dissertation on child welfare

• Search Menu
• Advance articles
• Editor's Choice
• Author Guidelines
• Submission Site
• Open Access
• About The British Journal of Social Work
• About the British Association of Social Workers
• Editorial Board
• Advertising and Corporate Services
• Journals Career Network
• Self-Archiving Policy
• Dispatch Dates
• Journals on Oxford Academic
• Books on Oxford Academic

Article Contents

Introduction, conclusions, research gaps, acknowledgements.

• < Previous

Children’s Participation in Child Welfare: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews

• Article contents
• Figures & tables
• Supplementary Data

Paul McCafferty, Esther Mercado Garcia, Children’s Participation in Child Welfare: A Systematic Review of Systematic Reviews, The British Journal of Social Work , Volume 54, Issue 3, April 2024, Pages 1092–1108, https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcad167

• Permissions Icon Permissions

The objective of this research was to conduct a systematic review of systematic reviews related to Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) as it relates to children and young people involved with child welfare agencies. This systematic review sought to comply with the guidance from the JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis on umbrella reviews. Fourteen databases were searched using predefined terms. Six hundred seventy-four original hits were retrieved for title and abstract searching after independent searching by the authors. Of those, fourteen were included for full independent reads and all fourteen were selected after discussion. Each systematic review was appraised using an eleven-point quality checklist from JBI. A thematic review was conducted to ascertain the themes across all systematic reviews. Three themes emerged (i) children’s voice is not taken seriously; (ii) relationships are an important determining factor in (un)successful participation; and (iii) the context of participation is important. Our conclusion is that despite mandated UNCRC requirements to involve children and young people within the child protection system, the possibilities for children and young people to express their views remain restricted.

Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) stipulates that children have the right to express their views and to participate in decisions that directly affect them. Uncomplicated enough one would have supposed, intuitive in fact, for who could possibly argue against children and young people (C&YP) having a voice in decisions that affect them—the most basic of human rights. After all, adults enjoy this right. And for the authors of the Convention, this inalienable right must have seemed obvious too, fundamental almost in its inherent assumption that it is just the right thing to do.

But the reality of successfully applying Article 12 has bedevilled legislators, policymakers and practitioners alike since the inception on the Convention on the Rights of the Child (the Convention) as they struggle to decipher and apply their Article 12 obligations to practice ( McCafferty, 2021 ). Consequently, the practice reality regarding enacting Article 12 obligations has created something of a legislative, policy and practice duality; one in which States and state actors are mandated to listen, involve and respond to C&YP’s voice but find doing so exceptionally taxing. What we call the practice reality/legislative mandate duality has arguably led to unintended obfuscation in the participatory landscape with a parallel diminution of the voice of C&YP. This duality is nowhere more apparent than in child welfare, the result of which has generated a disappointing stasis where the voice of arguably society’s most vulnerable C&YP is lost ( McCafferty, 2021 ).

Whilst research in the social work field may have been to some extent sluggish to explore children’s participation, it has increased more recently in both quality and quantity with a growing number of scholars paying greater attention to this field of study. Both empirical and theoretical studies are beginning to enrich our understanding of the opportunities and challenges Article 12 presents for C&YPs participation in child welfare. This increased interest is fuelled by a feeling that we in social work are somehow just not getting it right and we stand accused of persistent failures to involve children fully in decisions affecting them (e.g. Department for Education (DfE), 2020 ).

General themes emerging from research broadly suggest two things. First, that challenges exist at practitioner, managerial, organisational, systems and societal level that frustrate the full actualisation of C&YP’s right to be heard. For example, Toros (2021a,b ) in two systematic reviews suggests that children are not able to participate in decision-making processes often enough and their voices are either not being heard or not taken seriously. Faced with the unenviable task of protecting children in an ever increasingly complex world, child welfare professionals are entrusted both ethically and legally with acting in children’s best interests and deciding where and how those best interests are met. However, these best interest decisions are recognised as being amongst the most testing decisions a child welfare worker is likely to make due to their challenging and contested nature (McCafferty, 2020). In this environment, research by McCafferty et al. (2021) suggests that child welfare practitioners are making increasingly more protectionist and interventionist decisions and that this process instinctively reduces C&YP’s agentic status as individuals capable of forming a view and for that view to be heard. ‘As a result of this deficit archetype based on difference, children tend to be granted protection in social work which excludes them from decisions, deprives them of their autonomy, assumes incompetence and emphasises dependence on adults’ ( McCafferty, 2017 , p. 333).

Secondly, when done well, involving C&YP in decisions that affect their life trajectory has beneficial outcomes for them and evidence of this exists across a range of disciplines such as in health, education and policy making ( van Bijleveld et al. , 2015 ; Kennan et al. , 2018 ). Furthermore, participation in decision-making results in beneficial developmental effects ( Falch‐Eriksen et al ., 2021 ) as well as potentially improving decision-making processes and outcomes by ensuring that decisions are more inclusive, responsive and tailored to specific needs. C&YP’s participation increases the likelihood of assessments being more accurate and outcomes more in line with what C&YP need, contributing to more accurate assessment outcomes, as it increases the accuracy of the understanding of the child’s emotional state, thoughts, feelings and hopes for the future.

So, we know that since 1989 when the UNCRC was first enacted, social work has studied C&YPs participation in child welfare, and several systematic reviews have already been conducted. Collectively they provide a large body of relevant evidence, one so large, however, that it is not easy to summarise the patterns in their findings. This makes it challenging for decision makers, researchers, academics and practitioners to utilise the best available evidence to inform their decisions. The time is right therefore to draw thirty-three years’ worth of data into one study so that we can take stock of where we are at in terms of our knowledge, drawing all the disparate systematic reviews into one place.

The purpose of this systematic review is to condense data from all the existing systematic reviews into one overarching review and deliver a meticulous summary of all the available research from systematic reviews of C&YPs participation in child welfare. Called an umbrella review by Aromataris and Munn (2020) , this umbrella review will appraise and collate all relevant empirical evidence gathered from existing systematic reviews into one place to provide a complete interpretation of research results. Doing so will identify questions for which the available evidence provides clear answers and thus for which further research is not necessary. The review will also identify research gaps in our current understanding of the field and help set the short- to medium-term research priorities for scholars going forward.

Search strategy

The characteristics of a systematic review are well-defined and internationally accepted and they generally agree that the defining characteristics of a systematic review are that it must have (i) clearly articulated objectives and questions to be addressed; (ii) an inclusion and exclusion criteria stipulated a priori that determine the eligibility of studies; (iii) a comprehensive search to identify all relevant studies, both published and unpublished; (iv) an appraisal of the quality of included studies, assessment of the validity of their results, and reporting of any exclusions based on quality; (v) analysis of data extracted from the included research; (vi) a presentation and synthesis of the findings extracted and (vii) a transparent reporting of the methodology and methods used to conduct the review ( Higgins et al., 2022 ). This review sought to comply with the guidance from JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis (Aromataris and Munn, 2020), specifically Chapter 10, Umbrella Reviews, and Evidence-Based Practice ( Aromataris et al. , 2020 ).

In the process of creating a search formula, the topic addressed by this review was converted into four key concept groups as agreed by both authors: <participation> AND <social work> AND <child welfare> AND <children and young people>. For each concept, search terms reflecting its main characteristics were identified and combined into a search formula by both authors in consultation with the subject specialist librarian from Queen’s University Belfast over three meetings. This generic formula was reviewed and later adjusted by both authors along with the subject librarian to fit the databases’ particular facilities. The selection of electronic bibliographic databases was informed by both pragmatic and methodological considerations relating to databases’ quality appraisal, relevance and accessibility. The searches took place over a two-week period between 15 and 29 August 2022.

Overall, fourteen electronic bibliographic databases were selected:

Child Development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (DOJA).

International Bibliography of the Social Sciences (IBSS).

Social Care Online.

Social Policy and Practice.

Social Science Citation Index.

Social Services Abstracts.

Sociological Abstracts.

Campbell Collaboration.

CINAHL Plus.

Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL).

Google Scholar.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria

Beginning with quality criteria, this umbrella review was restricted to articles published in peer-reviewed journals. Doing so ensures that there was an independent standard of quality applied that goes beyond the knowledge base of the authors and incorporates the expertise of journal reviewers ( Alfandari and Taylor, 2022 ). Regarding relevance criteria, to be included in our umbrella review, studies needed to be (i) a systematic review of relevant papers pertaining to the topic, (ii) the topic needed to relate to C&YP’s participation in child welfare social work, (iii) to qualify as a systematic review, reviews needed to (a) employ a systematic, recognised, explicit and replicable processes for searching the literature to retrieve research related to the topic, and (b) report on empirical research that is based on either quantitative, qualitative or mixed methods research designs—action research or single case study methods that impose greater challenges for determining quality ( Taylor et al. , 2015 ) theoretical material, editorials, government papers and policy documents were all excluded from this review. In addition, the time frame of the search was from 1989 when the UNCRC was enacted to ensure we gained a full representation of every review published since that time. Finally, for practical reasons, the search was restricted to publications in the English language.

Search outcome and screening

There were two rounds of searches, both done independently by each author. Bibliographic data about the studies derived was imported into an Excel spreadsheet with separate pages for each database and when combined there was a total of 889 searches retrieved. Through discussion, 215 duplicates were agreed upon and removed leaving 674 original hits. When agreement was reached about the removal, initial titles and abstract screening against the inclusion criteria took place, again independently. Based on a structured colour coding scheme developed by the authors, each study was tagged with one of four possible colours: (i) blue for inclusion; (ii) red for exclusion; (iii) green in cases of uncertainties that required more discussion; and (iv) grey, in cases of uncertainties that required additional information when bibliographic data were incomplete. Studies coloured red were also recorded by the reasons for their exclusion, which were chosen from our inclusion criteria. The authors then came together and agreed on ninety-eight studies for full-text assessment for inclusion with eligibility carried out independently by the authors. When disagreements arose, they were thoroughly discussed between the authors until a consensus was reached. Of these ninety-eight studies, eighty-four were removed leaving fourteen studies included for the umbrella review.

Once this first round was complete, each author completed an independent review of each study’s reference list by hand. One further study was identified through this search for a full read but was discounted by agreement having not met the inclusion criteria.

The review’s selection process is outlined in Figure 1 using the PRISMA diagram ( Page et al. , 2021 ).

Flowchart of the search and screening process.

Data analysis

Data analysis summarised the included reviews focusing on number of reviews published, type of review (e.g. systematic review, systematic scoping, literature review), aim, period, number of articles, place of publication, analysis and findings. When articles specified the PRISMA flow diagram was used, it was specified. For data analysis, the authors reviewed all the articles and developed three themes—(i) children’s voice is not taken seriously, (ii) relationships are an important determining factor in (un)successful participation and (iii) the context of participation is important.

Included studies

Data analysis is based on fourteen studies published from 1989 to 2022. The characteristics of included studies provided an overview of the existing literature on the subject (see Table 1 ).

Summary of studies analysed.

Quality appraisal

Studies identified as meeting the inclusion criteria were appraised for quality against the JBI Checklist for Systematic Reviews and Research Synthesis by Aromataris et al. (2015) using an eleven-point quality assessment tool to determine the quality of each of the systematic reviews selected for inclusion. The authors independently scored each of the items before jointly discussing them and coming to a consensus about quality. Discussions focused on what was considered acceptable to the aims of the review in terms of the specific study characteristics and what represented an adequate search strategy or appropriate methods of synthesis. Discussions took place prior to this appraisal so we agreed on what constituted acceptable levels of information to allocate a positive appraisal compared with a negative, or response of ‘unclear’. All fourteen studies were included.

Umbrella review

Data analysis revealed three main themes.

Theme 1: Children’s voice is not taken seriously

Studies show children’s participation in the child protection system is significantly diminished in practice ( Skauge et al ., 2021 ; Toros, 2021a ). Children have the right to be heard and to make decisions about their own lives, but their voices have been weakened and they find that being authentically heard and to exercise their right to participation is challenging ( Brummelaar et al ., 2018 ; Collins et al. , 2021 ; McPherson et al ., 2021 ). This is particularly evident in residential settings ( McPherson et al. , 2021 ; van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ), child maltreatment ( Bartelink et al. , 2015 ) and within mental health services ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ).

This research indicates that despite the recognised importance of children’s rights and participation ( Falch-Eriksen et al. , 2021 ), children are often unable to participate in decision-making processes and that their voices are not taken seriously or heard ( Toros, 2021b ). Kennan et al. (2018) , however, showed how the use of advocates could encourage participation in such contexts, especially with younger children who feel more dissatisfied ( Brummelaar et al ., 2018 ).

Theme 2: Relationships are an important determining factor in (un)successful participation

The relationship between social workers and children is essential to the promotion of participation. McPherson et al. (2021) address the central role of the relationship and relational practice in the process of facilitating participation. Findings across studies suggest several factors influence this relationship and the process and success of participation. First, the age of the child ( Brummelaar et al. , 2018 ; Toros, 2021a ); secondly, protectionist approaches adopted by professionals and welfare agencies ( Toros, 2021a ; van Bijleveld et al. , 2015 ); thirdly, the quality of the professional relationship ( van Bijleveld et al. , 2015 ; Brummelaar et al. , 2018 ; Kennan et al. , 2018 ; Strømland et al. , 2022 ); fourthly, professionals’ attitude towards participation—positive or negative ( Brummelaar et al., 2018 ); fifthly, stigmatising and impairment-focused practices ( Toros et al., 2018 ) and, finally, professional qualities ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ; van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ). From the perspective of C&YP themselves within the child protection system itself, the study by Wilson et al. (2020) emphasises that C&YP’s early experiences of child welfare relationships are felt as frightening due to the pressure of the investigation process, the invasiveness of professionals and that this decreases participatory activity.

In this sense, professionals may have conflicting attitudes towards children’s views and perceptions ( Brummelaar et al ., 2018 ), differences in the interpretation of participation and the weight given to C&YP opinions in the decision-making process exist ( van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ; Skauge et al ., 2021 ), ambivalence towards professional participatory intervention also exists ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ), whilst children’s perspectives differ from that of professionals ( Toros et al., 2018 ).

Theme 3: The context of participation is important

The concept of participation is confusing ( Collins et al ., 2021 ). The lack of full recognition and operationalisation of children’s right to be sufficiently heard is one of the main challenges in the context of participation ( Strømland et al ., 2022 ). This may be because child protection systems are very heterogeneous in terms of legislation, approaches and working methods ( Skauge et al. , 2021 ). Ideas about participation are underpinned by policies in which different cultural and organisational contexts underlie and limit participation itself ( Brummelaar et al ., 2018 ; Jensen et al ., 2020 ; Skauge et al ., 2021 ). Despite attempts to follow processes such as the use of advocates, a child’s attendance at an assessment, planning or review meeting, Family Welfare Conferences and recording a child’s views in writing, spaces are neither inclusive nor conducive to fostering such participation ( Kennan et al ., 2018 ). In the study of Toros et al. (2018) , studies suggest that protection concerns and bureaucratised and authority-based systems limit such a participatory context.

These organisational challenges are related to government perceptions and media representations of public awareness ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ; van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ) and risk assessment of children ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ; Bartelink et al ., 2015 ). The lack of quality time to work directly with C&YP has also been cited as one of the main problems social workers encounter when trying to involve C&YP ( van Bijleveld et al., 2015 ).

Participation has become firmly rooted in child rights discourse, public policy and research around the world ( Skauge et al ., 2021 ). Within the child protection system, it has been considered an important issue, but despite the CRC guidelines, possibilities to express their views and needs are restricted ( Toros, 2021a ).

Cultural conceptions, the adult-centric worldview of social work professionals, age discrimination, denial of opportunities and unhelpful participatory efforts remain a major challenge ( Collins, 2017 ; Strømland et al ., 2022 ). How this power is exercised is influenced by ideology, attitudes and beliefs ( Wilson et al ., 2020 ; McPherson et al ., 2021 ). As such, conceptualisations of protection continue to reflect traditional approaches to participation in child welfare that indicate a reductionist paternalistic attitude that privileges protection over empowerment ( Collins, 2017 ; Collins et al ., 2021 ). The findings found in this article evidence that the fragmented view of children through polarised thinking via dichotomous positions rather than a holistic view may be due to the complexity of child protection work ( Jensen, 2020 ). The poor relationship between professionals and children may be influenced by bureaucratisation, lack of resources and lack of knowledge ( van Bijleveld et al ., 2015 ; Falch-Eriksen et al ., 2021 ; Skauge et al ., 2021 ).

Based on the three main themes of this article, several implications can be drawn. First, care and professional systems can break down the division between everyday life decisions and important decisions in children’s lives ( McPherson et al ., 2021 ). Structured and shared methods of assessment and decision making are therefore needed ( Bartelink et al ., 2015 ). Secondly, the role of social workers and their relationship with the child is crucial in fostering the right to participation ( Brummelaar et al., 2018 ). To improve the quality of relationships between workers and children, therefore, a paradigm shift and methods are needed to help professionals increase their competence and confidence to engage children effectively ( Toros et al ., 2018 ). Thirdly, ensuring the best interests of children means that their voices are not silenced and that access to information and helping them to express their views must be one of the tasks of both professionals and child protection systems ( Davies and Wright, 2008 ; Strømland et al ., 2022 ). Therefore, the process of participation involves understanding the importance of the child’s experience in the context of everyday life ( Skauge et al ., 2021 ).

Limitations

In terms of the methodology of the review search, we used the largest number of electronic bibliographic databases that it was feasible to use in the circumstances (i.e. all the databases available in the first author’s library at Queen’s University Belfast), but a funded review might retrieve additional papers. Quality appraisal was affected by restricting inclusion to publications in peer-reviewed journals, but we cannot exclude the possibility of the review having some publication bias. Grey literature was not searched for example, which may have uncovered theses in this area and there is a plethora of evaluations of participatory practice in child welfare agencies that are neither published nor easily accessed. Already recognised by van Bijleveld et al. (2015) , there are still problems with the search terms that challenged us given the variety of terms used across agencies, cultures and countries to describe participation, so greater homogeneity in language would be helpful going forward to reduce the chance of missing valuable research. To reduce this risk, we consulted with the specialist librarian at Queen’s University Belfast and conducted our own initial scoping exercise to identify core terms, which we subsequently used in this research.

To avoid homogenising C&YP as one group, it is important to disaggregate them across age, culture, class, gender, ethnic background, etc., to understand them, not as one amorphous mass but as individuals with different identities, needs and ways of being seen and heard. It is also important to move away from small-scale micro studies that ignore the macro-political, sociocultural, economic, philosophical and geographic influences that are brought to bear on the micro participatory landscape, for these influences (not always benign) undoubtedly impact the opportunities for authentic participation. Finally, we see the importance of large-scale efficacy studies to determine the effectiveness of participatory interventions to develop a more informed evidence base of what works, in what circumstances, why and for who. This of course will necessitate more funding being made available and in a competitive funding landscape this will require funders to realise the importance of this area of study—we remain hopeful.

We would like to thank Norma Menabney for the specialist librarian support provided.

This study has been funded by José Castillejo Programme for mobility abroad youth doctor and carried out by Prof. Dr Mercado at Queen’s University of Belfast (reference number CAS21/0254).

Alfandari R. , Taylor B. J. ( 2022 ) ‘ Systematic bibliographic database searching for literature reviews: Case study on child protection decision making ’, British Journal of Social Work , 52 ( 1 ), pp. 518 – 35 .

Google Scholar

Aromataris E. , Munn Z. ( 2020 ) JBI manual for evidence synthesis , available online at: https://doi.org/10.46658/JBIMES-20-01 (accessed August 10, 2022).

Aromataris E. , Fernandez R. , Godfrey C. M. , Holly C. , Khalil H. , Tungpunkom P. ( 2015 ) ‘ Summarizing systematic reviews: Methodological development, conduct and reporting of an Umbrella review approach ’, International Journal of Evidence-Based Healthcare , 13 ( 3 ), pp. 132 – 40 .

Aromataris E. , Fernandez R. , Godfrey C. , Holly C. , Khalil H. , Tungpunkom P. ( 2020 ) ‘Chapter 10: Umbrella reviews’, in Aromataris E. , Munn Z. (eds), JBI Manual for Evidence Synthesis. JBI, 2020 . Available from https://synthesismanual.jbi.global .

Google Preview

Bartelink C. , van Yperen T. A. , ten Berge I. J. ( 2015 ) ‘ Deciding on child maltreatment: A literature review on methods that improve decision-making ’, Child Abuse & Neglect , 49 , 142 – 53 .

Brummelaar M. D. C. , Harder A. T. , Kalverboer M. E. , Post W. J. , Knorth E. J. ( 2018 ) ‘ Participation of youth in decision-making procedures during residential care: A narrative review ’, Child & Family Social Work , 23 ( 1 ), pp. 33 – 44 .

Collins T. M. , Rizzini I. , Mayhew A. ( 2021 ) ‘ Fostering global dialogue: Conceptualisations of children’s rights to participation and protection ’, Children & Society , 35 ( 2 ), pp. 295 – 310 .

Collins T. M. ( 2017 ) ‘ A child’s right to participate: Implications for international child protection ’, International Journal of Human Rights , 21 ( 1 ), pp. 14 – 46 .

Davies J. , Wright J. ( 2008 ) ‘ Children’s voices: A review of the literature pertinent to looked-after children’s views of mental health services ’, Child and Adolescent Mental Health , 13 ( 1 ), pp. 26 – 31 .

Department for Education (DfE ) ( 2020 ) Complexity and Challenge: A Triennial Analysis of SCRs 2014–2017 (PDF) , London , Department for Education (DfE ).

Falch‐Eriksen A. , Toros K. , Sindi I. , Lehtme R. ( 2021 ) ‘ Children expressing their views in child protection casework: Current research and their rights going forward ’, Child & Family Social Work , 26 ( 3 ), pp. 485 – 97 .

Higgins J. , Lasserson T. , Chandler J. , Tovey D. , Thomas J. , Flemyng E. , Churchill R. Methodological Expectations of Cochrane Intervention Reviews , Cochrane , London , 2022

Jensen I. B. , Studsrød I. , Ellingsen I. T. ( 2020 ) ‘ Child protection social workers’ constructions of children and childhood: An integrative review ’, Child & Family Social Work , 25 ( S1 ), pp. 83 – 96 .

Kennan D. , Brady B. , Forkan C. ( 2018 ) ‘ Supporting children’s participation in decision making: A systematic literature review exploring the effectiveness of participatory processes ’, British Journal of Social Work , 48 ( 7 ), pp. 1985 – 2002 .

McCafferty P. ( 2017 ) ‘ Implementing Article 12 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child in child protection decision making. A critical analysis of the challenges and opportunities for social work ’, Child Care in Practice , 23 ( 4 ), pp. 327 – 41 .

McCafferty P. ( 2020 ) ‘“ Do I read it? No”. Knowledge utilisation in child welfare decisions ’, Child Care in Practice , 28 ( 3 ), pp. 438 – 63 .

McCafferty P. ( 2021 ) ‘ Children’s participation in child welfare decision making: Recognising dichotomies, conceptualising critically informed solutions ’, Child Care in Practice .

McCafferty P. , Duffy J. , Hayes D. ( 2021 ) ‘ Permanency decisions in child welfare: A qualitative study ’, British Journal of Social Work , 51 ( 6 ), pp. 2134 –21 54 .

McPherson L. , Vosz M. , Gatwiri K. , Parmenter N. , Macnamara N. , Mitchell J. , Tucci J. ( 2021 ) ‘ What does research tell us about young people’s participation in decision making in residential care? A systematic scoping review ’, Children and Youth Services Review , 122 , 105899 .

Page M. J. , McKenzie J. E. , Bossuyt P. M. , Boutron I. , Hoffmann T. C. , Mulrow C. D. , Shamseer L. , Tetzlaff J. M. , Akl E. A. , Brennan S. E. , Chou R. , Glanville J. , Grimshaw J. M. , Hróbjartsson A. , Lalu M. M. , Li T. , Loder E. W. , Mayo-Wilson E. , McDonald S. , McGuinness L. A. , Stewart L. A. , Thomas J. , Tricco A. C. , Welch V. A. , Whiting P. , Moher D. ( 2021 ) ‘ The PRISMA 2020 statement: An updated guideline for reporting systematic reviews ’, British Medical Journal , 10 ( 1 ), p. n71 .

Skauge B. , Storhaug A. S. , Marthinsen E. ( 2021 ) ‘ The what, why and how of child participation—A review of the conceptualization of “child participation” in child welfare ’, Social Sciences , 10 ( 2 ), p. 54 .

Strømland M. , Bahus M. K. , Andersen A. J. W. ( 2022 ) ‘ Too vulnerable to participate? A systematic literature review of the gap between a right to participate and participation, in welfare services ’, Journal of Human Rights Practice , 14 ( 1 ), pp. 1, 331 – 51 .

Taylor B.J. , Killick K. , McGlade A. ( 2015 ) Understanding & Using Research in Social Work (Mastering Social Work Practice) . Sage: London.

Toros K. ( 2021a ) ‘ Children’s participation in decision making from child welfare workers’ perspectives: A systematic review ’, Research on Social Work Practice , 31 ( 4 ), pp. 367 – 74 .

Toros K. ( 2021b ) ‘ A systematic review of children’s participation in child protection decision‐making: Tokenistic presence or not? ’, Children & Society , 35 ( 3 ), pp. 395 – 411 .

Toros K. , Tiko A. , DiNitto D. M. ( 2018 ) ‘ Family engagement in the child welfare system: A scoping review ’, Children and Youth Services Review , 88 , pp. 598 – 607 .

van Bijleveld G. G. , Dedding C. W. M. , Bunders-Aelen J. F. G. ( 2015 ) ‘ Children’s and young people’s participation within child welfare and child protection services: A state-of-the-art review ’, Child & Family Social Work , 20 ( 2 ), pp. 129 – 38 .

Wilson S. , Hean S. , Abebe T. , Heaslip V. ( 2020 ) ‘ Children’s experiences with child protection services: A synthesis of qualitative evidence ’, Children and Youth Services Review , 113 , p. 104974 .

Email alerts

Citing articles via.

• Recommend to your Library

Affiliations

• Online ISSN 1468-263X
• Print ISSN 0045-3102
• Copyright © 2024 British Association of Social Workers
• About Oxford Academic
• Publish journals with us
• University press partners
• What we publish
• New features  
• Open access
• Institutional account management
• Rights and permissions
• Get help with access
• Accessibility
• Advertising
• Media enquiries
• Oxford University Press
• Oxford Languages
• University of Oxford

Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University's objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide

• Copyright © 2024 Oxford University Press
• Cookie settings
• Cookie policy
• Privacy policy
• Legal notice

This Feature Is Available To Subscribers Only

Sign In or Create an Account

This PDF is available to Subscribers Only

For full access to this pdf, sign in to an existing account, or purchase an annual subscription.

KU ScholarWorks

• Enroll & Pay
• KU Directory
•   KU ScholarWorks
• Social Welfare

Social Welfare Dissertations and Theses

Search within this collection:

Recent Submissions

Parenting intervention effects on reunification: A randomized trial of PMTO in foster care 

Development and Initial Validation of a Measure for Early Childhood Program Readiness for Data Driven Decision 

Humanizing Migration: A qualitative case study of a Learning Delegation to the United States/Mexico border 

Characterizing the developmental heterogeneity of connectedness to school or work during the transition into adulthood 

Exploring the Potential Relationship between Historical Trauma and Intimate Partner Violence among Indigenous Women 

Effects of a Restorative Justice Based Intervention on Peer Victimization and Positive Youth Development Outcomes at the Middle School Level 

Birth Parent Involvement at a System Level in Child Welfare: Exploring the Perspectives of Birth Parents in Parent Partner Programs 

Family, Friends, and Romantic Partners’ Influence on Mental Health Recovery among Emerging and Middle-aged Adults with Serious Mental Illness 

Volunteerism among Older Adults with Mobility-Limiting Disabilities: An Exploratory Study 

Health and Employment for Adults with Serious Mental Illness: An Examination of Physical Health Conditions, Healthcare Utilization, Health-Related Quality of Life, and Employment 

Financial Capability, Money Management, and Developmental Resources for Young Children in Low-Income Families 

Associations between Financial Inclusion, Liquid Assets, Income Shocks, and Later Housing Instability in Households Headed by a Single Mother 

Reconceptualizing social work’s person-in-environment perspective : explorations in radical environmental thought 

Sexual Objectification, Self-Objectification, Body Appreciation, and Quality of the Sexual Relationship in Relation to Preventative Sexual Health Behaviors in a Sample of Emerging Adult Women 

Economic Conditions and Risk for Child Physical Abuse per Maternal Report: The Mediating Roles of Parenting Stress, Depression, and Domestic Violence 

A Pilot Study of MY VOICE: Strengths-Based and Self-Directed Recovery Planning 

Job Satisfaction of Social Workers in Nursing Homes: Nursing Home Type and Culture Change Affiliation 

Older Adults in Nursing Homes: Assessing Relationships Between Multiple Constructs of Social Integration, Facility Characteristics, and Health 

Bridging the Dichotomy between Micro and Macro Practice in Social Work: A Study of Clinical Social Work Practice with Domestic Violence Survivors 

A study of thirty-two early adoptive placements by the Kansas children’s service league 1954-1957 

The University of Kansas prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, age, ancestry, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, marital status, parental status, gender identity, gender expression and genetic information in the University’s programs and activities. The following person has been designated to handle inquiries regarding the non-discrimination policies: Director of the Office of Institutional Opportunity and Access, [email protected] , 1246 W. Campus Road, Room 153A, Lawrence, KS, 66045, (785)864-6414, 711 TTY.

Advertisement

Understanding and Promoting Child Wellbeing After Child Welfare System Involvement: Progress Made and Challenges Ahead

• Published: 01 May 2023
• Volume 7 , pages 1–17, ( 2024 )

Cite this article

• Sarah A. Font   ORCID: orcid.org/0000-0002-4022-5517 1 &
• John D. Fluke 2 , 3  

237 Accesses

Explore all metrics

Although the negative repercussions of child abuse and neglect are well-established, many countries continue to struggle with mounting an effective and supportive response for children and families. The child welfare system—which takes varying forms depending on the time period and country—is the primary governmental institution tasked with responding to concerns about abuse and neglect. These systems face significant challenges in protecting and supporting children, as well as sustained criticism for their tactics and potential for inflicting harm. This commentary seeks to (1) take stock of major achievements in understanding, measuring, and tracking the nature and impacts of child welfare system involvement; (2) identify the key barriers that inhibit our understanding of CWS impacts on children’s wellbeing; and (3) suggest the elements of a research and evaluation agenda for moving the field forward.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price includes VAT (Russian Federation)

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Rent this article via DeepDyve

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

The Importance of Parenting in Influencing the Lives of Children

The Power of Authenticity and Cultural Safety at the Intersection of Healthcare and Child Protection

Risk and Protective Factors for Child Maltreatment: a Review

Cultural health is an overall preventative framework applied primarily in the context of indigenous populations (Kral, 2016 ) where supports for cultural identity reinforce resilience and contribute to wellbeing. Research is promising but scant. However, there are also broader implications for addressing other groups of children and families where support for traditional and non-traditional culture may co-occur with wellbeing.

Administration for Children and Families. (2012). Information memorandum: promoting social and emotional well-being for children and youth receiving child welfare services (ACYF-CB-IM-12–04). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families, Children’s Bureau. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/im1204.pdf

Administration for Children and Families. (2014). Final notice of statewide data indicators and national standards for Child and Family Services Reviews . Children’s Bureau.

Administration for Children and Families. (2017). Child and family services reviews round 3 findings 2015–2016 . https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/cb/cfsr_round3_findings_2015_2016.pdf

Administration for Children and Families. (2019). Title IV-E prevention services clearinghouse . https://preventionservices.abtsites.com/program?page=1

Administration for Children and Families. (2020). First-of-its-kind national partnership aims to redesign child welfare into child- and family well-being systems . https://www.acf.hhs.gov/media/press/2020/first-of-its-kind-national-partnership-aims-to-redesign-child-welfare-into-child-and-family-well-being-systems

Al-Eissa, M. A., Saleheen, H. N., AlMadani, S., AlBuhairan, F. S., Weber, A., Fluke, J. D., Almuneef, M., & Casillas, K. L. (2016). Determining prevalence of maltreatment among children in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Child: Care, Health and Development, 42 (4), 565–571. https://doi.org/10.1111/cch.12325

Article   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Angel, B. Ø., & Blekesaune, M. (2017). Placement characteristics and stability: A longitudinal analysis of Norwegian children in foster homes. Child & Family Social Work, 22 (1), 236–245. https://doi.org/10.1111/cfs.12223

Article   Google Scholar  

Anyon, Y., Bender, K., Kennedy, H., & Dechants, J. (2018). A systematic review of Youth Participatory Action Research (YPAR) in the United States: Methodologies, youth outcomes, and future directions. Health Education & Behavior, 45 (6), 865–878. https://doi.org/10.1177/1090198118769357

Axenfeld, J. B., Blom, A. G., Bruch, C., & Wolf, C. (2022). Split questionnaire designs for online surveys: the impact of module construction on imputation quality. Journal of Survey Statistics and Methodology , smab055. https://doi.org/10.1093/jssam/smab055

Bae, H., & Kindler, H. (2017). Child maltreatment re-notifications in Germany: Analysis of local case files. Children and Youth Services Review, 75 , 42–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.02.012

Baer, J. C., & Martinez, C. D. (2006). Child maltreatment and insecure attachment: A meta-analysis. Journal of Reproductive and Infant Psychology, 24 (3), 187–197. https://doi.org/10.1080/02646830600821231

Bald, A., Chyn, E., Hastings, J. S., & Machelett, M. (2019). The causal impact of removing children from abusive and neglectful homes . National Bureau of Economic Research. https://www.nber.org/papers/w25419

Baron, E. J., & Gross, M. (2022). Is there a foster care-to-prison pipeline? Evidence from quasi-randomly assigned investigators (Working Paper No. 29922; Working Paper Series). National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w29922

Barth, R. P. (1999). After safety, what is the goal of child welfare services: Permanency, family continuity or social benefit? International Journal of Social Welfare, 8 (4), 244–252.

Barth, R. P. (2001). Policy implications of foster family characteristics. Family Relations, 50 (1), 16–19.

Barth, R. P., Jonson-Reid, M., Greeson, J. K. P., Drake, B., Berrick, J. D., Garcia, A. R., Shaw, T. V., & Gyourko, J. R. (2020). Outcomes following child welfare services: what are they and do they differ for black children? Journal of Public Child Welfare, 0 (0), 1–23. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2020.1814541

Barth, R. P., Berrick, J. D., Garcia, A. R., Drake, B., Jonson-Reid, M., Gyourko, J. R., & Greeson, J. K. P. (2021). Research to consider while effectively re-designing child welfare services. Research on Social Work Practice , 10497315211050000. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315211050000

Berger, L. M., Cancian, M., Han, E., Noyes, J., & Rios-Salas, V. (2015). Children’s academic achievement and foster care. Pediatrics, 135 (1), 109–116. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2014-2448

Berrick, J. D., Peckover, S., Pösö, T., & Skivenes, M. (2015). The formalized framework for decision-making in child protection care orders: A cross-country analysis. Journal of European Social Policy, 25 (4), 366–378. https://doi.org/10.1177/0958928715594540

Bick, J., & Nelson, C. A. (2016). Early adverse experiences and the developing brain. Neuropsychopharmacology, 41 (1). https://doi.org/10.1038/npp.2015.252

Biehal, N. (2007). Reuniting children with their families: Reconsidering the evidence on timing, contact and outcomes. British Journal of Social Work, 37 (5), 807–823. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcl051

Bipartisan Budget Act, Pub. L. No. 115–123 (2018). https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/253

Brännström, L., Vinnerljung, B., & Hjern, A. (2015). Risk factors for teenage childbirths among child welfare clients: Findings from Sweden. Children and Youth Services Review, 53 , 44–51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2015.03.018

Brownell, M., Nickel, N., Turnbull, L., Au, W., MacWilliam, L., Ekuma, O., Valdivia, J., McCulloch, S., & Lee, J. B. (2018). The overlap between the child welfare and youth justice systems in Manitoba, Canada. International Journal of Population Data Science, 3 (4), Article 4. https://doi.org/10.23889/ijpds.v3i4.636

Bywaters, P., Brady, G., Sparks, T., & Bos, E. (2016). Inequalities in child welfare intervention rates: The intersection of deprivation and identity. Child & Family Social Work, 21 (4), 452–463.

Bywaters, P., Kwhali, J., Brady, G., Sparks, T., & Bos, E. (2017). Out of sight, out of mind: Ethnic inequalities in child protection and out-of-home care intervention rates. The British Journal of Social Work, 47 (7), 1884–1902. https://doi.org/10.1093/bjsw/bcw165

Bywaters, P., Scourfield, J., Jones, C., Sparks, T., Elliott, M., Hooper, J., McCartan, C., Shapira, M., Bunting, L., & Daniel, B. (2020). Child welfare inequalities in the four nations of the UK. Journal of Social Work, 20 (2), 193–215. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017318793479

Casanueva, C., Tueller, S., Dolan, M., Testa, M., Smith, K., & Day, O. (2015). Examining predictors of re-reports and recurrence of child maltreatment using two national data sources. Children and Youth Services Review, 48 , 1–13. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2014.10.006

Child Welfare Information Gateway. (2015). Health-care coverage for youth in foster care—and after . U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Chor, K. H. B., McClelland, G. M., Weiner, D. A., Jordan, N., & Lyons, J. S. (2015). Out-of-home placement decision-making and outcomes in child welfare: A longitudinal study. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 42 (1), 70–86. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10488-014-0545-5

Article   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Courtney, M. E., Terao, S., & Bost, N. (2004). Midwest evaluation of the adult functioning of former foster youth: conditions of youth preparing to leave state care . Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago. http://www.tndev.net/mbs/docs/reference/Child_Welfare_System_National/Midwest_Study_Former_Foster_Youth.pdf

Crum, W. (2010). Foster parent parenting characteristics that lead to increased placement stability or disruption. Children and Youth Services Review, 32 (2), 185–190. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.08.022

DeShaney v. Winnebago County Dept. Of Social Servs., 489 US 189 (Supreme Court 1988).

Dettlaff, A. J., Weber, K., Pendleton, M., Boyd, R., Bettencourt, B., & Burton, L. (2020). It is not a broken system, it is a system that needs to be broken: The upEND movement to abolish the child welfare system. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 14 (5), 500–517. https://doi.org/10.1080/15548732.2020.1814542

Doyle, J. J., Jr. (2007). Child protection and child outcomes: Measuring the effects of foster care. American Economic Review, 97 (5), 1583–1610. https://doi.org/10.1257/aer.97.5.1583

Esposito, T., Chabot, M., Caldwell, J., Webb, C., Delaye, A., Fluke, J. D., Trocmé, N., & Bywaters, P. (2022). The differential association of socioeconomic vulnerabilities and neglect-related child protection involvement across geographies: multilevel structural equation modeling. Children and Youth Services Review, 138 , 106505. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2022.106505

EuroChild. (2021). Better data for better child protection systems in Europe . https://www.eurochild.org/resource/better-data-for-better-child-protection-systems-in-europe/

Fallesen, P. (2013). Time well spent: The duration of foster care and early adult labor market, educational, and health outcomes. Journal of Adolescence, 36 (6), 1003–1011. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2013.08.010

Fallesen, P. (2014). Identifying divergent foster care careers for Danish children. Child Abuse & Neglect, 38 (11), 1860–1871. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2014.08.004

Fallesen, P., Emanuel, N., & Wildeman, C. (2014). Cumulative risks of foster care placement for Danish children. PLoS ONE, 9 (10), e109207. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0109207

Article   ADS   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Fathallah, S., & Sullivan, S. (2021). Away from home youth experiences of institutional placements in foster care (p. 142). Think of Us. https://www.thinkof-us.org/case-studies/away-from-home

Federal Register. (2019). Adoption and foster care analysis and reporting system (Vol. 84, No. 76). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families, Administration on Children, Youth and Families. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2019-04-19/pdf/2019-07827.pdf

Fluke, J. D., Corwin, T. W., Hollinshead, D. M., & Maher, E. J. (2016). Family preservation or child safety? Associations between child welfare workers’ experience, position, and perspectives. Children and Youth Services Review, 69 , 210–218.

Fluke, J. D., Baumann, D. J., Dalgleish, L., & Kern, K. (2022). Decisions to protect children: a decision making ecology. In J. Korbin & R. Krugman (Eds.), Handbook of Child Maltreatment (2nd ed., pp. 611–626). Springer.

Font, S. A., & Gershoff, E. T. (2020a). Foster care and “best interests of the child”: Integrating research, policy, and practice. Springer . https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-41146-6

Font, S. A., & Gershoff, E. T. (2020b). Foster care: How we can, and should, do more for maltreated children. Social Policy Report, 33 (3), 1–40.

Font, S. A., & Kennedy, R. (2022). The centrality of child maltreatment to criminology. Annual Review of Criminology, 5 (1), 371–396. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-criminol-030920-120220

Font, S. A., Berger, L. M., Slepicka, J., & Cancian, M. (2021). Foster care, permanency, and risk of prison entry. Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency, 58 (6), 710–754. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224278211001566

Font, S. A., Caniglia, M., Kennedy, R., & Noll, J. G. (2022). Child protection intervention and the sexual and reproductive health of female adolescents ages 13 to 17 years. JAMA Pediatrics . https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.6605

Article   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Font, S. A., Maguire-Jack, K., & Dillard, R. (2020a). The decision to substantiate allegations of child maltreatment. In J. D. Fluke, M. Lopez, R. Benbenishty, E. J. Knorth, & D. J. Baumann (Eds.), Decision Making and Judgement in Child Welfare and Protection: Theory, Research, and Practice . Oxford University Press.

Font, S. A., Miyamoto, S., & Pinto, C. (2020b). Child sexual abuse and exploitation in Pennsylvania . Center for Rural Pennsylvania. https://www.rural.palegislature.us/documents/reports/Child-Sexual-Abuse-and-Exploitation-2020.pdf

Font, S. A. (2022). Reflections on the use of evidence in child welfare: a commentary on Barth et al. Research on Social Work Practice , 10497315221079284. https://doi.org/10.1177/10497315221079283

Fostering Connections to Success and Increasing Adoptions Act, Pub. L. No. 110–351 (2008).

Fowler, P. J., Marcal, K. E., Zhang, J., Day, O., & Landsverk, J. (2017). Homelessness and aging out of foster care: A national comparison of child welfare-involved adolescents. Children and Youth Services Review, 77 , 27–33. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.03.017

Gilbert, N. (2012). A comparative study of child welfare systems: Abstract orientations and concrete results. Children and Youth Services Review, 34 (3), 532–536.

Gross, M., & Baron, E. J. (in press). Temporary stays and persistent gains: the causal effects of foster care. American Economic Journal: Applied Economics . https://doi.org/10.1257/app.20200204

Hélie, S., Laurier, C., Pineau-Villeneuve, C., & Royer, M.-N. (2013). A developmental approach to the risk of a first recurrence in child protective services. Child Abuse & Neglect, 37 (12), 1132–1141. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2013.05.001

Jagannathan, R., & Camasso, M. J. (2017). Social outrage and organizational behavior: A national study of child protective service decisions. Children and Youth Services Review, 77 , 153–163. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.03.015

Jonson-Reid, M., Drake, B., Kohl, P., Guo, S., Brown, D., McBride, T., Kim, H., & Lewis, E. (2017). What do we really know about usual care child protective services? Children and Youth Services Review, 82 , 222–229. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2017.09.019

Joseph, M. A., O’Connor, T. G., Briskman, J. A., Maughan, B., & Scott, S. (2014). The formation of secure new attachments by children who were maltreated: An observational study of adolescents in foster care. Development and Psychopathology, 26 (1), 67–80.

Kim, H., & Drake, B. (2019). Cumulative prevalence of onset and recurrence of child maltreatment reports. Journal of the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 58 (12), 1175–1183. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaac.2019.02.015

Kim, H., Wildeman, C., Jonson-Reid, M., & Drake, B. (2017). Lifetime prevalence of investigating child maltreatment among US children. American Journal of Public Health, 107 (2), 274–280.

Kim, S., Yoo, J. P., Chin, M., Jang, H. J., Kim, H.-S., Lee, S.-G., & Lee, B. J. (2019). Factors influencing resubstantiation of child neglect in South Korea: A comparison with other maltreatment cases. Asian Social Work and Policy Review, 13 (1), 100–116. https://doi.org/10.1111/aswp.12160

Konijn, C., Admiraal, S., Baart, J., van Rooij, F., Stams, G.-J., Colonnesi, C., Lindauer, R., & Assink, M. (2019). Foster care placement instability: A meta-analytic review. Children and Youth Services Review, 96 , 483–499. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.12.002

Kral, M. J. (2016). Suicide and Suicide Prevention among Inuit in Canada. The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry, 61 (11), 688–695. https://doi.org/10.1177/0706743716661329

Lee, B., Fuller-Thomson, E., Trocmé, N., Fallon, B., & Black, T. (2016). Delineating disproportionality and disparity of Asian-Canadian versus White-Canadian families in the child welfare system. Children and Youth Services Review, 70 , 383–393. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2016.10.023

Maguire-Jack, K., Font, S. A., & Dillard, R. (2020). Child protective services decision-making: The role of children’s race and county factors. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 90 (1), 48–62. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000388

Melinder, A., van der Hagen, M. A., & Sandberg, K. (2021). In the best interest of the child: The Norwegian approach to child protection. International Journal on Child Maltreatment: Research, Policy and Practice, 4 (3), 209–230. https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-021-00078-6

Merritt, D. H. (2020). How do families experience and interact with CPS? The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, 692 (1), 203–226. https://doi.org/10.1177/0002716220979520

Munro, E. R., Mølholt, A.-K., & Hollingworth, K. (2016). Leaving care in the UK and Scandinavia: is it all that different in contrasting welfare regimes? In P. Mendes & P. Snow (Eds.), Young People Transitioning from Out-of-Home Care: International Research, Policy and Practice (pp. 199–219). Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55639-4_10

Nelson, C. A., Zeanah, C. H., Fox, N. A., Marshall, P. J., Smyke, A. T., & Guthrie, D. (2007). Cognitive recovery in socially deprived young children: The Bucharest Early Intervention Project. Science, 318 , 1937–1940. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1143921

Article   ADS   CAS   PubMed   Google Scholar  

Nuffield Foundation. (2021). Child protection and support in urgent need of reform as COVID-19 increases risk of serious harm to young children . https://www.nuffieldfoundation.org/news/child-protection-and-support-in-urgent-need-of-reform

Ohashi, H., Wada, I., Yamaoka, Y., Nakajima-Yamaguchi, R., Ogai, Y., & Morita, N. (2018). Cumulative risk effect of household dysfunction for child maltreatment after intensive intervention of the child protection system in Japan: A longitudinal analysis. Environmental Health and Preventive Medicine, 23 (1), 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12199-018-0703-6

Article   CAS   PubMed   PubMed Central   Google Scholar  

Pelton, L. H. (2016). Separating coercion from provision in child welfare: Preventive supports should be accessible without conditions attached. Child Abuse & Neglect, 51 (1), 427–434.

Article   MathSciNet   Google Scholar  

Pösö, T., Skivenes, M., & Hestbæk, A.-D. (2014). Child protection systems within the Danish, Finnish and Norwegian welfare states—time for a child centric approach? European Journal of Social Work, 17 (4), 475–490. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691457.2013.829802

Pösö, T., Pekkarinen, E., Helavirta, S., & Laakso, R. (2018). ‘Voluntary’ and ‘involuntary’ child welfare: Challenging the distinction. Journal of Social Work, 18 (3), 253–272. https://doi.org/10.1177/1468017316653269

Putnam-Hornstein, E. (2011). Report of maltreatment as a risk factor for injury death a prospective birth cohort study. Child Maltreatment, 16 (3), 163–174. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559511411179

Roberts, K. (2019). Foster care and child welfare [Dissertation, Clemson University]. https://tigerprints.clemson.edu/all_dissertations/2375

Rouland, B., & Vaithianathan, R. (2018). Cumulative prevalence of maltreatment among new Zealand children, 1998–2015. American Journal of Public Health, 108 (4), 511–513. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2017.304258

Ryan, J. P., Jacob, B. A., Gross, M., Perron, B. E., Moore, A., & Ferguson, S. (2018). Early exposure to child maltreatment and academic outcomes. Child Maltreatment, 23 (4), 365–375. https://doi.org/10.1177/1077559518786815

Sariaslan, A., Kääriälä, A., Pitkänen, J., Remes, H., Aaltonen, M., Hiilamo, H., Martikainen, P., & Fazel, S. (2022). Long-term health and social outcomes in children and adolescents placed in out-of-home care. JAMA Pediatrics, 176 (1), e214324. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamapediatrics.2021.4324

Schaefer Riley, N. (2021). Why kids in foster care end up sleeping in offices. Dallas News . https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2021/10/05/why-kids-in-foster-care-end-up-sleeping-in-offices/

Schofield, G., & Beek, M. (2005). Providing a secure base: Parenting children in long-term foster family care. Attachment & Human Development, 7 (1), 3–26. https://doi.org/10.1080/14616730500049019

Smyke, A. T., Zeanah, C. H., Fox, N. A., Nelson, C. A., & Guthrie, D. (2010). Placement in foster care enhances quality of attachment among young institutionalized children. Child Development, 81 (1), 212–223. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2009.01390.x

Tarja, P., & Marit, S. (2021). Adoption from care: international perspectives on children’s rights, family preservation and state intervention . Policy Press. https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv1n1brv7

The Local. (2015). Norway child welfare service in $3m lawsuit. The Local Norway . https://www.thelocal.no/index.php/20150529/norway-child-services-sued-for-3m-for-lost-childood

Trocmé, N. M., Tourigny, M., MacLaurin, B., & Fallon, B. (2003). Major findings from the Canadian incidence study of reported child abuse and neglect. Child Abuse & Neglect, 27 (12), 1427–1439. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2003.07.003

Trocmé, N., Knoke, D., & Blackstock, C. (2004). Pathways to the overrepresentation of Aboriginal children in Canada’s child welfare system. Social Service Review, 78 (4), 577–600.

U.S. Children’s Bureau. (2015). A national look at the use of congregate care in child welfare . https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/resource/congregate-care-brief

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2016). Title IV-E of the Social Security Act; Comprehensive Child Welfare Information Systems (CCWIS); Final Rule ACYF-CB-IM-16–0 . https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/im1602.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2020). The AFCARS Report: Preliminary FY 2019 estimates as of June 23, 2020 (No. 27). https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/afcarsreport27.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021a). Child Maltreatment 2019 . Administration for Children and Families. https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/documents/cb/cm2019.pdf

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. (2021b). Freeing children for adoption within the adoption and safe families act timeline . Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. https://aspe.hhs.gov/reports/freeing-children-adoption-within-adoption-safe-families-act-timeline

UNICEF. (2022). Children in alternative care . https://www.unicef.org/eca/reports/children-alternative-care

Warburton, W. P., Warburton, R. N., Sweetman, A., & Hertzman, C. (2014). The impact of placing adolescent males into foster care on education, income assistance, and convictions. Canadian Journal of Economics/revue Canadienne D’économique, 47 (1), 35–69. https://doi.org/10.1111/caje.12064

Wilson, S. J., Price, C. S., Kerns, S. E. U., Dastrup, S. D., & Brown S. R. (2019). Title IV-E Prevention Services Clearinghouse Handbook of Standards and Procedures, version 1.0 (OPRE Report # 2019–56). Office of Planning, Research, and Evaluation, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Winokur, M. (2019). Core services program annual evaluation report calendar year 2018 . Colorado State University. https://spl.cde.state.co.us/artemis/huserials/hu1201internet/hu12012018internet.pdf

Wise, S. (2017). Developments to strengthen systems for child protection across Australia [Text]. https://aifs.gov.au/cfca/publications/developments-strengthen-systems-child-protection-across-australia

Wulczyn, F., Alpert, L., Monahan-Price, K., Huhr, S., Palinkas, L. A., & Pinsoneault, L. (2015). Research evidence use in the child welfare system. Child Welfare, 94 (2), 141–165.

Google Scholar  

Xu, Y., He, N., Lu, W., & Fluke, J. (2021). Understanding factors associated with barefoot social workers’ decision making in assessing and reporting child physical abuse in China. Child Abuse & Neglect, 120 , 105177. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chiabu.2021.105177

Yi, Y., Edwards, F. R., & Wildeman, C. (2020). Cumulative prevalence of confirmed maltreatment and foster care placement for US children by race/ethnicity, 2011–2016. American Journal of Public Health, 110 (5), 704–709. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2019.305554

Zurich Municipal. (2021). Child Abuse Negligence Claim Against Local Authority Fails . https://www.zurich.co.uk/news-and-insight/child-abuse-negligence-claim-against-local-authority-fails

Download references

The authors did not receive funding for this article.

Author information

Authors and affiliations.

Pennsylvania State University, University Park PA, 612 Oswald Tower, State College, 16802, USA

Sarah A. Font

Department of Pediatrics, Kempe Center for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse & Neglect, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Aurora, USA

John D. Fluke

Department of Epidemiology, Colorado School of Public Health, Anschutz Medical Campus, The Gary Pavilion at Children’s Hospital Colorado, 13123 East 16Th Avenue, B390, Aurora, CO, 80045, USA

You can also search for this author in PubMed   Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Sarah A. Font .

Ethics declarations

Conflict of interest.

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher's note.

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Springer Nature or its licensor (e.g. a society or other partner) holds exclusive rights to this article under a publishing agreement with the author(s) or other rightsholder(s); author self-archiving of the accepted manuscript version of this article is solely governed by the terms of such publishing agreement and applicable law.

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Font, S.A., Fluke, J.D. Understanding and Promoting Child Wellbeing After Child Welfare System Involvement: Progress Made and Challenges Ahead. Int. Journal on Child Malt. 7 , 1–17 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-023-00166-9

Download citation

Accepted : 19 April 2023

Published : 01 May 2023

Issue Date : March 2024

DOI : https://doi.org/10.1007/s42448-023-00166-9

Share this article

Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:

Sorry, a shareable link is not currently available for this article.

Provided by the Springer Nature SharedIt content-sharing initiative

• Child welfare system
• Child protection
• Foster care
• Find a journal
• Publish with us
• Track your research

Children's rights, child well-being, and material deprivation in international contexts

• Original file (PDF) 1.9 MB
• Cover image (JPG) 221.1 KB
• Full text (TXT) 421.6 KB
• MODS (XML) 10.9 KB
• Dublin Core (XML) 4.4 KB
• NDLTD (XML) 5.2 KB
• Report accessibility issue

Reflections on Child Welfare Areas of Practice, Issues, and Service Populations

Sociological autobiographies: volumes 1 & 2, to purchase and download these collections, click here. see below for essay excerpts..

Introduction We are pleased to share this two-volume group of essays written in connection to CWLA’s 100th anniversary in 2020. The essays, in the form of “sociological autobiographies”—a term coined by sociologist Robert K. Merton to describe personal reflections within the context of a larger time period—offer insights and discuss child welfare developments, changes in practice over the years, and where we are today related to selected child welfare areas of practice, program, policy, issues, and services. In very individual and pointed ways, these essays detail the success and challenges of child welfare services and highlight the need for continuous learning and improvement.

Many of the essays were written just as the COVID-19 pandemic and its impacts hit the United States and profoundly affected the agencies, workers, and families who comprise the child welfare system. This ongoing public health crisis presents a real-time challenge to child welfare; these essays, however, show that because of the nature of child welfare, societal flux and fear always falls within our purview. The child welfare system is, in many ways, built for crisis.

Several of these essays focus on our increasing understanding of the needs of all children, regardless of race, color, age, disability, familial status, religion, sexual orientation/gender identity and expression, genetic information, language, religion, nationality, ethnic or social origin, political beliefs, citizenship, or any other factor. They also serve as a reminder of the important voices of those with lived experience and the power of shared responsibility in working with children and families.

I encourage everyone to read these essays. They will remind you of the work that we have done over the last 100 years, the progress that we have made, and the crucial significance of our continued fight to ensure our CWLA National Blueprint for Excellence in Child Welfare vision that all children will grow up safely, in loving families and supportive communities, with everything they need to flourish—and with connections to their culture, ethnicity, race, and language. —Christine James-Brown, President & CEO, CWLA

TABLE OF CONTENTS: VOLUME 1

Separation, Loss, and Trauma: Past, Present, and Future Trends in Child Welfare Victoria Kelly

Reflections on the Journey toward Competent Policies, Practices, and Programs for Youth who are LGBTQ+ Gerald P. Mallon

A Change to Remember: One Community’s Rebirth of their Child Welfare System Susan Ripley

Child Welfare: Laws May Change, but Attitudes Remain the Same LaShanda Taylor Adams

A Changing Perspective on Child Welfare: From Teen Mom to Seasoned Professional Deborah Wilson Gadsden

Ohio’s Medicaid Behavioral Health Redesign: Helping Children and Families Impacted by Substance Use Disorder Isabella Hu, Andrea O’Brien, and Brittany R. Pope

Reflections on Permanency: A Personal and Organizational Journey Lesli Suggs and Michael Semel

TABLE OF CONTENTS: VOLUME 2

Child Welfare at the Crossroads: Observations on Evolution and Challenges Katharine Briar-Lawson, Heather Larkin, and Samantha T. Rini

Tackling Racial Disparities in New York City’s Child Welfare System David A. Hansell

A Century-long Pathway to Permanency: The Transformation of the Child Welfare System Joseph M. Costa

Unadoptable is Unacceptable: The Right to a Family and a Home at any Age Rita L. Soronen

Dismantling Implicit Bias in Child Welfare Ronald E. Richter

Supporting a Safe Culture that Surfaces Problems: Transforming Child Welfare into High-Reliability Organizations Heather H. Kestian

Seeing the Forest through the Trees: Rethinking the Meaning of ‘Child Welfare’ Anita Weinberg

Value prop about becoming a member

• Bibliography
• More Referencing guides Blog Automated transliteration Relevant bibliographies by topics
• Automated transliteration
• Relevant bibliographies by topics
• Referencing guides

Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Child Welfare System'

Create a spot-on reference in apa, mla, chicago, harvard, and other styles.

Consult the top 50 dissertations / theses for your research on the topic 'Child Welfare System.'

Next to every source in the list of references, there is an 'Add to bibliography' button. Press on it, and we will generate automatically the bibliographic reference to the chosen work in the citation style you need: APA, MLA, Harvard, Chicago, Vancouver, etc.

You can also download the full text of the academic publication as pdf and read online its abstract whenever available in the metadata.

Browse dissertations / theses on a wide variety of disciplines and organise your bibliography correctly.

Xiao, Li. "The Enlightenment of Swedish Child Welfare to China : A Comparative Study of Swedish and Chinese Child Welfare." Thesis, Högskolan i Halmstad, Akademin för hälsa och välfärd, 2021. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:hh:diva-45281.

Reich, Jennifer Anne. "Reforming families : parents, power, and the child welfare system /." For electronic version search Digital dissertations database. Restricted to UC campuses. Access is free to UC campus dissertations, 2002. http://uclibs.org/PID/11984.

Owens, Rebecca Sheree, and Courtney Marques Roushion. "Overrepresentation of African Americans in the child welfare system: Differential treatment in risk assessment by public child welfare workers." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2006. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3006.

Jones, Pamela Janice. "Disproportion of African American children in child welfare system crisis." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2007. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3198.

Jewell, Trevor. "Martu tjitji pakani : Martu child rearing and its implications for the child welfare system." University of Western Australia. Social Work and Social Policy Discipline Group, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0147.

Estefan, Lianne Fuino. "Navigating the Child Welfare System: An Exploratory Study of Families' Experiences." Scholar Commons, 2011. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/3094.

Nixon, Lucia A. "Child support enforcement policy : effects on families and the welfare system." Thesis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1995. http://hdl.handle.net/1721.1/11897.

Cunningham, Dana Claire. "African American children in the child welfare system: An American tragedy." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2001. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1895.

Markowitz, Tracy. "Short-term Attachment Outcomes of Infants in the Child Welfare System." Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2015. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1438465544.

St, Hillaire Kim. "A critical analysis of the child welfare system and attempts to reclaim clinical practice /." Thesis, McGill University, 2002. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=78191.

Lloyd, Jacqueline. "Exploring identity-based conflicts and stakeholder relationships in Ontario's child welfare system." Thesis, National Library of Canada = Bibliothèque nationale du Canada, 2000. http://www.collectionscanada.ca/obj/s4/f2/dsk2/ftp03/MQ54558.pdf.

Sharrock, Patty. "Efforts to Engage Parents and Case Outcomes in the Child Welfare System." Scholar Commons, 2013. http://scholarcommons.usf.edu/etd/4579.

Maciejewski, Anne. "A case study : examining the perceptions of national court appointed special advocate association volunteers on the current child welfare system in Illinois /." View online, 2003. http://repository.eiu.edu/theses/docs/32211131143337.pdf.

Jones, Flora Mae. "The disproportionate representation of blacks in the child welfare system of the County of Los Angeles and decision-making practices of child welfare workers." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2007. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3226.

Ocasio, Tracy L. "An investigation of the current trends in the modern day child welfare system." Instructions for remote access. Click here to access this electronic resource. Access available to Kutztown University faculty, staff, and students only, 2002. http://www.kutztown.edu/library/services/remote_access.asp.

Long, Kania Alexince. "PERCEPTIONS ABOUT DISPROPORTIONALITY AND DISPARITY AMONG BLACK FAMILIES WITHIN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/700.

Moten, Clevester. "An Ethnography of African American Parents' Perceptions About Exiting the Child Welfare System." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/4938.

Flores, Angelique T. "Children, incarcerated mothers and the child welfare system| A systematic review of the literature." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1522568.

This review of the literature explored the particular risks facing children between the ages of 0-18 with incarcerated mothers who are also involved in the child welfare system, the programs and social support services available to them, and the effectiveness of the existing types of programs in the United States working with child welfare agencies towards the reunification of mothers with their children. This literature review analyzed the content of22 empirically researched articles from the last 15 years. Results of this literature review found that children with incarcerated mothers show higher rates of problem behaviors, including delinquency, psychosocial maladjustment, and school difficulties. Additionally, studies showed that while social support services and programs are available to incarcerated mothers and children, a comprehensive strategy needs to be created between child welfare and criminal justice systems to develop uniform methods for information-sharing and coordination of services that foster family reunification on a national level.

Dominguez, Bertha M. "Support group for Latino immigrant parents in the child welfare system| A grant proposal." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1586501.

The purpose of this project was to locate a potential funding source and write a grant to provide Latino immigrant parents involved in the child welfare system a support group which assists them during the family reunification and/or family maintenance process. An in-depth literature review regarding Latino immigrants represented in the child welfare system was performed in order to gain knowledge about prevalent risk factors, child maltreatment allegation trends, cultural characteristics, and effective interventions. Latino immigrant parents involved in the child welfare system encounter many barriers which include but are not limited to poverty, language limitations, cultural differences, legal status, inadequate employment, and educational background. The proposed support group is intended to enhance parental knowledge about the child welfare system and increase coping and empowerment skills of the Latino immigrant population. The actual funding and submission of this grant were not requirements for the successful completion of this academic project.

Owens, Avius A. "Case managers' perceptions of parental methamphetamine use on the Cobb county child welfare system." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 2008. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/2083.

Usigbe, Ehizele Angel, and Sheila Maria Mendoza. "THE DISPROPORTIONALITY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM: A COMMUNITY PERSPECTIVE." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/397.

Smith, Marquita Marie. "THE DISPROPORTIONALITY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CHILDREN IN THE CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM: SOCIAL WORKER PERCEPTION." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2017. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/539.

Bond, Jocelyne Coan. "Separated by the Child Welfare System: The Journey of One Set of Fraternal Twins." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7856.

Wood, Daneeka. "A community outreach program for youth within the child welfare system| A grant proposal." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2017. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10259731.

Children who experience abuse and neglect are at risk for failure to thrive and may suffer consequences in their cognitive, behavioral, and social development. Because of exposure to maltreatment, some children may not have access to valuable social and recreational experiences as needed to enhance their cognitive, behavioral, and social development, and improve their overall quality of life. Research states that the intervention of an overnight or day-to-day recreational camp is an experience for children that has proven to be highly effective for children within the child welfare population. The purpose of this project was to write a grant proposal for a community outreach program that the YMCA of Greater Whittier will use to recruit and serve vulnerable youth at their recreational camp site, Camp Arbolado. Implications for social work practice are discussed. The submission for funding for this grant was not required for successful completion of this project.

Mendoza, Natasha S. "Single mothers, substance misuse and child well-being examining the effects of family structure and service provision in the child welfare system /." Columbus, Ohio : Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc%5Fnum=osu1243514455.

Anthony, Stephanie Nichole. "Teacher attributions, expectations, and referrals for students involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems." Diss., University of Iowa, 2014. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/1426.

Canada, Deborah. "The strength of the sash : the Métis people and the British Columbia child welfare system." Thesis, University of British Columbia, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/2429/42150.

Edwards, Cicely M. "A family visitation program for families involved in the child welfare system| A grant proposal." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1589611.

The purpose of this grant project was to design a family visitation program, identify potential funding sources and write a grant application for the agency Friends of the Family located in North Hills, California. This grant project provides a review of the literature on the risk factors that impact reunification rates among children and families; it also examine the importance of visitation and the effectiveness of visitation programs. The program, Reach out and Reunify (ROAR) is designed to increase visitation rates among families who receive family reunification services at DCFS. ROAR will also serve underserved areas of San Fernando, and Panorama City. The Stuart Foundation was selected to fund the visitation program to increase family reunification rates among children and families in the foster care system. Actual submission and/or funding of the grant was not a requirement for completion of this project. Implications for social work practice are discussed.

Renteria, Yadira. "Respite services for post-adoption families transitioning from the child welfare system| A grant proposal." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10004148.

The purpose of the grant proposal was to collaborate with a host agency to incorporate respite care as an additional support for post-adoption families adopting from the Los Angeles child welfare system. A literature review was conducted to examine the needs and challenges of post adoptive families as well as the benefits of respite care within other populations faced with similar needs and challenges. The respite care program will be implemented at Olive Crest in Los Angeles County as part of the Adoption Promotion and Support Services Program (APSS). The goal of this program is to provide additional supportive services to parents caring for children with special needs and prevent adoption disruption or dissolution. Submission and funding of this grant was not a requirement for the completion of the project.

Torres, Guadalupe Citlalli, and Victoria Vanesa Mariscal. "SOCIAL WORKERS PERSPECTIVES OF THE PROTECTIVE AND RISK FACTORS THAT AFFECT YOUTH IN THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM AND CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2016. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/324.

Mendoza, Natasha Stella. "Single Mothers, Substance Misuse and Child Well-being: Examining the Effects of Family Structure and Service Provision in the Child Welfare System." The Ohio State University, 2009. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1243514455.

Jones, Amber. "Therapy groups for African American mothers with children involved in the child welfare system| A grant proposal." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1603341.

The purpose of this thesis project was to write a grant proposal to secure funding for “Power to the She,” a program for low-income, single African American mothers with children in the child welfare system. A literature review was conducted to examine topics related to mental health issues among African American women and how they impact parenting. The purpose of the proposed program was to improve the emotional, mental state, and overall functioning of low-income, single African American mothers involved in the child welfare system through the implementation of services such as culturally congruent and trauma focused group therapy, self-esteem building, parenting trainings, and empowerment presentations to facilitate dialogue around systems of oppressions that impact their daily lives. The Jason Hayes Foundation was identified as the potential funder. The actual submission or funding of this grant proposal was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.

Rodriguez, Lorena. "Enhancing cultural humility with Latino families| A training curriculum for social workers within the child welfare system." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2015. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1605180.

Child welfare workers are required to practice cultural competency when working with families, in order to appreciate how their values and traditions affects child welfare workers assisting families. Cultural competency does not take into account the personal experiences of the families in the child welfare system nor does it allow the child welfare worker to accept that he may not have all the resources needed due to a lack of cultural understanding. This curriculum will utilize the concept of cultural humility to bring awareness of how the personal experiences and cultural values of the families in the child welfare system can assist in assessment and establishment of positive relationships of Latino families. The curriculum will discuss the differences between cultural competency and cultural humility, Latino values and parenting practice, and will include case studies and role-playing scenarios to practice the concepts learned.

Andrews, Michael J. "Client empowerment in mentoring program for minority male youth in the child welfare system| A grant proposal." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10032300.

The purpose of this project was to write a grant to develop a mentoring program for foster youth. The program will be designed for minority male youth, ages 12 to 18, and will espouse the Recovery Model. This model seeks to promote client empowerment by allowing the minority males to have a say in the selection of mentors. The client will have a large state in their treatment plan and other goals concerning permanency following departure from the out of home foster care environment.

A literature review was conducted in order to provide empirical evidence in support of a mentoring program. The mentoring program will be located in Ettie Lee Youth & Family Services, located in Los Angeles County. The actual submission or funding of this grant was not a requirement for the successful completion of the project.

Chaulagai, Som. "Understanding Childhood- Everyday Life and Welfare System, from the point of view of Childcare Workers in Finland." Thesis, Linköpings universitet, Tema Barn, 2015. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-119519.

Thompson, Matthew L. "Increasing the equitability of substance abuse services for fathers involved in the child welfare system| A grant proposal." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2013. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1523102.

Children enter foster care due to substance abusing-parents at a significant rate. Even when reunified, children are at risk for re-entry into care due to the nature of addiction. Child welfare agencies favor the mother as the caregiver and focus of services. Fathers are viewed as unnecessary or dangerous despite evidence of the benefits of their involvement. Evidence-based practices have been developed for women in substance abuse treatment, while limited advances have occurred for men. This is true in San Luis Obispo County, where mothers can receive evidence-based perinatal programs with enhanced contact with their children when compared to fathers. The purpose of this project was to create a grant proposal that could be submitted to obtain funding for a gender-responsive addiction treatment and attachment parenting program for fathers of children ages 0-5. Actual submission and/or funding of this grant were not a requirement for successful completion of this project.

Woodman, Kimberly K. Creasey Gary L. "An examination of the nature of attachment, identity, and adjustment in adolescents adopted from the child welfare system." Normal, Ill. : Illinois State University, 2005. http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?index=0&did=1221659101&SrchMode=1&sid=1&Fmt=2&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1177270146&clientId=43838.

Shrifter, Courtney Nicole. "Child Welfare and Delinquency: Examining Differences in First-Time Referrals of Crossover Youth within the Juvenile Justice System." PDXScholar, 2012. https://pdxscholar.library.pdx.edu/open_access_etds/649.

Delgado, Steven Joseph, and Amanda Marie Fuerte. "CHILD WELFARE WORKERS’ PERSPECTIVES ON PLACEMENT INSTABILITY AND THE IMPACTS ON FOSTER YOUTH." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/661.

Barwick, Melanie A. (Melanie Anne). "The educational needs of youth in the child welfare system : a case study of two social affairs schools in Québec." Thesis, McGill University, 1992. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=39527.

Kaufman, Angela M. "Keeping the White Family Together: Racial Disparities in the Out-of-Home Placements of Maltreated Children." Bowling Green State University / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=bgsu1306351829.

Torres, Vanessa E. "Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children| A Prevention Program for Girls in the Child Welfare and/or Juvenile Justice System." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10784207.

The purpose of this project was to write a grant and locate a funder to provide a commercial sexual exploitation of children (CSEC) prevention course for female youth in the child welfare and/or juvenile justice system. Caregivers and social service professionals will also be included. There is great demand for the proposed program as an increasing number of youth, specifically those involved in the child welfare system and/or juvenile justice system, are at risk for CSEC.

The proposed program will provide education of risk factors that can lead to CSEC as well as how to identify potential victims. The identified youth, caregivers, and social service professionals will attend their respective courses. The youth’s course will be held at Olive Crest in the City of Bellflower, located in Service Planning Area (SPA) 7 of Los Angeles County. The caregivers’ and social service professionals’ courses will be held in probation and Department of Children and Family Services offices within the same area. The Hearst Foundation was chosen as the potential funder.

The actual submission of the grant application was not a requirement of the thesis project.

Casebolt, Megan Tara. "The Vatsalya Udayan: A system of care for Indian orphans." Ohio University Honors Tutorial College / OhioLINK, 2011. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=ouhonors1306372717.

Duncan, Shara. "A safety organized practice training program for contracted service providers in the Ventura County child welfare system| A grant proposal." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2016. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10046251.

Child abuse and neglect often leads to a child's removal, necessitating the intervention of the Juvenile Dependency Court. Parents are provided with services aimed at mitigating the risk factors leading to the removal and safely facilitating reunification. Therefore, the purpose of this project was to develop a grant to fund a Safety Organized Practice training program focusing on family engagement for service providers contracted with Ventura County Children and Family Services. The proposed training program would provide specialized training to child welfare professionals in order to increase the quality of interventions provided by child welfare professionals, enhance the quality of their visitations with families, and help promote improved reunification rates. The potential funding source for this grant was the W.K. Kellogg Foundation as this program coincides with the foundation's focal beneficiaries. The actual submission and/or funding of this grant was not required for the successful completion of the project.

LeBlanc, Denis 1977. "Working in a post-colonial system : whose voices are being silenced and heard in the narratives of native child welfare workers?" Thesis, McGill University, 2003. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=83165.

den, Dunnen Wendy. "A Systemic Analysis of the Child Welfare System: Understanding the Strengths and Needs of In-Home and Out-Of-Home Children and Examining the Role of Foster Child Factors on the Fostering Experience." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2017. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/35671.

Shames, Linda. "Rate of symptoms of dual diagnosis in the child welfare system in Canada : profile of adolescents and their caregiver in the CIS-2003." Thesis, McGill University, 2007. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=100744.

Hopton, Jennifer. "Assessment of the Needs of Complex Trauma-Exposed Boys and Girls in the Child Welfare System: Symptom Profile, Gender Differences, and Placement Disruption." Thesis, Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/10393/34192.

Johnson-Dalzine, Patricia. "An analysis of the interorganizational relationships among three types of organizations participating in a protective service system /." The Ohio State University, 1986. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1487266011221457.

Cocozza, Madeleine. "The Parenting of Society : From Report to Support." Doctoral thesis, Linköpings universitet, Barn- och ungdomspsykiatri, 2007. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-10713.

• Public Lectures
• Faculty & Staff Site >>

Gatzert Child Welfare Fellowship

2024-25 application deadline: tuesday, april 16, 2024 at noon (12 p.m. pt). .

Apply via MyGrad Program  through the ‘Request Award’ > ‘Request New Award’ links. 

The Gatzert Child Welfare Fellowship is a one-quarter fellowship awarded for the writing of a doctoral dissertation that contributes to the lives of children with disabilities. The Gatzert Fellowship includes one quarter of UW state tuition and fees,  GAIP insurance , and a stipend at the regular  Predoctoral TA II rate  (currently $3,076 per month). The fellowship was established in the 1930s by the Bailey and Babette Gatzert Foundation for Child Welfare.

Eligibility

Students in any academic discipline whose research focuses on supporting the lives of children with disabilities are eligible. To be considered for this fellowship, the applicant must:

• have achieved doctoral candidate status at the time of application
• have demonstrated progress on the dissertation which indicates completion by the end of spring quarter 2025 or sooner
• Be in a tuition-based program; students in fee-based programs are not eligible
• not have received another dissertation writing award from the Graduate School (e.g., GSEE, Presidential Dissertation, etc.)
• competitive applications will propose research that is focused on children with disabilities rather than research that has children with disabilities as one possible group for whom the research would apply;
• Originality of the dissertation research;
• Potential of the student to make significant scholarly contributions;
• Student is both ready and in need of a full quarter to work on writing the dissertation.

Application 

No late materials will be accepted; applications will not be considered unless they are complete and submitted by the deadline.

Application Materials:

• Footnotes may be 10-point, single-spaced and are included in the four-page statement limit. 
• Bibliography or endnotes are limited to one, single-spaced page and are not considered part of the four-page statement limit.
• Timeline  of expected dissertation activities and specifically during the planned fellowship quarter (not to exceed one single-spaced page).
• The significance of the research;
• The progress made to-date, including the anticipated completion date;
• If appropriate, the nature and importance of the candidate’s contribution to a team project;
• The student’s status and performance in the program in comparison with other recent students
• Curriculum vitae   
• An unofficial copy of the  current UW transcript

Requirements

The fellowship must be used during the 2024-25 academic year (summer 2024–spring 2025). The choice of the quarter will be left to the discretion of the student.

The purpose of the fellowship is to facilitate full-time work on writing the dissertation. During the tenure of the fellowship, service responsibilities such as teaching and research are typically suspended. Students must enroll in at least ten credits during the quarter in which they receive the fellowship (except for summer quarter when two credits are required). 

Contact the Office of Fellowships and Awards:  [email protected]  or 206.543.7152.

Awardee Stories

2021 gatzert fellows contribute to the lives of children with disabilities, announcing the 2022 gatzert child welfare fellows, 2023 gatzert child welfare awardees support disability justice and mobility.

Return to List of Fellowships