ISSN 1357-5279
VOLUME 6 NUMBERS 1/2
MARCH 2003
Table
of Contents
2
Editor's note
Research and review papers
4
Indian
families adopting Indian children: adoptive parents' perceptions of the
adoption process and post-placements services
Groza, V.; Kalyanvala, R.; Boyer, S.; Nedelcu, C. & Bharatiya Samaj
Seva Kendra Research Team
Abstract: This article summarizes qualitative data from a study of India families adopting Indian children. Using a random sample, mailed survey data were collected from 230 families and interview data from 113 families. the response rate was 56% for the mailed questionnaire and 82% for the face-to-face survey. Overall, while excellent progress is being made with regard to domestic adoption in India, several post-placement services could be improved or developed to better meet the needs of adoptive families.
18
Child maltreatment in sociocultural context: from a syndrome to the
Convention on the Rights of the Child
Agthonos-Georgopoulou, H.
Abstract: This study reflects on child maltreatment from a cultural and a historial perspective. Initially, child maltreatment was considered to be a single syndrome ("the battered child syndrome"). Later, more attention has been devoted to the contexts in which child maltreatment occurs, to cultural beliefs and attitudes, economic circumstances and politics. recently, the Children's Rights Convention appeared as a new paradigm to look at (the prevention of) child maltreatment. The author presents recent empirical findings on the relationship between the public health and the child rights approach.
27
The Home Screening Questionaire: A validation study
Pessanha, M. & Bairrão. J.
Abstract: The study analyzed the usefulness of the Home Screening Questionaire (HSQ) as an alternative to the Home Observation and Measurement of the Environment inventory (HOME). Both are measures of the home environment quality. Both measure significantly intercorrelated. It was concluded that the HSQ is an easy to administrate alternative to the HOME inventory.
33
Early intervention, home background and school sucess: Preliminary
results of a longitudinal study
Van Steensel, R.
In order to prepare children from disadvantaged backgrounds for primary school education, early intervention programs are used. Generally, a distinction is made between home-based and center-based programs. In the research project described in this article, it is investigated whether there is a relation between participation in such programs and the educational achievements of 119 primary school pupils from two cities in the Netherlands. As Leseman (1992) suggests, the effectiveness of early intervention activities is partly determined by the family background of the children taking part. An important aspect of family background seems to be the presence or lack of a literacy tradition. For this reason a parent questionaire was developed which focuses on 'home literacy environment': the extent to which parents themselves make use of written materials, and the way in which they provide their children with literacy-related experiences. In this article, preliminary outcomes on this work will be discussed.Abstract:
Clinical report
43
Foster care between reparation and risk
Ongari, B. & Pompei, M. G.
In this article, family foster care was analysed from a psychodynamic perspective. Its reparative value was highlighted, in so far as the children can experience secure interpersonal relationships and emotional ell-being, as well as the risks underlying this complex social situation. In addition to child and family characteristics, the functioning of the foster family and the role performed by the social services, the justice system and mental health were considered. A case of failure was presented. The importance of concomitant social and psychological support for the children and their birth parents was stressed. It was concluded that only a close collaboration between the various agents prevented 'institutional maltreatment.'Abstract:
Policy report
52
The South African family law at the cross-roads
Van Zyl, G. J.
During the past decades South African life has undergone vast changes. Initially, family relationships were of a patriarchal type. when more and more people became urbanised the stable nuclear family system started disintegrating and in its place one now finds: many single-parent families, "concubinage" childless relationships, same-sex "marriage" relationships, dysfunctional families, parents and children who suffer from Aids, families living in informal settlements, grandparents taking over the parental role. The theme of this paper is to discuss the custody of children in these circumstances. When parties divorce, the legal process steps in and tries to re-arrange the deckchairs. The process is fine, but in practice the implementation is palliative. The implementation occurs in a changing South African society.Abstract:
60
Book reviews
62
Announcements
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Editorial
A look at the ever-growing number of scientific journals on child and
youth care makes an editor feel concerned about the scope and the
identity of the journal he is editing. Indeed, the growing number of
related scientific journals in the field of child and youth care may be
considered as a positive sign in that it reflects a growing
knowledge base as well as a growing exchange of theories and practice.
It raises hope for a more evidence-based care to come. On the other
hand, wealth may turn into overabundance and confuse readers and
contributors to journals. Will they, at the end, see the wood for the
trees?
As editor of the International Journal of Child & Family Welfare, I try to characterize the Journal as an empirically oriented journal with research reports and reviews on recent evolutions in child and youth care. I like to add the international or cross-national perspective, as our globalised world offers us many user-friendly opportunities to compare research results and good practices, to learn from each other, and to become aware of cultural differences. I do realize that these characteristics are not sufficient to make this Journal unique, even not after having stressed its European dimension. The Journal is, as the reader knows, an official publication of the European Association for Residential and Foster Care for Children and Adolescents — EUSARE — a clearly-profiled association with a strong tradition of organizing scientific congresses on the European continent and the United Kingdom. I am convinced, however that there is a place for the International Journal of Child and Family Welfare among the other journals on child and youth care and that the long-term benefits of jointly living together with related journals will be greater than the benefits of competition. Together with my associate editors, I try to refine the Journal’s profile and to make it more visible. Reactions from people in the field about the Journal’s "resurrection" are stimulating. I mention here three recently undertaken initiatives which I hope will make the Journal more visible to researchers policy makers and practitioners in Europe and North America. At first, the Journal now is announced on the International Child and Youth Care Network website (see http://www.cycnet.org). Visitors (more than 1 .200 each day] to this site can read the editorials and the abstracts. Secondly, the Journal and the European Scientific Association for Residential and Foster Care for Children and Adolescents will be present at the 7th International Child and Youth Care Conference in Victoria (British Columbia, Canada, 20-23 August, 2003). As this conference promises to be one of the largest on child and youth care organised ever, we are proud to be represented there and grateful to the organization committee. One of the objectives is to make the Journal known to North American researchers and field workers. Further, later this year, an issue of the Journal is planned with papers presented at the Victoria Conference. Finally, it was decided to prepare a special issue on European perspectives on the mental health needs of looked after children. This issue will be the outcome of a European-funded research project and include research reports on the mental health needs of children and adolescents in residential care and on good practices in Europe to meet these needs.
I am pleased to announce the present issue (Volume 6, 1-2) to our readers. It contains six contributions from very different countries: India, Greece, Portugal, The Netherlands, Italy and South Africa. This is a truly international issue. Besides, various topics are addressed:
adoption, foster care, early intervention, child maltreatment, children’s rights, family law. Some of the contributions to this issue (and similarly, to the next issue) are based on presentations held at the International Congress "In the best interests of the child: Cross-cultural perspectives" which took place in Leuven, Belguim (9-12 April, 2003). This congress was organized by the International Association for Training and Research in Family Education and the European Scientific Association for Residential and Foster Care for Children and Adolescents. I welcome the initiative taken by these authors and I hope this may stimulate presenters at future congresses on child and youth care to consider our Journal as an outlet for their interesting work.
Hans Grietens
Editor
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