Let’s Talk About it: Caregivers’ Perspective on Communication About Sexuality with Foster Youth

Foster youth are particularly at risk for pregnancy and are 2.5 times more likely to become pregnant by age 19 than their peers that are not in the child welfare system (Comlossy, 2013). Researchers have gathered that parents and children are commonly apprehensive when it comes to discussing sexual health and reproduction. Limited research has been conducted regarding the roles of caregivers as advocates for youth and caregivers’ perceptions of how to carry out this role as an educator. This study aims to further investigate caregivers’ beliefs of their self-efficacy levels in assisting youth with their sexual health and reproduction

Child Abuse and Neglect in Nevada

Child maltreatment in Nevada reflects the general social, economic, and health conditions within the state and its local communities. This chapter starts with various definitions of child abuse and neglect, focusing on the approach adopted by Nevada legislators and comparing it with competing definitions. Next, this report examines child abuse and neglect rates in Nevada and tracks the progress the state has made toward achieving its goals related to child welfare outcomes, including child protection and safety, child permanency, and child well-being. The discussion then moves to the most promising child welfare intervention practices and approaches. Finally, the chapter outlines the emerging trends and future directions in child welfare, focusing in particular on workforce development opportunities and related policy alternatives. At the end of this report, readers will find Appendix A, listing major child welfare data sources and Appendix B, identifying key child and family-serving agencies’ management information systems in Nevada

Implementation Science and Fidelity Measurement: A Test of the 3-5-7 Model™

Children and youths engaged with the child welfare system can experience grief and loss as a result of trauma, broken relationships, and inadequate attachments. Interventionists are often challenged to implement effective strategies that help youths to reestablish trusting relationships and to promote overall psychological well-being. A 5-year federal demonstration project funded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau, guided by an implementation science model, sought to increase well-being in youths age 12–21 who were involved in the child welfare system. The 3-5-7 Model™, a strengths-based approach that empowers children, youths, and families to engage in grieving and integrating significant relationships, was studied. A fidelity system was created in order to test the model. Important lessons about implementation science guided the work of the demonstration project. Although definitive conclusions could not be reached, several indicators of psychological well-being were found to be associated with high levels of fidelity to the 3-5-7 ModelTM. Suggestions for future research are offered

Becoming Smart about Relationship Building: Foster Care Youth and the Use of Technology

Key Findings: Youth participants reported satisfaction with services and positive feelings about the smartphone. The youth participants felt that the smartphone gave them a “voice” and control over the people with whom they wanted to talk. Certain phone restrictions developed by project leadership were unenforceable. Youth had certain expectations about the phone and its use but when the phone did not work or was “locked” (e.g., for data overuse) it created friction between the youth and their service provider. Service-providers report that the phones help to create a sense of normalcy for the youth. Youth “were able to be normal kids ... they were able to do the things with those phones, that their classmates, that their peers ... do with those phones.” Some caregivers felt that the phones usurped their parental authority and that the expectations for how the youth would (or would not) use the phone was not realistic

Game Change: What Have We Learned? Pt. 2

Share Knowledge. Change Lives. Transform our Community. Our Mission: The Lincy Institute at UNLV conducts and supports research that focuses on improving Nevada\u27s health, education, and social services. Our Research Areas: Education, Health, Social Services, Information Technolog

Culture and Coping: Kinship caregivers\u27 experiences with stress and strain and there relationship to child well-being

Given the diverse ethnic makeup of the 3 million U.S. children who reside with kinship caregivers, it is imperative that human service professionals understand caregiving from a broad cultural perspective. In this survey research study, the caregiving experiences of 656 African American, Asian American, European American, Latino American, and Native American kinship caregivers were compared and contrasted. The caregivers share many of the same overall parenting experiences; however, there were differences in how they experience stress and strain and how this affects their sense of readiness/capacity to parent and their childrearing experiences. Likewise, kinship caregivers’ perceptions of the well-being of the children in their care are influenced by ethnicity, the number of children in their care, and their annual incomes. The findings may suggest the influence of culture on stress and strain as well as cultural variations in perceptions of child well-being. The findings provide a direction for practitioners who are engaged in work with culturally diverse kinship caregivers