Too many parents who find themselves involved with child welfare agencies have had lives threaded with deeply traumatic events. As adults, their childhood histories manifest themselves in substance abuse, domestic violence, relational problems, risk-taking behaviors, emotional lability, self-harming, anxiety, and depression. To successfully…

Advocating for quality early care and education has been an Advocates for Children of New Jersey (ACNJ) priority for many years, starting with the commitment to ensure that children in disadvantaged communities have the opportunity for state-funded, full-day preschool. ACNJ firmly believes that the path to success in school and in life starts with…

Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is a serious social and health problem for the child welfare, health and education systems in North America and other parts of the world. This article describes the population of children in care of the child welfare system in Manitoba. Also this article will highlight the relevance of these research findings…

New scientific research shows that environmental influences can actually affect whether and how genes are expressed. Thus, the old ideas that genes are "set in stone" or that they alone determine development have been disproven. In fact, scientists have discovered that early experiences can determine how genes are turned on and off and even…

The correlates and suspected causes of the intractable condition obesity are complex and involve environmental and heritable, psychological and physical variables. Overall, the factors associated with and possible causes of it are not clearly understood. Although there exists some ambiguity in the research regarding the degree of happiness in…

Purpose: The purpose of this article is to provide critical knowledge regarding children who are served by the child welfare system and how these children's specialized needs affect speech-language services. Specifically, the structure of social services system models is presented, with an emphasis on the cultural and systemic interactions between…

This fact sheet provides data on infants, toddlers and young children who are experiencing high stress as a result of a number of risk factors specifically identified in the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEA 2004), including substantiated abuse or neglect, foster care placement, homelessness, exposure to family…

Reviews recent case law and state statutes for dealing with a pregnant woman's actions which negatively affect her infant. Explains how statutes and case law are applied in civil law to remove a child from the mother at birth and in criminal law to punish a mother while pregnant. (MM)

Updates information provided in an earlier issue of this journal which examined the problem of drug-exposed infants. Focuses on three areas discussed in that issue: (1) the response of the courts and the legislatures to the problem; (2) the medical effects of prenatal exposure to cocaine; and (3) the impact of drug-exposed infants on the…

Infants and children with prenatal drug exposure and/or a caregiver with a substance abuse problem participate in child care centers and homes throughout the United States. Thus, child care providers are in a position to monitor not only the need for physical, cognitive, or behavioral early intervention, but also to collaborate with parents on…

In 1988, Franklin County Children Services in Columbus, Ohio, initiated the development of a community-based, multidisciplinary process to review all deaths of children on its open caseload, and deaths in cases in which the agency had contact with the child or the child's family in the 12 months preceding the child's death. The review process…

This brief Kids Count report reviews principal adverse birth outcomes that affect the status of infants in Montana, including infant mortality and low birth weight. Statistics and brief summaries are provided in the following areas: (1) infant mortality (on the decline since 1989); (2) low birth rate (remaining steady from 1988 through 1992); (3)…

Permanency planning for infants with prenatal substance exposure is challenging due to characteristics of the infants and the ongoing substance use or relapse of the parents. Visitation is a primary mechanism through which child welfare workers determine and support permanency planning. Productive use of visitation for permanency planning for…

Increase in number of children infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and consequential developmental disabilities of these children are discussed. Families caring for HIV-infected children express four recurrent themes: psychological stress, grief and mourning, guilt and self-blame, and isolation and fear of discrimination. Flexible…

This KIDS COUNT factbook details statewide and county trends in the well-being of Wyoming's children. Following an overview of key indicators, the factbook documents state trends for 36 indicators: (1) child and youth population; (2) births; (3) unintended pregnancy; (4) low birth weight babies; (5) early prenatal care; (6) immunizations; (7)…