Understanding Looked After Children is an accessible guide to understanding the mental health needs of children in foster care and the role of foster carers and support networks in helping these children. The authors provide foster carers with an insight into the psychological issues experienced by children in the care system, and the impact of these issues on the foster family. Chapters cover cultural, social and legal structures associated with foster care and both the relevant child psychology theory and examples drawn from real-life situations. The authors give advice on how to address common psychological issues in collaboration with multi-agency professionals, as well as how to access to statutory services. They also explain the possible impact of assessments on foster children and the causes and management of foster carers' own feelings of frustration, anger or disappointment with social and mental health services or the placement itself. Chapters are complemented by case studies, and the book includes a helpful glossary to common terminology. Understanding Looked After Children is essential reading for registered foster carers and those considering fostering, as well as adoptive parents, and a useful reference for trainee and experienced practitioners in the care system, including social workers, psychologists, counsellors, teachers and others looking after vulnerable children.

This thoroughly updated Second Edition of the Handbook of Youth Mentoring presents the only comprehensive synthesis of current theory, research, and practice in the field of youth mentoring. Editors David L. DuBois and Michael J. Karcher gather leading experts in the field to offer critical and informative analyses of the full spectrum of topics that are essential to advancing our understanding of the principles for effective mentoring of young people. This volume includes twenty new chapter topics and eighteen completely revised chapters based on the latest research on these topics. Each chapter has been reviewed by leading practitioners, making this handbook the strongest bridge between research and practice available in the field of youth mentoring.

In 'Helping Families with Troubled Children' Carole Sutton stresses the importance of attempting to work with families before difficult behaviour becomes entrenched and resistant to intervention, preferably at or before the age of 2 years. Drawing on social learning theory and cognitive behavioural principles, she provides a structured approach to intervention (ASPIRE -Assessment, planning, implementation, review and evaluation) and guides practitioners to work supportively with parents.

Updated with the latest research findings in a number of areas of children's difficulties, specific chapters address sleep problems, anxiety and depression, eating problems, wetting and soiling, serious behaviour problems and ADHD.

Neglect is the most common form of child maltreatment in developed countries and it comes in many forms. This is the first book to adopt a multidisciplinary approach to the tasks of planning and intervention faced by professionals in cases of child neglect.
From evaluating the effects of neglect on the child to looking at root causes, this wide-ranging text offers evidence-based, practical guidance to support all practitioners in their work with neglected children. In particular:
- It assesses a range of methods of intervention and how these best apply to the various needs of different families.
- It explores the tensions and dilemmas that practitioners can face when working with neglected children.
- It demonstrates ways that practitioners can work together to promote better outcomes for the child.
- It provides conceptual frameworks, engaging case studies and reflective questions that can assist practitioners in their work.
Written by a leading authority on child neglect, this book is essential reading for those in contact with children and families irrespective of discipline or nation state. It will prove an invaluable resource for practitioners working with families where there are signs of child neglect as well as students studying and academics delivering courses in child welfare.
Jan Horwath is Professor of Child Welfare at the University of Sheffield. She is the author of many books on safeguarding children including "Child Neglect: Identification and Assessment."

Services for families and children are rightfully the focus of intense scrutiny and debate, and there is a clear need to establish a knowledge of which services work well. This volume provides a comprehensive overview of research evidence from the UK and USA on the effectiveness of selected child welfare interventions. It addresses the challenges of measuring effectiveness in child welfare and explains the policy context for child welfare service delivery. Leading international contributors summarize the evidence of effectiveness in each core area, and consider the impact on children's development, parenting capacity and the wider community. Critically, the book also draws out the implications of the evidence for policy, practice and service delivery as well as for future research. This book is essential reading for policy makers, practitioners and commissioners of services in child welfare as well as students and researchers.

How can we determine success in foster placements? Based on exhaustive research, the authors discuss the primary concerns in foster placement planning, considering the high frequency of placement breakdowns, their impact on the child's behaviour and school performance, and the challenges this places on foster families. The specific needs of the foster child are given close attention in determining a pathway to success. By monitoring and describing the individual characteristics of the child within the context of the placement, the authors are able to reveal what types of supports are most beneficial. The implications for this research are considerable. Social workers are given new methods of assessing the needs of foster children which emphasise the process of care and not just the outcome. Policy makers are provided with rich qualitative accounts with which to increase and strengthen the success of foster placements. This is essential reading for social workers, policy makers and foster families.

Children of Color is the thoroughly revised and expanded edition of the classic and definitive guide to the unique problems and special needs of minority youth experiencing psychological and behavioral problems. This comprehensive book presents crucial information on culturally sensitive and culturally competent assessment and treatment approaches for young African Americans, Asian Americans, Central Americans, Latinos, Native Americans, biracial-bicultural, and other so-called minority youth. This new edition contains a wealth of new statistical data, demographics, and cutting- edge interventions techniques, contributed by an ethnically diverse group of mental health professionals who are experts in their fields.

"Shadow Mothers" shines new light on an aspect of contemporary motherhood often hidden from view: the need for paid childcare by women returning to the workforce, and the complex bonds mothers forge with the 'shadow mothers' they hire. Cameron Lynne Macdonald illuminates both sides of an unequal and complicated relationship. Based on in-depth interviews with professional women and childcare providers - immigrant and American-born nannies as well as European au pairs - "Shadow Mothers" locates the roots of individual skirmishes between mothers and their childcare providers in broader cultural and social tensions. Macdonald argues that these conflicts arise from unrealistic ideals about mothering and inflexible career paths and work schedules, as well as from the devaluation of paid care work.

Child Development for Child Care and Protection Workers is a classic text for students and practitioners in the child care and protection field which summarises important current thinking on child development and applies it directly to practice. The book covers key issues such as resilience and vulnerability and the impact of protective or adverse environments. Different stages of development (infancy, school age and adolescence) are discussed, and attachment theory is used to offer insights into the impact of abuse and neglect on development. A key feature is the inclusion of case studies and activities to allow the reader to improve their understanding and reflect on good practice. This second edition is fully updated to reflect the new policy context and multi-disciplinary practice, and contains updated practice examples to take into account contemporary issues affecting children and young people. This book encourages practitioners to consider each child as an individual with unique circumstances, and links theory and practice in an imaginative and sympathetic way. It will be essential reading for all child care and protection workers.

The dreams of a courageous Apache girl illuminate the hidden world of an Indian orphanage in this unforgettable story. Over forty years ago, Sharon Skolnick (Okee-Chee) and her sisters were removed from their Apache parents and became wards of the state of Oklahoma. She and her nearest sister made their way together through the Oklahoma Indian child welfare system. Shuttled back and forth between foster homes and orphanages, they finally ended up at the Murrow Indian Orphanage in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Here, Skolnick tells the gripping and ultimately triumphal account of the year the sisters spent there. Murrow was a place of wonder and terror, friendship and loneliness, where resilient children forged shifting alliances and conspired together yet yearned in solitude for a home and family to call their own. Skolnick paints an absorbing portrait of the world of an Indian orphanage, a world both bright and dark, vividly rendered through a child's eyes but tempered by the perspective of the woman who survived the Indian child welfare system and became an Apache artist. Sharon Skolnick, a member of the Fort Sill Apache Tribe, is a gallery owner and artist in Chicago. Where Courage Is Like a Wild Horse is her first book. Manny Skolnick, a freelance writer, is the coauthor of Keeper of the Delaware Dolls, also available from the University of Nebraska Press.

With its effective outcomes, relative speed and reduced costs, the group format is becoming increasingly popular for work with children in counselling and educational settings. Drawing from their extensive experience of running children's groups and training group leaders, Kathryn and David Geldard describe the entire process of running groups from the initial planning to post-group evaluation.Topics covered include the benefits and disadvantages of running groups and the types of group available, as well as the planning, designing, implementation and evaluation of group programmes. Filled with lots of ideas, activities, games and work-sheets for use in group programmes, as well as examples of complete programmes for particular problems such as domestic violence and low self-esteem, this highly accessible and practical book will be an invaluable resource for anyone wishing to run groups for children.

'I have reassurance that my child is safe and well and looked after while I am at work. Good hours, availability and affordable fees have all meant I could work full-time and have no problems during the school holidays.' Setting up an out-of-school club offers a solution to a growing need, as more and more parents find themselves juggling work commitments with childcare arrangements, the demand for affordable quality care for children outside of school hours has never been higher. The solution, setting up an out-of-school club, is not an easy option. This book helps to take the hard work out of establishing a club by taking readers step-by-step through the whole process - from assessing needs, building a management team, writing a business plan and applying for funding to appointing and training staff. It also provides photocopiable proformas for every stage of the process, from initial survey questionnaires to the business plan itself.

Death is never an easy subject for discussion and adults often struggle to find the right words when talking about it with children. This book explores children's thoughts and feelings on the subject of death and provides parents and other caring adults with guidance on how to respond to difficult questions. The author explores some of the most common questions children ask about death and provides sensitive yet candid answers, phrased in a way that children will be able to understand and relate to. Each chapter is devoted to a particular issue, such as religious beliefs, coming to terms with terminal illness, and the fear of forgetting someone when they are gone. The book recognizes the emotions and reactions of children and family members and includes separate conclusions for parents and children. This guide offers useful advice for parents and carers and will also be of interest to counsellors and other professionals working with children.

This study examines the organization of social responsibility in the USA, in particular of critically ill newborn children. Drawing on medical records and interviews with parents and medical staff, the book investigates two neonatal intensive care units, showing the traumas of extreme medical measures, and the sufferings of infants. The accounts are by turns disturbing and heroic, as parents and staff attempt to take charge of the infants' care, redefining their roles as adults and parents, and coping with sometimes awful contingencies. Rather than treating responsibility as an ethical issue, the book focuses on how responsibility is socially produced and sustained. It questions how staff members encourage parents to take responsibility, but keep them from interfering in medical matters, and how parents encourage staff vigilance when they are novices attempting to supervise the experts. The authors conclude that it is not sufficient simply to be responsible individuals. Instead, people must learn to be responsible in an organizational world, and organizations must learn how to support responsible individuals.

Required reading for adoptive families, those considering adoption, or professionals in the field. This practical, informative book covers topics of vital importance to adoptive parents with sensitivity and insight. The authors bring years of experience to the complex emotional issues that parents will negotiate, and expert advice on establishing a healthy, loving parent-child relationship.

Who is responsible for juvenile delinquency? Mark D. Jacobs uses ethnographic, statistical, and literary methods to uncover the many levels of disorganization in American juvenile justice. By analyzing the continuities betwen normal casework and exceptional cases, he reveals that probation officers must commonly contrive informal measures to circumvent a system which routinely obstructs the delivery of services to their clients. Jacobs defines the concept of the "no-fault society" to describe the larger context of societal disorder and interpersonal manipulation that the juvenile justice system at once reflects and exacerbates.

Children's work is on the increase in all parts of the world, including the affluent countries of Europe and North America, and is closely linked with the processes of globalization. It can take on widely differing forms and can harm children, but also benefit them. This book's approach is distinctive: it endeavors to understand working children, and their ways of living and acting, from their own perspective. It is interested in the children's own experiences and hopes, especially their attempts to speak out in public and to fight together against exploitation and discrimination. It shows that children frequently see and evaluate their work differently from adults, and that measures directed against children's work are not always in the interests of the children. It argues for a new, subject-oriented approach in dealing with children's work, which takes account of socio-cultural contexts, both in theory and practice.

Is medication the right choice for treating your child's emotional or behavioral problems? How can you be confident that he or she has been properly diagnosed? What do you need to know to get the most benefits from medication treatment, with the least risk? From leading child psychiatrists Timothy Wilens and Paul Hammerness, this book has already empowered many tens of thousands of parents to make tough decisions and become active, informed managers of their children's care. With clarity and compassion, it explains how medications work; their impact on kids' emotions, personality, school performance, and health; the pros and cons of specific treatment options; and much more. In addition to parents, teachers and other school professionals will find this book an ideal reference. New in the Fourth Edition: Extensively revised to include the latest information about medications and their uses, the fourth edition is even more accessible, and includes pullouts, bulleted lists, and "take home points" highlighting critical facts.

The diverse challenges that clinicians and children's workers tasked with safeguarding babies and young children face are complex, and this unique book looks at effective, practice-based and evidence-informed approaches to working across a wide range of issues. It outlines relevant theory and good practice, gathering case examples from around the world to illustrate what interventions look like in direct practice. Leading contributors address a wide range of challenges, including babies and very young children who have a serious illness, have complex diagnoses, or have been exposed to violence or adversity in early childhood. This is an essential guide for those who work to support and safeguard the welfare of babies and very young children, including professionals in health care, social work, mental health and child protection settings, as well as paediatricians, child psychologists and child psychiatrists.

It is more important than ever to share best practices with emerging leaders in the social services and education fields, as leaders and students need to understand the practical application of policies and theories. This book will address the recurring theme of leadership development, collaboration with communities and the importance of diverse teams to bring about systemic change and large scale reforms. Leadership Reflections can be used as a guide to provide important insights and tools that can be used by a diverse group of leaders and students in the social services and education fields. Recent events in this country are exposing more people to the disparities and inequities that exist for black and brown people. These disparities have to be addressed with a variety of different strategies. This book addresses one such area; the urgent need to reduce these disparities and dismantle the systemic obstacles that continue to stand in the way of families, children and communities thriving.

Betsy de Thierry's best-selling Simple Guides tell you what you really need to know about child trauma and attachment. This five-book library covers: * Attachment disorders * Child trauma * Collective trauma * Complex trauma and dissociation * Shame Providing easy routes to understanding difficult and complex concepts, these books give you an understanding of what trauma is and most importantly, how to help children and young people who have experienced it.

Children often fare the worst when communities face social and environmental changes. The quality of food, water, affection and education that children receive can have major impacts on their subsequent lives and their potential to become engaged and productive citizens. At the same time, children often lack both a private and public voice, and are powerless against government and private decision-making. In taking a child rights-based approach to sustainable development, this volume defines and identifies children as the subjects of development, and explores how their rights can be respected, protected and promoted while also ensuring the economic, social and environmental sustainability of our planet.

The new edition of this established core textbook continues to give an insightful, authoritative and accessible overview of competing theoretical positions on the sociological study of childhood. The book explores the ways these theories inform key themes, including education, work, identity and agency. The study of childhood has taken on an increasingly global focus in recent years, honing in on how issues of rights, protection and development shape the lives of children and those around them at political, social and institutional levels across the world. As a result, this book guides students through the theories and research on childhood in both local and global contexts. Author Michael Wyness clearly illustrates how a study of childhood can inform sociological thinking on social crises, changes and problems such as globalisation, criminality and disruption of the social order. Written for students exploring childhood from a sociological perspective, this is the essential introduction to the topic. New to this Edition: - A broadened global focus throughout every chapter, including more on the developing world. - A revised chapter on researching children and childhood. - An updated critical appraisal of children's rights, as well as new data on child protection and schooling. - The introduction of new key readings and 'Academic Insights' boxes that explore research on important topics in more detail.

There has been a dramatic increase in the numbers of families and children arriving on the southern border over the past several years. Most of these families and children arrived from Central America, fleeing vicious cartels, gang violence, and extreme poverty. After surviving long and dangerous journeys, these families should have been met with safe refuge, but they instead encountered the Trump administration's myriad inhumane border policies like family separation, zero tolerance detention, and the Remain in Mexico policy. These policies and management decisions have contributed to mass overcrowding and widespread inhumane conditions at Customs and Border Protection facilities across the southern border. This book looks at the issues involving children in custody.

Global Childhoods in International Perspective gathers a wide spectrum of contributors from Europe, the U.S., South Asia, South Africa and Latin America, who, attuned with present dilemmas in the area of childhood studies, discuss some key theoretical and empirical aspects of child scholarship, such as identity, child wellbeing, child mobility and migration, intergenerational relationships and child abuse. Through these expert contributions, the book explores the many ways in which the relationship between universality and particularities of childhood plays an important role in describing global childhoods. The book highlights childhood as a cross-cutting issue in global sociology with chapters on globalization and schooling in Burkina Faso, child abuse and neglect in India, identity and integration among children of African immigrants in France, social class mobility of Filipino migrant children in Italy and France, and an investigation into Kyrgyz childhoods. Ideal reading for researchers, practitioners and students interested in both childhood studies and the other areas including community research, sociology of education, social stratification, and the sociology of migration.