This study explored to what extent perinatal morbidity is a risk factor for maltreatment through review of the medical charts of 206 children, ages 0-3, who had been referred to child protective services based on either prenatal findings of maternal inadequacy or postnatal findings of child maltreatment. Perinatal complications were associated…

This article describes the variety and complexities of the problems facing the People's Republic of China in relation to people with disabilities. It discusses ways China is trying to deal with the problems and gives a realistic appraisal of the difficulties faced by academic, clinical, and social welfare authorities. (Contains references.)…

Children in out-of-home care risk losing contact with parents and others despite emphasis of the Children Act 1989. Contact is lower for children in foster care and as family support diminishes. Contact after adoption increases as methods of indirect contact developed by adoption agencies are implemented; lost contact for all children can be…

Examines the plight of children who are being victimized by the criminalization of their parents and the ways in which these children are being traumatized. The few programs that offer some solutions are described, and the need for more attentive, relevant, and effective policies is outlined. (GR)

Summarizes lessons learned by the child welfare system in dealing with HIV/AIDS: extended families want to care for their own; family placements are preferable; secrecy exacerbates stigma and isolation; adolescent needs must be considered; focus on living with HIV; HIV affects total family; service provision must be culturally sensitive,…

This single-case critical ethnography asks what went wrong when a particular child in need of care, Marion, was taken into social services, with disappointing results. A legal system, a public school system, and a human welfare organization are analyzed in light of their bureaucratic natures. Bureaucratic institutions are inappropriate models for…

Argues that an awareness of other countries' child protection systems can help in appraising child protection in Britain. Suggests that, by recognizing that there are different solutions, as well as different ways of defining and conceptualizing problems, policymakers can better identify the strengths and weaknesses of the British child protection…

Discusses the lack of a comprehensive family policy in the United States and how it affects family therapy and social services. Although ideas about what constitutes a family has changed, what exists of U.S. family policy has not. Argues that family policy and family therapy are becoming mutually exclusive concepts. (JPS)

Responses from high school students were analyzed to identify associations among peer group orientation, voluntary service, and civic engagement measures. Specific crowd types were constructed through cluster analysis of reputational group activities and described as school, disengaged, all-around, fun, and average. Findings support the theory of…

States that in the debate on quality management the concept of the customer and the issue of social work being considered as part of the services sector play a crucial role. Argues that not enough attention is paid to the dangers inherent in the transfer to the customer concept. (CMK)

Introduces theme issue on assessing outcomes in children's services, based on presentations given at a conference in September 1997. Articles in Part 1 deal with assessing outcomes for services to all children in need. Articles in Part 2 focus on initiatives in Britain and elsewhere related to the Looking After Children project, dealing with…

Used the "Assessment and Action Record" from the "Looking After Children" materials to identify needs and desired outcomes for youth leaving out-of-home care in 1995 in an English local authority. Found that desired outcomes included providing information and knowledge, providing the means to acquire financial-related skills…

This commentary discusses the structure of residential care in the United States, the aging of caregivers and the growing demand for services, the increased longevity of persons with developmental disabilities, the long waiting lists for services, and state initiatives to address waiting lists. Policy considerations and recommendations are…

Makes the case for the claim that internships in nonprofits often can provide many of the same transitional benefits as internships in industry plus provides practical guidance for professors who oversee internships for business and professional communication students. (SC)

Examines success in adjusting domestic laws in Latin America to standards set forth in the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Maintains that there has not been comparable improvement in service provision to poor children, due to structural constraints limiting the pace of reforms. Provides historical clues for understanding current challenges…