Using longitudinal data from the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study (N = 1,162) and the National Evaluation of Welfare-to-Work Strategies (N = 1,308), we estimate associations between material and instrumental support available to low-income mothers and young children's socioemotional well-being. In multivariate OLS models, we find…

Child and youth care practice unfolds within the context of the community. It is therefore essential that practitioners develop reflective skills not only in relation to their clients and the organizational context in which they are employed, but also in relation to their presence within a community and the community's perception of the…

The Personal Responsibility and Work Reconciliation Act of 1996 reformed public assistance programs and reduced the safety net of supports for low-income families. Children living in low-income immigrant families face particular challenges in the current policy environment. In this article, the authors consider what these changes have meant for…

Although significant numbers of social service clients experience mental health problems, virtually no research has examined the responsiveness of social service agencies to mental disorder. This article examines the extent to which client depression is reflected in records of a public social service agency, community long-term care (CLTC).…

Children's rights to early care and education raise a fundamental issue to be grappled with in the free market fundamentalism that shapes a 21st century American childhood. The discourse about child care for children in poverty is largely instrumentalist, and focused on a cost-benefit analysis of outcomes, not on children's existential well-being.…

Working in four communities, Casey Foundation/Center for the Study of Social Policy (CSSP) Alliance on Racial Equity (the Alliance) have developed a Racial Equity Scorecard for measuring disproportionality at key decision points for use in impacting disproportionality in the child welfare system. The four communities include King County,…

Background: English policy argues that people with intellectual disabilities should be supported in their local communities. There is considerable evidence that this aspiration is not being achieved. This paper seeks to look at the subsection of people with intellectual disabilities who have expensive care needs because of challenging behaviour,…

Context: Although research shows higher uninsured rates among rural versus urban individuals, prior studies are limited because they do not examine coverage across entire rural families. Purpose: This study uses the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS) to compare rural and urban insurance coverage within families, to inform the design of…

Objective: Women who received counseling at a domestic violence shelter were evaluated with several measures to determine the impact of the services they received. Method: A pretest and posttest design using clinical measures for life functioning and coping ability along with posttest-only measures of satisfaction and helpfulness of service were…

Since 2003, government policy has required local authorities to provide support when they house lone teenage parents seeking accommodation. This qualitative study addresses young mothers' routes into housing need and their experiences of housing access and support, drawing on interview and focus group data collected in 2003. The findings emphasise…

Poverty which can be defined in terms of extreme, moderate and relative poverty is a threat to existence of humanity in modern times especially in the developing world. Worst hit are countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. The millennium development agenda set to reduce poverty by a half by the year 2015. This expresses the global commitment in ensuring…

The purpose of this study is to provide a profile of individuals with diabetes who receive services in adult day centers. This exploratory study uses an administrative data set (N = 280) from five programs in central Ohio to examine four areas: demographics, health and mental health, financial and social resources, and disenrollment status. Older…

This article discusses a solution-oriented and incremental approach to solving major social problems. If we are to solve important social problems such as child abuse, delinquency, and illiteracy, researchers need to generate effective programs that can be replicated and social service providers need to implement those programs with fidelity. The…

A vital and productive society with a prosperous and sustainable future is built on a foundation of healthy child development. Health in the earliest years--beginning with the future mother's well-being before she becomes pregnant--lays the groundwork for a lifetime of vitality. When developing biological systems are strengthened by positive early…

Children, like adults, may have mental health problems, including depression and anxiety. They may also have behavioral conditions, such as conduct disorders; cognitive disorders, such as autism spectrum disorder; or neurological conditions, such as Tourette Syndrome. Children may also be affected by delays in their physical, cognitive, or…