LITERATURE OVERVIEW: See our list of recently published articles of interest.
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ILLUSTRATION: Centre for Research on Discretion and Paternalism / MGalloway, Wikimedia Commons |
Ingrid Sindi & Judit Strömpl
Who Am I and Where Am I From? Substitute Residential Home Children’s Insights into Their Lives and Individual Identities
Abstract: Decisions regarding children’s residential care reorganisation are primarily based on an adult’s perspective of children’s wellbeing and care. While these adults tend to be well-intended and base their decisions off relevant evidence, the children’s perspectives ‐ which reflects their actual lived experiences ‐ is almost never considered. However, since children are experts of their own lives, they should have the right to participate and express their opinion: Their point of view could be of great value in developing residential child care. In this article, we provide SOS children’s insights into their own life experiences and individual identities. The data was collected during an ethnographic research in one of Estonia’s SOS Children’s Villages (SOS CV). This article aims to answer to following research questions: 1. What are the main topics in SOS children’s stories when they talk about themselves and their everyday lives in substitute homes? 2. What kind of identity can be determined from children’s stories? 3. How can the subtext within the children’s stories be used to develop a child-centred residential care? In this article, we present and discuss several key-findings. First, it is important to note that there are gaps in the children’s life stories, as they sometimes lack information about important people and events in their lives. Second, this lack of adequate information can damage the children’s identities and, in turn, undermine their development. Third, the opportunity to talk about important life events encourages the children to ask questions, as they are interested in obtaining additional information to complete the gaps. Fourth, the children’s stories indicate the shortcomings of substitute homes, related to both culture and communication.
Full reference: Ingrid Sindi & Judit Strömpl (2019) Who Am I and Where Am I From? Substitute Residential Home Children’s Insights into Their Lives and Individual Identities. Child & Youth Services, DOI: 10.1080/0145935X.2019.1591272
Anna Butlinski, Heather Rowe, Christopher Goddard & Nicholas Freezer
The adoption of children from out-of-home care: how decision-makers explain the low rates of adoption in Victoria, Australia
Abstract: The adoption of children from out-of-home care is uncommon in Australia and rarely occurs in the state of Victoria. This paper reports on how professionals involved in making decisions about the permanent placement of children explain the current rates of adoption from out-of-home care in Victoria. Interviews were conducted with eight child welfare specialists, eight adoption and permanent care specialists and five judicial officers. The current low rates of adoption were attributed to the effect of current legislation, the impact of past adoption practices and the establishment of a culture in Victoria in which adoption is now rarely considered an option for children in out-of-home care.
Full reference: Anna Butlinski, Heather Rowe, Christopher Goddard & Nicholas Freezer (2019) The adoption of children from out-of-home care: how decision-makers explain the low rates of adoption in Victoria, Australia. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 13:2, 170-195, DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2018.1498428
Paul Alhassan Issahaku
Raising the future leaders: an analysis of child and family welfare policy in Ghana
Abstract: This paper examines the scope and potential impact of current child-focused policies in in Ghana as a West Africa example. The paper assesses the thrust of Ghana’s child protection policy in terms of its sound theoretical basis, congruence with the Convention on the Right of the Child (CRC) as well as the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child (ACRWC) and promise of socio-economic empowerment for families with children. The analysis of Ghana’s policy efforts highlights what is currently happening and what needs to happen for child welfare in West Africa.
Full reference: Paul Alhassan Issahaku (2019) Raising the future leaders: an analysis of child and family welfare policy in Ghana. Journal of Public Child Welfare, 13:2, 148-169, DOI: 10.1080/15548732.2018.1494667