Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services

Youth engagement in case planning has garnered attention in recent years from scholars and practitioners alike due to its documented benefits for service recipients and providers. The authors conducted a scoping review to understand what is known about the competencies and characteristics that support child welfare workers to engage with youth. The 125 included articles revealed nine competencies for child welfare workers (partnering with youth, communication and listening skills, building trusting relationships, strength-based approach, prepare and inform youth, advocate for youth, knowledge of adolescent development, trauma-informed care, and cultural humility) and three characteristics (committed, flexibility, and self-awareness) that support successful youth engagement. The findings may be used to develop targeted competency-based recruitment, hiring, and training materials for child welfare workers and to inform new policy development.

Early childhood adversity presents risks for enduring negative impacts on both health and development. Prior research has underscored the potential of early interventions to serve as a protective buffer, mitigating the detrimental effects of adversity on children. This study extends this research by investigating the impact of an early intervention, Attachment Biobehavioral Catch-up (ABC), on family functioning. Using latent transition analysis, this study’s findings indicate that families initially categorized as having lower functioning demonstrated a heightened likelihood of transitioning to a higher functioning profile on program completion, implying potential trajectories toward enhanced family functioning following participation in ABC. Although exploratory, these results suggest that ABC may provide supplementary protective effects that extend beyond enhancements in caregiver skills or improved child well-being.

The current study aims to use the decision-making ecology (DME) to understand what decision-making factors influence state child welfare and foster care entry rates. We conducted a multilevel logistic regression model with 4,473 children from a rural northeastern state to understand the DME. Significant child-level predictors of foster care entry were having an unsafe determination on the Structured Decision-Making (SDM)^® safety assessment, high SDM risk score, neglect, physical abuse, and child age below 5 years. In addition to safety considerations, community poverty and caseworker orientation toward child removal were all significant predictors of foster care. The study uncovered contextual system-level factors contributing to foster care placement that are policy malleable and, if addressed, could improve family preservation and prevent out-of-home placement.

As young people age out of foster care, many seek out their birth parents and extended families, but little is known about how these connections are navigated given past separations. Drawing from data previously collected from young people who aged out of foster care in a metropolitan area of one Western state (n = 57), this study analyzed the responses from 53 young adults between the ages of 18 and 22 who answered two open-ended questions about (a) reconnecting with birth families after foster care and (b) the nature of their current relationships with their biological parents. A three-step analytic process searched for themes in the data and distilled three groups: (a) Reconnected and navigating a relationship (n = 36; 68%), (b) Always connected and in a relationship (n = 8; 15%), and (c) Not connected and not interested in a relationship (n = 9; 17%). Implications for practice and recommendations for future research are offered.

Studies suggest that some characteristics of placement experiences (instability and group placement) as well as leaving school and lack of supportive networks are associated with criminal justice system involvement. Other studies suggest that these placement experiences can negatively affect the educational outcomes and social support networks of youth aging out of care. It is therefore likely that a lack of social support networks and leaving school mediate the relationship between placement experiences and adult justice involvement. This study aims to examine whether support networks and leaving school during the transition out of placement mediate the relationship between placement experiences and justice system involvement. The results show that the relationship between placement experiences and post-placement criminal justice system involvement is mediated by leaving school but not by social support networks.

Parental school involvement is consistently associated with better child development outcomes. Although parental work schedules are expected to shape school involvement, little empirical research examines this relationship. Using nationally representative data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study, Kindergarten Cohort 2010 to 2011 (N = 6,047), we estimated associations between parents’ work schedules and multiple indicators of school involvement. Compared to daytime schedules, flexible variable schedules were associated with more parental school involvement. Working a regular nonstandard schedule or employer-set variable schedule was not associated with school involvement, except that working nights was associated with attending fewer school events. We found limited evidence of heterogeneity by family structure or parent gender. These findings suggest parental work schedule flexibility may benefit child outcomes through increased parental involvement.

This study examines the effects of parents’ harsh parenting and co-parenting on parental engagement. 4,049 low-income married couples participating in the Supporting Healthy Marriage (SHM) evaluation study were analyzed using the Actor-Partner Interdependence Model, which identifies how one parent’s harsh parenting and co-parenting behaviors influence their own parental engagement (actor-effect) and how their partner’s behaviors influence the parent’s engagement (partner-effect). More frequent maternal harsh parenting was associated with decreased levels of maternal engagement (actor-effect). The positive effects of co-parenting on each parent’s own parental engagement (actor-effect) were more substantial than the influence of their partner’s co-parenting on the engagement (partner-effect). To boost parental engagement, it is recommended to consider interdependent family dynamics, including actor and partner effects on parenting practices.

Little is known about system-involved fathers’ perceptions of parenting programs, and whether they believe they focus on topics they value. Service providers in family serving systems are positioned to refer fathers to parenting programs, albeit their perspectives of fatherhood are also largely unexplored. To that end, 17 fathers who recently graduated from the 24:7 Dad^® participated in focus groups, whereas 24 service providers completed 1:1 semi-structured interviews. Thematic analyses revealed that fathers’ acceptability of 24:7 Dad is contingent upon two conditions: (1) whether they believe the curriculum adheres to how they define fatherhood and provides skills to live up to said delineations, and (2) whether they convey that they gained valuable lessons on how to parent successfully. Providers also acquire acceptability under these conditions. Efforts should be devoted to integrating trauma-sensitive practices into 24:7 Dad.

Social workers often report challenges associated with trying to maintain structural social work (SSW) amid conventional settings. Although there is some literature on practical applications of SSW, the literature is outdated. Consequently, this research was inspired by, and derived from, Bachelor of Social Work students who consistently sought practical wisdom and stories to gain insight into how to successfully maintain and practice SSW in modern conventional settings. Qualitative interviews were conducted with 28 structural social workers. Five key themes were identified regarding how one might successfully embody SSW: (a) adopting a strategic approach; (b) gaining credibility and competency; (c) building relationships and rapport; (d) navigating risk, and (e) recognizing barriers and being inventive. The findings are explored, implications for practice and knowledge dissemination discussed, and future research considered.

We conducted a qualitative metasummary of studies with qualitative findings from transgender and gender-diverse (TGD) child participants. We created this report as a resource that health care providers can use to improve and enhance the health care–related services that they offer to TGD children and the children’s accompanying parents. We used the qualitative metasummary method to identify relevant peer-reviewed articles with qualitative data collected from TGD children that address the topic of parental involvement in children’s health care experiences. Data collection resulted in 20 articles. Our data analysis resulted in three primary themes, three subthemes, and 18 total summary findings. The findings within this report offer useful information for health care providers to keep in consideration when serving TGD children and their accompanying parents.

Factors influencing the quality of life (QOL) of parents living with at least one adult child with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) was examined in a sample of 249 caregivers categorized into three types: Compound-1: caring for an adult with ASD along with another adult with a disability; Compound-2: caring for an adult child with ASD and other typically developing child[ren]; and Noncompound: caring for an adult child with ASD. Quantitative analyses indicated that self-reported caregiver health was significantly associated with the QOL for all types of caregivers, while the perceptions of caregiving burden and availability of informal social support varied by type of caregiver. Findings provide insight into the need for professionals to augment support to address the needs of aging parents who have compound caregiving responsibilities that can affect their QOL.

This study examined factors in adolescent low-birth-weight survivors’ mental health problems. This research applied data of 1,657 adolescent low-birth-weight survivors extracted from the 2021 National Survey of Children’s Health. Logistic regression results indicated that the likelihood of adolescent low-birth-weight survivors’ mental health problems was associated negatively with Hispanic adolescents and caregivers’ mental health. Such likelihood was associated positively with relative caregivers, nonrelative caregivers, the difficulty of parenting the adolescent, the adolescent’s difficulty with peers, the adolescent’s chronic health condition(s), family mental health problem, and professional support. The conclusion included that these adolescents’ mental health problems were mainly related to relationships with caregivers and peers, their own health problems, and family members’ mental health. Implications of the present findings included interventions promoting adolescents’ access to continuous health care, effective parenting, parents’ mental health, and adolescents’ social skills with peers.

This article explores the life challenges mothers in urban Ethiopia face in raising a child with physical disability and the role of spirituality in coping with those challenges. The research was conducted in collaboration with an organization called Cheshire Ethiopia. Qualitative data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 16 mothers who were the organization’s service users, and who had children with physical disabilities including cerebral palsy (CP) and spina bifida (SB). In addition, five key informants who were rehabilitation workers and employed by the organization to provide counseling and physiotherapy to parents and children took part in the interviews. The results of the study showed that mothers faced difficulties with finances, employment, marriage, social stigma, and isolation. The findings also revealed that mothers mobilized spiritual activities as a coping mechanism, relying on prayer, faith, and hope in God to deal with daily challenges. These spiritual activities helped parents to develop hope, to find meaning in their child’s disability, and to grow as individuals, becoming better individuals. The study points out that the consideration of religious spirituality in therapeutic interventions and policy practices with parents would be beneficial to cultivate positive coping mechanisms in raising children with physical disabilities.

The United States is home to over a million former Soviet Union (FSU) immigrants, yet literature on their familial dynamics and mental health and well-being is scarce. Following Arksey and O’Malley’s framework, this scoping review synthesizes literature since 1990 about FSU immigrants’ acculturation and well-being across 10 databases. The scoping review included 39 studies. The selected articles revealed three themes: (a) maintaining cultural and ethnic identity across generations during acculturation, (b) generational differences in navigating acculturation challenges, and (c) mental health challenges among FSU immigrants. Differences in managing immigration and acculturation events were noted across generations and genders. FSU immigrants face unique acculturation challenges. Future research should explore gender-based violence, mental health, relationship between economic progress and acculturative stress, and more comprehensive adaptation strategies to improve their socioeconomic, emotional, and relational well-being.

This study examined racial disparities in access to early childhood education and care (ECEC) by geographic location among Head Start–eligible low-income children, using Head Start Impact Study Data. Children living in urban (n = 3,172) were compared with those in rural areas (n = 608) for access to types and quality of care, including Head Start (both high and low quality), center-based care, home-based care, and parental care. Rural and Hispanic children had less access to center-based care, relying more on informal or parental care. Although African American children were more likely to enroll in center-based care, those in urban areas had less access to high-quality Head Start compared with white children in urban areas. These findings highlight significant barriers related to race and geography that must be addressed to ensure equitable access to high-quality ECEC for all children in poverty.

The importance of housing and neighborhood conditions for health has led to calls to integrate housing plus services interventions in public housing. However, the effectiveness of different models on resident outcomes is not well understood. The purpose of this study was to assess housing plus services intervention models, components, and effects on resident self-sufficiency and health outcomes, and develop a composite theory of change across interventions. Findings from a narrative review of the literature suggest substantial variation in service models and limited effects on resident outcomes. Interventions that tailor services and treatment intensity based on family needs show promising effects. With notable exceptions, current interventions do not operate at the level of intensity required to create significant change. Social work research, policy, and practice recommendations are discussed to envision new models of care.

Guided by the National Association of Social Workers Code of Ethics, social work is expected to be at the forefront of advocating for social change. Integral to social work is the field education or practicum component. Field education allows social work students the opportunity to apply their skills in work settings, integrating their classroom learning with applied practice. Yet these placements can place undue economic burden on social work students, exacerbating an economic divide and leading to an increased expectation of unpaid or underpaid labor in social work. This policy brief examines the impact of these unpaid placements on students’ well-being and provides recommendations to address current disparities.

Mental health researchers increasingly study the presence of positive mental health, that is, “flourishing,” beyond the absence of mental illness. This study examined the psychometric properties of the Child Flourishing Index (CFI) in the National Survey of Children’s Health (NSCH) (N = 17,539; 23% youth of color, 77% white youth, aged 12–17). A one-dimensional model with five items (curiosity, resilience, following through) showed excellent fit (CFI = 1.0, Tucker–Lewis index [TLI] = 0.999, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.027, standardized root mean square residual [SRMR] = 0.011). Excluding one resilience item, configural, metric, and scalar analyses indicated measurement equivalence across youth of color and white youth. Future research should expand on these findings to explore flourishing indicators among youth from diverse cultural and racial backgrounds.

Civic attitudes are crucial for a well-functioning democracy. Research shows these attitudes are influenced by adolescents’ families and peers. However, little is known about the interplay between these socializing agents. This study examines the role of similarity between parents’, friends’, and classmates’ trust in groups, institutions, and sources of information and positive attitudes toward people with a migration background. A total of 540 eighth-grade students (M_age = 14.0) from 32 Dutch schools participated. Parents’ and classmates’ civic attitudes, but not friends’ attitudes, were positively related to adolescents’ attitudes regardless of the perceived quality of the relationship. The results support the congruency hypothesis, that more similarity in civic attitudes of meaningful others strengthens socialization effects. These insights deepen our understanding of adolescents’ civic attitudes.