The influence of racial perception on the recognition and reporting of child neglect.

BACKGROUND: A major concern in the detection and reporting of child abuse and neglect regards the phenomenon of racial bias. OBJECTIVE: This research examined whether the assessment and/or decision making concerning a case of neglect by Student Guidance Center-workers (SGC) is racially biased. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 238 Flemish SGC-workers participated and filled in the questionnaire. METHODS: A visual vignette was used. SGC-workers were shown pictures of a neglectful situation that randomly varied with respect to whether the child in the picture was colored or white or whether the room was empty. Participants indicated (1) if this was a situation of neglect (yes/no) and (2) if they would report this situation (yes/no). RESULTS: The assessment was influenced by the color of the child with a moderate effect (V = 0.23). In case of a white child, 84 % of the respondents assessed the situation as neglect. In case of an empty room 71 % and in case of a colored child only 58 % assessed the situation as neglect (p = .002). Reporting of the case was not influenced by the color of the child (p = .875). CONCLUSIONS: SGC-workers assessment of neglect appears to be racially biased. White children are considered more as neglected compared to their colored counterparts. Implementing strategies in order to decrease the racial bias is important.

Child abuse and neglect in Brussels during the COVID-19-lockdown.

BACKGROUND: It is likely that the circumstances during the COVID-19-lockdown in Belgium increased the incidence and prevalence of child abuse and neglect (CAN) due to exacerbated risk factors and new COVID-19-related stressors. However, traditional reporters had less contact with children which could lead to undetected cases of CAN. OBJECTIVE: Gain insight into the number and profile of CAN reports filed to the Brussels Confidential Center of Child Abuse and Neglect (CCCAN) during the COVID-19-lockdown. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: A dataset comprising 536 CAN reports from periods before (N = 442) and during the lockdown (N = 94). METHODS: Characteristics about the report, reporter, victim and his/her family, perpetrator(s) and the trajectory with the CCCAN were registered. The number and characteristics of reports during the lockdown were compared to those of reports before the lockdown. RESULTS: The number of advisory questions (p = .506, d = .377) and allegations (p = .095, d = 1.206) remained unchanged. During the lockdown, the risk assessment of advisory questions was higher (p = .011, d = .280), they evolved more into social exigency investigations (p < .001, φ = .246) and were referred more often to judicial authorities (p = .010, φ = .163). Allegations were filed more often by the helpline, police and judicial authorities (p < .001, φ = .590) during the lockdown and involved more Dutch-speaking (p = .016, φ = .166) victims. CONCLUSIONS: The number of CAN reports remained the same during the lockdown but their profile changed.

Psychosocial well-being of Flemish foster children residing in their foster homes during the COVID-19 lockdown.

The measures implemented to contain the COVID-19 pandemic profoundly affected the lives of children and families all around the world, probably affecting children's psychosocial well-being. The negative consequences of lockdowns are presumed to hit even harder on vulnerable groups such as foster children who already struggle with their psychosocial well-being in normal circumstances and who face specific challenges during lockdowns such as: additional help that is no longer available or only offered digitally and physical contact with birth parents that is forbidden. Nevertheless, some scholars point to the positive side of lockdowns (e.g.: relief due to closure of schools). This study aims to asses the psychosocial well-being of Flemish foster children residing in their foster homes during the COVID-19 lockdown and the factors that are associated with the change in their psychosocial well-being. 888 foster parents reported on the psychosocial well-being of just as many foster children through the Brief Assessment Checklist for Children and Adolescents. The COVID-19 lockdown was not associated with a decreased psychosocial well-being of Flemish foster children residing in their foster homes during the lockdown. Foster parents reported a slight improvement in their relationship with their foster child during the lockdown which points to a positive consequence of the lockdown. In addition, this improvement was positively associated with an increased psychosocial well-being during adverse circumstances and should therefore be enhanced. The type and amount of contact with birth parents is significantly associated with foster children's changed psychosocial well-being during the lockdown. Foster parents who reported an increase in alternative contact (e.g., (video)calls and messages) between their foster child and his/her birth parent(s) during the lockdown, also reported an increase in their foster child's psychosocial well-being during that period.

Breakdown of foster care placements in Flanders: incidence and associated factors.

In Flanders, family foster care is increasingly the option of choice for children in need of out-of-home care. Foster care is however an assailable intervention as is shown by the high number of placement disruptions. Knowledge regarding breakdown in Flanders remains scant. This study aimed at investigating the incidence of placement breakdown in Flemish long-term foster care and exploring the association of breakdown with foster child, foster family and case characteristics. Case files of 309 Flemish foster children were analysed. After 6 years, 208 placements had terminated: 90 placements broke down and 118 placements ended positively. Foster child's behavioural problems, conflicts between birth and foster parents and parenting problems of the foster parents were the main causes of placement disruption. Foster children with behavioural problems at admission, older foster children and foster children who denied treatment were more at risk of breakdown. Consideration of these factors is important in view of the appropriateness of family foster care placements.

Adaptation and Evaluation of a Nonviolent Resistance Intervention for Foster Parents: A Progress Report.

Foster care faces serious challenges, such as behavioral problems in foster children and parental stress and ineffective parenting behavior in foster parents. The results of a pilot study that evaluated a training program for foster parents based on nonviolent resistance are described. In a pretest-posttest design, data were collected from 25 families. Significant reductions in externalizing, internalizing, and total problem behavior in the foster children and in parenting stress were found. Using a reliable change index, significant improvements in externalizing, internalizing, and total problem behavior were found in, respectively, 72, 44, and 80% of the cases. Most improvements proved to be clinically relevant. Effect sizes ranged from medium to large for problem behavior, and from small to medium for parenting stress.

Foster care assessment: A study of the placement decision process in Flanders.

Family foster care placement decision-making has a weak scientific underpinning. Mostly a 'variable-oriented approach' is taken, which requires a lot of information that is not always available. The identification of clusters of foster children with similar characteristics may be a more viable decision strategy. In this study we investigated if foster children could indeed be clustered, which problems were identified at the time of placement, and the influence of placement history. It proved possible to group foster children into two clusters: (1) young children with familial problems and few behavioral problems, and (2) older children with prominent child problems and behavioral problems. For foster children with and without placement history, problems associated with placement proved identical. Considering that a foster care placement did not result in fundamental change in the problems present at time of placement, the importance is stressed of approaching foster care assessment as part of a decision making process which looks back as well as forward. Placement decisions should be based on an appraisal of the appropriateness of foster placement as a solution for the child. In conjunction with this appraisal a decision is required on how parents can be supported toward reunification. Or--if this is not an option--whether long term foster care is the best option for the child and if so, what conditions need to be met.

Development of an intervention for foster parents of young foster children with externalizing behavior: theoretical basis and program description.

Foster parents are often faced with serious externalizing behaviors of their foster child. These behavioral problems may induce family stress and are related to less effective parenting and often increase. Foster children with behavioral problems are also more at risk of placement breakdown. An intervention to support foster parents of young foster children with externalizing behaviors is necessary to improve the effectiveness of foster placements. Based on research on effective parenting interventions and special needs of foster children, a treatment protocol was developed. This paper describes theoretical foundations for the content and form of the intervention and gives an overview of the modular treatment protocol. Preliminary outcomes of this intervention as well as challenges and future developments and research activities are discussed.

Mental health of foster children: do biological fathers matter?

The high prevalence of mental health problems in foster children is well-documented (e.g., Armsden, Pecora, Payne, & Szatkiewicz, 2000; Tarren-Sweeney, 2008). From an ecological perspective, it can be expected that several factors in different systems (e.g., foster child, foster family, biological parents, and community) influence foster children's behavioral problems. Mainly, the influence of pre-care experiences, such as a history of maltreatment (Oswald, Heil, & Goldbeck, 2010), and in-care experiences, such as the number of out-of-home placements (Newton, Litrownik, & Landsverk, 2000), is investigated and confirmed. Although the body of research on predictive factors of foster children's behavioral problems is growing (McWey, Acock, & Porter, 2010), the possible influence of one important party is being neglected: biological fathers. This is remarkable given the central role of birth parents in family foster care (O'Donnell, 2001), and even more striking given the growing evidence of the influence of fathers on developmental outcomes of children (Lamb, 2010). This study reports on the involvement of birth fathers during foster care placement of their child and their association with the foster child's well-being. First, we review the literature on the influence of parents on foster children's mental health and discuss the limited research on fathers' involvement. Next, the results of our study are presented and discussed.