Child Protection and Practice最新文献

{"title":"Associations between child maltreatment and dating violence among Brazilian college students","authors":"Joana Milan Lorandi ,&nbsp;Sidnei R. Priolo Filho ,&nbsp;Andreia Isabel Giacomozzi ,&nbsp;Luciana C. Assini-Meytin","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100118","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100118","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>The association between childhood maltreatment – a type of adverse childhood experience (ACE) - and dating violence is well-established in high-income countries. However, evidence on the relationship between childhood maltreatment and dating violence in low and middle-income countries is limited.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>We examined the associations between childhood maltreatment and dating violence among college students in Brazil.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Participants consisted of a convenience sample of students recruited primarily from undergraduate courses in two states in southern Brazil.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Data were collected through an online survey between December 2020 and August 2021. The analytic sample consisted of 503 participants, most of whom were women (71%), with an average age of 24 years. The survey instrument included questions about ACEs, including four types of childhood maltreatment (sexual, physical, emotional abuse, and neglect), and dating violence. Statistical analyses included univariate descriptive analyses, chi-squared tests, and two-step linear regressions. Stratified analyses by gender were also conducted.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>Our study highlights the association between childhood maltreatment and dating violence among university students in southern Brazil. Those with a history of maltreatment are more likely to perpetrate and experience dating violence. In addition, our findings highlight associations between childhood sexual abuse and dating violence victimization among women, and substance use with dating violence perpetration among men.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The findings of this study underscore the need for dating violence prevention services on college campuses, particularly for students with a history of childhood maltreatment and adverse experiences.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100118"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143488008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cultural adaptation and validation of Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) for child protection services","authors":"Marie-Joëlle Robichaud ,&nbsp;Isabelle-Ann Leclair Mallette ,&nbsp;Célyne Lalande ,&nbsp;Elisabeth Plante ,&nbsp;Rosita Vargas Diaz ,&nbsp;Mélanie Bourque","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100114","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100114","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Various survey reports published since the 1980s point to the historical persistence of difficult practice conditions for practitioners working in Quebec's youth protection system. The absence of validated measurement tools capable of describing, comparing over time, and detecting indicators in practice makes it difficult to analyze the impact of reforms on the safety culture of professionals.</div></div><div><h3>Objectives</h3><div>(1) Present the process of translating and adapting the Safety Attitude Questionnaire (SAQ) in a youth protection context, (2) test the construct validity of the French version of the SAQ for youth protection (SAQ-Fr-PJ), (3) document each subscale's reliability in terms of internal consistency.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>309 youth protection workers from six regions of Quebec completed the experimental version of the SAQ-Fr-PJ.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The SAQ-Fr-PJ translation and cultural adaptation process comprised four phases: 1) preliminary version development, 2) preliminary version evaluation and cross-cultural adaptation, 3) evaluation of statement clarity (pretest), 4) experimental version development.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>A confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare several models. The model selected corresponds to the original structure of the SAQ - Short Form, excluding two items. Fit indices suggest acceptable construct validity for this model. Internal consistency is good, with Cronbach's alpha values ranging from 0.712 to 0.879.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The results of our study, the first to complete the translation and cross-cultural adaptation of the SAQ to the French youth protection context, support the reliability and validity of the original six-dimension model. The SAQ-Fr-PJ may help to understand and compare the dimensions of safety culture in the future.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100114"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143520338","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Gendered and transactional relationships: Children's experiences of being parented and perspectives on their relationships with their parents in Uganda","authors":"Godfrey E. Siu ,&nbsp;Carolyn N. Byekwaso ,&nbsp;Emmanuel Asher Ikwara ,&nbsp;Richard Sekiwunga ,&nbsp;Rebecca Bates ,&nbsp;Danny Wight","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100115","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100115","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Positive parent-child engagement is crucial for children's well-being and social development, yet perceptions of parenting practices vary among children.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study explored Ugandan children's perspectives on parenting, focusing on their experiences and views regarding corporal punishment, parental relationships, and gender roles.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Qualitative data were collected from 20 children aged 10–14 years in Uganda, through in-depth interviews.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Thematic analysis was employed to analyze data, identifying key themes related to children's perceptions of parenting practices, including corporal punishment, parental roles, and interactions.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Thematic analysis found that children's views on corporal punishment were contradictory, with some describing it as unjustified and detrimental to their well-being, and others perceiving it as an important aspect of parenting that ensured the child had “good morals” and adhered to social norms. Parental relationships with children were largely transactional, with conversations often centered on practical matters such as schooling and health, particularly led by fathers. Few children emphasized the importance of affection and quality interaction. Children, especially boys, experienced greater freedom in non-stereotypical gender roles. Witnessing parental conflict was emotionally challenging for children, impacting their perception of family life.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Whilst policy and legislation in Uganda aims to restrict corporal punishment, the intended primary beneficiaries – children, perceive it differently, some endorsing its role in moral upbringing. Parental relationships are transactional and reinforce gendered socialization. These findings highlight complex issues for parenting interventions, and underscore the need for practices that align with children's perceptions and emotional well-being.</div></div><div><h3>Implications for practice</h3><div>Interventions should consider children's perspectives on discipline and parenting roles, and promote non-violent disciplinary strategies and enhance emotional communication within families to foster healthier parent-child relationships.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100115"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143529777","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An ecologic analysis on the associations between child maltreatment and COVID-19 vaccination, incidence and mortality: A Georgia statewide analysis","authors":"Sadhana Durbha ,&nbsp;Justin Xavier Moore ,&nbsp;Nisha Kashyap ,&nbsp;Shannon Self-Brown ,&nbsp;Ashwini Pandey","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100117","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Child maltreatment (CM) is a significant public health problem. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated risk contexts for families with CM. While preliminary evidence shows increased vaccine hesitancy among parents at high-risk for CM, no studies have explored relationships between CM and actual COVID-19 prevention and health outcomes.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This ecologic study aimed to explore county-level associations between CM allegations, with COVID-19 vaccination, infection, and mortality rates during the height of the pandemic from 2020-21.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>County-level CM allegation rates, collected via intake call data, were obtained from the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS). County-level 2020–2022 COVID-19 data were obtained from the Georgia Department of Public Health.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>County-level CM allegation rates were grouped by quartiles. We conducted a negative binomial regression to model associations between CM allegation rates and cumulative COVID-19 vaccination rates, morbidity, and mortality, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>When adjusting for county-level % Black, % Female, % rural, high school graduation, median household income, and adjusting mortality and infection rates for vaccination rates, counties in the quartile of highest rates of CM allegations showed a 7% lower vaccination rate (p &lt; 0.003) and nonsignificant increases in infection and mortality rates compared to quartiles with the lowest CM allegations.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Findings indicate poor prevention uptake and COVID-19 health outcomes among counties with highest rates of CM allegations. Although limited in causality, these findings suggest the importance of including health promotion strategies in CM prevention and intervention models among at-risk households.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143453959","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An innovative approach to addressing gender-based violence and adverse childhood experiences: An evaluation of the Alliance against Violence and Adversity (AVA) community agency internship program","authors":"Ashley Stewart-Tufescu ,&nbsp;Stefan Kurbatfinski ,&nbsp;Kharah Ross ,&nbsp;Carrie Pohl ,&nbsp;Ian D. Graham ,&nbsp;Nicole Letourneau","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100116","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100116","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Gender-based violence (GBV) and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) are associated with numerous detrimental health, social and economic impacts across the life course. Despite overwhelming evidence of GBV and ACEs as global health concerns, current approaches to prevent and respond to GBV and ACEs have been insufficient to address these problems. Drawing on evaluation and implementation research, innovations in GBV and ACEs training may help solve this problem. This study evaluated the Community Agency Internship Program (CAIP) of the Alliance against Violence and Adversity (AVA), a health research training platform that funds graduate student interns in community agencies focused on GBV and ACEs interventions in Canada. This evaluation focused on interns’ and community agency leaders’ self-reported perspectives of: the interns’ tasks and activities conducted during the internship, barriers and challenges, benefits and impacts, and satisfaction with CAIP.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>A pilot evaluation employed survey data collected between 2022 and 2024. Nine interns and four community agency leaders completed surveys at the conclusion of the CAIP placement. Quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and deductive thematic analysis, respectively.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The CAIP positively impacted interns’ and leaders’ professional practice, goals, and personal growth, with most reporting high satisfaction with the program. Interns became comfortable with the pace of community-based work and engaging with diverse community members. Community agency leaders reported readiness to integrate research within their organizations and emphasized how the CAIP provided them with resources to engage in research and evaluation of their practice and implementation of services.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The AVA CAIP promoted community agencies’ engagement in evaluation activities, and increased reciprocal learning about uptake, dosage, and maintenance of innovative programs to optimize service delivery to address the crisis of GBV and ACEs in Canada.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100116"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143429478","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Time-out placements in residential care: Towards a better understanding of restrictive measures in response to the behavioral manifestations of vulnerable youths","authors":"Sophie T. Hébert ,&nbsp;Sonia Hélie ,&nbsp;Marie-Noële Royer ,&nbsp;Tonino Esposito","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100113","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100113","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Youth in care are significantly more likely to exhibit intense behavioral manifestations (behavior that puts the youth or those around him at risk, or challenges the therapeutic relationship) than are youth in the general population and the majority have a history of multiple traumas. When youth behavior escalate, efforts are made to mitigate these behaviors. In Quebec (Canada), one such strategy is time-out placement (TOP). TOP is a short-term placement whose main objective is to temporarily separate a youth manifesting severe behaviors from the environment in which these behaviors occur. However, literature on trauma-informed practice suggests that TOP may present an increased risk of placement instability.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>Our study aims to analyze differences between youth who have experienced this measure and those who have not in their placement trajectory, in the restrictive measures employed and in their behavior.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>The population (N = 3755) consisted of all youth (12–17 years old) having experienced residential care placement one day or longer, between the years 2014 and 2019, in Montreal.</div></div><div><h3>Method</h3><div>To control the potential effect of trajectory in childhood, a propensity score matching method was used to analyze the data extracted and create two groups based on the presence or absence of TOP in adolescence, then compared using hierarchical logistic regression.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The results show that youth who have been subjected to at least one TOP in adolescence are more likely to exhibit behaviors of such intensity as to prompt the use of restrictive measures, and that the use of TOPs in the context of runaways may be commonplace. Indeed, TOPs are also associated with greater placement instability.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusion</h3><div>Our study supports recommendations to reform the intervention paradigm of child welfare services and institutions, rethinking current approaches to meeting the needs of youths in care to ensure that care becomes more trauma-sensitive.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100113"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-02-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143429476","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Building Black community accountability in child welfare: Provincial contexts and Black service provider experiences across three jurisdictions","authors":"Alicia Boatswain-Kyte ,&nbsp;Travonne Edwards ,&nbsp;Bryn King ,&nbsp;Bukola Salami","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100112","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100112","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The disproportionate representation of Black children in Canadian child welfare systems has spurred significant scrutiny and calls for reform. This study examines the crucial role of Black service providers in Ontario, Quebec, and Alberta in fostering Black community accountability within child welfare. Through focus groups tailored to each jurisdiction, Black service providers working in and adjacent to the child welfare system identified three distinct models of community accountability shaped by provincial contexts. Key themes of race and anti-Black racism, advocacy for Black families, and the complexities of navigating child welfare systems permeated each model. Across all regions, there was a resounding call for increased Black community autonomy in designing and delivering services for Black families, coupled with a desire for federal legislation to enable self-determination and governance of child welfare. The findings underscore the urgent need for a child welfare system that empowers Black communities to address racial disparities more effectively and respond to the protection and service needs of Black children, youth, and families.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143388216","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An exploratory study of decoding signs of child maltreatment: How case and reporter characteristics shape reporting decisions","authors":"Tomohiro Ioku ,&nbsp;Shuma Iwatani ,&nbsp;Yuki Yuyama ,&nbsp;Tomoya Mukai ,&nbsp;Akiko Tanaka ,&nbsp;Yuma Matsuki ,&nbsp;Masahiro Sadamura ,&nbsp;Eiichiro Watamura","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100104","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100104","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background</h3><div>Following the rise in child maltreatment reports to Japan's child welfare system, understanding factors associated with perceptions of potential child maltreatment is crucial for effective intervention.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>This study investigates whether laypeople recognize signs of child maltreatment, and how case characteristics interact with reporter characteristics like social trust, fear of retaliation, and attitudes toward parental punishment in decisions to report maltreatment.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>We recruited 947 Japanese participants using Yahoo Crowdsourcing. The Child Maltreatment Prevention and Treatment Act in Japan mandates reporting suspected abuse, reflecting societal responsibility toward child welfare.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>We used a conjoint analysis approach. The attributes included injury, weight, clothing condition, parental scolding, and facial expressions. We further analyzed data using descriptive statistics, average marginal component effects, and marginal means.</div></div><div><h3>Findings</h3><div>Participants were more likely to choose to report cases with severe or visible signs of physical maltreatment compared with those lacking such signs. Subgroup analysis provided weak evidence of differences in the effect of child maltreatment signs based on levels of social trust and fear of retaliation. However, we found no statistically significant differences related to attitudes toward parental punishment.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Overall, case characteristics are associated with laypeople's reporting of child maltreatment cases, while there is limited evidence of their interaction with reporter attributes. Further research is needed to determine the implications of updating public guidelines.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100104"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143421296","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Demographics and family-related adverse childhood experiences influence developmental and behavioral outcomes in maltreated young children – a real-life study in Singapore","authors":"Chitra G. Ramalingam ,&nbsp;Rashmi A. Mittal ,&nbsp;Wilson C.J. Low ,&nbsp;Lourdes Mary Daniel ,&nbsp;Pratibha K. Agarwal ,&nbsp;Jean Yin Oh ,&nbsp;Li Ming Ong ,&nbsp;Wen Hann Chow ,&nbsp;Oh Moh Chay ,&nbsp;Sita Padmini Yeleswarapu","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100111","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100111","url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Background and objectives</h3><div>Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) are known to affect physical and mental health outcomes. In this study, we investigated the role of demographical factors and ACEs focusing on family-related factors on behavioral and developmental outcomes in young children exposed to maltreatment in Singapore.</div></div><div><h3>Participants and setting</h3><div>Children suspected of maltreatment and their siblings (&lt;4y of age) were prospectively enrolled (n = 112) in a cross-sectional, correlational cohort study recruited through convenience sampling.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>Developmental outcomes were evaluated using Ages and Stages Questionnaire-3 (ASQ-3) and behavioral outcomes by Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Two multivariable logistic regression analyses were conducted: (A)presence/absence of ≥3 ACEs, and (B)effect of family-related ACEs, after controlling for demographics including maternal education and per capita income (PCI).</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The mean ACEs score was 2.8 ± 1.5, with developmental and behavioral concerns in 76% and 27%, respectively. Children with ≥3 ACEs had higher abnormal T-scores on CBCL and lower scores in gross-motor domain (p &lt; 0.05). Logistic regression analysis(A) identified lower PCI as affecting ASQ-3 communication (p = 0.02) and predisposing to concerns in CBCL (p &lt; 0.03), while maternal education ≤12 years was associated with concerns in personal-social and gross-motor domains (p &lt; 0.01). In contrast, in logistic regression analysis(B), caregiver substance abuse was found to adversely affect ASQ-3 communication and problem-solving domains (p &lt; 0.05), and maternal mental illness predisposed children to concerns in CBCL(p &lt; 0.05).</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>Lower family income, lower maternal education, caregiver substance abuse and maternal mental health issues predispose children subjected to ACEs to further delays and behavioral concerns. Early identification and intervention in this high-risk cohort is imperative to mitigate the long-term impact of ACEs exposure.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100111"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143429477","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The intersection of infant substance exposure, foster care placement & child welfare policy","authors":"Abigail Novak ,&nbsp;Colleen K. Gutman ,&nbsp;Vitoria De Francisco Lopes ,&nbsp;Brian B. Boutwell","doi":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100106","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.chipro.2025.100106","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Fetal exposure laws mandate child welfare system referral for infants exposed to substances. Though these laws are relatively common, examinations of the consequences of child welfare system involvement for infants exposed to substances are less frequent. The purpose of this paper was to examine the impact of out-of-home placement at 18 and 36 months for substance-exposed infants. Using the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being II (NSCAWII)'s sample of infants (&lt;1 year) referred to the child welfare system for substance exposure (Feb 2008–April 2009), we used propensity score weighting to assess the association between out-of-home placement in infancy and measures of child attachment, behaviors, and social and cognitive development at 18 and 36 months. Our results indicate out-of-home placement for substance-exposed infants may increase risk of negative developmental outcomes compared to keeping infants in their homes, and suggest social workers and practitioners should be cognizant of alternatives to out-of-home placement when evaluating cases of infant substance exposure. Our results also suggest policies that structure decision-making regarding testing and placement may ultimately help improve child outcomes.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":100237,"journal":{"name":"Child Protection and Practice","volume":"4 ","pages":"Article 100106"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2025-01-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"143274925","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}