Describes the Residential Services for Parents program, which provides residential service for single mothers and their families. The program provides a variety of services including help with income, housing, abuse and other family dysfunctions, and prevention of separation. The program is effective in keeping families together. (GH)

Presents a model for assessing children's psychosocial difficulties based on developments in family, crisis, and systems theories, as well as on ideas in environmental and social psychology. Major components for assessment are identified: life crises, immediate environmental influences, broader environmental influences, individual characteristics,…

Placement of children in state custody with their relatives has grown dramatically. Interviews with caseworkers serving children in kinship foster care were studied and revealed the complex nature of this practice and identified potential obstacles to permanency for these children. Results suggest practice principles that may facilitate permanency…

Suggests that stress is by necessity associated with child welfare interventions. Offers help to practitioners in reducing the kinds of stress involved in child welfare interventions by helping families build consumer-practitioner relationships, assessing family processes, generating ideas on coping with intervention-related stressors, and…

Presents practical suggestions for managing a protective service agency for children when one of its staff members is accused of sexually abusing a child in residential care. The agency must balance the tasks of protecting the child, supporting the staff, and maintaining the integrity and reputation of the agency. (GLR)