This unique, multidisciplinary resource incorporates cutting-edge research and best practices in child welfare into a text that aims to teach and refine advanced child welfare skills for aspiring child welfare professionals. Featuring real-life examples and stories from the field, the handbook discusses existing methods and challenges in the field of child welfare practice. Chapters also include materials for instructors to use in classrooms or training settings. Among the topics covered: Overview of child welfare policies and how the child welfare system works Assessment tools and strategies used to identify various types of child abuse and neglect Individual, family, and community-level approaches to preventing child maltreatment and preserving families Promoting stability after foster care placement Effective collaboration while working with special populations Clinical supervision in child welfare practice Strategies for healthy professional development of child welfare practitioners The Handbook on Child Welfare Practice is a valuable resource as both a textbook in child welfare practice courses and a practical reference for child welfare professionals. This book will help develop a more knowledgeable and skilled child welfare workforce prepared to address the significant public health concern of child maltreatment.

First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Youth residential mental health care is often a last resort after a long time searching for help. Despite engaging with residential care, moving from residential mental health programs to life in the community, many youth still confront disturbing prospects. Incorporating vignettes, chapter summaries, as well as theory and evidence in fields such as education, juvenile justice, child welfare, independent living, supporting families, and positive youth development, this book proposes a template that is both credible and feasible for improving community living outcomes for youth leaving residential mental health programs.

Providing an accessible introduction to attachment thinking, this practical book offers early years practitioners' advice on translating attachment principles into practice in their settings. It clearly explains how knowledge about attachment theory underpins everyday practice and highlights the crucial role of secure attachments in young children's learning and development. Developing Attachments in Early Years Settings examines the importance of emotional' 'holding' and the nurturing of individual relationships within group childcare. The book aims to help you make a real difference to young children's sense of self and emotional security by being 'tuned in', available, responsive and consistent. With a strong focus on facilitating secure attachments from the beginning and guidance on how to observe young children effectively, this new edition has been thoroughly updated and revised to include: How to make a positive contribution to good practice for Government funded 2 year olds A new chapter on the Emotional Environment and the Developing Brain Expansion of material on the importance of the outdoors, as well as Nurture group practice Additional material about working in partnership with parents and developing positive relationships Each chapter includes a personal reflection exercise and a positive contribution to good practice section. With its accessible approach, this book is essential reading for both practitioners and students looking for guidance on how to nurture secondary attachment relationships in group care settings.

This book provides an in-depth analysis of UNICEF's development and operations, whilst exploring the significance of UNICEF's achievements and the reasons behind them. UNICEF is one of the best known organizations of the United Nations system and the oldest of the UN's development funds. It is also the part of the UN which consistently receives support from all countries round the world, including the United States. This book brings out the wider reasons for UNICEF's success and popularity, setting them in the context of UNICEF's evolution since 1946 and drawing lessons for other international organizations. The book argues that, despite its problems, international action for children, built substantially on non-economic foundations, is not only possible, but can be highly successful in mobilizing support, producing results and making a difference to the lives of millions of children. This will be of great interest to all scholars of international organisations, development, human rights and the United Nations system.

Youth and Family Services (YFS) are part of residential and group homes, schools, social service organizations, hospitals, and family court systems. YFS include prevention, education, positive youth development, foster care, child welfare, and treatment. As YFS has evolved advances in research have brought forth a host of promising new ideas that both complement and expand on the original underpinnings of strengths-based practice. "Thriving on the Front Lines" represents an articulation of these advancements.

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Thriving on the Front Lines "explores the use of strengths-based practices with those who are "in the trenches," Youth Care Worker (YCWs). Commonly referred to as resident counselors, youth counselors, psychiatric technicians (psych techs), caseworkers, case managers, and house parents or managers, YCWs are on the "front lines," often providing services 24 hours a day. "Thriving on the Front Lines" is an up-to-date treatise on the pivotal role of YCWs and those who work day in and day out with youth to improve their well-being, relationships, and overall quality of life.

Unique aspects of the strengths-based framework provided in "Thriving on the Front Lines "include:

• Strengths-based principles informed by five decades of research;
• Discussion of the importance of using real-time feedback to improve service outcomes and "how to" implement an outcome-orientation;
• Exploration of Positive Youth Development;
• Two chapters devoted entirely to strengths-based interventions;
• An in-depth discussion of how to improve effectiveness through deliberate practice; and,
• How to develop a strengths-based organizational climate.

Genetic screening technologies involving pre-implantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) raise particular issues about selective reproduction and the welfare of the child to be born. How does selection impact on the identity of the child who is born? Are children who are selected for a particular purpose harmed or treated as commodities? How far should the state interfere with parents' reproductive choices? Currently, concerns about the welfare of the child in selective reproduction have focused on the individual interests of the child to be born. This book re-evaluates the welfare of the child through the controversial topic of saviour sibling selection. Drawing on relational feminist and communitarian ethics, Michelle Taylor-Sands argues that the welfare of the child to be born is inextricably linked with the welfare of his/her family. The author proposes a relational model for selective reproduction based on a broad conception of the welfare of the child that includes both individual and collective family interests. By comparing regulation in the UK and Australia, the book maps out how law and policy might support a relational model for saviour sibling selection. With an interdisciplinary focus, Saviour Siblings: A Relational Approach to the Welfare of the Child in Selective Reproduction will be of particular interest to academics and students of bioethics and law as well as practitioners and policymakers concerned with the ethics of selective reproduction.

First published in 1998. This is Volume III of the twelve in the Sociology of Youth and Adolescence series and is a result of a long-standing interest in the development of institutional child care and of a specific research project carried out in the University of Cambridge from 1964-1966.

More than half of children either in foster care, or adopted from care in the developed world, have a measurable need for mental health services, while up to one quarter present with complex and severe trauma- and attachment-related psychological disorders. This book outlines how services can effectively detect, prevent, and treat mental health difficulties in this vulnerable population. Responding to increasing evidence that standard child and adolescent mental health services are poorly matched to the mental health service needs of children and young people who have been in foster care, this book provides expert guidance on the design of specialised services. The first part provides an overview of these children's mental health needs, their use of mental health services and what is known about the effectiveness of mental health interventions provided to them. The second part presents some recent innovations in mental health service delivery, concentrating on advances in clinical and developmental assessment and treatment. The final part confronts the challenges for delivering effective mental health services in this area. This is the definitive international reference for the design of specialised mental health services for children and young people in care and those adopted from care. It is invaluable reading for health and social care professionals working with this population and academics with an interest in child and adolescent mental health from a range of disciplines, including social work, nursing and psychology.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) have emerged as a major phenomenon within the education, health, criminal justice and social care systems of many countries, with current prevalence figures suggesting that one in a hundred children and young people have FASDs. In this publication, academics, professionals and families from around the world have shared expertise and insights on FASDs. Their combined interdisciplinary perspective makes an invaluable contribution to how we understand and address the complex social, educational and health needs associated with this growing group of children and young people.

Articulating fundamental knowledge, cutting edge initiatives and emerging trends in FASDs, this book provides an evidence base that will enable services to identify and respond to the need for action on FASDs. It recognises that families natural, foster or adoptive are at the heart of this process, and that their rich knowledge base, grounded in their lived experience, is crucial.

Any education, social care, criminal justice or health professional working with children and young people with FASDs and their families will find this book a seminal and authoritative resource.

Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASDs) have emerged as a major phenomenon within the education, health, criminal justice and social care systems of many countries, with current prevalence figures suggesting that one in a hundred children and young people have FASDs. In this publication, academics, professionals and families from around the world have shared expertise and insights on FASDs. Their combined interdisciplinary perspective makes an invaluable contribution to how we understand and address the complex social, educational and health needs associated with this growing group of children and young people.

Articulating fundamental knowledge, cutting edge initiatives and emerging trends in FASDs, this book provides an evidence base that will enable services to identify and respond to the need for action on FASDs. It recognises that families natural, foster or adoptive are at the heart of this process, and that their rich knowledge base, grounded in their lived experience, is crucial.

Any education, social care, criminal justice or health professional working with children and young people with FASDs and their families will find this book a seminal and authoritative resource.

First published in 1998. This is Volume IV of the twelve in the Sociology of Youth and Adolescence series and focuses on case work as part of the child-care officer's role and, it's value, and how it can be employed as a deliberate approach, with the need for commitment, in the care of a child over a long period.

First published in 1998. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

ROBERT C. GRANGER William T. Grant Foundation During the past 10 years or so, a number of researchers, policymakers, and prac- tioners have made important progress on the identi?cation and use of indicators of children's well-being. The United States federal government, via the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health, as well as such private funders as the Annie E. Casey Foundation, have supported many of these efforts. During this time, the William T. Grant Foundation, who was not a primary funder of such activities, was nevertheless one of the many institutions bene?ting from the work. Fortunately, Asher Ben-Arieh, Larry Aber, and Bob Goerge persuaded us to support a working conference on how to assess the effects of indicator usage on policiesandprograms.Thisvolumeistheresultoftheirtalentsandtheclearthinking of many of their colleagues. It is my pleasure to introduce the volume with a few thoughts about its contributions and the questions that remain.

An adaptation of the documentary film, Operation Toussaint reveals how an Ex-Special Agent and Operation Underground Railroad are saving children from sex trafficking around the world through Operation Toussaint, a covert mission to Haiti. Tim Ballard left his post as a special agent for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to found Operation Underground Railroad (O.U.R.). Through this organization, Tim and his team plan undercover operations to rescue child sex trafficking victims around the world. To date, they have saved hundreds of children from horrific conditions, which Tim wasn't able to do when bound by government restrictions. Take an inside look at O.U.R., and their mission to end modern day slavery, as you join Tim and his Special Forces team on a covert mission to Haiti where they bring a ring of sex traffickers who bribed their way out of jail to justice in Operation Toussaint.

In Portugal, 12-year-olds manufacture clothes destined for British chain-stores. In Brazil, children work more than nine hours a day glueing shoes for sale in the West. This book, based on research done with the co-operation of the Anti-Slavery Society for a recent major BBC television documentary, exposes the scandalous exploitation of children's labour and services throughout the world - a system from which the national economies of Europe and the USA profit. What is eaten, worn and used every day in Western homes is all too often produced at the expense of poor children's welfare. Sugar and shoes from Brazil, tea and textiles from Bangladesh, carpets and brassware from India, vegetables from Mexico, furniture from the Philippines - such goods and commodities may well depend upon the labour of children who are the victims of an inequitable economic order. The other side of the coin is that as travel to the Third World increases - in Bangkok, Manila, Rio -.juveniles are forced to sell their bodies to Western tourists who can provide easy income to those in the lower reaches of poverty. Peter Lee-Wright graphically shows in words and photographs that the shameful exploitation of children is not confined to any one culture or industry. It is a problem that involves us all. Originally published in 1990

A unique companion to professional play practice

All play professionals are united in their belief that play is important for children s development and there are inherent characteristics of play that underpin professional play practice across contexts. Providing an overarching concept of play, drawing together the evidence base across disciplines and linking theory to practice, "The Essence of" "Play "is the ideal handbook for all those working with children.

Play acts as a natural resource for children to meet physical, intellectual and emotional challenges and this book, unusually, considers play from the perspectives of children rather than adults. It provides a baseline of shared knowledge for all play professionals, exploring the fundamental value of play rather than a how to approach to practice. It considers:

• the therapeutic potential inherent in play;
• how play reflects and promotes physical, emotional, intellectual, linguistic and social abilities;
• the emergence of different types of play skills and why these are important;
• cross-cultural patterns in play, gender, atypicality and adversity, highlighting the relevance of these issues to professional play practice;
• the benefits of utilising play for assessment and other professional practice issues such as ethical play practice, balancing risk with health and safety and the creation and management of boundaries.

This text is designed for students and practitioners working with children across the helping professions, including early years education, play therapy, playwork, childcare, social care, nursing and allied health. Each chapter provides directed reading and small reflective tasks to encourage readers to digest key issues.

Every day millions of children in developing countries face adversities of many kinds, yet there is a shortage of sound evidence concerning their plight and an urgent need to identify the most appropriate and effective policy responses from among the multiple approaches that exist. This collection of journal papers aims to engage with researchers and debates in the field so as to understand better some of the numerous risks confronted by children in developing countries. It highlights the complexity of protecting children in various forms of adversity, challenges conventional wisdom about what protects children, demonstrates why it is essential to consult with children to protect them successfully, and suggests that successful protection must be based on strong empirical understanding of the situation and the perspectives of children and communities involved. The contributors are all experienced researchers and practitioners who have worked for many years with children in developing countries. The book offers suggestions for reform of current child protection policies, based on empirical findings around a range of child protection concerns, including children's work, independent migration, family separation, early marriage, and military occupation. Together, the contributions provide a body of knowledge important to humanitarian and development policy and practice. This book was published as a special issue of Development in Practice.

This edited volume is written by and for mental health professionals who work directly with alienated children and their parents. The chapters are written by leaders in the field, all of whom know how vexing parental alienation can be for mental health professionals. No matter how the professional intersects with families affected by alienation, be it through individual treatment, reunification therapy, a school setting, or support groups, he or she needs to consider how to make proper assessments, how to guard against bias, and when and how to involve the court system, among other challenges. The cutting edge clinical interventions presented in this book will help professionals answer these questions and help them to help their clients. The authors present a range of clinical options such as parent education, psycho-educational programs for children, and reunification programs for children and parents that make this volume a useful reference and practical guide.

There is an increasing emphasis on post-qualifying training for social workers, especially in the complex and demanding area of working with children and families. This essential textbook is especially designed for practitioners studying at this level. Accessible and thorough, the text focuses on a mixture of conceptual and organisational topics, skills, law, policy and key practice issues. It includes chapters on: Social work values and ethics Risk, uncertainty and accountability Direct work with children and young people Promoting security and stability Working with reluctant service users Assessment of parenting Working with poverty, drugs and alcohol Going to court and the legal framework Children and young people going home Supporting others in their professional development. Using case studies and activities to link research, theory and practice, Social Work with Children and Families takes a wider look at the role and tasks of an experienced social work practitioner, and the skills and knowledge needed to develop professionally from this point.

"Children's Services: Working Together" brings together contributions from a number of authors in the field. The book covers policy, theory, research and practice relevant to students and professionals working with children in a wide range of roles. The emphasis on working collaboratively with other professionals, where appropriate, and the holistic approach to children make this a valuable resource to anyone working with children today.

Over the last decade there has been dramatically increased interest in the ways that technology has been used in the abuse and exploitation of children, due in part to increasing numbers of convictions for child pornography-related offenses. Opinion swings between those who feel that there is a danger of distorting the threat posed to children by technology, and those for whom it appears that the threat has been grossly underestimated. Current literature surrounding the debate at times seems to create more questions than answers and what quickly becomes apparent is that the data we have to inform our understanding is partial, potentially context specific, and at times seemingly contradictory. This book broadens our understanding of the complex nature of online sexual exploitation of children and considers the risk that those engaged in Internet-related offences pose to children in both the online and offline environments. It focuses on cutting-edge research and conceptual thinking that views perpetrators within context, examines those impacted by such offending, describes emerging legal and policy issues, and proposes innovative strategies for prevention within a dynamic global environment. Understanding and Preventing Online Sexual Exploitation of Children responds to the growing call for help across all practice areas, from judicial to therapeutic, and will provide an invaluable resource for practitioners and policy makers working in the field, as well as students and academics studying sexual exploitation and cyber crime.

Children in immigrant families represent nearly one-fourth of all children living in the United States. As this population of children has increased, so has their representation among children involved in child welfare and related systems. Once immigrant families come to the attention of these systems, they often have multiple and complex needs that must be addressed to ensure children's safety and well-being. Culturally competent practice with Latino, Asian, and African immigrants requires that professionals understand the impact of immigration and acculturation on immigrant families to conduct adequate assessments and provide interventions that respond appropriately to their needs. Professionals also need to be familiar with federal and state policies that affect immigrant families and how those policies may affect service delivery. At the system level, child welfare agencies need to educate and train a culturally competent workforce that responds appropriately to children and families from diverse cultures. This book addresses these critical issues and provides recommendations for the development of culturally competent assessment, intervention, and prevention activities in child welfare agencies. This information can be used as a resource by child welfare administrators, practitioners, and students to improve the child welfare system's response to immigrant children and families and promote culturally competent practice. This book was published as a special issue of the Journal of Public Child Welfare.

Over the last decade there has been dramatically increased interest in the ways that technology has been used in the abuse and exploitation of children, due in part to increasing numbers of convictions for child pornography-related offenses. Opinion swings between those who feel that there is a danger of distorting the threat posed to children by technology, and those for whom it appears that the threat has been grossly underestimated. Current literature surrounding the debate at times seems to create more questions than answers and what quickly becomes apparent is that the data we have to inform our understanding is partial, potentially context specific, and at times seemingly contradictory. This book broadens our understanding of the complex nature of online sexual exploitation of children and considers the risk that those engaged in Internet-related offences pose to children in both the online and offline environments. It focuses on cutting-edge research and conceptual thinking that views perpetrators within context, examines those impacted by such offending, describes emerging legal and policy issues, and proposes innovative strategies for prevention within a dynamic global environment. Understanding and Preventing Online Sexual Exploitation of Children responds to the growing call for help across all practice areas, from judicial to therapeutic, and will provide an invaluable resource for practitioners and policy makers working in the field, as well as students and academics studying sexual exploitation and cyber crime.

A reflective guide for all those studying for the range of professional disciplines within the area of children and families. Written by a multi-disciplinary team, this book provides students and practitioners with opportunities to reflect upon work-based placement challenges and solutions within a variety of settings, supporting employability and the development of a professional identity. Practical and practice-based, it addresses issues of self-confidence, voice and agency, resilience and self-care, relationships and partnerships, risk assessments and reflective practice, all within the context of children and families. Chapters take a supportive and reflective approach, including clear objectives, case studies, critical questions and spotlights on new debates, helping to build essential skills and promoting a clear sense of self as individuals transition from student to professional.