Foster care has become the principal placement of choice for children and young people in public care in the United Kingdom (UK). This has been accompanied by a significant growth in its research scrutiny connected to a busy policy agenda, especially since 1997. With its increased usage, fostering has encountered both difficulties and…

The authors describe the evaluation of the implementation of an outcome measurement system (Goal Attainment Scaling-GAS) within the context of an interdisciplinary and interagency intellectual disability services setting. The GAS database allowed analysis of follow-up goals and indicated the extent of implementation, while a rater study evaluated…

Most literature on staff-family relationships has come from studies of long-term care settings, has focused mainly on the families' perspectives on factors affecting their relationships with staff, and has included scant findings from the staff's perspective. No studies that examined staff-family relationships in complex continuing care (CCC)…

This study examined caregiver strain (i.e., burden of care, caregiver burden) among families of adolescents in treatment for substance abuse disorders compared to youth with mental health problems. We used descriptive and regression analyses to compare groups and to examine the youth and family variables associated with caregiver strain across the…

The increasing number of people with disabilities surviving to old age raises questions regarding the type of day support programs necessary to meet their needs. In this paper the results of a national survey of specialist disability day programs used by older 2 Definitions of old age selected by researchers should reflect differences in culture…

Purpose: This study examined attitudes of caregivers and physicians toward assessing and diagnosing dementia, with an emphasis on how a diagnosis is disclosed. Design and Methods: Seventeen focus group interviews were conducted with caregivers or physicians from three sites; 52 caregivers participated in nine interviews (three each at the three…

Perceptions of emergent literacy by three family child care providers are described. These perceptions were gathered through ethnographic data collection techniques, including participant-observation, field notes, interviews, and document analysis. The providers described their understandings of emergent literacy through perceptions about…

This study examines the rate of internalizing and externalizing behavior and whether or not family factors influence internalizing and externalizing behavior differently depending on child gender. Sixty-three Head Start parent-child dyads participated in this study. Rates of externalizing behavior at home for males and females were consistent with…

Recent estimates of Shaken Baby Syndrome awareness suggest that approximately half of all American adults have not heard of the often devastating risks of shaking an infant. Using a sample of 288 undergraduate students, we developed a measure of attitudes around infant care practices. A total of 264 community participants completed a revised…

This article looks at the experiences of young people with Statements of special educational needs prior to and following moves from primary to secondary school. Pam Maras and Emma-Louise Aveling of the University of Greenwich, London, used interviews to develop six qualitative case studies focusing on the transition process. Findings from these…

This study examines rural-urban differences in informal caregivers' perceptions of caregiving. The study's theoretical framework is based on the two-factor model of caregiving, which views caregiving as having both positive and negative impact. Data were collected in personal interviews with 126 rural and 127 urban caregivers in the Bialystok…

Examines role of Early Years Development and Childcare Partnerships in England, consisting of providers and local authority representatives, in providing accessible, affordable childcare and in developing appropriate professional skills across a wide range of providers. Considers educational policy behind the partnerships. Notes concern that…

Developments in information technology and the ongoing restructuring of health services to increase provision in community settings militate in favour of a streamlining of communications and the exchange of information about patients among health and social care providers. Yet the principles of confidentiality and privacy appear to inhibit this…

The purpose of this study was to explore Kanter's Theory of Structural Power in Organizations, using school nurses and to answer the research question of whether there is a relationship between empowerment and autonomy in school nurses. This study found a positive relationship between the nurses' perceptions of empowerment and autonomy. The school…

This paper proposes that learning and teaching for pupils with severe and profound and multiple learning difficulties could be enhanced by a closer focus on emotional factors and on the careful identification of what is meaningful for them. Phil Goss, senior lecturer in counselling and psychotherapy at the University of Central Lancashire draws on…