Discusses legal and psychological issues affecting newly married couples and their children by former marriages. Topics include discipline, premarital contracts, legal rights, personal relationships, and complications posed for the new marriage by settlements agreed to in the divorce. (DB)

Reports on a survey of 125 Anglo-Saxon adoptees in Ontario, Canada, who had completed a reunion with their biological mothers and relatives 6 months to 4 years before the survey. Topics of discussion include adoptees' motivations to search for their mothers; the search and reunion activities; and the reactions of adoptees, biological mothers, and…

The TIES [Training, Intervention, Education, and Services] for Adoption program in Los Angeles, attempts to reduce obstacles to adoption of children in out-of-home care who experienced prenatal substance exposure. Interviews with parents conducted at intervals following home placement reveal experiences and concerns, parenting aspects and adoption…

Explored the perception of family members held by adults who had been in long-term out-of-home care as children. Found relationships between inclusion of biological or adoptive parents and feelings of having been loved; found concomitant relationship between exclusion of biological or adoptive parents and abuse and feelings of having been unloved.…

Examined the changes and losses ("reporting costs") experienced by 104 nonoffending parents as a result of the disclosure of sexual abuse of their child. Found that nonoffending parents experienced an average of three major costs from the disclosure of intrafamilial sexual abuse and that reporting costs were relational, financial, vocational, and…

Presents Parental Environment Cluster model of child neglect which identifies three clusters of factors involved in parents' neglectful behavior: (1) parenting skills and functions; (2) development and use of positive social support; and (3) resource availability and management skills. Model offers a focal theory for research, structure for…

Studied the influence of maternal substance abuse upon the placement of children in out-of-home care and the subsequent effects on mother-child visitation. Found five major factors that can promote or inhibit visiting: (1) mother's drug use and health status; (2) effect of visits on child; (3) transportation; (4) scheduling/visit settings; and (5)…

A treatment and enrichment program for emotionally disturbed children based on the concept of bonding is described. The program, Developmental Play, is discussed as a model for training parents and child care workers. (SE)

The use of contracts between parents and youths, specifying in detail the responsibilities and rewards for changes in behavior was shown effective in improving family relations and in reducing recidivism in juvenile offenders. (MS)

From in-depth interviews with 15 public and volunteer agency caseworkers in states with and without statewide parental visiting policies, the elements that tend to determine or control the planned frequency of parental visiting of placed children are discussed. (BB)

This article by a child welfare social worker who is also a mother of a mentally retarded child, describes the feelings of parents of handicapped children, and their confusions, fears, and desires in planning. (ST)

Caution is necessary in contemplating placement of adolescent girls with sex role identity problems: postplacement visiting between daughter and mother is important. (Editor)

Describes the Merrifield Program of the Worcester Children's Friend Society which was designed to meet the needs of a small number of emotionally disturbed, school-age children untreatable while living in their own homes. (Author/MB)

The experience of bearing and caring for a sick or handicapped infant is described from the point of view of parents, whose responses were gathered from a clinical study. Implications for the child's development and methods of family support are discussed. (Author/RH)

Describes an effective, cost-efficient method of intervention with families of failure-to-thrive infants which employs supervised social work students to model nurturing and provide support services to mothers. (Author)