Describes what happens to young people with learning difficulties when they leave foster care and make the transition to adults' services. The research based its examination of policy and practice on the experiences and views of young people themselves. Contents include: organisation of services for young disabled persons leaving care; how the research was carried out; case studies; general finding.
Describes what happens to young people with learning difficulties when they leave foster care and make the transition to adults' services. The research based its examination of policy and practice on the experiences and views of young people themselves. Contents include: organisation of services for young disabled persons leaving care; how the research was carried out; case studies; general finding.
Subject terms:
interpersonal relationships, physical disabilities, planning, social care provision, vulnerable adults, young adults, access to services, safeguarding adults, case studies, foster care;
Adoption and Fostering, 24(4), Winter 2000, pp.57-59.
Publisher:
Sage
Describes how the BAAF Disability Project has undertaken research on the placement for permanency of disabled children through fostering and adoption. Undertook a questionnaire survey of local authorities in order to develop a more complete profile of disabled children and their placement needs. At this was the first study of its kind, additional data were sought including information about ethnicity and matching, the specific impairments of the children and young people, how the families were identified, reasons for delay and details about siblings.
Describes how the BAAF Disability Project has undertaken research on the placement for permanency of disabled children through fostering and adoption. Undertook a questionnaire survey of local authorities in order to develop a more complete profile of disabled children and their placement needs. At this was the first study of its kind, additional data were sought including information about ethnicity and matching, the specific impairments of the children and young people, how the families were identified, reasons for delay and details about siblings.
Subject terms:
long term care, needs, permanency planning, physical disabilities, placement, adoption, children, foster care;
Children and Youth Services Review, 22(6), June 2000, pp.399-420.
Publisher:
Elsevier
This American research focuses on perceptions and practices of agency staff supervising the placements of the hardest-to-place children. Results found children experiencing long delays were more likely to have substantial disabilities, be male African American, and be older when they entered care. Caseworkers were not convinced of the eventual adoptability of the child in their care and this scepticism appears to be translating into reduced recruitment efforts on behalf of the child. Discusses the implications of study results for child welfare practice.
This American research focuses on perceptions and practices of agency staff supervising the placements of the hardest-to-place children. Results found children experiencing long delays were more likely to have substantial disabilities, be male African American, and be older when they entered care. Caseworkers were not convinced of the eventual adoptability of the child in their care and this scepticism appears to be translating into reduced recruitment efforts on behalf of the child. Discusses the implications of study results for child welfare practice.
Subject terms:
looked after children, physical disabilities, placement, adoption, black and minority ethnic people, children, emotionally disturbed children, foster care;
Children and Youth Services Review, 22(1), January 2000, pp.37-54.
Publisher:
Elsevier
This study examines the relationship of child and case characteristics to the placement in kinship and nonkinship foster care of over 2,000 children in a Midwestern urban county in the USA. The analysis indicates that older children, children without disabilities, black and minority ethnic children, children court-ordered into placement, and children whose reason for placement was parental substance abuse are more likely to be placed in kinship foster care. Recommendations are made for future research on the decision to place children in kinship foster care.
This study examines the relationship of child and case characteristics to the placement in kinship and nonkinship foster care of over 2,000 children in a Midwestern urban county in the USA. The analysis indicates that older children, children without disabilities, black and minority ethnic children, children court-ordered into placement, and children whose reason for placement was parental substance abuse are more likely to be placed in kinship foster care. Recommendations are made for future research on the decision to place children in kinship foster care.
Subject terms:
kinship care, physical disabilities, placement, relatives, substance misuse, black and minority ethnic people, children, decision making, foster care;
Journal of Gerontological Social Work, 33(3), 2000, pp.85-102.
Publisher:
Taylor and Francis
Place of publication:
Philadelphia, USA
Kinship foster care programmes are designed to address the needs of relatives, usually grandparents, who have taken in children who have been removed form their homes voluntarily, or following a substantiated report of neglect and/or abuse. The author reviews the history of kinship foster care within the US and examines related research. Also, reports the findings of a survey of kinship foster care programmes nationwide and from qualitative interviews with nine grandmothers from New York City who were kinship foster care providers. Particular attention was paid in these surveys to the impact of kinship foster care on families caring for children with disabilities.
Kinship foster care programmes are designed to address the needs of relatives, usually grandparents, who have taken in children who have been removed form their homes voluntarily, or following a substantiated report of neglect and/or abuse. The author reviews the history of kinship foster care within the US and examines related research. Also, reports the findings of a survey of kinship foster care programmes nationwide and from qualitative interviews with nine grandmothers from New York City who were kinship foster care providers. Particular attention was paid in these surveys to the impact of kinship foster care on families caring for children with disabilities.
Subject terms:
kinship care, needs, physical disabilities, relatives, social work history, surveys, child abuse, child neglect, children, families, foster care, grandparents;
This paper reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of different kinds of family support services, focusing on those that social services departments are likely to commission or provide to support families who are disadvantaged or experiencing particular difficulties in their lives. The aims of this paper are: to describe different methods of evaluation, and outline some of the problems and issues raised by evaluating social welfare provision in general and family support services in particular; to provide a brief overview of the research evidence on ‘what works’ in different kinds of family support provided for children in need; to bring together information on various measures and scales which have been used to evaluate family support services.
This paper reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of different kinds of family support services, focusing on those that social services departments are likely to commission or provide to support families who are disadvantaged or experiencing particular difficulties in their lives. The aims of this paper are: to describe different methods of evaluation, and outline some of the problems and issues raised by evaluating social welfare provision in general and family support services in particular; to provide a brief overview of the research evidence on ‘what works’ in different kinds of family support provided for children in need; to bring together information on various measures and scales which have been used to evaluate family support services.
Extended abstract:
Author
Statham, June;
Title
Outcomes and effectiveness of family support services: a research review.
Publisher
Institute of Education, University of London in association with Thomas Coram Research Unit, 2000.
Summary
This paper reviews the evidence for the effectiveness of different kinds of family support services, focusing on those that social services departments are likely to commission or provide to support families who are disadvantaged or experiencing particular difficulties in their lives. The aims of this paper are: to describe different methods of evaluation, and outline some of the problems and issues raised by evaluating social welfare provision in general and family support services in particular; to provide a brief overview of the research evidence on 'what works' in different kinds of family support provided for children in need; to bring together information on various measures and scales which have been used to evaluate family support services.
Context
Current government policy stresses the importance of evaluation and assessing the outcomes of services that are provided or purchased by local authorities. There is a new emphasis on evidence-based practice, grounded in information from research that attempts to show what works both in individual cases and in the planning of services. Agencies in both the statutory and independent sectors are increasingly expected to demonstrate successful outcomes in order to obtain funding and meet government targets.
Method
Due to this being a research review many methodologies are laid out and explained to the reader, however due to the nature of this review it is not possible to set out a method.
Contents
This review is divided into five sections. The introduction lays out the aims of the review and provides background information. The second section sets up the conceptual framework. It investigates what is meant by family support services and evaluation. It thengoes on to explore different research methodologies as a way to assess effectiveness, and issues in evaluating family support services. Section three reviews what is known about the effectiveness of different kinds of services to support families, covering (amongst others); day care and early education, befriending and social support, and family group conferences. Section four looks at measuring outcomes and costs. Section five offers conclusions on this subject.
Conclusion
" Much of the evidence for the effectiveness of family support services comes from the USA, where there is a strong tradition of systematic programme evaluation and a particular approach to family support. The findings from this research need to be applied withcaution in different social welfare contexts, and it needs to be recognised that different policies and ways of thinking about children would lead to different ways of conceptualising the evaluation of family support."
112 references
ISBN 0 85473 627 1
Subject terms:
intervention, literature reviews, mental health problems, outcomes, parent-child relations, parents, physical disabilities, social workers, babies, children, day services, families, family centres, family group conferences, evaluation, evidence-based practice, foster care, health visiting;