This article uses a sample of 867 African American households to investigate differences in parenting practices and child outcomes by type of household. Results indicate that mothers provide similar levels of parenting regardless of family structure. Secondary caregivers, however, show a great deal of variation in quality of parenting. Fathers and…

Adult sensitivity toward young children has long been considered an important component of quality caregiving. Because most studies of child caregiver sensitivity have measured behavior toward a group of children, knowledge of important differences in behavior toward individual children, as well as a way to compare mother and "other"…

Serving as a vehicle for raising the profile of and thereby gaining recognition for the important research and development work being conducted in Canada in support of children and families, the "Research Connections Canada" series compiles research and/or development papers as well as background papers, analytical literature reviews,…

Studied 108 adults to investigate the impact of adult attachment to parents, perceived disease severity, and caregiving behaviors, moderated by perceived caregiving adequacy. Results indicate that attachment style and the trait aspect of attachment predicted both aspects of caregiver burden. Attachment preoccupation predicted psychologic…

This article explores research on the use of touch with people with mental retardation and learning disabilities for the purpose of developing a staff training package. The review indicates the therapeutic role of touch and its use in behavior management and discusses the need for increasing staff awareness of the practice with this group of…

Presents results of survey that gathered feedback from agency administrators who employ child- and youth-care workers on the development of the child- and youth-care profession. Describes ideas and sources of support of this emerging profession, and outlines several areas where individuals and associations interested in its development might…

Examined the relationships between day-care quality, children's emotional expression, and temperament among 60 3- to 5-year-olds in 26 day-care centers. Found that the appropriateness of the caregiving, but not the appropriateness of activities in the child-care center, significantly predicted the proportion of positive emotional affect in…

Explored caregivers' perceptions concerning inclusion of infants and toddlers with special needs, as well as their actual behaviors toward these children. Findings indicated that while individual differences in infant behavior may affect caregiving need more than differences specific to a particular risk condition, caregivers' perceptions about…

Details how an unplanned activity involving spinning wool presented a teachable moment for children in a family child care setting. Notes how activities related to farming, spinning wool, and using wool cloth resulted from following the children's lead. Concludes that everyday activities provide opportunities to listen to children, learn about…

Interviewed parents and caregivers to assess perceptions of their child's transition from kindergarten to Grade 1. Themes identified included: anxiety about preparing and protecting children in a system viewed as curriculum-driven; apprehension about changes in the parent/caregiver role; escaping from the school's stereotypes of the family; and…

Purpose: Although driving by persons with Alzheimer's disease (AD) is an important public health concern, we know little about the attitudes and perceptions of key stakeholders regarding driving safety in these individuals or the factors that precipitate and influence driving assessment and cessation decisions. Design and Methods: We convened 10…

This work seeks to identify factors that facilitate or diminish care-providers' propensity to improve continence care in long-term care (LTC) settings. We conducted a cross-sectional qualitative study using focus group methodology in four long-term care institutions in Montreal, QC. Forty-two nurses, nursing assistants, and orderlies caring for…

Happiness is a critical indicator of quality of life in humans. A few studies have measured levels of happiness displayed under different conditions by individuals with profound multiple disabilities. We were interested in determining whether increasing the mindfulness of caregivers would result in increased levels of happiness in adults with…

The current study describes the prevalence of self-reported depressive symptoms in a sample of 1217 nonfamilial caregivers and examines the relation between depression and the quality of interactions between caregivers and young children. One hundred and fourteen of these caregivers (9.4%) reported clinically significant levels of depressive…

Background: Interest in the concept of quality of life (QOL) as a category guiding the development and provision of services for individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) in Poland is increasingly being observed. Its presence in rehabilitation and care is strongly associated with the assessment of importance and use of QOL domains and…