Background Children in care have significantly poorer behavioural and emotional wellbeing (BEW) compared to those not in care (in the community). Experiences precipitating and within care systems contribute to this. Many children enter the system having been abused or neglected and experience placement instability (PI) while in care. As such, there is a need for studies which examine the relationship between BEW and PI. Objectives This study used BERRI to explore the (1) BEW of participants living in residential settings, foster care, and the community (2) effects of PI on BEW and (3) differences in relationships between PI and BEW based on placement type. Methods The primary carers of 2,001 children and adolescents in residential settings, 267 in foster care, and 191 in the community completed BERRI. The “community” group was a self-selected sample with potential concerns. An independent samples t-test and a series of one-way and mixed-methods ANOVAs were used to analyse the data. Results (1) Participants from residential settings had greater BEW difficulties than those from foster care and the community (η 2 = .07); (2) those with PI reported greater scores on the BEW subscales of BERRI (η 2 = .03); and (3) a significant relationship between level of PI and BEW total scores was only seen in the residential settings subgroup (η 2 = .14 for behaviour scores, η 2 = .002 for emotional wellbeing scores). Conclusion It is crucial to reduce PI and its BEW causes and consequences, with a specific focus on residential settings. Recommendations are proposed.

This scoping review aimed to explore the qualitative research on the educational experiences of youth in care. The initial search yielded 9913 sources. Following multiple exclusion steps, 18 sources remained, half of which were unpublished theses with eight journal articles and one report. There were 397 participants included in this review, most of whom were young women from the same female-only public charter school for court-involved youth in the United States. Participant characteristics were inconsistently reported, particularly race/ethnicity which was unknown for 45% of participants. One-off interviews and focus groups were the predominant data collection methods used in the qualitative research. None of the 18 studies utilised participatory or co-design methods. The poor demographic reporting and traditional research methods make it difficult to determine whose experiences the research is capturing, and produce doubt that the experiences of those most impacted by the care system are being understood in meaningful ways.

Introduction : Youth with child welfare involvement face unique challenges associated with transition into adulthood and access to healthcare once they exit foster : care. Methods: Using longitudinal data between 2012 and 2022 from the Jim Casey Opportunity Passport Survey, this study explored if sociodemographic characteristics of foster youth alumni ( n = 2,420) were associated with differences in insurance coverage over time, and if foster youth alumni without insurance were more likely to forgo health care when needed. Results : Youth without insurance had lower odds of not seeking physical or health care even when they perceived a need. The overall likelihood of having health insurance coverage decreased over time for those assigned male at birth but not for those assigned female at birth. Results further indicate that Black, Indigenous and other People of Color (BIPOC) foster youth alumni were less likely to report having insurance relative to non-Hispanic White peers, and that LGBTQ + foster youth alumni assigned male at birth were more likely to be insured than their non-LGBTQ + male peers. Implications : Strategies for increasing health equity in relation to practice and policy are explored.

Background: Adolescents in foster care often have had risk factors and critical life events in their biographies. However, little is known about their coping with developmental tasks and psychosocial adjustment in adolescence. The current study examines the identity development and problem burden of adolescents in out-of-home care compared to a control group. Methods: The sample consists of 30 adolescents, living in foster families and their biological families. The control group was matched with regard to gender, age and school education. The youths were between 13 and 17 years old. We examined adolescents’ identity dimensions using the Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale (Crocetti et al., 2010). Psychosocial adjustment was assessed using the Strength and Difficulties Questionnaire (Goodman et al., 2003). Results: Our findings indicate a significantly lower commitment in foster adolescents compared to the control group. No differences were found in reconsideration of commitment and exploration. Various dimensions of identity development were associated with the problem burden. Discussion: Results indicate that adolescents in foster care were faced with challenges in coping with the central developmental task of identity formation. Identity development, especially in terms of commitment, seems to be more complex for youths living in foster homes. Hence, supporting services should pay attention to foster adolescents’ needs regarding their identity development, long-term perspectives and constructing a coherent autobiographical story.

Care leavers are more often unemployed, have lower annual earnings and live in inferior housing circumstances than their peers in the general population. International research has extensively studied and discussed these outcomes. However, in Flanders (the Dutch speaking part of Belgium), no previous quantitative studies are known. This study therefore explores and predicts outcomes on employment, income and housing circumstances of care leavers in Flanders and investigates if these outcomes improve in the years after leaving care. Associations with placement factors are explored to support recommendations to the clinical field. The current study involves 175 care-leavers (both family foster care ( n = 105) and residential care ( n = 70)). Data was collected using a self-reporting questionnaire touching multiple domains. The participants of the study (49 male, 126 female) are between 18 and 27 years old. Care leavers are employed at younger ages but are also more often unemployed than their peers from the general population, they earn significantly less than peers and are more often homeless. On all domains, no significant differences were found between foster- and residential care leavers. Placement characteristics are more declaratory than only the type of care. In the current study, most outcomes improve during the years after leaving care, this supports the theory of emerging adulthood. Although we cannot infer causal effects, care leavers who experienced fewer placement changes and received individual therapy during their time in care tend to have better outcomes in the current study. The same applies for care leavers who were prepared for leaving care and supported after leaving care. Policy makers should focus on increased support regarding breakdown prevention and individual mental health support during the time in care. Preparation for placement ending and aftercare should be provided.

Introduction: Children and young people in care are a key client group for child and youth mental health services. A collaborative approach to addressing the complex and long-term needs of children or young people in care is essential and carers who support these children or young people are vital team members of this collaboration. Method: This research surveyed carers over a 4-year period to gather feedback about a specialist mental health service. 277 carers responded to the Carer Perceptions Survey. Participants were mainly foster (65%) and kinship (17%) carers. However, residential workers (13%) and biological parents (5%) also responded to the survey. A thematic analysis was undertaken with responses to open-ended questions about most liked aspects of the service and ideas for service improvement. Results: Themes included support for carers, communication between carers and staff, personal attributes of staff, working in collaboration, accessibility to the service, and carer training. Carers expressed their appreciation of staff who provided support in collaborative and respectful ways and valued staff who listened to their experiences and ideas. In addition, carers expressed interest in receiving more information and training about how best to support the mental health of children and young people in their care. Conclusion: Effective mental health services for children and young people in care require clinical staff that foster respectful engagement and facilitate collaboration with carers in all aspects of care.

Background: High rates of maltreatment and low caregiving quality in institutional care settings have been identified in various low-and middle-income countries. Many studies have focused on children living in institutions. Objective: This study investigates the prevalence of maltreatment, caregiver-specific, orphanage-context factors, and their relation to maltreatment of orphans from the caregivers’ perspective. Participants and setting: In this cross-sectional study, 227 caregivers (67% female) with a mean age of 36.84 years ( SD age = 12.89) of 24 childcare centres in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania participated. Methods: The primary outcome was the maltreatment of children assessed through structured interviews of caregivers. Further information on individual (like work-related stress) and structural variables (working conditions) was gathered. Results: Caregivers’ work under extreme and exhausting conditions, with very high caregiver-child ratios, low salaries, and almost no possibility to recover. Results also showed significant differences in the maltreatment level and structural and individual factors (e.g., payment and days of entitlement) between the orphanages. Caregiver’s positive attitudes towards violence ( ƒ 2 attitudes = 0.19) and difficulties in the relationship with children ( ƒ 2 relationship = 0.05) significantly predicted maltreatment with moderate and small effects. Conclusions: The overall poor working conditions highlight the urgent need to reduce the caregivers’ burden. In addition to this, addressing caregivers’ positive attitudes and improving their interaction competencies with children may be a starting point to prevent maltreatment of children. Further investigation of structural factors contributing to maltreatment is essential to develop recommendations for the improvement and re-organization of childcare institutions.

The pandemic of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has affected children and families worldwide, disrupting their daily lives and well-being. A small-scale study involving 13 parents in Child Protective Services in Estonia was conducted using in-depth, semi-structured interviews to explore parents’ experiences with COVID-19 and its impact on their families’ well-being. The findings indicated that one of the areas most impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was schooling, as the implementation of remote schooling often created tensions and conflicts at home. Parents reported regression in daily functioning, attributing this to the lack of supportive services during lockdown and additional distress resulting from increased workload at home and problems with balancing home and work life. Parents were exhausted by the various problems caused by the pandemic and questioned their ability to provide their children the support they needed. Discontinuation of services intensified existing challenges for both parents and children. Furthermore, a lack of trust in Child Protective Services was identified, serving as a barrier to asking for help in times of crisis.

The emergence of COVID-19 forced significant adaptations for families worldwide. Children and youth in foster care and their caregivers or resource parents experience unique stressors. The current study aimed to understand the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and “Safer-at-Home” orders on resource parents in Los Angeles County. Resource parents (n = 648) were surveyed about COVID-19 concerns, positive impact and strengths, access to and helpfulness of provided resources, visits with birth parents, children joining their families during the pandemic, and transition to telehealth. Between one-third and half of resource parents with foster or foster-adoptive children in their home reported significant anxiety about issues such as getting infected, uncertainty about the future, and financial hardship. In contrast, most resource parents reported some perceived benefits, such as increased family closeness. The most helpful resource reported was video visitation by social workers. A quarter of resource parents experienced in-person birth parent visits. Developmentally, parents with a foster or fosteradoptive child 0–5 years old reported significantly more worries related to COVID-19, while those with children of multiple ages reported feeling less valued as a resource parent and expressed more concerns about children falling behind with school, mental health and developmental services, birth parent visits, and delayed reunification. Lastly, younger parental age, fewer foster children in the home, and the less negative impact from COVID-19 a resource parent reported having were associated with an increased likelihood of resource parents welcoming a child into their home. Implications for policy and recommendations for practice are discussed.

The SARS-CoV-2-pandemic is associated different challenges, especially for families. The disruption and challenges require parents to develop strategies to cope with the current situation. One factor that may influence how parents deal with pandemic-associated stressors are experiences of parental childhood maltreatment (CM), which represent a high risk of engaging in endangered parenting. A decisive candidate for the connection between parental CM and the transgenerational transmission could be the parental ability to employ coping strategies. Mothers of a well-documented birth cohort for investigating the pathways leading to resilience or vulnerability in the transgenerational transmission of CM were imbedded in an online “SARS-CoV-2 pandemic survey” assessing maternal ability for coping strategies and the dimension of endangered maternal parenting behavior. 91 mothers completed the online survey. To describe the maternal CM, data from a longitudinal survey were used. Our mediation analysis shows a significant positive relationship between the sum of maternal CM experiences, lack of coping strategies and endangered parenting behavior. This suggests a partial mediation of the association between CM and endangered parenting behavior as the direct effect remained significant when the maternal lack of coping strategies was included as the mediator. Parental CM is a risk factor for coping with stressful situation as well as for endangered parenting behavior. The ability to deal with stress seems to have a significant influence on the context of a possible transgenerational transmission of CM. The results underline the need to consider the unique needs of families with children and to support them as to how to overcome the current crisis.