Virginia Child Protection Newsletter: There is a body of literature that illustrates the importance of the larger community in child abuse and neglect prevention. This idea reflects the importance of community involvement both at the macro or, the entire community and the micro or, the neighborhood levels. Provides numerous examples of Virginia organizations partnering for prevention. 94 Link to pdf Newsletter
Tag Archives: child maltreatment
Final Evaluation Report Illinois Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse Waiver Demonstration
Alcohol and other drug abuse are major problems for the children and families involved with public child welfare. Substance abuse compromises appropriate parenting practices and increases the risk of child maltreatment. It is estimated that one-half of children taken into foster care in Illinois are removed from families with serious drug problems. Because substance abuse delays reunification, children removed from such families tend to remain in care for significantly longer periods of time. Since 2000, the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services has been engaged in developing, implementing and modifying a coaching intervention to speed up parental recovery from substance abuse and in turn improve child and family outcomes. This report serves as the independent evaluation of efforts. Link to Report
Developmental Neuroscience, Children’s Relationships with Primary Caregivers, and Child Protection Policy Reform
Hastings Law Journal: Part I of this Article address the state’s relationship with children and families, and the law’s recognition of the centrality of children’s primary caregivers typically their parents to children’s well-being.
Part II critiques certain aspects of our legal system’s predominant response to child maltreatment.
Part III reviews recent research on the effects of child maltreatment, with special attention to developmental neurobiological findings.
Part IV addresses some implications of these findings for child protection policy and sets forth recommendations that are consistent with the empirical research and responsive to the critiques set forth in Part II.
The heavy toll exacted by child maltreatment extends far beyond the individuals who are the direct victims of maltreatment. It is borne by the entire society, “reverberating across relationships, generations, and communities.” If policymakers make the right investments, the combined wisdom gleaned from the efforts of multiple scientific disciplines can pave the pathways to the development of effective preventive and intervention strategies that decrease the risks faced by children and promote children’s resilience in coping with those risks that remain. Link to pdf Law Journal Article
Responding to Childhood Trauma: The Promise and Practice of Trauma Informed Care
This paper works to increase appreciation of the relevance of trauma in understanding children and in planning to meet their needs. It discusses the vulnerability of children and the unique needs of traumatized children. Part 1 on the challenge of childhood trauma provides a synopsis of child development and the differential responses to trauma, identifies risk and protective factors related to child maltreatment, explains the magnitude of the problem of trauma and consequences related to child psychiatric disorders, adult psychiatric disorders, juvenile and criminal justice, women who have been traumatized, inappropriate interventions, and the psychological effects of trauma on children. Part 2 on trauma-informed care reviews key components of trauma informed care, strength based approaches and the promotion of resilience, the use of the public health model, and programmatic approaches to trauma informed care. Recommended public policies at the federal, State, and local levels are also discussed, and a list of suggested reading is provided. Link to Brief
Quality Improvement Center for Early Childhood (QIC-EC) Learning Network Update
The goal of the QIC-EC Learning Network is to engage a broad and diverse group of professionals in dialogue and information exchange on key issues related to the prevention of child maltreatment. Participants have helped in shaping the Learning Network topics and by providing data via survey during the QIC-EC’s early years. Through the Learning Network, the QIC-EC disseminates cutting-edge information on policy, research, and practice, which influences and informs the work of the Learning Network members and their colleagues. Link to Update
What You Need to Know about Child Well-Being and Serving Children in Family Drug Courts
July 11, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention: Parental substance use disorders are a factor in majority of CWS cases. Research linking the two issues is compelling. Substance use and child maltreatment are often multi-generational problems that can only be addressed through a coordinated approach across multiple systems working in conjunction to address the needs of both the parents and the children. Link to pdf Slides