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Retention of front-line staff in child welfare: a systematic review of research
- Authors:
- DePANFILIS Diane, ZLOTNIK Joan Levy
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 30(9), September 2008, pp.995-1008.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
With the growing recognition that a competent, committed workforce is critical to the effective delivery of public child welfare services, this study implemented a systematic review process to identify the personal and organizational factors that may enhance retention and limit turnover among child welfare workers. Starting with an extensive search of the literature across several decades and outreach to locate studies, the authors systematically analyzed research that used retention or turnover as the dependent variable. Of the 154 documents identified, 25 were research studies that focused on these variables. This paper focuses on reviewing the methods and findings of nine studies that used multivariate analyses to explore the relationships between organizational and/or personal factors as independent variables and retention or turnover as dependent variables. Although rigorous and systematic, this review was hampered by differing definitions, samples, measures, and analyses among these studies. However, the findings of this review reinforce the importance of workers' commitment to child welfare, self-efficacy, and low levels of emotional exhaustion as important personal factors for staying, and supervisory and co-worker support and salary and benefits as important organizational factors affecting retention. Suggestions for future research are provided.
Assessing the cost-effectiveness of Family Connections
- Authors:
- DePANFILIS Diane, DUBOWITZ Howard, KUNZ James
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 32(3), March 2008, pp.335-351.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The aim was to assess the cost-effectiveness of two alternate forms of Family Connections (FC), a child neglect prevention program, in relation to changes in risk and protective factors and improvements in child safety and behavioural outcomes. In the original FC study, a sample of 154 families (473 children) in a poor, urban neighbourhood, who met risk criteria for child neglect, were randomly assigned to receive either a 3- or 9-month intervention. CPS reports and self-report and observational data on risk and protective factors, safety, and behavioural outcomes were collected prior to, at the end of, and 6-months post intervention. The current study compared the costs of delivering the 3- or 9-month intervention in relation to reported improvements in risk and protective factors, safety, and behavioural outcomes for each group. The 3-month intervention was more cost effective than the 9-month intervention in relation to positive changes in risk and protective factors and child safety. However, cost-effectiveness analysis indicated that the 9-month intervention was more cost effective (CE ratio = $276) than the 3-month intervention (CE ratio = $337) in relation to improved unit changes in the child's behaviour between baseline and 6 months after service closure. This study successfully explored the cost-effectiveness of the FC intervention in relation to its intended outcomes. More extensive cost analyses are currently being conducted in the replication of this program in multiple jurisdictions across the United States. Practitioners in community-based programs must make difficult decisions about the optimal length of time to serve children and families. Prevention programs may be more competitive for funding when they have demonstrated cost-effectiveness. Study results indicated that a 3-month intervention was more cost effective than a 9-month intervention in enhancing protective factors and reducing the risk of child neglect; 9-month intervention was more cost effective than 3-month intervention in reducing problematic child behaviour. Further research is needed before practitioners should consider these findings in relation to their own decisions about the timing of service closures.
Foster children with an incarcerated parent: predictors of reunification
- Authors:
- HAYWARD R. Anna, DePANFILIS Diane
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 29(10), October 2007, pp.1320-1334.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Compared to other children who need child welfare services, children with incarcerated parents have needs that are not easily met and when placed in foster care may be less likely to achieve permanency through reunification. Prior research has not identified under what circumstances these children are more or less likely to reunify with a family member. Using administrative data from the Adoption and Foster Care Administrative Reporting System (AFCARS) this paper explores whether factors that predict reunification for children in foster care (e.g., child age, race, mental health, disability, family structure, placement history) also predict reunification for children who have at least one incarcerated parent (n = 40,751). Use of logistic regression suggested that school age children and children with behavioural or substance abuse problems were more likely to reunify. In contrast, controlling for the impact of other variables in the model, the following factors significantly decreased the likelihood of reunification for children with at least one incarcerated parent: kinship foster care placement, African American ethnicity, age under 2, child disability, housing problems, single-parent family structure, and placement history. Practice and policy implications related to children of incarcerated parents in out-of-home care are discussed.
Resilience of youth in transition from out-of-home care to adulthood
- Authors:
- DAINING Clara, DePANFILIS Diane
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 29(9), September 2007, pp.1158-1178.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Youth in transition from out-of-home care to adulthood are a vulnerable sub-population of the foster care system. In addition to the trauma of maltreatment, and challenges associated with out-of-home care, these youth face the premature and abrupt responsibility of self-sufficiency as they leave care for independent living. The purpose of this study was to identify personal and interpersonal factors that contribute to resilience of young adults who left out-of-home care of a large urban child welfare system during a one year period. Sixty percent of the eligible young adults participated in a computer-assisted self-administered interview about their self-sufficiency including: educational attainment, employment, housing, parenthood, health risk behaviour, criminal activity, and perceived levels of social support, spiritual support, community support, and global life stress. This study explored the relationship between support systems, life stress, and the young adults' resilience reflecting key outcomes. The study's findings indicated that females, older youth, and youth with lower perceived life stress had higher resilience scores. Implications for child welfare practice, policy, theory, and research advance knowledge about young adults in transition from out-of-home care.
Investigating child maltreatment in out-of-home care: barriers to effective decision-making
- Authors:
- DePANFILIS Diane, GIRVIN Heather
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 27(4), April 2005, pp.353-374.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
When children are alleged to be abused or neglected in out-of-home care, investigations must determine the facts of the allegations as well as arrange for the safety of children. This paper reports on a secondary analysis of a cross-sectional archival case review designed to assess the quality of investigations and to explore possible barriers to effective decision-making. Methods were used to explore factors that may have led to faulty decision-making in four decision categories: (1) placement in foster homes with prior substantiated child abuse and neglect; (2) determination of findings of new reports of child maltreatment; (3) evaluation of child safety following a report of child maltreatment; and (4) decisions about licensure and corrective action. Results suggest that the faulty decisions identified in this study may be related to: inadequate knowledge, information processing errors, the task environment, perceptual blocks, and expressive blocks. Recommendations are offered for improving the quality of investigative decision-making following reports of child maltreatment in out-of-home care.
The effect of services on the recurrence of child maltreatment
- Authors:
- DePANFILIS Diane, ZURAVIN Susan J.
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 26(2), February 2002, pp.187-205.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This American study examines the relationship of services on the risk of child maltreatment recurrence during child protection service intervention for families who were provided with continuing intervention following a confirmed index report of physical abuse or neglect. Results of the study found case characteristics that predicated recurrence were: child vulnerability, family stress, partner abuse, and social support deficits. Families who attended services identified in their service plans were one third less likely to experience a recurrence of child maltreatment while their case was active with CPS. Suggests that actively engaging families in a helping alliance and helping them accept and receive services may reduce the likelihood of future maltreatment.
Predicting child maltreatment recurrences during treatment
- Authors:
- DePANFILIS Diane, ZURAVIN Susan
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 23(8), August 1999, pp.729-743.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The primary purpose of the child protective services (CPS) is to protect children from the recurrence of maltreatment. This American study identifies the correlates of recurrence during CPS intervention for families who were provided with continuing intervention following a confirmed index report of physical abuse or neglect. Implications are that increasing social supports may help families cope with life events that increase stress and the continued risk of continued child maltreatment.