In a nation where 42 percent of children live in low-income families, too many schools face the challenge of teaching students burdened with unmet needs that pose obstacles to learning. Community schools that align schools and community resources are a promising strategy for improving student outcomes by providing wraparound services that meet the…

Statewide Longitudinal Data Systems (SLDS) provide the information and tools needed to inform policies, practices and decisions at every level to improve student achievement and system performance. It is equally important that there are policies and practices to protect personally identifiable information and to ensure the confidentiality and…

A random sample of Canadian foster parents were asked about the importance of culture in fostering. In response to the question "What values, beliefs and traditions were you raised with and feel are important?," a total of 74 different responses were received. These responses were grouped together by foster parents and the groupings…

This article explores the themes and issues related to child and youth care approaches to management. The profession is significantly underrepresented at the management level. To some extent, this reflects the challenges of being recognized in the broader human services sector as a profession, but perhaps more so, it reflects an underdevelopment…

This article explores the role of language and forms of communication in professional child and youth care practice. It is argued that all the professional issues of child and youth care practice are significantly impacted by language and the manner in which practitioners use language and a variety of communication forms to articulate their work.…

The increased risk of suicidal ideation and attempts among sexual minority youths have been documented in studies using both convenience samples and representative community samples. However, as most youths do not access social services, these studies do not necessarily represent the sexual minority youths that community-based social workers may…

When a parent leaves an inheritance over $2,000 to an individual with special needs, the inheritance is actually a gift to the government because it eliminates that child's qualification for government benefits. The use of a special needs trust eliminates this disqualification because the inheritance is not left to the individual with special…

The UK government has made integration of services for children a priority with the target being a better and more integrated provision of preventative services under the various schemes such as the Children's Fund and Sure Start. This article gathers evidence from the National Evaluation of the Children Fund with the aim of analysing the…

Commencing from the identification of an emerging discourse in government circles expounding the benefits of community participation, this article examines critically the claims that community participation enhances involvement in decision making, builds social capital, reduces social exclusion, improves public service delivery and enhances local…

Objective: To review the research on economic and systemic barriers faced by adolescents needing treatment for alcohol and drug problems, particularly those with co-occurring conditions. Method: We reviewed the literature on adolescent access to alcohol and drug services, including early intervention, and integrated and specialty mental health…

People with intellectual disabilities (ID) have experienced increasing levels of community participation since deinstitutionalization. This freedom has facilitated community inclusion, access to alcohol and drugs, and the potential for developing substance abuse (SA) disorders. People with ID, who are known to have high rates of co-occurring…

This study explored the relationship between four types of autonomy (health autonomy, informational autonomy, living autonomy, and financial autonomy) and the acceptance of five types of long-term care (adult day care, respite care, assisted living, unit care, and group home) for the elderly in Taiwan. Data were collected from 167 middle-aged and…

This article examines current social issues and welfare needs in South Korea and discusses societal efforts to respond to these needs through social welfare systems nationwide. It also reviews how social work scholars, major contributors to the creation of a Korean welfare state, have contributed to the conditions of social work practice by…

Objective: Interorganizational relationships (IORs) between child welfare agencies and mental health service providers may facilitate mental health treatment access for vulnerable children. This study investigates whether IORs are associated with greater use of mental health services and improvement in mental health status for children served by…

Background: Individuals with intellectual disabilities (I.D.) who are not accessing any specialist services are a vulnerable group, especially with advancing age. In Ireland, the National Intellectual Disability Database (N.I.D.D.) records the current and future service needs of people with intellectual disabilities, as well as those individuals…