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'I probably wouldn't want to talk about anything too personal': A qualitative exploration of how issues of privacy, confidentiality and surveillance in the home impact on access and engagement with online services and spaces for care-experienced young people. Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2023-10-19 Lorna Stabler,Emily Cunningham,Dawn Mannay,Maria Boffey,Aimee Cummings,Brittany Davies,Charlotte Wooders,Rachael Vaughan,Rhiannon Evans
This paper draws on a qualitative interview-based study that explored online mental health and wellbeing interventions and services for care-experienced young people. The study involved young people (n = 4), foster carers (n = 8), kinship carers (n = 2) and social care professionals (n = 9) in Wales, UK. The paper reflects on the complexities of online communication in the space of 'the home'. It documents
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BRAC2eD model: An approach to de-bias decision-making in adoption assessments with prospective adopters from minoritised ethnic groups Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2023-03-24 Tam Cane
Cultural misunderstandings, systemic barriers, restrictive policies, inconsistent and subjective views around standards and requirements have prevented families from minoritised ethnic backgrounds ...
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The educational experiences of children in care across five decades: A new perspective on the education of looked after children in the UK Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2023-03-24 Karen Kenny
Children in care have consistently lower educational attainment than peers who live with their birth families. However, metrics often define ‘education’ narrowly, focusing on traditional in-school ...
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Care-experienced young people’s reflections on their relationship to and use of alcohol: A qualitative exploration Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2023-03-24 Hayley Alderson, Raghu Lingam, Rebecca Brown, Ruth McGovern
Evidence suggests that looked after children and care leavers start to use alcohol earlier than their peers and at higher levels. Much of this epidemiological research focuses upon a pathological v...
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Building relational trust and hope: The experiences of counsellors in a service for birth relatives whose children have been adopted or taken into care Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2023-03-24 Lizette Nolte, Caoimhe Forbes
The profound and lasting impact of losing a child to adoption or foster care has been powerfully described, and the importance of offering therapeutic support to birth relatives is a requirement in...
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One piece of the puzzle: Treatment of fostered and adopted children with RAD and DSED Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2023-03-01 Karen Zilberstein
Reactive attachment disorder (RAD) and disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED) are two interrelated diagnoses emerging from pathogenic and insufficient care during the first few years of lif...
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Contact between children absent in state care and their families: The parents’ perspective Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-12-13 Gary Clapton, Jennifer Simpson, Catriona Grant
This paper reports on survey work and group discussion by a Scottish parent-led support group (Parents Advocacy and Rights – PAR) that supports parents with children in the care system. A previous ...
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Exploring the experiences of foster and kinship carers in Australia regarding the oral healthcare of children living in out-of-home care Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-12-13 Reecha Acharya, Ajesh George, Harrison Ng Chok, Della Maneze, Stacy Blythe
Foster and kinship carers play an integral part in establishing oral health promoting behaviours and managing the oral health issues of children in out-of-home care (OOHC). This study aimed to expl...
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Characteristics of breastfeeding by adoptive mothers: Description of the phenomenon in Poland and worldwide Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-12-13 Natalia Róża Anuszkiewicz, Beata Sztyber, Barbara Baranowska
The breastfeeding of adopted children is a rare phenomenon but one that deserves attention because of its potential benefits. The aim of this study was to gather information on the breastfeeding of...
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Foster caring as ‘professional parenting’: A grounded theory of the relationships between parent and professional in long-term foster care Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-12-13 Megan Hollett, Alex Hassett, Virginia Lumsden
Whilst it has been suggested that fostering involves being both a parent and a professional, little is known about how foster carers manage these roles. This study aimed to develop an explanatory t...
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A support-based measure of adult attachment: Links between the Attachment Style Interview and an observational measure of parenting in a sample of at-risk mothers Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-12-13 Teresa Ostler, Min Zhan, Elisa Bronfman
The Attachment Style Interview (ASI) is increasingly being used to assess parenting suitability in adoption and fostering settings. More research is needed, however, to establish how the ASI relate...
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‘A little piece of my heart goes with each of them’: Foster carer reflections on current fostering practice Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-11-30 Carolyn Blackburn, Elaine Matchett
In the UK, fostering is the principal way of looking after children in care. Foster carers have been reported to be motivated to undertake this task by an intrinsic desire to nurture and improve th...
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The impact of immersive video on a parenting programme for adoptive parents, foster carers and special guardians Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-10-14 Rebecca Lucas, Paul Dickerson, John P Rae, Andreea Tudor, Cecilia Essau
Training programmes for the carers of adopted and looked after children have mixed efficacy, and the beneficial effects of their specific components are unclear. This article seeks to address this ...
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Continuing in post-16 education: The views of adopted young people Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-09-19 Sarah McIntosh, Kevin Woods, Andi Stother
Many adopted children face challenges at school and college which adversely affect their experience and attainment. Without effective post-adoption support, they are at an increased risk of being e...
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Using video feedback to support adoptive families in the UK: An exploratory pilot study Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-09-19 Paul Dugmore, Bethan Morris, Emily Durling, Rachel James
Once children are placed with adoptive families, their new parent(s) must learn to understand their unique communications and respond sensitively to them. This is essential for building the bond be...
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Is the future frightening? Anxiety among young people in care in Poland as they move to independence Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-09-19 Anna Koprowicz, Iwona Gumowska
Moving to independent adulthood constitutes a difficult developmental challenge for all young people. But it can be especially hard for those in foster care who often lack support from their birth ...
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Creating a New Narrative: A theory of how adopted individuals readjust their adoptive identity in parenthood Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-09-19 Mary Egan, Anne B O’Connor, Jonathan Egan
There is limited research into the experiences of adopted individuals in adulthood despite the fact that adoption is a lifelong process. One key element of adoption is the processing and integratio...
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How do adoptive mothers make sense of their experiences of using non-violent resistance therapy with their children? An interpretative phenomenological analysis Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-09-19 Rosanna Samuel, Claire Holdaway, Lydia Vella
Non-violent resistance (NVR) therapy is a parenting intervention increasingly used for violent and/or controlling behaviour by adopted children. However, little is known about adoptive parents’ exp...
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‘They shouldn’t have to ask’: Exploring the need for specialist mental health services for care-experienced and adopted children and their families Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-07-09 Stephen Coulter, Suzanne Mooney, Mandi MacDonald, Lesa Daly
This article reports on a study conducted in two counties in the Republic of Ireland designed to elicit the views of fostering and adoption stakeholder groups on the mental health needs of the children, young people and families for whom they are responsible. Included in these groups are young people, adoptive parents, foster carers and professionals who manage and deliver mental health services or
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Dissociation, identity distress and rejection sensitivity in adult adoptees Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-07-09 Lee J McLamb, Bailey Wagaman, Emalee Kerr, Steven L Berman
This US study examined dissociation, rejection sensitivity and identity distress among adults who experienced adoption as a child and the relationship between these factors. Further, groups of adoptees recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk (MTurk) and social media were compared to assess whether these two recruitment methods achieve similar results. Adopted adults (n = 389) and non-adopted adults
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The challenges that social care services face in relation to looked after children with neurodevelopmental disorders: A unique insight from a social worker perspective Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-07-09 Nicola Heady, Alan Watkins, Ann John, Hayley Hutchings
Looked after children (LAC) continue to be one of the most vulnerable groups in society with numbers and rates in care increasing year-on-year. The aim of this study was to explore the unique perspectives, perceptions and opinions of experienced social workers on the little explored subject of neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) in this population. Using purposeful sampling, 10 social work professionals
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Prevention and early intervention with children in need Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-07-09 Roger Bullock
First of all, I would like to pay tribute to Miranda Davies who retired in March after 27 years as our Journal Manager. Her publishing acumen, sensitivity to readers’ needs and intellectual insights were major factors in maintaining the standard of the journal and hundreds of people benefitted from her help and advice. She has been replaced by Victoria Walker who brings to the journal considerable
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‘It starts when teachers are training’: The role of generalist and designated teachers in the educational experiences of children in care Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-07-09 Elaine Matchett
This article assesses the significance of generalist and designated schoolteachers for the educational experiences of children in care. Data were gathered from semi-structured interviews with 21 ca...
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Psychological profiles of adoptees’ partners and their representations of the marital relationship Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-07-09 Johanna Despax, Evelyne Bouteyre, Théo Guiller
Adopted adults are presented in the psychological literature as being highly vulnerable to mental health issues. It is probable, therefore, that this vulnerability will affect many aspects of their...
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The feelings and coping strategies of children placed in Flemish family foster care Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-03-01 Frank Van Holen,Lisa Van Hove,Ann Clé,Camille Verheyden,Johan Vanderfaeillie
This article describes how 27 foster children aged 12 to 18 years old, placed in Flemish long-term family foster care, experience life in their foster family and how they cope with their feelings. Evidence from a combination of the children's selection of visual images displaying different emotions (emoticons) and semi-structured interviews shows that they mostly express positive feelings, such as
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Childlessness among adopted women: A study of the role of attachment through Bird’s Nest Drawings Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-03-01 Evelyne Bouteyre,Onsua Halidi,Johanna Despax
Adopted adults are presented in the literature as having a more insecure attachment than the general population. They are also less likely to want to have children of their own, which is significant in that studies have shown that attachment is an important determinant of the desire for parenthood. The aim of the present study was to link these two findings and seek a better understanding of the role
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Psychological implications of the ‘Back to the Origins' journey for intercountry adoptees Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-03-01 Alessandra Santona,Giacomo Tognasso,Cristiana Carella,Laura Gorla,Marina Raymondi,Marco Chistolini
One way in which intercountry adoptees can elaborate on their past history is through travelling to their country of birth. This article explores the memories and experiences recalled by a group of adoptees who visited their homeland after being adopted as children by Italian families. The sample comprised 34 participants aged between 12 and 40 years who visited their birth country between 2000 and
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Attachment state of mind and trauma in mother and baby home adoptees Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-03-01 Natasha Dalton,Marian McLaughlin,Tony Cassidy
This study has two aims: to explore the experiences and impact of adoption among five adults (three males and two females, all over the age of 55) adopted from mother and baby homes in the UK and Ireland, and to establish each participant’s state of mind (SOM) with regards to attachment using the Adult Attachment Interview (AAI) (George, Kaplan and Main, 1985–1996). It makes use of all information
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Invisible children: The out-of-home care and education of babies and toddlers Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2022-03-01 Sonia Jackson,Cora Figueira-Bates,Katie Hollingworth
Many thousands of very young children pass through the UK care system every year. Understandably, social workers are reluctant to separate children from their parents, and legal protections designed to prevent the separation from becoming permanent lead to constant delay in making longer-term plans. The aim is that the children should either be returned to their birth families or placed for adoption
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Exploring the educational experiences of children and young people adopted from care: Using the voices of children and parents to inform practice Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-12-22 Rebecca Best, Claire Cameron, Vivian Hill
National monitoring data and research suggest that British adopted children achieve poorer educational outcomes and experience higher levels of emotional, social and learning difficulties in school, compared to the general population. However, few studies have elicited the perspectives of adopted children and adoptive parents in relation to school experiences. The current study used a qualitative design
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Positive parenting in foster care: A video-feedback intervention to promote positive parenting – theory and practice Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-12-22 Delphine West, An Roelands, Lisa Van Hove, Johan Vanderfaeillie, Laura Gypen, Frank Van Holen
Foster children are known to be at high risk for developing attachment problems. Moreover, their associated behavioural problems can be a burden for the foster family and increase the risk of placement breakdown. A sensitive parenting style promotes a secure attachment which, in turn, can reduce the chance of difficulties arising and protect against placement disruption. Interventions using video-feedback
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Mental health and behavioural difficulties in adopted children: A systematic review of post-adoption risk and protective factors Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-12-22 Morvwen Duncan, Matt Woolgar, Rachel Ransley, Pasco Fearon
Previous research suggests that adopted children are at a greater risk of experiencing psychological and behavioural difficulties or accessing mental health services than non-adopted peers and that post-adoption variables are significant risk and protective factors producing this situation. This review seeks to summarise the post-adoption variables associated with adopted children’s mental health or
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The biographic and professional influences on adoption and fostering panel members’ recommendation-making Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-12-22 Arlene Weekes
In the UK, decisions to approve adoptive parents and foster carers and authorise adoptions rest with specialist panels. While their formal role and function are clear, there is concern that their composition and the biographies and background characteristics of members could introduce bias and influence the decisions made. This article examines the validity of these criticisms with findings from a
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A glimmer of hope? Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-12-22 Roger Bullock
Although the focus of Adoption & Fostering is self-evident, the journal has always sought to stress that what happens in children's services does not occur in isolation and the impact of wider social and economic policies cannot be ignored. They are often the cause of the problems children and families face and frustrations felt by liberal minded people seeking reform. But the current uncertainties
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How adopters’ and foster carers’ perceptions of ‘family’ affect communicative openness in post-adoption contact interactions Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-12-22 Fiona Macleod, Lesley Storey, Teresa Rushe, Michele Kavanagh, Francis Agnew, Katrina McLaughlin
This article explores the constructions of communicative openness following adoption. Data from three waves of interviews with six adoptive mothers and four foster carers were collected, transcribed verbatim and analysed in keeping with a social constructivist grounded theory methodology. The results show that the way ‘family’ is constructed can both facilitate and impede communicative openness. Those
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Kinship Care: State of the Nation Survey 2021 Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-12-01 Roger Bullock
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Things Foster Carers Need to Know: Full series Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-12-01 Camelia Chowdhury
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Jack’s story: Personal experiences of a family with a severely disabled child Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-10-25 Tim Legge, Heather Legge
This article recounts the life history of a severely disabled child and the experience of his parents in dealing with a range of health, educational and social services as he moved to adulthood. It indicates features of multi-agency services that proved helpful and makes recommendations about service design and delivery. Particular attention is given to the role of respite care within a complex package
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No typical care story: How do care-experienced young people and foster carers understand fostering relationships? Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-10-25 Eva A Sprecher, Ikesha Tuitt, Debbie Hill, Nick Midgley, Michelle Sleed
Although an understanding of the lived experience of foster care relationships can provide valuable information to guide social work practice and policy, few such studies have been carried out. This article presents findings from a qualitative investigation exploring experiences of relationships between foster carers and the young people in their care. Eight care-experienced young people and nine foster
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‘Without the support of my family, I couldn’t do the job’: Foster carers’ perspectives on informal supports in the role Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-10-25 Laura Butler, Emma McGinnis
Fostering agencies face increasing challenges recruiting and retaining foster carers while the number of children requiring foster placements continues to rise annually. This Northern Ireland study used qualitative methods with 11 foster carers to understand: if they had any expectation of support from family and friends in the role; and where this was available, whether it promoted their resilience
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Audit of Looked After Children (LAC) in residential care and BMI increase in one UK local authority Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-10-25 Ella Bailey, Corina Teh, Heather Peet
The rise of obesity among the UK’s child population has become a serious public health issue. Looked after children (LAC) have been highlighted as a vulnerable group, with increased health needs compared to other children and young people from comparable socio-economic backgrounds. Among the risks of serious complications related to obesity in children and young adults are cardiovascular disease, type
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‘Look after me too’: A qualitative exploration of the transition into adoptive motherhood Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-10-25 Charmaine Kohn-Willbridge, Alison Pike, Richard O de Visser
This qualitative retrospective recall study utilised nine in-depth, semi-structured interviews with adoptive mothers involved with an online support group often used by adoptive parents facing difficulties. The aim was to explore their transition to adoptive motherhood. The study was unusual because it covered a lengthy period, from pre-adoption and the motivation to adopt to 12 months post child placement
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Families with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders: Exploring adoptive parents’ experiences of family well-being Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-10-25 Lisa Balcaen, Rob Santos, Kerstin Roger, Javier Mignone
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is the leading non-genetic cause of developmental disability in Canada. It poses many challenges at the individual, family and societal levels. This study explores adoptive parents’ experiences of having a child with FASD in their family and how these experiences impact family well-being and, specifically, parenting, family dynamics, sources of support and coping
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‘Writing about our adoption’: A qualitative study on intercountry adoptive parents’ narratives during the first post-adoption year Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-07-06 Elena Canzi, Sara Molgora, Laura Ferrari, Sonia Ranieri, Lavinia Mescieri, Rosa Rosnati
Intercountry adoption requires adoptive parents to assume their parenthood as well as to acknowledge the cultural and ethnic origins of their child. Narratives are effective means to help individuals cope with non-normative transitions, including adoption, as they allow them to make sense of and legitimise their experiences. This qualitative study sought to extend knowledge about the value of using
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‘My scar is called adoption’: The lived experiences of Irish mothers who have lost a child through closed adoption Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-07-06 Deborah McNamara, Jonathan Egan, Pádraig McNeela
Previous research has continuously identified a need for a comprehensive model of working with first mothers in adoption. This gap in knowledge has hindered the development of services, to the detriment of the quality of life and well-being of this group. This study seeks to remedy this deficiency by exploring the lived experiences of Irish mothers who have lost a child through closed adoption. It
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Exploring the experiences of social workers in working with children suspected to have fetal alcohol spectrum disorders Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-07-06 David J Gilbert, Raja AS Mukherjee, Nisha Kassam, Penny A Cook
Fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) is one outcome from prenatal alcohol exposure. Social workers are likely to encounter children with the condition, due to the greater likelihood of prenatal alcohol exposure among children in social services settings. This study explores the experiences of social workers in working with children suspected of having FASD and the support offered to social workers
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‘What about me?’ Stories of the educational experiences of care-experienced children and young people in a Scottish local authority Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-07-06 Daniela Mercieca, Duncan P Mercieca, Leisa Randall
This qualitative study explores the educational experiences of looked after children and young people in one Scottish local authority. The preoccupations of government are academic achievement and school attendance, but these are not the prime concerns of the children, carers and professionals involved. Moreover, they can be both enhanced and restricted by the background characteristics and care situations
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Trauma-informed care psychoeducational group-based interventions for foster carers and adoptive parents: A narrative review Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-07-06 Maria Lotty, Eleanor Bantry-White, Audrey Dunn-Galvin
Trauma-informed care (TIC) psychoeducational group-based interventions for foster carers and adoptive parents are growing, but evidence about their effects have not been integrated. A narrative review was undertaken of studies that evaluated the effects of these interventions. It found that they appear to increase carers’ capacity to provide children with TIC and reduce child trauma-related difficulties
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Heartfelt pleas or reform agendas? Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-07-06 Roger Bullock
Fifty years ago, I helped an elderly uncle fulfil his end-of-life wish list. One item was to attend evensong at the city cathedral. The preacher was a guest who ran a charity in a very poor suburb. She described situations associated with gross deprivation to a congregation mostly comprised of comfortably off, middle-aged citizens. My uncle’s illness had made him uncharacteristically cantankerous and
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The medical evaluation of the internationally adopted child Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-07-06 Randi Sperling, Danielle Steinberg, Zachary Belnavis
Children who have been internationally adopted often have complex health issues and unique challenges.1 The paediatric office provides a medical home by offering continuity of care, links to community support, and appropriate evaluation and treatment. During the pre-adoption evaluation, biographical and medical information provided by the child’s country of origin is reviewed. Additionally, soon after
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Are you listening? Echoing the voices of looked after children about their transition to secondary school Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-03-09 Yvonne J Francis, Laura Rowland, Sarah Humrich, Sally Taylor
Transition to secondary school is a significant childhood event, especially for the most vulnerable children. Many looked after children experience multiple episodes of instability, loss and change which can affect this move. Research shows that school belonging promotes acceptance, inclusion and respect, and impacts positively on school transfer and participation. Asking children for their views on
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‘They want to give our children to white people and Christian people’: Somali perspectives on the shortage of Somali substitute carers Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-03-09 Camelia Chowdhury
Children from some black and minority ethnic (BME) backgrounds are routinely placed with substitute carers who do not match their cultural, linguistic, religious and ethnic backgrounds. The shortage of foster carers and adopters of specific backgrounds means that the demand in the care population often outweighs the availability of matched placement options. While the shortages of BME foster carers
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Foster caring in an era of COVID-19: the impact on personal self-care Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-03-09 Justin Jay Miller, Erlene Grise-Owens
COVID-19 has undoubtedly affected all caregivers, including foster carers. Despite the importance of self-care in assuaging the impact of the pandemic, there is a dearth of research on this topic, and virtually nothing specific to this important group. This study uses a retrospective pre/post design to measure the impact of the pandemic on foster carers’ self-care. An invitation to participate in an
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A qualitative analysis of goals set by foster carers seeking support for their child’s emotional well-being Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-03-09 Erica Ranzato, Chloe Austerberry, Sarah Jane Besser, Antonella Cirasola, Nick Midgley
The needs of foster carers are complex as children in their care often present with complex emotional and behavioural difficulties. Previous studies have examined foster carers’ perceptions of the unmet needs of the children in their care but there is a lack of knowledge regarding carers’ own goals when seeking professional help. The present study seeks to fill this gap by examining the goals that
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What lies ahead for looked after children? Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-03-09 Roger Bullock
Four years ago, the journal carried an editorial about the implications of political moves to the ‘right’ for looked after children, noting the opinions being expressed at the time by the likes of Trump, Le Pen and Brexiteers (Bullock, 2017). This trend was reviewed again last year, blissfully unaware of the forthcoming pandemic that has stifled political discussion (Bullock, 2020). So, it is opportune
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Assessing the knowledge and skills gap for Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and trauma-informed practice in children and young people’s services across the education, health, care and voluntary sector Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2021-03-01 Beaulah Chizimba
The growing evidence that trauma-informed practice can improve health across the lifespan and enhance well-being and productivity, while reducing future pressures on services and healthcare costs, presents challenges and opportunities for health and care systems (Fenney, 2019). In the aftermath of COVID-19, there is now an even greater incentive for children and young people, professionals and voluntary
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Child poverty: numbers, language and boundaries Adoption & Fostering Pub Date : 2020-12-09 Roger Bullock
A marked feature of looked after children is that the services they receive are restricted to the poor. The problems of better off families aren’t solved by taking their children into care. The social philosopher Richard Titmuss highlighted the dangers this poses in his famous dictum ‘separate discriminatory services for poor people have always tended to be poor quality services’. Whether that is still