ISSN 1357-5279
VOLUME 6 NUMBER 4
DECEMBER 2003
SPECIAL ISSUE:
Out-of-home care: Research perspectives on
promising practices
Table of Contents and Abstracts
126
Out-of-home care: Practice and research between head and tail
Knorth, E.J.; Anglin, J.P. & Grietens, H.
Abstract: Out-of-home care has a very high impact on children and their families. For this reason, careful preparation, planning and guidance for a stay in a foster family or residential care are necessary. The authors consider out-of home care as a process with a start ("head") and finish ("tail"). These two phrases in particular hold crucial moments of decision making and professional support to clients. Atuning the "head, body and tail" of out-of-home care to the needs of vulnerable children and families enhances the chances of positive outcomes. Research is presented that supports this central notion.
133
Processes and outcomes in family foster care: A selective North-American
review
Maluccio, A.N.
Abstract: The author begins by discussing the central objectives of family foster care for children and youths in the USA: providing safety and protection from further harm, enhancing child well-being, and promoting permanency in a family setting. He then examines recent investigations of the processes and outcomes of foster care, concluding that especially required is further research on outcomes. The findings would help refine family foster care programs and delineate key service components for meeting the diverse needs of children and their families.
141
Understanding processes of residential group care for children and
youth: constructing a theoretical framework.
Anglin, J.P
Abstract: This study of staffed group homes was undertaken in British Columbia and involved 10 group care programs that were visited over a 14 month period. The grounded theory method was selected given the goal of uncovering and articulating a theoretical framework for understanding the processes of group home life and work. The core theme that emerged was ‘congruence in service of the children’s best interests’.
Three basic psychosocial processes were discovered as core to group home functioning: ‘developing a sense of normality’ that speaks to the desired lived experience for group home residents; ‘creating an artificial living environment’ that pertains to the instrumental task of the home; and ‘responding to pain and pain-based behaviour’ that represents the central challenge for staff These are interwoven processes in the life of a group home, and can be linked together as follows: the purpose of a group home is to create an artificial living environment that offers the youth residents an opportunity to develop a sense of normality while responding to their pain and pain-based behaviour.
In addition, five levels of group home operation and eleven interactional dynamics were found to be significant in understanding ‘the struggle for congruence’ within the homes.
151
Justifying out-of-home placement: A multiple case study of
decision-making in child welfare and protection services
Backe-Hansen, E.
Abstract: The study to be presented here analyzes the social workers decision processes in 16 typical cases concerning out-of-home placement of children aged 0 to 7. Former research has primarily focused on why this is suggested. Researchers have so far shown much less interest in how these decisions are developed, which was the aim of this study. Decision processes are understood as information processing in three stages: selecting relevant information, constructing professional arguments, and matching case and law. It was supposed that the justificatory arguments would either he organized around one salient case characteristic, or through combining and weighing several attributes. It appeared that when severe substance abuse on the part of the parents was documented, this became the salient case characteristic, and was used as a trump card. In the other cases, a puzzle was constructed consisting of several attributes none of which was sufficient in itself. Implications are discussed.
167
Indications for treatment in child and youth care: results from two
complementary empirical studies
Knorth, E.J; Metselaar, J.; Josias, H.J.; Konijn, C.; Noom, M.J. & Van
Yperen, T.A.
The central issue in this contribution is the analysis of indications for treatment (IFT) in Dutch child and youth care. In the Netherlands under the new Youth Care Act, clients can only obtain intensive forms of child and youth care on the basis of a so-called written IFT-statement. Two studies are presented: one investigating the general quality of the IFT-statements (N = 270), the other focusing in more detail on the quality of IFT-statements (N = 227). The main question in both studies is to what extent lFT-statements meet the basic requirements that represent a well-founded and explicit decision. The first study reveals that the assessment of IFT-statements by a committee of experts yields the verdict agreed’ in only two out of three cases. Some lFT-statements receive the stamp agreed even though the case is insufficiently substantiated. In the second study lFT-statements are being assessed by applying objective standards, as well as by consultation with case managers and clients themselves. It turns out that the assessment of the lFT-statements by use of the objective standards paints a more disadvantageous picture than consulting the case managers. The latter, in turn, are more critical about the IFT-statements than the clients. The authors advocate to make IFT-statements more explicit and, by doing so, to contribute to an increased transparency of the decision-making process at the entrance into child and youth care services.Abstract:
185
Effectiveness of residential treatment methods for youngsters with
severe behavioural problems: Findings from one year follow-up study
Scholte, E.M. & van der Ploeg, J.D.
Abstract: This study aims to determine the efficacy of recently developed residential treatment programmes in Holland for the treatment of juveniles with severe behavioural problems. The development of youngsters admitted to four different programmes was investigated over a period of one year using residential staff ratings and the CBCL. After one year 74 percent of the juveniles were still attending the programme, six percent had left according to plan and twenty percent had left prematurely. sizes of programme effectiveness ranged from 0.4 - 0.8. It is concluded that residential programmes specifically tailored to the needs of severe behavioural problems than general residential care programmes. These programmes also exert a beneficial effect on the behavioural and emotional development of the youngsters after one year, although for many youngsters prolongation of treatment is needed
198
Facilitating the transition from placement to independent living:
reflections from a program of research
Mann-Feder, V.R. & White, T
Abstract: This article summarizes three interrelated research projects that explore the experiences of youth-in-care aging out of placement and making the transition to independence. Qualitative methodology was used to analyze themes emerging from group and individuals interviews with these young people and the staff who work with them. Major issues considered were: the emotional consequences of the transition and stages in the emancipation process; stated gaps in the interventions and structure on approaches to this population. Lessons learned from this research are high-lighted with particular attention on implications for interventions.
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