People with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) live in many different types of settings including homes of their own, with a family member, with a host or foster family, or in a provider owned or operated setting. Most live with a family member and receive informal supports from family members and friends. Some also receive supports…

Coyle and Pinkerton identify gaps in the care leaving system in Northern Ireland regarding social work training and meeting the challenges of transitioning from care. The primary focus of this article is to provide a perspective of care and leaving care which could contribute to social work education and practice in these areas. Framed within a…

The perceptions of Looked After Children (LAC; n = 51), their Designated Teachers (DTs), and a sample of non-LAC (n = 99) were elicited. LAC held more positive self-perceptions than the non-LAC, and similarly positive ratings were given for the LAC by their DTs; but LAC held lower career aspirations than the non-LAC. LAC differed in their levels…

For too many years the phrase "after care, an after thought" summed up the lack of attention given to preparing young people in care for adult life and to the development of leaving-care and aftercare services. That stance has changed in the United Kingdom, however, and indeed has shifted positively and dramatically over the last decade.…

It is generally accepted (for example, Stein and Wade) that those young people who are able to establish positive relationships with their family in care and/or when transitioning from care are more likely to have a positive self-identity and self-confidence, and overall better outcomes. Conversely, poor or non-existent family links may contribute…

Describes a special program for older children entering residential treatment facilities for whom adoption is a goal. The program offers a continuum of care which incorporates the strengths of group living, therapy, and adoption preparation and placement. (HTH)

The first African American Child Welfare Summit convened to discuss the phenomenon of the disproportionate rate of out-of-home placement of African American children and the implications for African American families and communities. Summit participants set several goals for themselves, including the development of a vision for reducing…

Appraises foster care and advocates its change from a largely custodial system to one that is essentially treatment-oriented. Development of a placement continuum from least intrusive (day care) to most intrusive (hospitalization), with a variety of intermediate options including foster home care, is crucial. (NH)

Focusing on the way marginalization or "exclusion" from school is experienced by children in English foster/residential care and the professionals working with them, this book shows how a reflective understanding of the complex school exclusion process can be applied to both child welfare practice and policy. By drawing on the personal…

Presents successful training strategies for implementing the "Looking After Children" materials for children in out-of-home care in English local authorities. Discusses the need to implement the materials at all levels of the organization, introduce the materials as a creative work tool, and use the resulting data in research and…

Standardized clinical assessments from the point of view of children are rare. A standardized narrative assessment measure, developed to assess children's perceptions of their caregiving environments, the Narrative Story-Stem Technique (NSST), was used with two fraternal twins, age 8, with histories of severe maltreatment and multiple foster…

Group care centers are established to provide a range of living, learning, treatment, and supervisory opportunities for children and young people who, for a variety of reasons, need alternative, supplementary, or substitute care. It is important, therefore, that group care centres establish an organizational climate, ethos, or culture of caring…

Describes a curriculum for children between 7 and 13 years of age in residential care. The curriculum instructs the children in basic life skills and offers them a head start in developing self-sufficiency and fostering self-esteem. (HTH)

For the past two decades, economic influences have significantly impacted the provision of health and welfare services for children, young people and their families in communities around the world. The dynamic of cost has reshaped both the nature and provision of group care services, promoting de-institutionalization and transforming the nature of…

From October 1982 through May 1984, the Council for Community Services--a private, not-for-profit community planning council--carried out an Institutional Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Project, in close cooperation with the state of Rhode Island's Office of the Child Advocate. The project approach relied heavily on monitoring teams of…