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Identifying children with developmental disabilities receiving child protection services: a national survey of child welfare administrators
- Authors:
- SHANNON Patrick, AGORASTOU Maria
- Journal article citation:
- Families in Society, 87(3), July 2006, pp.351-357.
- Publisher:
- The Alliance for Children and Families
The purpose of this study was to examine the ability of U.S. state child protection service (CPS) agencies to identify children with developmental disabilities who have been maltreated and provide them with services to meet their unique needs. The subjects were 50 state-level child welfare administrators (including the District of Columbia) who were knowledgeable about the data collections requirements in their states. The findings of this study are presented and compared with data collected from two previous studies. Findings indicate that less than one-half of state child welfare agencies identify children with developmental disabilities. The implications of the findings highlight the need for improved data collection procedures, staff and foster care family training regarding disabilities, and improved collaboration with traditional developmental disability-related providers.
Approaches to child protection case management for cases involving people with disabilities
- Authors:
- LIGHTFOOT Elizabeth B., LALIBERTE Traci L.
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse and Neglect, 30(4), April 2006, pp.381-391.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
This exploratory study examines the delivery of child protection services by county child protection agencies involving cases with a family member with a disability. Telephone surveys were conducted with the directors or their designees of 89% of the child protection agencies in a Midwestern state. Respondents were asked about the policies and/or procedures for approaching cases involving a person with a disability and the barriers and strengths agencies have in serving people with disabilities. Only 6.7% of respondents reported their agency had a written policy related to serving persons with a disability. There were 18 different approaches to serving clients with a disability within child protection, with the most common being informally teaming for information, dual case assignment, and teaming with an outside consultant. Five counties had specialty workers who were experts in both child protection and disability. Barriers reported varied between rural and non-rural counties, with the most important barriers being lack of resources, lack of knowledge regarding disabilities, systems conflicts, and rural issues, such as lack of providers and lack of transportation. Strengths included accessing and coordinating services, individualizing services, good collaboration and creativity. While few county agencies had any written policies, both formal and informal collaboration is happening at the individual level. The lack of standardization in providing services indicates a need for more attention to issues regarding disability within child protection, including more training for workers, the development of models of collaborative case management and the removal of systemic barriers.
Child welfare caseworkers and children with developmental disabilities: an exploratory study
- Authors:
- RAO Trupti, REIMAN Elizabeth, AUSIKAITIS Ashley
- Journal article citation:
- Social Work: A journal of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), 64(2), 2019, pp.131-138.
- Publisher:
- Oxford University Press
Children with developmental disabilities are overrepresented in the child welfare system. Although caseworkers play a key role in ensuring that the special needs of these children are met, little is known regarding caseworkers’ knowledge about, exposure to, and comfort with people with developmental disabilities. In this exploratory study, through use of an online anonymous survey, local county caseworkers (N = 251) were asked to self-rate their knowledge, exposure, and comfort levels. Findings indicated caseworker agreement regarding the relevance of having knowledge and training about this population within the child welfare system. Furthermore, caseworkers with more training felt more knowledgeable and comfortable than those with less training. In addition, personal exposure to individuals with developmental disabilities was considered relevant. (Edited publisher abstract)
A qualitative analysis of child protective services practice with children with developmental disabilities
- Authors:
- SHANNON Patrick, TAPPAN Christine
- Journal article citation:
- Children and Youth Services Review, 33(9), September 2011, pp.1469-1475.
- Publisher:
- Elsevier
The purpose of this study was to examine Child Protection System (CPS) practice with children with developmental disabilities in the United States. This study used an emergent design, ethnographic interviews, purposive sampling, inductive data analysis, and grounded theory building. Ethnographic interviews were conducted with foster families, administrators, intake screeners, special investigators, and workers in one local CPS office. Participants expressed concern about the ability to identify disabilities, placement options, services to meet complex needs of children with disabilities, training and support for families, collaborative arrangements with other agencies, and disability training for CPS workers. Findings suggest strategies for improving CPS practice for children with developmental disabilities.
Safeguarding disabled children in residential special schools
- Authors:
- PAUL Alina, CAWSON Pat, PATON Joni
- Publisher:
- National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children
- Publication year:
- 2004
- Pagination:
- 140p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
This is a research initiative to promote the care and protection of disabled children living away from home. The project worked with residential special schools for children with severe and multiple physical and learning disabilities, to examine child protection policies and practice. It aimed at identifying and describing good practice models for child welfare and protection. These will be incorporated into practice guidelines to be available for management, staff training and practice development. Findings will also be used to prepare a guide to inform parents on standards of child protection safeguards they should be able to expect while their children are at residential school. Disabled children are among those most likely to spend time in residential institutions. The single largest category of disabled children living away from home - and therefore the primary focus of the proposed work - is children with a variety of complex physical and learning disabilities attending residential special schools. The issue of the protection from abuse of disabled children living in residential settings has received much less attention than the protection of children 'looked after' by local authorities. The paucity of research in this field reflects the low priority often given to the needs of disabled children, and the myth that disabled children are unlikely to be abused. Yet there is evidence, from accounts by disabled adults of their childhood, and from research and practice experience, to suggest that disabled children are at increased risk of abuse.
Family support as reflective practice
- Editors:
- DOLAN Pat, CANAVAN John, PINKERTON John
- Publisher:
- Jessica Kingsley
- Publication year:
- 2006
- Pagination:
- 304p.
- Place of publication:
- London
Family support is an increasingly important strategic approach to welfare services for children and families. This resource for all professionals engaged covers core issues in family support. These include the importance of community, the role of statutory and voluntary agencies, youth advocacy, culturally appropriate family support, child protection, disability services and effective means of evaluation.
Abuse and disabled children: hidden needs?
- Authors:
- COOKE Pamela, STANDEN P.J.
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse Review, 11(1), January 2002, pp.1-18.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
Reports on a research project to examine current practices in recording the abuse of disabled children. The project aimed to identify outcomes for those disabled children who have been conferenced for abuse and to compare outcomes with a small group of children without disabilities. Postal questionnaires were sent to social services departments to estimate the incidence of abuse of disabled children, and to estimate how many children had been abused over a 1-year period. Schedules were also prepared for both abused disabled children and non-disabled children. Semi-structured interviews were also held with social workers to clarify some of the issues raised. Schedules completed over a 1 year period in two social services departments showed that they were less likely to be put on the child protection register than a comparison group of non-disabled children. Makes recommendations to increase the competence of authorities to protect disabled children from abuse.
No sign of harm: issues for disabled children communicating about abuse
- Authors:
- OOSTERHOORN Rebecca, KENDRICK Andrew
- Journal article citation:
- Child Abuse Review, 10(4), July 2001, pp.243-253.
- Publisher:
- Wiley
This article explores the views of professionals working with children using alternative/augmented communication systems on the issues relating to communication about abuse. Interviews were carried out with 20 staff from eight establishments for disabled children across Scotland. It describes the range of alternative/augmented communication systems used and the barriers to communication about abuse. Staff generally accepted the importance of providing the appropriate vocabulary in augmented communication systems, but systems that provide such vocabulary were not widely used. Staff considered that a major difficulty concerned the level of understanding disabled children might have about concepts of abuse. Staff felt that discovery of abuse was more likely to come from them noticing physical signs, behaviour or mood changes than from the child communicating explicitly about abuse. Highlights the need for appropriate training and increased coordination between social work, health and education.
Child protection audit for children with a disability
- Authors:
- BRADSHAW John, STEWART Lynn
- Journal article citation:
- Child Care in Practice, 5(3), July 1999, pp.204-212.
- Publisher:
- Taylor and Francis
Presents an extract from an audit carried out by the Northern Area Child Protection Committee (NACPC). It is based on a presentation made by a social worker (Speech and Language Therapy Manager). Whilst it provides the background, rationale, overall findings and recommendations, it also focuses on what was learned from the children.
Child protection: an introduction
- Author:
- BECKETT Chris
- Publisher:
- Sage
- Publication year:
- 2007
- Pagination:
- 232p., bibliog.
- Place of publication:
- London
- Edition:
- 2nd ed.
The Second Edition of this textbook provides students and practitioners with a broad introduction to, and critical analysis of, the complex issues involved in child protection work. Beckett presents these issues encouraging reflection and debate through such features as case examples and interactive exercises. The book is comprehensive, considering key topics such as: the consequences for children of abuse and neglect; the reasons why some adults abuse and neglect children; the personal challenges involved in doing child protection work; and the organizational framework within which child protection work takes place. Other key features of this thoroughly revised Second Edition include: fully updated content: the book has been revised to incorporate new literature, research, legal and policy developments, including the recent Working Together guidelines; two new chapters - these comprise a chapter on families where there is , and a chapter on promoting strategies for bringing about change; and, interprofessional appeal - the author addresses the book to all the professionals involved in child protection work, ensuring wide interdisciplinary appeal.