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…

Since the early 1950s, trends in children's mental health have moved care from residential and office-based treatment to community-based interventions. The Pressley Ridge Treatment Foster Care (PRTFC) program was developed in 1981 in response to these trends. Currently, Pressley Ridge provides PR-TFC treatment in 15 programs in six states and the…

Reports the results of a caseworker survey exploring characteristics associated with the stability of foster care. The survey was developed from a national profile of the child likely to experience unstable foster care resulting in replacement. Findings and implications are discussed. (Author/DST)

This paper reports on a practicum designed to teach foster-care caseworkers how to improve the specificity and clarity of item definition on Individual Service Plans (ISPs) for children in foster care. Most agencies require that within 30 days of accepting a child for foster care, agency caseworkers must complete an ISP which establishes goals for…

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 was intended to increase the safety of children, promote adoption and other permanency options for children, and support fragile families. Although elements of ASFA were viewed as positive, child welfare administrators, practitioners, and researchers expressed concern that ASFA implementation could…

Noting that improving practice in all child welfare services is a major goal of the Child Welfare League of America, this handbook presents goals and standards for services to strengthen and preserve families with children. The handbook begins with introductory sections describing standards development, detailing how to use the standards, and…

This book assesses the current state of foster care in the United Kingdom and Ireland, the pressures which have shaped it, and the challenges it faces. Emphasizing the importance of fostering within a coherent child care policy, the contributors examine the latest research into key areas of foster care, and explore how practice can be improved.…

Noting that one of the biggest obstacles to reforming the foster care system has been the relative unavailability of research data from the field, this book provides an overview of the current state of foster care, describes the special needs of children living in foster care, and identifies policies and practices that address the foster care…

Keeping children safe in foster care is a critical concern for foster parents and the professionals working with them. This document is comprised of a set of four pamphlets, addressed to foster families and those working with foster families, providing information on medication safety, making foster care placements successful, working with social…