There is limited research assessing the effectiveness of family engagement for improving permanency for children. An important challenge is that randomized designs are not feasible for evaluating these practices because effective implementation of family engagement requires systemic change. Findings from a national evaluation are presented to…

Recent federal legislation strengthens children's and families' rights to family-centered practice by increasing the responsibility of child welfare agencies to identify and engage extended family members in providing care and support to children placed out of the home. Preliminary results from an experimental study of a federally funded family…

This study explored the perceptions of fidelity to family group principles using comparative information from family, friends, and professionals, taking into account race and gender. White respondents felt there was a greater degree of fidelity than did the African American respondents, with other race respondents sometimes rating similarly to…

According to international human rights treaties, what rights do family members, parents, and children have in family engagement in child welfare decision-making? A sociolegal analytical approach produces a typology of rights, then applies the typology to eight countries' approaches to family engagement to show that strong bundles of rights are…

The meaning of human rights for children is a contested issue; the notion of rights for unborn babies poses additional complexity. Drawing on data from a prospective case study of a specialist drug and alcohol obstetric provider and the statutory child protection service, this article discusses family engagement within a child-rights framework,…

Examines the basic tenets of a l983 Texas law permitting videotaped interviews of child victims of abuse to be admissible in civil and criminal proceedings. Discusses how the law is being implemented and how it protects legal rights of child victims, alleged perpetrators, and society at large. (Author/NH)

Offers detailed descriptions of 10 basic principles that guide Norwegian child welfare practice. (LB)

Youth in state custody, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, have federal and state constitutional and statutory rights. These rights guarantee a young person safety in their placement as well as freedom from deprivation of their liberty interest. Many lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) youth have these rights…

Discusses the liberalization of rules of evidence in child sexual abuse cases in order to protect the child victims and benefit families. Some states have enacted legislation simplifying introduction of the child's out-of-court statements, although constitutionality has yet to be tested. (Author/NH)

Supporters and opponents of transracial adoption agree that minority children have a right and a need to develop a sense of ethnic identity and a knowledge of their cultural heritage. Maintains that questionable social and psychiatric assumptions are used to justify this position and deny the legitimacy of transracial adoption. (MDM)

Discusses the international problem of commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) and efforts to stop the practice and assist the victims. Considers initiatives to formulate a worldwide policy against CSEC, and anti-CSEC efforts in the United States, including law enforcement and education, and advocacy efforts and services for youth.…

A survey of frontline child welfare workers in a Canadian province revealed the importance of understanding the nature of external and internal advocacy and social action. It also revealed the need for a concerted educational approach to advocacy strategies and techniques in particular practice situations. (GLR)

Discusses the worldwide problem of child labor and efforts to advocate for the welfare of these impoverished children. Considers factors that contribute to the continued use of child labor and the resistance of these labor practices to reform. Discusses child labor in the United States, and urges public advocacy for labor reform within child…

A framework for understanding child maltreatment in terms of complex and interacting factors from the individual to the societal level can aid in conceptualizing and implementing prevention efforts. Research can indicate the roles that each individual, agency, organization, community, and level of government can play in improving the welfare of…

Reviews state statutes that were used as a defense in cases in which seriously ill children were treated exclusively by spiritual healing practices. Such cases involve questions concerning the constitution, and the rights of parents, children, and the state. There is a trend toward legislative restrictions of the use of spiritual healing as a…