Welfare to Work: What are the Obstacles?

U.S. welfare reform initiatives are based on the assumption that the primary barriers to economic independence are individual deficits. However, the policy does not adequately account for situational and personal factors necessary for a successful transition from welfare to work. Without greater attention to these barriers, the policy is likely to fail or be implemented at high personal cost to recipients and their families. This paper uses a personin- environment social systems framework to examine the personal and family resources available to a group of women who were receiving AFDC and participating in an urban Head Start program. Structured interviews and literacy assessments with 77 AFDC recipientsp articipatingi n a Head Start program indicate that the barriers to self-support are not related to substance abuse, health problems, deficits in literacy, or a lack of interest in work. However, most caregivers do not have adequate training or education to prepare them to compete in the job market, nor do they feel equipped to find a job on their own. The results with respect to family resources are mixed. While families possess a number of coping mechanisms, caregivers have little support from social network members for day-to-day child care activities. The implications of the findings for welfare policy are discussed

Introduction to the Special Issue: Mothers of children in foster care

This article introduces the special issue of Children and Youth Services Review devoted to single mothers with children in foster care. It delineates the policy context in which mothers are operating; examines reasons for mothers' temporary loss of custody of their children, a loss that occurs when their children are placed in foster care; presents expectations of mothers once they enter the public child welfare system; and summarizes empirical and theoretical papers included in the volume intended to advance policy and practice for this population. Taken together, these papers reflect one over-arching theme--the need to re-orient child welfare policy and practice so that the rehabilitation, health, and well-being of mothers is one of the central aims.Mothers Foster care Custody loss Reunification

Depression among Latino children in the public child welfare system

The purpose of this paper is to explore depression longitudinally among Latino children and youth, 7 years and older, who had contact with the public child welfare system. The National Survey on Children and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) was analyzed by Latino origin to uncover within group differences in depression. Latent growth models were employed to: 1) explore the rate and severity of depression longitudinally, and 2) examine the predictive role of parental immigration status and Latino origin on children's depression symptomatology over three years. The growth model results indicated that Latino children's depression levels varied at baseline, yet the rate of change over time was very similar. Moreover, the initial rate and severity of children's depression was related to future depressive symptomatology. In addition, older children tended to report higher levels of depression than younger children. The predictive model revealed that change in depression rates over time varied by Latino origin. Mexican and Puerto Rican children experienced higher levels of depression compared to children from other Latino origins. Although Mexican children's depression symptoms tended to decrease over time, the change occurred at a slower rate compared to children from other Latino origins. Puerto Rican children's depression symptoms increased compared to children from other Latino origins. Implications for practice are discussed. Recommendations are made for including contextual factors in assessment models and research with Latino families involved with the public child welfare system.Latino families Mental health Child welfare

Parenting Stress Among Child Welfare Involved Families: Differences by Child Placement

The intersection of parenting stress and maltreatment underscores the importance of understanding the factors associated with parenting stress among child welfare involved families. This study takes advantage of a statewide survey of child welfare involved families to examine parent and child characteristics and concrete resources, in relation to parenting stress. Separate multivariate analyses were conducted by placement status given the difference in day-to-day parenting responsibilities for families receiving in-home supervision compared to those whose children are in out-of-home care. Across both groups, parenting stress was predicted by child mental health, a finding with critical implications for intervention to this vulnerable group of families. Parent mental health also predicted parenting stress for the in-home group and food insecurity predicted parenting stress in the out-of-home group. Findings confirm that stress varies by context and that a multi-dimensional framework, considering both psychosocial and concrete resources, is required to capture contributors to parenting stress

Mothers' experiences, resources and needs: The context for reunification

This paper extends prior scholarship regarding the characteristics of mothers involved with the child welfare system. In-person interviews were conducted with a statewide sample of 747 mothers, 318 with children remaining in home and 429 with children in care, to examine their socio-demographic and psychosocial characteristics as well as service needs. Mothers were mostly impoverished, struggling to meet basic needs, and coping with early trauma, mental health problems, substance abuse and domestic violence. Almost half reported an annual income of less than $10,000 and 70% were unemployed, but few received public benefits with the exception of food stamps. Mothers with children in care experienced greater economic hardship than mothers whose children remained in home. The implications of the findings are discussed.Integrated services Substance abuse Child welfare Women Mothers

Community-based, consumer-directed services: Differential experiences of people with mild and severe intellectual disabilities

Two intervention concepts have become widely accepted in the developmental disability field: (1) that residential services should be provided in the person\u27s own home and (2) that consumers should have choice in services.Yet, there has been litde empirical research to support these practices. In particular, it is unclear whether some individuals are better able to gain access to services delivered under this practice framework and experience more benefits than others. This study uses data from Washington State\u27s National Core Indicators 2002 consumer survey to address these questions.Two subgroups, the first having a severe intellectual disability (ID) profile (n = 101) and the second having a mild ID profile (n = 220), were identified in the data set and compared. Individuals with mild intellectual disabilities experienced greater choice and smaller residential settings than did those with severe intellectual disabilities. Next, a multigroup path analysis assessed paths from size of living unit and consumer choice to community inclusion, revealing significant relationships between variables for the severe group but not for the mild group