Child & Family Service

Over one billion children globally are exposed to violence each year and 55 million European children experience violence in their lifetime. Parenting interventions are a key strategy to reduce child maltreatment and promote child outcomes. Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children (PLH-YC) is an in-person parenting program, tested for use in Romania, Moldova, and North Macedonia. Implementation experiences across these settings highlighted key barriers and facilitators to scale-up, including (a) program factors: program length, session duration, home visits, incentives, online delivery; (b) political factors: political will, decision-maker turnover, international politics; and (c) service environment factors: facilitators, human resources, travel infrastructure, recruitment, referral pathways, and scale-up avenues. Drawing on these lessons, this practice note shares practical recommendations for others working to scale parenting interventions in South-East Europe and similar contexts.

Purpose Closing the gap in health outcomes between Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander and non-Indigenous infants is most significant in incidences of sudden infant death syndrome. This study reports on the implementation of the Pepi-Pod® program, which promotes safe sleeping of Aboriginal infants and provides a safe sleep surface for the baby (the Pepi-Pod®), accompanied by safe sleep health messaging. Design/methodology/approach This study adopted a decolonising, qualitative approach and used yarning to gather data on the effectiveness and acceptability of the project, and data were thematically analysed by Aboriginal researchers. The study was conducted at regional and metropolitan birthing centres in Australia, with 44 Aboriginal families participating. Findings Three themes emerged from the data: (1) yarning with family and community about safe sleeping; (2) reflecting Aboriginal cultural practices and (3) shame job – “are you sleeping your baby in a plastic box?” Participants recommended improvements, including cultural changes in design and colour of the Pepi-Pod® but overall viewed the program as a culturally appropriate experience. Research limitations/implications This study employed qualitative methods grounded in Yarning and a culturally safe, decolonising approach – yielding rich, authentic data and amplifying Aboriginal voices without bias. Expert consultation was central, with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander researchers, consumer representatives and clinicians ensuring cultural and ethical integrity. However, the study was limited to South Australia, which may affect generalisability. COVID-19 disruptions also delayed data collection and project completion. Despite these constraints, the research offers valuable insights into culturally safe infant sleep practices and highlights the importance of inclusive, community-led approaches in maternal and family health research. Practical implications This novel study has the potential to change safe sleep policy and knowledge arising from this project may influence how health services and systems deliver culturally safe health messaging and implement new programs involving and affecting Aboriginal families in mainstream health care. Social implications This research introduced the only alternative safe sleep education and surface specifically designed for and offered to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander families in Australia. By addressing both safety and cultural relevance, it highlights the importance of equitable access to infant health interventions that respect and incorporate Indigenous perspectives. Originality/value This study contributes meaningful and practical solutions to the longstanding challenge of ensuring safe sleep environments for infants, particularly within Aboriginal communities. By foregrounding cultural safety and community engagement, it offers a unique and contextually relevant approach that bridges public health priorities with Indigenous knowledge and values.

The evaluation of background radiation for an infrared instrument is critical to determining the ability to detect faint sources and signals. This background is often limited by the thermal emission of the telescope itself. However, software tools to make this assessment are limited. Here, a method is described that uses a conventional non-sequential ray tracer enhanced to efficiently compute background radiation. The methods include using tessellation to efficiently trace emission and comparison with analytical expressions. The method is used in a case study to evaluate the blackbody radiation intensity for both an on-axis telescope and an off-axis telescope.

This chapter describes a responsive, community-oriented approach to induction that prioritizes building teacher-to-teacher community, teacher autonomy vis-á-vis professional learning, and local community connection. This induction and retention program was designed to specifically address the needs and desires of early career teachers who recently graduated from our program. Using vignettes and program data, we seek to humanize the challenges of becoming a new teacher and highlight the impact of one effective retention program. We suggest that connections to one's teacher identity, to other educators, and to the community serve as a protective hub to help new teachers persist in the face of the challenges and isolation during their first few years in the field. While focused on the impact of our induction program, this chapter is motivated by the broader question: What helps new teachers, especially new Teachers of Color, to not just survive, but thrive in the profession?

Sodium valproate (SV) has been shown to induce autism in animal models. In this study, the SV method was used to establish a mouse model of autism, and anxiety-like behaviours and learning memory performance were evaluated by behavioural tests. The effects of SV on metabolic profiles and gut microbiota were assessed by integrating gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and 16S ribosomal RNA gene sequencing. Correlations between metabolites and gut microbiota were determined using Spearman correlation coefficient. Behavioral tests, including the three-chambered social assay, repetitive behaviors, open field test, elevated plus-maze test, and novel object recognition test, demonstrated that SV treatment exacerbated anxiety-like behaviors and impeded spatial learning and memory in mice. SV disrupted metabolic pathways in hippocampus, cortex, intestine, and serum, affecting primarily valine, leucine and isoleucine biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism and glutathione metabolism and so on. SV also altered gut microbiota at the genus level, decreasing the abundances of Dubosiella, Faecalibaculum, Clostridia_UCG-014, Bifidobacterium, and Alloprevotella, while increase the abundances of Lactobacillus, Alistipes, and Lachnospiraceae in intestine. The results of correlation analysis showed that in hippocampus, Bifidobacterium was positively correlated with serine and glycine, while Alistipes was negatively correlated with them. These findings suggested that SV may contribute to the development of autism progression by altering the gut microbiota abundances and metabolite profiles. This may provide new direction for the management of autism.

The objectives included: (1) Adapt the SibWorks group intervention for use on a virtual platform with siblings; and (2) Assess the acceptability of the adapted intervention, iSibWorks. Participants were youth aged 8 to 12 years who had a sibling with a disability, and their caregivers. iSibWorks was implemented with siblings on a weekly basis for six weeks. Sessions were conducted using Zoom for Healthcare and lasted approximately 60 min each. One week after the final session, siblings and their caregivers were invited to participate in separate semi-structured interviews. Qualitative content analysis of interview transcripts was utilized to assess intervention acceptability. Adapting SibWorks to iSibWorks was achieved. Three categories were developed based on sibling and caregiver feedback. First, participants shared their satisfaction with the delivery of iSibWorks, reporting enjoyable experiences and valuing its interactive design. Next, participants perceived their involvement in the intervention as beneficial, due to opportunities to connect with others, learn applicable coping strategies, and improve self-esteem and mood. Finally, participants provided suggestions regarding the intervention's future delivery, content, and participation. iSibWorks is an acceptable virtual group intervention for siblings of youth with a disability. Families noted positive experiences and perceived benefits with intervention participation.

This action research study examines the challenges and opportunities of implementing a culturally responsive approach to fostering Conscientização (critical consciousness) among Latinx youth based on Freirean principles. The study examined data from a critical literacy intervention, which explored the educational and social experiences of rural Latinx youth (ages 13-17), all children of immigrant farmworkers. Our research emphasized the significance of reflection, awareness of social injustices, and emergent conscientização through literature and literary experiences as tools to empower youth. For ten weeks, youth attended sessions where they were encouraged to write and express their emotions and lived experiences as Latinx youth in the U.S. Findings revealed a process of emergent conscientização, such as reflexivity and awareness of social injustices, community change via solidarity, support networks and guidance. The intervention also demonstrated the advantages of implementing a culturally responsive approach by designing instructional materials that recognize the participants’ cultural identities and empower them to actively engage in their learning process. In this process, youth acknowledged their significant educational barriers and recognized their role in promoting social change. The study concludes with recommendations for educators who work with minoritized youth and possibilities for future research.

Background: A good sense of time and the ability to manage time is<br/>lacking in a large proportion of people with intellectual (and visual)<br/>disabilities. This can lead to a variety of practical problems, difficult to<br/>understand behaviour and less independence. Time-assistive devices can<br/>help people with disabilities manage time better and function more<br/>independently. This study investigates which time-assistive devices are<br/>used by people with intellectual disabilities and how satisfied people are<br/>with these devices.<br/><br/>Methods: A questionnaire was self-compiled with a list of<br/>time-assistive devices to measure the use and satisfaction of various<br/>devices for people with intellectual disabilities. The questionnaires were<br/>distributed among care professionals, people with intellectual disabilities<br/>and their family members.<br/><br/>Results/Aims: The research objective of this study was to identify the<br/>use and level of satisfaction of time- assistive devices to help people with<br/>disabilities manage time. Time aids such as an alarm clock, calendar or<br/>smartwatch. Approximately 150 participants completed the questionnaire<br/>in the Netherlands. Based on the results of this survey, it was mapped<br/>which time-assistive devices are used the most and the least in practise<br/>and which devices people are the most or least satisfied with.<br/><br/>Conclusions: In addition to satisfaction with and use of time aids,<br/>this research gives an overview whether the aids are easy to use or learn to<br/>use, and whether they help people with intellectual disabilities manage<br/>their time more effectively. This study should contribute to a better<br/>understanding of which time aids are most useful to support people with<br/>intellectual (and visual) disabilities.<br/><br/>Disclosures: No disclosures.

School social workers respond to students' mental health needs from an education training perspective that defines set professional role boundaries in service provision that may differ from the multiple roles teachers have with students. One of those perspectives is a recognition of what may happen if a boundary crossing was to occur in a dual relationship with a client. Teachers are encouraged to take on a secondary role with students by coaching athletics or advising a club. Taking on dual roles with students has led to both increased job satisfaction and concerns regarding burnout for teachers. There is an absence of information that exists on what the experience has been of school social workers taking on secondary roles with students. Not having guidance for school social workers who elect to oversee extracurricular activities led the authors to explore what is the intended mission for the practice of school social work, how the existing literature on dual relationships may apply to school settings, and the findings from research conducted with teachers who take on dual roles with students. The recommendations provided are a need for data to establish what experience school social workers have with managing secondary roles and to not preclude school social workers from extracurricular activities when their presence can be of benefit to students and the school if dual relationships are properly managed.