Reviews the literature on children's retraction of their disclosure of having been sexually abused. The evidence indicates that very few lied originally. The circumstances that underlie recantation, including false allegations, secrecy, denial, lack of support, pressure to recant, societal attitudes, and intervening events, are discussed, and…

Explored the criteria for placement decisions used by child protection workers in three suburban Chicago counties with regard to infants who have been exposed to cocaine. Content analyses uncovered a complex decision-making process that demonstrated consistency across geographic regions. Several primary factors influenced decisions for in-home or…

This article discusses the cross-cultural issues that confront immigrant Latino parents living and raising adolescents in the United States. Emphasis is placed on the need for social work practitioners, who, as they aid a family's integration into mainstream society, will listen to the parents' concerns and incorporate their past experiences and…

Questions whether home-based early intervention is an invasion of the family that inadvertently undermines its self-confidence or is a life-saving service to families whose children are at risk of abuse and neglect. (HOD)

A pilot project demostrates that a carefully designed program encompassing training of foster parents, use of volunteers, community support, and full commitment by foster care workers can result in permanent homes for youngsters. (CM)

Examined cases of attempted nonfamily abductions, to determine child and family characteristics that may serve as risk factors for such incidents. The prevalence and risk-marker findings from this study reinforce the need to continue teaching "stranger danger" and suggest that children living in stressful or unstable family environments…

Describes the techniques of future questioning, which can be used as an alternative to placement of adolescents in foster homes. The Child and Family Services of Central Manitoba, Canada, have found the techniques useful in working with parents who abdicate their parental responsibilities. Two case studies highlight the discussion. (BB)

Reviews the literature on the importance of foster children's connections to their biological families. Involvement of the placed child's biological family in all stages of the placement experience creates new forms of practice throughout the foster care system. Describes the use of group training for biological parents soon after placement and…

Examines issues in designing policies and providing services that promote maintenance of parent-child bonds and responsible parenting when fathers are incarcerated. Examines differences between public perceptions and real-life experiences of prisoner parents. Discusses impact of correctional and child welfare policies on fathers' parenting…

Interviews with parents and children and standardized measures for parental depression, family environment, and social support satisfaction were completed to examine the process and consequences of disclosure of parental HIV infection. Results showed that parents struggle with disclosure, fearing their children will be emotionally harmed or cannot…

Describes two distinct service models developed in New York City for providing mental health and custody-planning services to families with HIV/AIDS. Project Talk uses cognitive behavior techniques with groups of parents and their teenage children. Project Care employs a psycho-educational approach to counseling mothers and children in their…

One of the more serious problems faced by child welfare services involves the management of children with serious behavioral and mental health problems. Aggressive and defiant foster children are more likely to have multiple foster care placements, require extraordinary social services resources, and have poor short- and long-term mental health…

Presents findings of a World Rehabilitation Fund Fellowship study on the intersection of child abuse, family support, and disability in England. These findings are then compared to the American picture in this arena. Implications for new directions are delineated. (Author/BB)

Examined relationship between program involvement, status of addiction treatment, and outcomes for caregivers and children participating in a placement prevention program for substance-abusing mothers and other primary caregivers reported for child maltreatment. Findings indicated that nearly half the participants were able to complete addiction…

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…