14 research outputs found
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Unclaimed Children Revisited: Focusing on Outcomes—A Case Study of the Michigan Level of Functioning Project
The major aim of Unclaimed Children Revisited is to identify policy-supported state efforts to promote quality of care for children and youth with mental health conditions in the public mental health system. The Michigan Case Study examines one such initiative - Michigan’s Level of Functioning Project (LOF). It is a 14 year-old effort to monitor and improve outcomes for children and youth with severe emotional disturbance (SED), through the use of the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), a research-based tool that measures children’s daily functioning. The LOF aims to gather data on outcomes for children and youth with SED served through Michigan’s public mental health system. This data can then be used to inform decision-making at the policy and service delivery levels
Recommended from our members
Unclaimed Children Revisited: Focusing on Outcomes—A Case Study of the Michigan Level of Functioning Project
The major aim of Unclaimed Children Revisited is to identify policy-supported state efforts to promote quality of care for children and youth with mental health conditions in the public mental health system. The Michigan Case Study examines one such initiative - Michigan’s Level of Functioning Project (LOF). It is a 14 year-old effort to monitor and improve outcomes for children and youth with severe emotional disturbance (SED), through the use of the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS), a research-based tool that measures children’s daily functioning. The LOF aims to gather data on outcomes for children and youth with SED served through Michigan’s public mental health system. This data can then be used to inform decision-making at the policy and service delivery levels
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Family Child Care in the United States
This research brief summarizes the literature review entitled Child Care in the United States written by Taryn W. Morrissey of the Department of Human Development, Cornell University, for Research Connections, and addresses the following questions: What is family child care? What do we know about family child care providers? What do we know about who uses family child care? What do we know about the quality of family child care? This brief will also describe forthcoming studies on family child care and future areas of research in family child care
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Demographics of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care in the United States
A review of research on the characteristics of users and providers of family, friend, and neighbor care (FFN), and a review of research on FFN usage patterns by children's age
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Demographics of family, friend, and neighbor child care: Table of methods and findings
A table outlining the research methodologies, populations, sources of data, and findings of select studies on the provision and use of family, friend, and neighbor care in the United State
What Can CCDF Learn from the Research on Children's Health and Safety in Child Care?
A major goal of CCDF is to provide low-income children with access to high-quality care that supports their health and safety. Research underscores the role of health and safety in child care in supporting children's physical, cognitive, and social-emotional development, all of which contribute to their school readiness. Regulations vary widely across states, and more needs to be learned about how regulations, enforcement of regulations, and supports could best improve child outcomes
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Quality in Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care Settings
Currently, more than 60 percent of children in the United States under the age of 5 are in some type of non-parental child care on a regular basis (Johnson, 2005) and care by family, friends, and neighbors (FFN care) is the most common form of nonparental child care in the nation (Maher & Joesch, 2005; Sonenstein, Gates, Schmidt, & Bolshun, 2002; Snyder, Adelman & Dore, 2005). Infants and toddlers, regardless of family income or household structure, are predominantly cared for by family, friends, and neighbors. One state study in Minnesota, for example, found that 78 percent of children under the age of 3 were in FFN care (Chase, 2005). National studies show that nearly half of all children (under the age of 6) spend time in family, friend, and neighbor care (Boushey & Wright, 2004), and nearly a quarter of school-age children are cared for by FFN caregivers (Capizzano, Tout, & Adams, 2000; Snyder & Adelman, 2004). Recognizing the widespread use of FFN care, a number of national and state agencies have invested public funds to support the use and strengthening of family, friend, and neighbor care. For instance, since 1988 parents can use federal child care subsidies (through the Child Care and Development Fund) to pay for care by a FFN caregiver, and currently nearly a quarter (22 percent) of all children who receive federal child care subsidies use FFN care (U.S. Child Care Bureau, 2009). Additionally, more than 25 percent of states now fund quality improvement initiatives specifically aimed at family, friend, and neighbor child care (Porter & Rivera, 2005). New understanding of how the quality of various early childhood settings affects child outcomes has led to increased attention regarding quality at the state and federal levels and prompted policymakers, researchers, and parents to ask more careful questions about the quality of care across settings, including FFN care. To date, much of the research on the quality of child care has explored the quality of care offered in licensed child care settings (that is child care centers and family child care homes). Given that FFN caregivers are generally exempt from state regulation (depending on the state), only need to meet basic health and safety requirements to receive CCDF payments for providing care, and therefore not required to meet defined program standards, the quality of the care children are receiving in FFN care is of primary importance. This review examines the current research on the quality of family, friend, and neighbor care
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Comprehensive Obesity Prevention in Early Childhood: Promising Federal and State Initiatives
The prevalence of obese and overweight children in the United States has nearly tripled during the past 30 years. In 2010, approximately 17 percent of all children and adolescents (ages 2-19) were obese (BMI is in the 95th percentile or above). The number of obese children within each age group has also increased. Among preschool children aged 2 to 5, obesity increased from five percent to 10.4 percent between 1976-1980 and 2007-2008; from 6.5 percent to 19.6 percent among those aged 6 to 11; and among adolescents aged 12 to 19, obesity increased from five percent to 18.1 percent during the same period. Being obese or overweight is harmful for a child's short-term and long-term development. Obese and overweight children are more likely to be sick more often, perform more poorly in school, have poorer emotional wellbeing, and are at greater risk for chronic health problems than children who are not obese or overweight. Childhood obesity can also lead to an array of health problems later in life including a higher risk of being an obese adult. Without concerted interventions to reduce childhood obesity, the life expectancy for today's children will be shorter than that of their parents. Even the nation's youngest children are at risk for obesity. Approximately one of every four children ages 2 to 5 years in the United States has a high (> 85th percentile) body mass index and about one in 10 is obese (> 95th percentile). The increased number of obese and overweight children under 5 suggests that obesity prevention should occur early in life to be the most effective. Research indicates that food intake patterns are established in early childhood, predict a child's eating habits as an adult, and have long-term effects on health and metabolism. Likewise, evidence suggests that higher levels of physical activity are associated with a reduced risk of excessive weight gain over time in younger children. Parents and caregivers of young children, therefore, play a large role in helping children form healthy eating and physical activity habits
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Demographics of Family, Friend, and Neighbor Child Care in the United States
A review of research on the characteristics of users and providers of family, friend, and neighbor care (FFN), and a review of research on FFN usage patterns by children's age
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Addressing the Mental Health Needs of Young Children in the Child Welfare System: What Every Policymaker Should Know
This issue brief explores what we currently know about the prevalence of young children (ages birth to 5) in the child welfare system, how the occurrence of maltreatment or neglect affects their development, and the services currently offered versus needed for these young children