Annette Semanchin Jones

Chronic neglect and aggression/delinquency: A longitudinal examination

Neglect is the most common form of maltreatment in the United States, yet its impact on development remains understudied, especially for chronic neglect. Chronic neglect is also one of the most costly burdens on child welfare systems. This study examines the effects of chronic neglect, including two subtypes (Failure to Provide and Lack of Supervision) on adolescent aggression and delinquency using a diverse longitudinal sample of youth. Chronic neglect and chronic failure to provide (ages 0-12) predicted aggression/delinquency (age 14) even after controlling for the effects of other maltreatment (ages 0-12). Chronic lack of supervision, however, did not. Gender significantly moderated these effects, suggesting that males are more likely to respond to neglect by becoming aggressive/delinquent. Finally, social problems (age 12) partially mediated for boys, and fully mediated for girls, the connections between chronic neglect and aggression/delinquency, bolstering theorizing that neglect impairs social functioning broadly. Implications include the need for further research on chronic neglect, especially in providing guidance for child welfare systems. Interventions for chronically neglected youth should include social skill development.

Functional Adaptation to Foster Care: Foster Care Alumni Speak Out

For this qualitative study, 18 foster care alumni, ranging in age from 18 to 25 years, described good foster parents as helping them functionally adapt to foster care. Good foster parents never referred to them as a “foster” child, balanced consistency with individualized application of rules, used terms such as “our family” or “our home,” and included them in extended family gatherings and events. They were emotionally available without being intrusive, especially about stressful events in their lives. They facilitated ongoing contact with people from the childs past without being judgmental. Good foster parents also used their own resources, tried to accommodate personal tastes, and supported extracurricular activities.

Implementation of differential response: A racial equity analysis☆

Differential response is a growing approach in child welfare that allows for a more flexible response to keep children safe by better engaging families. This study examined the implementation of Minnesotas approach called Family Assessment response, and explored the impact on racial equity outcomes in the states child welfare system. Using logistic regression to analyze administrative child welfare data for all screened-in cases between 2003 and 2010 (n=122,095), this study explored whether race was a predictor in the following decision points: (1) pathway assignment to either Family Assessment (FA) response or a traditional investigation (TI); and (2) switching pathway assignment from FA to TI. Findings of the analysis indicated that when controlling for poverty and other risk factors, African American, Native American and Multiracial children were less likely to be assigned to FA compared to Caucasian children for some, but not all years in the study timeframe; while Hispanic children were more likely to be assigned to FA compared to non-Hispanic children for several years in the study timeframe. Disparities around pathway switch from family assessment to traditional investigation completely diminished over time. The results of this study highlight the importance of applying a racial equity lens in examining new policies and practices to ensure equitable implementation for all children and families. The findings also emphasize the need for better understanding of the unique experiences of Native American and Multiracial children and families, who have been under-represented in the research on racial disparities in child welfare.

Risk and Protective Factors of Foster Care Reentry: An Examination of the Literature

ABSTRACT Reunification with family is a primary goal in child welfare. However, some children re-enter foster care after reunification, which disrupts the continuity of their care and can impact their cognitive and social development. Using an ecological framework, this systematic review of the literature highlights the risk and protective factors of reentry. Key risk factors included child emotional and behavioral challenges, parental substance abuse, and short lengths of stay in foster care. Protective factors included placement with kin, social support, effective implementation of risk and safety assessments, and targeted pre- and post-reunification services. Understanding who is at greater risk and identifying points of intervention can help child welfare agencies develop, target, and evaluate their services more effectively. As new interventions develop, there is a great need for more research to evaluate their effectiveness and to scale-up evidence-informed practices that can help to prevent reentry to foster care.

Building Field Agencies' Capacity to Prepare Staff and Social Work Students for Evidence-Based Trauma Treatments

Preparing MSW students to use an evidence-based approach to practice and implement empirically supported treatment protocols is imperative for social work education. Both classroom education and field experience are needed. Six schools of social work collaborated with field agencies to assist them in developing the capacity to implement evidence-based trauma treatments (EBTTs) and train social work students in these models. The study used a multisite, interrupted-time series design to assess organizational readiness to implement EBTTs at an agency. Faculty used the National Implementation Research Network implementation framework in their consultation with agencies. Findings from three agencies are used to explore the tasks in each implementation stage. Implications include the possibility of leveraging the motivation of field agencies to collaborate with schools of social work in order to implement evidence-based practice. Results also point to the relevance of using an implementation framework to guide capacity building.

Foster Parent Strategies to Support the Functional Adaptation of Foster Youth

Individual interviews and focus groups with 35 experienced foster parents explored strategies that facilitate the functional adaptation of children transitioning into their care. Findings from this qualitative study suggest functional adaptation is enhanced by unconditional commitment by foster parents, “claiming” behaviors of foster children and parents, establishment of routines, support of birth family relationships, and advocacy for the youth across systems. Implications of this study support the vital role that foster parents have in helping children adapt to placement, and indicate that agencies can provide increased support for foster parents to better meet the needs of foster youth.

Effective Implementation Strategies of Differential Response in Child Welfare: A Comparative Case Analysis

Differential response is a growing approach in child welfare that aims to maintain children safely in their homes when possible. This study examined how the implementation of differential response varies between counties with improved child safety outcomes compared to counties with poorer outcomes. Data was collected from nine counties through semi-structured focus groups with workers and interviews with supervisors. Results indicated that counties with improved outcomes had integrated the following implementation strategies: use of comprehensive assessment protocols; integrated supervisory support and on-going coaching of effective practices; and increased mobilization of resources, including enduring supports for parents, supports to help families meet basic needs and culturally responsive services for families.

Predicting chronic neglect: Understanding risk and protective factors for CPS-involved families

Child neglect continues to receive less attention in research literature compared to other forms of maltreatment, despite accumulating evidence of serious negative impacts on child well-being. Chronic neglect is also poorly understood. Although such cases comprise a relatively small percentage of workers caseloads, they represent accumulation of harm that impacts the cognitive and social development of children. These cases can also disproportionately utilize protective service resources. This study contributes to the literature by examining risk and protective factors of chronic neglect. We utilized administrative data (Nxa0=xa02,074) from a midsize city in the Northeast to examine the use of existing risk assessment tools to distinguish families with and without chronic neglect, including an analysis of the predictive capacity of risk and protective factors. We found that families with chronic neglect were younger, had more children, were more likely to have children under age one, and had higher rates of domestic violence, mental health problems, and cognitive impairment. None of the assessed protective factors differed significantly. The overall predictive value of the assessment was low. Implications include the need to expand risk assessment tools to incorporate patterns over time and identify early indicators specific to chronic neglect.