Search results for ‘Subject term:"looked after children"’ Sort:
Results 1 - 10 of 12
An exploration of the differential usage of residential childcare across national boundaries
- Authors:
- AINSWORTH Frank, THOBURN June
- Journal article citation:
- International Journal of Social Welfare, 23(1), 2014, pp.16-24.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
The use of residential placements for children needing out-of-home care remains controversial. This article considers the discourse of ‘residential’ and ‘institutional’ care before describing, mainly through administrative data sources, the wide variations in group-care usage in different jurisdictions. In some countries, its use is minimal, with foster care, kinship care and in some cases, adoption being the preferred options. This is not so in other countries where a high percentage of children in care are in residential placements. There is also diversity in the type of residential services, ranging from small group homes to large institutions. The challenges inherent in making process and outcome comparisons across national boundaries are explored. The authors concur with those who argue for more systematic ways of describing and analysing the aims and characteristics of residential settings. Only then can meaningful comparisons be made between outcomes from group-care regimes in different jurisdictions. (Publisher abstract)
Group care practice with children revisited
- Authors:
- FULCHER Leon C., AINSWORTH Frank
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Youth Services, 27(1/2), 2005, pp.1-26.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
Using a comparative analysis group care for children and young people is examined as an occupational focus, as a field of study and as a domain of practice in programs that range from residential institutions to group homes and kin group foster care. Structural issues that shape the interplay between organizational dynamics and interpersonal processes are considered, as well as the ways in which group care services have evolved historically and continue to feature prominently in the health, education, justice and welfare systems of both developed and developing countries. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
Group care practitioners as family workers
- Author:
- AINSWORTH Frank
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Youth Services, 27(1/2), 2005, pp.75-86.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
This article sets out a rationale and provides a model for family work by group care practitioners. In doing so it points out that practitioners will need to avoid parent blaming attitudes and become family-cantered rather than simply child-focused. Thus the critical issues to be addressed are how to ensure that a group care programs from an organization, policy, and practice perspective congruent with a family-cantered model . If it is not, then a program is unlikely to be able to work successfully with birth parents and family members. Birth parents and family members will instead feel alienated and, as a result, are unlikely to cooperate with the group care program and the practitioner workforce. In fact, the program will have failed to incorporate family members into the care and treatment plan and to work with them as partners in this process even when it is in the best interest of a child or youth. (Copies of this article are available from: Haworth Document Delivery Centre, Haworth Press Inc., 10 Alice Street, Binghamton, NY 13904-1580).
The experience of parents of children in care: the human rights issue
- Authors:
- AINSWORTH Frank, HANSEN Patricia
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Youth Services, 32(1), January 2011, pp.9-18.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
It is important that parents of children within the child protection system are dealt with fairly and humanely irrespective of whether there is evidence of child abuse or neglect. However, a large body of international literature about birth parents' negative experience of child protection services exists. This article reviews some of this literature before adding recent Australian materials to it. It argues that the over-reliance on the best interest of the child construct is the base from which these negative experiences emanate. The article suggests that in adopting this construct parents' rights have been removed in favour of children's rights, potentially violating parents' human rights. The article concludes that such an approach lacks balance, as human rights are inalienable and cannot be the exclusive property of only one of the two parties.
Drug use by parents: a challenge for family reunification
- Authors:
- MALUCCIO Anthony N., AINSWORTH Frank
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 25(7), July 2003, pp.511-533.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
Family reunification practice with children entering care due to abuse and neglect associated with parental drug or alcohol misuse poses special problems for professionals. Looks at the evidence about the incidence of drug use by parents of children in care. Reviews the recent family reunification research and confirms the importance of family reunification efforts. Proposes a three-stage model of enhanced reunification practice for use with parents to test the viability of reunification in situations where drug use remains an issue.
The precarious state of residential child care in Australia
- Author:
- AINSWORTH Frank
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work Education (The International Journal), 17(3), September 1998, pp.301-308.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
- Place of publication:
- Philadelphia, USA
The decline in the use in Australia of residential programs for children and youth as a form of out-of-home care is detailed in this article. The historical and contemporary influences on this decline are also noted. Comment is then made about supported accommodation assistance programs for homeless youth that have emerged as an alternative form of service. These programs cater for youth who, in an earlier era, would have been in out-of-home placements under the auspices of child welfare agencies. The complete absence of appropriate education and training programs for personnel who are recruited to work in these programs and other small community based facilities that are superseding residential programs is then discussed. The negative contribution of Australian Schools of Social Work to the debate about the place of residential programs in a mature child welfare system is also mentioned.
The policy and practice of family reunification
- Authors:
- AINSWORTH Frank, MALUCCIO Anthony N.
- Journal article citation:
- Australian Social Work, 51(1), March 1998, pp.3-7.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
This article is about the family reunification of children who have been place in out-of-home care. It provides a broad definition of family reunification and guidelines for reunification policy and practice. The focus in on parent education and training and the research studies which suggest that this has to be a fundamental element of any reunification plans. Finally, it highlights the key issues that still require resolution.
Parent education and training or family therapy: does it matter which comes first?
- Author:
- AINSWORTH Frank
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Youth Care Forum, 25(2), April 1996, pp.101-110.
- Publisher:
- Springer
This paper raises questions about the appropriate focus for residential group care programmes as they work with parents (including single parents) of children in care. Many programmes, in their efforts to claim status as treatment centres have broadened their range of services and now include therapeutic services for parents, in particular, family therapy. However, there has not been a serious examination of whether therapeutic approaches to work with families fit the group care service context. This paper addresses concerns about using family therapy in group care programmes and suggests that parent education and training is a more effective alternative.
Group care workers as parent educators
- Author:
- AINSWORTH Frank
- Journal article citation:
- Child and Youth Care Forum, 25(1), February 1996, pp.17-28.
- Publisher:
- Springer
The author suggests how, by concentrating attention on parent education using a variety of techniques, child and youth care workers can facilitate family reunification and effective parenting.
Residential programmes for children and youth: an exercise in re-framing
- Author:
- AINSWORTH Frank
- Journal article citation:
- British Journal of Social Work, 15(2), April 1985, pp.145-154.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
The key functions of residential programmes for children and youth irrespective of their location in the health care, education, and social welfare or criminal justice system, are identified in this paper. The issues of mandate for and status of those services is addressed. Finally, a series of propositions are offered which seek to show how those factors influence the social position and public credibility accorded to those important components of the group care field.