000). Specialists within the field of early childhood point to the lack of parent and community participation in the process of early diagnosis of special needs in children. Dr. Sam Meisels (1996) stresses in “Charting the Continuum of Assessment and Intervention” that
The challenge of including parents in the assessment of young children in foster care
Because parents are important “gatekeepers” for a young child's access to early intervention services, child welfare social workers in the foster care system are frequently attempting to work with two different subsets of parents simultaneously. Parents in the first category are likely to be considered among the most vulnerable parents in our population. “Vulnerable” parents might be defined as those parents who are affected by a range of stressors including poverty; disability (physical,
Recommendations for child welfare social workers
Through a brief review of the literature, this paper has identified the importance of including parents, foster parents, or the child's parenting caregiver in the assessments of young children in foster care. It has also helped to clarify the integral nature of assessment and intervention as best practices for young children. The following section will attempt to synthesize the findings to make several workable recommendations to improve social work practice for young children in foster care
Conclusion
Since the release of Zero to Three's principles on assessment of young children, child welfare social workers and other professionals have improved ways to incorporate parents and parenting caregivers on their child's team. However, given the increasing numbers of young children coming into care, and their risk for long-term disability, it is imperative that child welfare social workers become the catalyst to improve options for all young foster children. A sound assessment is foundational for
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Permanence for disabled children and young people through foster care and adoption: A selective review of international literature
2015, Children and Youth Services ReviewCitation Excerpt :Not surprisingly, there is evidence that impermanence and/or high rates of placement turnover have adverse effects on disabled children. These include poor mental health (Harden, 2004; Pasztor, Hollinger, Inkelas, & Halfon, 2006; Steen & Harlow, 2012; Tarren-Sweeney, 2008); attachment/security disorders (Harden, 2004; Tarren-Sweeney, 2008); poor physical health (Harden, 2004; Robertson, 2006); developmental disorders (Harden, 2004) and ‘compromised brain functioning’ (Harden, 2004). Importantly, however, not enough is known about how far poor experiences of care exacerbate conditions that children may have had prior to entering care, or create new ones.
Factors associated with foster carer well-being, satisfaction and intention to continue providing out-of-home care
2009, Children and Youth Services ReviewFostering children with disabilities: A concept map of parent needs
2007, Children and Youth Services ReviewEvaluation of a Trauma-Informed Parenting Program for Resource Parents
2022, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public HealthParent-child interaction therapy: Tailoring treatment to meet the sociocultural needs of an adoptive foster child and family
2020, Journal of Family Social Work