Child protective services involvement and exclusionary school discipline

The study examined the impact of child protective services (CPS) contact on out-of-school suspensions for 49,918 Wisconsin students (followed from ages 5-6 to 14-15; [school years 2010-2019; 74% White; 7% Black; 11% Hispanic; 8% other; 49% female]). A quasi-experimental design comparing recent CPS contact to upcoming (future) CPS contact shows that both recent CPS contact without foster care and future CPS contact predict higher odds of suspension compared with no contact. Higher odds of suspension emerged prior to CPS contact and did not substantially increase during or after CPS contact, suggesting that system-induced stress is not a primary driver of behavioral problems leading to suspension. Foster care reduced the odds of suspension among White children and children in special education.

Reunification for young children of color with substance removals: An intersectional analysis of longitudinal national data

BACKGROUND

The opioid epidemic has resulted in increasing attention to the effect of parental substance use disorders on child welfare system involvement, including foster care utilization. Opioid use disorders are more common among whites than people of color, however.

OBJECTIVE

This study sought to determine number and proportion of children of color with substance removals and whether disparities exist in likelihood of reunification compared to white children.

PARTICIPANTS & SETTING

This study used U.S. Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS) data to determine rates of foster care entries and outcomes between 2007-2017 across intersections of child race/ethnicity, age, and substance removal status.

METHODS

Survival analyses were employed to test the primary research questions.

RESULTS

During the 10 year period observed, the number and proportion of white children with substance removals (ages 0-4 and 5+) in foster care increased two- to three-fold compared to children of color with substance removals depending on child age. However, children of color, particularly ages 0-4, faced disadvantages respecting foster care outcomes. Results of the multivariate proportional hazards models revealed that reunification was significantly and substantially more likely for every group compared to young (0-4) children of color with substance removals. Further probing revealed that racial disparities were driven primarily by Black/African American children.

CONCLUSIONS

Children of color with substance removals, particularly Black/African American children, are at higher risk of poor child welfare outcomes compared to their white peers.

Racial disparities in child welfare in Ontario (Canada) and training on ethnocultural diversity: An innovative mixed-methods study

BACKGROUND

Despite continuous reports showing the overrepresentation of Black children in the child welfare system in Ontario, Canada's most populous and ethnically diverse province, knowledge in the factors contributing to this issue remain scarce.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to explore questions relating to caseworker's training on ethnocultural diversity in connection with racial disparities and overrepresentation of Black children in child welfare services.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTINGS

This two-fold mixed-methods study included (1) a qualitative methodology based on four focus groups with child welfare caseworkers from a Children's Aid Society (CAS) in Ontario and community facilitators (N = 24), and (2) an analysis of academic curriculums from all 36 Ontarian colleges and universities offering social work programs.

METHODS

We used an innovative and complementary mixed-method design based on grounded theory.

RESULTS

Results from categorical content analyses with NVivo revealed that community facilitators perceived a lack of ethnocultural competency amongst CAS caseworkers. Similarly, CAS caseworkers reported inadequate training on ethnocultural diversity during and following their post-secondary education (college or university). Corroborating these findings, results from documentary analyses of Ontarian university and college curriculums in social work revealed that barely one in two programs had a mandatory course on cultural issues.

CONCLUSIONS

This study reveals a need for additional efforts to provide adequate training to child welfare caseworkers on ethnocultural diversity, starting with undergraduate training programs, in order to understand and tackle the overrepresentation of Black children in child welfare services. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.

Differences and disparities over time: Black and White families investigated by Ontario's child welfare system

BACKGROUND

Black-White disparities in child welfare involvement have been well-documented in the United States, but there is a significant knowledge gap in Ontario about how and when these disparities emerge.

OBJECTIVE

This paper compares incidence data on Black and White families investigated by Ontario's child welfare system over a 20-year period.

METHODS

Data from the first five cycles of the Ontario Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (OIS) (1993-2013) were used to examine trends in child maltreatment investigations involving Black and White families. Incidence rates were calculated. T-tests were conducted to assess statistically significant differences between and within cycles. Population and decision-based enumeration approaches were also used to examine child welfare disparities.

RESULTS

The incidence of investigations involving White families almost doubled between 1998 and 2003, but for Black families the incidence increased almost fourfold during the same period. These increases and the difference between Black and White families in 2003 were statistically significant. The results further indicate that Black families experience disparate representation in Ontario's child welfare system over time for most service dispositions.

CONCLUSIONS

Several possible explanations are offered for the study's outcome, including changes in risk related to social safety net, the threshold for risk of harm, and bias and racist institutional policies and practices. This study invites policy-makers and child welfare authorities to rethink service delivery in addressing the disparate representation of Black families in the child welfare system.

Substance Use, Mental Health, and Child Welfare Profiles of Juvenile Justice-Involved Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth

Objectives: To describe the substance use profiles of youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) and explore associations between substance use with mental health diagnoses and child welfare involvement. Methods: Data were systematically extracted from the court files of 364 youth who participated between 2012 and 2016 in Los Angeles County's Succeeding Through Achievement and Resilience (STAR) Court, a juvenile delinquency specialty court for youth impacted by CSE. Descriptive statistics and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to quantify associations between youths' substance use with mental health diagnoses and child welfare involvement. Results: Of the 364 youth impacted by CSE involved in the STAR Court, 265 youth had documented contact with a psychiatrist while in court-of whom, 73% were diagnosed with at least one mental health challenge. Before STAR Court participation, 74% of youth were the subject of one or more child welfare referral; of these youth, 75% had prior out-of-home care. Eighty-eight percent of youth reported substance use, the most prevalent illicit substances were marijuana (87%), alcohol (54%), and methamphetamine (33%). Controlling for age and race, youth impacted by CSE with a diagnosed general mood disorder had more than five times the odds of reporting substance use compared with those without a mood disorder diagnosis (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]: 5.80; 95% confidence interval CI: 2.22-18.52; p < 0.001); and youth impacted by CSE with prior child welfare placements had more than two times the odds of reporting substance use (AOR: 2.24; 95% CI: 1.04-4.86; p = 0.039) compared with youth without prior placements. The association between substance use and general mood disorder was significant and positive for all substance use types (AOR = 3.3, p = 0.033 marijuana; AOR = 4.01, p = 0.011 concurrent alcohol and marijuana; AOR = 9.2, p < 0.001, polysubstance use). Conclusions: High prevalence of substance use among juvenile justice-involved youth impacted by CSE combined with strong associations between substance use with both mental health diagnoses and child welfare system history underscores the need for comprehensive, specialized substance use treatment. Findings suggest an important opportunity for multidisciplinary collaboration among mental health providers, child welfare professionals, juvenile justice practitioners, and other care providers for these youth.

The road to reunification: Family- and state system-factors associated with successful reunification for children ages zero-to-five

BACKGROUND

Research suggests that up to one-third of children who reunify re-enter care because of continued maltreatment. For young children, this is particularly detrimental due to rapid brain development during the first years of life.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined family- and state child welfare system predictors of successful reunification, or reunification with no reentries into foster care.

METHODS

A sample of N=53,789 from the 2012 Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System of children ages zero-to-five who reunified was utilized. Children were tracked over the following three years and a multilevel model was run to compare family- and state system-factors among those that successfully and unsuccessfully reunified.

RESULTS

Only 4.6 % of the variance in successful reunification was at the state child welfare system level. After adjusting for family-factors, state average time-to-reunify (OR=1.04, p<.05) and violent crime rates (OR=1.00, p<.01) were associated with successful reunification. A random effect for race and ethnicity and parental drug use suggests that the relationship between race and ethnicity and successful reunification, and parental drug use and successful reunification, varies significantly by state child welfare system.

CONCLUSIONS

Given these findings, practitioners and child welfare agencies should prioritize family-centered interventions. Future research could identify which state child welfare systems have successfully improved outcomes for families of color and families with histories of drug abuse.

Ain't nobody got time for dad? Racial-ethnic disproportionalities in child welfare casework practice with nonresident fathers

BACKGROUND

Given fathers' potential role in bringing about desired child welfare case outcomes, researchers have begun to identify factors that impact agency efforts to identify and involve fathers. Racial-ethnic inequality and bias are not among factors studied, despite longstanding evidence that racial-ethnic minority children make up a disproportionate share of the child welfare population.

OBJECTIVE

We set out to identify racial-ethnic patterns in initial casework activity with nonresident fathers and explore whether select factors explain racial-ethnic differentials.

PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING

Caseworkers of 1,754 children in foster care in four U.S. states were surveyed.

METHODS

Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression models were used to identify factors associated with whether agencies identified, located, and contacted nonresident fathers.

RESULTS

Agencies were less likely to identify nonresident fathers of Black, Latinx, and Multiracial children, relative to those of White children. Among fathers whom agencies identified, Black and Latinx fathers were less likely to be located. Among fathers whom agencies located, Black and Latinx fathers were less likely to be contacted. Whereas greater rates of international mobility among Latinx fathers explained agencies' disproportionately low rates of contact, no other factor explained racial-ethnic differentials.

CONCLUSION

We find evidence of historical racial-ethnic disproportionalities across the three initial stages of casework practice with nonresident fathers in U.S. child welfare systems. Though more recent data are needed, this research suggests that racial-ethnic minority foster children are more likely than White foster children to be denied the benefits of agency-father contact, whether due to societal or systemic racial inequalities.

African American perspectives on racial disparities in child removals

BACKGROUND

African American children are overrepresented in foster care at twice to three times the rate of white children. Scholars argue that racism and oppression underlie disproportionality (Križ & Skivenes, 2011).

OBJECTIVE

This study explored disproportionality as seen through the eyes of African American parents in the child welfare system. The aim was to understand why African American families are over-represented in child custody statistics and to improve family and parenting support for African American communities.

PARTICIPANTS & SETTING

Participants included twenty-one African Americans--12 women and 9 men, two of whom were foster parents and 19 of whom were parents involved with child welfare services. All participants reside in two impoverished areas in southern United States. Focus groups were used to collect data and were conducted at a community center.

METHODS

The method of analysis was constant comparison analysis (Strauss) and thematic analysis of the focus group discussions in the context of institutional policy.

FINDINGS

Six themes (profound lack of trust; overwhelming trauma; severe and persistent poverty; health and mental health; socio-economic conditions; and sense of social isolation were identified, along with three participant suggestions to improve child welfare services (family support services, economic revival, and better communication).

CONCLUSIONS

In the current study we note the strong link between poverty, child maltreatment, and child removal and conclude with an exploration of practice and policy implications with recommendations for a way forward. The need for culturally competent and trauma informed child welfare services is also discussed.

We Treat Everybody the Same: Race Equity in Child Welfare

For several decades, child welfare researchers have explored the issue of disproportionality in child welfare. Top-level government reports have confirmed that African-American children are disproportionately represented in the child welfare system. This knowledge led to the concern that equity standards are not being implemented in child welfare systems partially due to implicit bias and insufficient data to track services to this population of children. The lack of data and recognition of the disparate entry of African Americans into care will continue unless systems move to having the child welfare system understand overrepresentation and the need for equity in the provision of services. This article shares findings of a research study and is focused on the use of data as a strategy to improve racial equity in child welfare. It uses critical race theory (CRT) to explain how racism can impact equity in the provision of child welfare services.

Transnationalism, parenting, and child disciplinary practices of African immigrants in Alberta, Canada

Child discipline remains a topic of public health interest across the globe. Despite this enduring interest, very little is known about the child disciplinary practices of African immigrants in Canada. This paper explores the disciplinary practices of African immigrant parents in Alberta, a Canadian province with a recent surge in the population of African immigrants. Employing a critical ethnographic methodology, informed by transnational theory, we collected data through in-depth qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of African community leaders (n = 14), African immigrant parents (n = 32), policymakers (n = 2), and health and immigrant settlement workers (n = 10). As members of the African immigrant community, we were deeply immersed in the research settings, which afforded us the opportunity to collect pertinent observational data in the form of reflexive notes. Thematic analysis of the data revealed child disciplinary approaches that incorporate Canadian and African parenting practices, as well as practices that appear somewhat unique to this demographic. We found that African immigrant parents used corporal discipline, persuasive discipline, and a hybrid of the two, as well as emerging practices involving transnational fostering and emotional isolation of children who persistently misbehaved. These practices, in their totality, appeared to be influenced by the transnational experiences of parents and precepts that are traceable to Canada's legal and educational systems. We present theoretical, policy, and service implications of our findings, including a recommendation to incorporate sociocultural dimensions of child discipline into Canadian child welfare policies and practices.

Associations between childhood experiences of parental corporal punishment and neglectful parenting and undergraduate students' endorsement of corporal punishment as an acceptable parenting strategy

This study evaluated the effects of childhood experiences of parental corporal punishment (CP) and neglectful parenting (NP) on Japanese university students’ endorsement of parental CP (EPP) to discipline children, in relation to subjective happiness (SH). A total of 536 undergraduate students who showed no physical symptoms completed anonymous paper-based questionnaires addressing demographic characteristics, undergraduate classes, and recent health conditions on SF-8 (PCS, MCS). It was found that the proportions of participants who experienced pervasive CP and NP were larger in men than in women (36.5% vs. 19.4% for CP; 22.1% vs. 9.7% for NP). Multiple regression analyses (n = 346) revealed that the CP score was associated with positive EPP (β = 0.310, p < 0.001). Further, students whose major was nursery education reported significantly lower level of EPP; however, neither SH nor good recent health conditions significantly reduced EPP. The NP score was inversely associated with the SH score (β = -0.253, p < 0.001) (n = 346). In conclusion, childhood experiences of parental CP may affect adolescents’ views related to their own parenting. Further investigation using internationally comparable methodologies, especially in prospective cohort studies, is warranted, not only in Japan but also in other Asian countries.

Perceived well-being in adolescent immigrants: it matters where they come from

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this work was to explore whether adolescent immigrants have worse or better perceived well-being, and whether this perception varies by ethnic background or between first- and second-generation immigrants, when compared with adolescents from the host population.

METHODS

A representative sample of 47,799 students (13.4% immigrants) aged 11, 13, and 15 years were recruited throughout all Italian regions within the framework of the Italian 2013/2014 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children study.

RESULTS

Adolescent immigrants from Eastern European and non-Western/non-European countries had a higher occurrence of health complaints and the highest risk of reporting low life satisfaction, which increased among the second generation. The risk of reporting bullying behaviours and physical fights was higher in first-generation immigrants and decreased in the second generation, independent of ethnic background.

CONCLUSIONS

Italian welfare immigration policies do not seem to offer the same opportunities to all adolescent immigrant groups, which leads to differing effects on their well-being. To tackle these inequalities, Italy should increase its investment in education through early prevention initiatives, e.g. providing support in intercultural education and proper training to school teachers and staff.

Child maltreatment in rural southern counties: Another perspective on race, poverty and child welfare

Building on research that has identified community characteristics associated with child maltreatment, this study investigates the adequacy and equity of the child welfare response at the county level. The study focuses on states in the U.S. south with demographic characteristics that make it possible to disentangle county racial composition from county rurality. County-level child maltreatment data were merged with data from the U.S. Census and other publicly-available sources for the 354 counties in four southern states. Results from multiple regression models indicated that, despite a greater preponderance of risk factors typically associated with child maltreatment, rural, majority African-American counties had lower rates of reported and substantiated child maltreatment compared to other southern counties. Cross-sectional results were consistent across three years: 2012, 2013, and 2014. The findings suggest that children and families in rural, majority African-American counties in the South may not be receiving adequate or equitable responses from the formal child welfare system.

Child strengths and placement stability among racial/ethnic minority youth in the child welfare system

While all children deserve a stable living environment, national data illustrate that many states struggle to achieve placement stability for youth in the child welfare system as a significant number of children in foster care continue to experience multiple placements while in state custody. Prior research has not considered the impact of youth protective factors or strengths on the frequency of placement changes that youth experience while in the child welfare system. This study examined the association between strengths measured at multiple levels (i.e., individual, family, and community) and placement stability among 4022 minority youth (aged 10-18) using administrative and clinical data from the Illinois child welfare system. Negative binomial regressions at the family level revealed that youth with at least one loving and supportive family member experienced 16% fewer placement changes than youth without family strengths. At the community level, youth attending schools that work to create an environment that meets its students' needs experienced 13% fewer placement changes than youth without educational supports. These findings can inform the quality of treatment and services provided to minority youth in the child welfare system.

Whānau perceptions and experiences of acute rheumatic fever diagnosis for Māori in Northland, New Zealand

AIM

In New Zealand, acute rheumatic fever (ARF) remains a significant health problem with persistent ethnic inequities. Māori children 5-15 years of age in Northland have some of the highest ARF rates nationally. This study explored Māori whānau experiences of ARF, including pathways to primary healthcare and barriers and facilitators for diagnosis of ARF.

METHODS

The study applied a qualitative kaupapa Māori approach including eight whānau, two individual interviews and participant observations with 36 participants.

RESULTS

Barriers to accessing primary healthcare included: geographic distance, unavailability of appointments, cost, poor trust and rapport between health providers and whānau. Good rapport, communication and trust with health professionals facilitated utilisation of services. Barriers to diagnosis were lack of throat swabbing and inappropriate prescription of antibiotics. Access to primary care, having health professionals follow sore throat guidelines and trust in health professionals facilitated diagnosis.

CONCLUSION

Health services could better support ARF diagnosis through the development of an effective quality improvement strategy for sore throat management, promoting free rapid response throat swabbing for high-risk populations, and exploring options of self-swabbing. Training and evaluation targeted at rapport building should also be established for health professionals to facilitate primary healthcare utilisation.

Factors associated with racial differences in child welfare investigative decision-making in Ontario, Canada

Despite the substantial body of literature on racial disparities in child welfare involvement in the Unites States, there is relatively little research on such differences for Canadian children and families. This study begins to address this gap by examining decision-making among workers investigating Black and White families investigated for child protection concerns in Ontario, Canada. Using provincially representative data, the study assessed whether Black children were more likely than White children to be investigated by child welfare, if there was disparate decision-making by race throughout the investigation, and how the characteristics of Black and White children contribute to the decision to transfer to ongoing services. The results indicate that Black children were more likely to be investigated than White children, but there was little evidence to suggest that workers in Ontario child welfare agencies made the decision to substantiate, transfer to ongoing services, or place the child in out-of-home care based on race alone. Black and White children differed significantly with respect to child characteristics, characteristics of the investigation, caregiver risk factors, and socioeconomic circumstances. When adjusting for these characteristics, Black families had 33% greater odds (OR=1.33; 95% CI: 1.26, 1.40; p=<0.001) of being transferred to ongoing services compared to White families. Among Black families, the assessed quality of the parent-child relationship and severe economic hardship were the most significant and substantial contributors to the decision to provide child welfare services. Implications for practice, policy, and research are discussed.

Social Capital and Well-Being: Structural Analyses of Latina Mothers by Nativity

Objective This study examined the direct and mediating effects of maternal social capital on health and well-being for native- and foreign-born Latina mothers and their children. Methods Data were drawn from the baseline and nine-year follow up waves of the Fragile Families and Child Well-being Study. The study included a sample of 874 Latina mothers. Mplus7 was used to perform structural equation modeling to determine whether exogenous indicators (age, education, and economic well-being) predicted social capital, whether social capital predicted mother and child well-being, and whether mediating effects helped explain each relationship. Results For native-born Latinas (n = 540), social capital did not predict maternal or child well-being. However, social capital significantly mediated the effects of age, education, and economic well-being on maternal well-being. For foreign-born Latinas (n = 334), social capital was a significant predictor of maternal well-being. Social capital also mediated the effects of age, education, and economic well-being on maternal, but not child well-being. Younger and foreign-born Latinas who report higher educational attainment and economic well-being have greater social capital, and thus better self-reported health. Conclusion Findings suggest that social capital is particularly relevant to the health of foreign-born Latinas. For all Latina mothers, social capital may serve as a protective mitigating factor to better health. Health service providers should evaluate the potential to integrate programs that promote social capital accumulation for Latinas. Further research should examine factors to improve the health of Latinas' children.

From Lead Exposure in Early Childhood to Adolescent Health: A Chicago Birth Cohort

OBJECTIVES

To assess the relationships between childhood lead exposure and 3 domains of later adolescent health: mental, physical, and behavioral.

METHODS

We followed a random sample of birth cohort members from the Project on Human Development in Chicago Neighborhoods, recruited in 1995 to 1997, to age 17 years and matched to childhood blood test results from the Department of Public Health. We used ordinary least squares regression, coarsened exact matching, and instrumental variables to assess the relationship between average blood lead levels in childhood and impulsivity, anxiety or depression, and body mass index in adolescence. All models adjusted for relevant individual, household, and neighborhood characteristics.

RESULTS

After adjustment, a 1 microgram per deciliter increase in average childhood blood lead level significantly predicts 0.06 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.01, 0.12) and 0.09 (95% CI = 0.03, 0.16) SD increases and a 0.37 (95% CI = 0.11, 0.64) point increase in adolescent impulsivity, anxiety or depression, and body mass index, respectively, following ordinary least squares regression. Results following matching and instrumental variable strategies are very similar.

CONCLUSIONS

Childhood lead exposure undermines adolescent well-being, with implications for the persistence of racial and class inequalities, considering structural patterns of initial exposure.

[Mothering practices and protection of babies in Vietnam]

In Vietnam, newborn babies are believed to carry within them vital principles originating from their ancestors. It is essential to protect the babies and ensure their development is harmonious, by building around them successive 'envelopes' - the mother, the family, family friends, then the village and finally the rest of the world. These protective rituals still partly exist in families of Vietnamese origin living in the West.

Asian-Canadian children and families involved in the child welfare system in Canada: A mixed methods study

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study is to understand the similarities and differences in child welfare involvement for Asian- Canadian (East and Southeast Asian) versus White-Canadian children and families involved in the child welfare system in Canada, and to consider the implications and recommendations for service. This mixed methods study began by replicating this author's previous study that found significant differences in the case characteristics and services used by Asian compared to non-Asian families in the child welfare system. The present study used a mixed method approach to further build a comprehensive descriptive understanding of Asian-Canadian children and families involved in the child welfare system at national and local levels.

METHODS

Secondary data analysis of the 2008 Canadian Incidence Study of Reported Child Abuse and Neglect (CIS-2008) was conducted to identify the case characteristics (such as referral source, investigation type, and primary maltreatment type) and short-term service outcome (such as substantiation decision and decision to transfer to ongoing child protection services) of child maltreatment investigations involving Asian-Canadian children and families in the child welfare system. The results were presented to focus group participants in a workshop, and a semi-structured interview guide was used to document child welfare workers' experience with and perception of Asian-Canadian service users.

RESULTS

The results indicated substantial differences between Asian- Canadian and White-Canadian children and families investigated by child welfare agencies in respect to the household composition, maltreatment type, substantiation decision and decision to transfer to ongoing child protection services. Child welfare workers validated the results from secondary data analysis of the CIS-2008 and offer a broader cultural and structural context for understanding child welfare involvement with Asian-Canadians.

CONCLUSION

Asian-Canadian children and families bring a diversity of cultural values and family norms. This study prompts further consideration for social work practice and policies in working with Asian-Canadian children and families involved in the child welfare system.

Foster Care Reentry: A survival analysis assessing differences across permanency type

Foster care reentry is an important factor for evaluating the overall success of permanency. Rates of reentry are typically only measured for 12-months and are often evaluated only for children who exit foster care to reunification and not across exit types, also known as 'permanency types'. This study examined the odds of reentry across multiple common permanency types for a cohort of 8107 children who achieved permanency between 2009 and 2013. Overall, 14% of children reentered care within 18-months with an average time to reentry of 6.36 months. A Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was used to assess differences in reentry across permanency types (including reunification, relative guardianship and non-relative guardianship). Children who achieved guardianship with kin had the lowest odds of reentry overall, followed by guardianship with non-kin, and reunification with family of origin. Children reunifying against the recommendations of Children and Family Services had the highest odds of reentry. A Cox regression survival analysis was conducted to assess odds of reentry across permanency type while controlling for demographics, services, and other risk factors. In the final model, only permanency type and cumulative risk were found to have a statistically significant impact on odds of reentry.

Ethno-Racial Differences in Children's Attitudes and Beliefs About Violence

One in 15 children in the United States are exposed to intimate partner violence (IPV) each year. Although much is known about the adverse effects of witnessing IPV on children, little attention has been given to the impact of IPV on children of diverse ethno-racial backgrounds. In particular, the association between IPV and children's attitudes and beliefs about violence across different ethno-racial populations remains to be explored. One hundred ninety children between the ages of 4 and 12 years of varying ethno-racial backgrounds who had witnessed recent IPV were interviewed regarding their attitudes and beliefs about IPV. Results show that younger children and White, Black, and Biracial children exhibited more deleterious attitudes and beliefs about violence after exposure to IPV than did older and Latina or Latino children. These findings may indicate the need for more tailored intervention programs that target the specific maladaptive beliefs expressed by children of various demographic groups.

Examining Child Welfare Decisions and Services for Asian-Canadian Versus White-Canadian Children and Families in the Child Welfare System

Using administrative child welfare data from the Ontario Child Abuse and Neglect Data System (OCANDS), this study compared the profiles of Asian-Canadian and White-Canadian children and families that experienced a case closure after an investigation instead of being transferred to ongoing child protection services (CPS). Child protection investigations involving Asian-Canadian and White-Canadian children and families that were transferred to ongoing CPS presented a different profile of case characteristics and caregiver and child clinical needs. Asian-Canadian children and families received ongoing CPS for over a month longer than White-Canadian children and families and were less likely (odds ratio [ OR] = 0.39) to be reinvestigated for any form of maltreatment-related concerns within 1 year after case closure. It appears that child protection investigations involving Asian-Canadian children and families are less likely to be closed prematurely than White-Canadian children and families, and the child protection system may be meeting the needs of Asian-Canadian communities. Alternatively, it is possible there is unaccounted biases that may be reflective of systemic problem of discriminative practices in the child protection system. Further research is needed to explore this phenomenon.

Changes since 1980 in body mass index and the prevalence of overweight among inschooling children in Nuuk, Greenland

OBJECTIVE

The aim of the study was to examine the trends which have occurred during the past generation in body mass index (BMI) and in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among children in public schools in Nuuk, Greenland.

STUDY DESIGN

The study is a retrospective cohort study of BMI among inschooling children (age 6 or 7 years old). A database was created on the basis of files from school-nurses containing information on height and weight among children having attended school in Nuuk since 1970. The database contained 10,121 measurements in total, whereas 2,801 were on inschooling children. Measurements from these children form the basis of this study. Mean and quartiles of BMI among the inschooling children in 5-year intervals were used to determine the development in BMI since 1980. On the basis of international cut-points for use among children and adolescents, the proportion of overweight and obese children and the trends since 1980 were determined.

RESULTS

The mean BMI has risen by a total of a bit more than 6% since 1980, corresponding to a rise of 1.2-3.8% for every 5-year period. Increases are also observed when assessing the proportion of overweight and obese, which were 6.6% and 0.9%, respectively, among the inschooling children during the period 1980-1984. These proportions increased to 16.5% and 5.2%, respectively, in 2000-2004.

CONCLUSION

This study has provided evidence that during the past two decades, children in Nuuk have undergone a development towards a higher prevalence of overweight and obesity.

Dietary nutrients and anthropometry of Dene/Métis and Yukon children

OBJECTIVE

To describe nutrient intakes and anthropometry of 10-12-year-old Dene/Métis and Yukon children in the Canadian Arctic.

STUDY DESIGN

24 h-recall interviews (n = 222 interviews) were conducted on Canadian Dene/Métis and Yukon children in five communities during two seasons in 2000-2001; the children were measured for height and weight (n = 216).

METHODS

Assessment of nutrient adequacy used Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) including cut-point procedures. Anthropometric measurements (height and weight) were assessed and body mass index (BMI) was compared to the 2000 CDC Growth Charts.

RESULTS

Thirty-two percent of the children were above the 85th percentile of BMI-for-age. More than 50 percent of children were below the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR) for vitamins A and E, phosphorus and magnesium; mean intakes were below the Adequate Intake (AI) for vitamin D, calcium, dietary fiber, omega-6 fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids. Nutrients that were probably adequate for some gender/season groups were protein, carbohydrate, iron, copper, selenium, zinc, manganese, riboflavin and vitamins B6 and C.

CONCLUSIONS

Excessive prevalence of overweight and inadequacy of some nutrients were observed among Dene/Métis and Yukon children, suggesting a necessity for dietary improvement. However, many nutrients were adequate, in some cases probably due to continued traditional food use.

Indian Child Welfare Act Proceedings. Final rule

This final rule adds a new subpart to the Department of the Interior's (Department) regulations implementing the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA), to improve ICWA implementation. The final rule addresses requirements for State courts in ensuring implementation of ICWA in Indian child-welfare proceedings and requirements for States to maintain records under ICWA.

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 Minnesota's approach called Family Assessment response, and explored the impact on racial equity outcomes in the state's 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.

Ethnicity and child health in northern Tanzania: Maasai pastoralists are disadvantaged compared to neighbouring ethnic groups

The Maasai of northern Tanzania, a semi-nomadic ethnic group predominantly reliant on pastoralism, face a number of challenges anticipated to have negative impacts on child health, including marginalisation, vulnerabilities to drought, substandard service provision and on-going land grabbing conflicts. Yet, stemming from a lack of appropriate national survey data, no large-scale comparative study of Maasai child health has been conducted. Savannas Forever Tanzania surveyed the health of over 3500 children from 56 villages in northern Tanzania between 2009 and 2011. The major ethnic groups sampled were the Maasai, Sukuma, Rangi, and the Meru. Using multilevel regression we compare each ethnic group on the basis of (i) measurements of child health, including anthropometric indicators of nutritional status and self-reported incidence of disease; and (ii) important proximate determinants of child health, including food insecurity, diet, breastfeeding behaviour and vaccination coverage. We then (iii) contrast households among the Maasai by the extent to which subsistence is reliant on livestock herding. Measures of both child nutritional status and disease confirm that the Maasai are substantially disadvantaged compared to neighbouring ethnic groups, Meru are relatively advantaged, and Rangi and Sukuma intermediate in most comparisons. However, Maasai children were less likely to report malaria and worm infections. Food insecurity was high throughout the study site, but particularly severe for the Maasai, and reflected in lower dietary intake of carbohydrate-rich staple foods, and fruits and vegetables. Breastfeeding was extended in the Maasai, despite higher reported consumption of cow's milk, a potential weaning food. Vaccination coverage was lowest in Maasai and Sukuma. Maasai who rely primarily on livestock herding showed signs of further disadvantage compared to Maasai relying primarily on agriculture. We discuss the potential ecological, socioeconomic, demographic and cultural factors responsible for these differences and the implications for population health research and policy.

Assessment on the knowledge and reported practices of women on maternal and child health in rural Sierra Leone: a cross-sectional survey

BACKGROUND

Globally, Sierra Leone is ranked among the countries with the worst maternal and child health indicators. The mortality of women and children is significantly higher compared with other developing countries. The death of women and children can be prevented by simple cost-effective community-based interventions. The aim of this present study was to learn the knowledge levels of women on maternal and child health, and treatment-seeking and preventive behaviours in rural Sierra Leone and provide appropriate suggestions for policy makers. Moreover, the study also aimed to evaluate the effect of a husband's involvement on health knowledge and practices of women in rural Sierra Leone.

METHODS

Women with at least a child of five years or below were interviewed in their households through a structured questionnaire. Characteristics of the households and of the respondents were collected and the number of correct answers given to the health knowledge and practice questions and their percentage distributions were tabulated and an overall health knowledge score was calculated.

RESULTS

The mean score of the derived overall health-related knowledge was 61.6% (maximum of 91% and a minimum of 18%) with a standard deviation of 14.7% and a median of 63.3%. Multivariable regression analyses showed education and number of pregnancies are associated with knowledge score, with significantly improved health knowledge scores amongst those who accessed higher education. There were some inappropriate practices in hygiene and sanitation. However, vaccination coverage was high with almost 100% coverage for BCG.

CONCLUSIONS

Based on the findings of this study, women's knowledge on maternal and child health care are inadequate in rural Sierra Leone. Health promotion activities focusing on prevention of diarrhoea, malaria and pneumonia, improvement in health-related knowledge on pregnancy, delivery, neonatal care and environmental sanitation would be invaluable.

What roles do contemporaneous and cumulative incomes play in the income-child health gradient for young children? Evidence from an Australian panel

The literature to date shows that children from poorer households tend to have worse health than their peers, and the gap between them grows with age. We investigate whether and how health shocks (as measured by the onset of chronic conditions) contribute to the income-child health gradient and whether the contemporaneous or cumulative effects of income play important mitigating roles. We exploit a rich panel dataset with three panel waves called the Longitudinal Study of Australian children. Given the availability of three waves of data, we are able to apply a range of econometric techniques (e.g. fixed and random effects) to control for unobserved heterogeneity. The paper makes several contributions to the extant literature. First, it shows that an apparent income gradient becomes relatively attenuated in our dataset when the cumulative and contemporaneous effects of household income are distinguished econometrically. Second, it demonstrates that the income-child health gradient becomes statistically insignificant when controlling for parental health and health-related behaviours or unobserved heterogeneity.

The 'stolen generations' of mothers and daughters: child apprehension and enhanced HIV vulnerabilities for sex workers of Aboriginal ancestry

OBJECTIVES

The number of children in care of the state continues to grow in BC, Canada with a historical legacy of child apprehension among criminalized and marginalized populations, particularly women of Aboriginal ancestry and sex workers. However, there is a paucity of research investigating child apprehension experiences among marginalized mothers. The objective of the current analysis is to examine the prevalence and correlates of child apprehensions among female sex workers in Vancouver, Canada.

METHODS

Analyses were drawn from the AESHA (An Evaluation of Sex Workers Health Access, 2010-present), a prospective cohort of street and off-street SWs, through outreach and semi-annual visits to the research office. Bivariate and multivariate logistic regression were used to examine correlates of child apprehension.

RESULTS

Of a total of 510 SWs, 350 women who had given birth to at least one child were included in the analyses (median age = 37 yrs: IQR: 31-44 yrs). The prevalence of child apprehension among mothers was 38.3%, with 37.4% reporting having been apprehended themselves by child welfare services. In multivariable analysis, servicing clients in outdoor public spaces (versus formal sex work establishments or informal indoor settings) (adjusted odds ratio, (aOR) = 2.73; 95%CI 1.27-5.90), history of injecting drugs (aOR  = 2.53; 95%CI 1.42-4.49), Aboriginal ancestry (aOR = 1.66; 95%CI 1.01-2.74) were associated with increased odds of child apprehension.

DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS

Child apprehension rates are high, particularly among the most marginalized sex workers, including sex workers who use drugs and sex workers of Aboriginal ancestry. Structural reforms to child protection are urgently needed, that support family-based care address the historical legacy of colonization affecting Aboriginal peoples.

The health status of Roma children--a medical or social issue?

BACKGROUND

Most studies dealing with health problems of the Roma population suggests that a low economic status significantly contributes to their overall poor health. In Serbia, Roma people are members of a marginalized ethnic group with a low socioeconomic status which contributes to their much higher morbidity and mortality rate compared with the majority population. The questions we asked in this paper were: Are Roma children discriminated during hospital care? Do they get the same treatment as the non-Roma children?

PATIENTS AND METHODS

To answer these questions, we examined medical records of 59 Roma children and compared with 59 records of non-Roma children in order to determine whether there are any differences in the health status, as well as the length, course, outcome, and cost of treatment.

RESULTS

Roma children have statistically significant more comorbidity, more malnutritions, more skin diseases (especially parasitic and fungal infections) and were more frequently anemic. Also, the length of hospitalization of Roma children was significantly higher, as well as the number of laboratory tests performed and number of drugs prescribed, which contribute to the significantly higher costs of treatment for Roma children compared to non-Roma children. However, a significantly lower number of Roma children were discharged as "completely cured".

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study does not support hypothesis of discrimination of Roma children concerning medical treatment in observed hospital. At the same time, our results suggests that social interventions (e.g. hygienic housing, water supply, etc.) and prevention measures could prevent necessity of hospitalized treatment of Roma children and could diminish the drain on the health budget spent on treating the consequences of social neglect.

Mandated to fail? Humanitarian agencies and the protection of Palestinian children

This paper considers the efforts of United Nations and international agencies to address the threats to Palestinian children arising from Israeli occupation. It contains an account of the reasons why agencies have failed, over many years, to prevent systematic violations by the Israeli authorities and settlers. The discussion is organised around two inter-related domains: institutional and political. The paper argues that, in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), limitations to the ways in which child protection has been conceptualised and pursued in practice are abundantly evident. Nevertheless, political pressure by Western donor governments serves to constrain an approach to child protection that is more preventative in nature, that addresses more explicitly Israeli violations of international law, and that reflects the experience and aspirations of Palestinian children themselves. Ultimately, therefore, the failure to protect Palestinian children must be seen not only as a result of humanitarian miscalculation but also as a consequence of political strategy.

Child health in the United States: recent trends in racial/ethnic disparities

In the United States, race and ethnicity are considered key social determinants of health because of their enduring association with social and economic opportunities and resources. An important policy and research concern is whether the U.S. is making progress toward reducing racial/ethnic inequalities in health. While race/ethnic disparities in infant and adult outcomes are well documented, less is known about patterns and trends by race/ethnicity among children. Our objective was to determine the patterns of and progress toward reducing racial/ethnic disparities in child health. Using nationally representative data from 1998 to 2009, we assessed 17 indicators of child health, including overall health status, disability, measures of specific illnesses, and indicators of the social and economic consequences of illnesses. We examined disparities across five race/ethnic groups (non-Hispanic white, non-Hispanic black, Hispanic, non-Hispanic Asian, and non-Hispanic other). We found important racial/ethnic disparities across nearly all of the indicators of health we examined, adjusting for socioeconomic status, nativity, and access to health care. Importantly, we found little evidence that racial/ethnic disparities in child health have changed over time. In fact, for certain illnesses such as asthma, black-white disparities grew significantly larger over time. In general, black children had the highest reported prevalence across the health indicators and Asian children had the lowest reported prevalence. Hispanic children tended to be more similar to whites compared to the other race/ethnic groups, but there was considerable variability in their relative standing.

Parent versus child reporting of tobacco smoke exposure at home and in the car

AIMS

To compare self-reported exposure to tobacco smoke in the home or in cars between parents and their pre-adolescent children.

METHODS

We analysed data on self-reported exposure to secondhand smoke from 3,645 matched pairs of children at baseline (aged between 10 and 13 years) and their parents whether smokers or not, who were participants in Keeping Kids Smokefree (KKS), a community-based study in South Auckland, New Zealand from 2007-2009. The study aimed to reduce children's smoking initiation through parental behaviour change. The responses of the parent-child pairs were analysed using proportions, Kappa scores, and McNemar's Chi-squared test. Additionally, 679 children were biochemically tested for smoking exposure using exhaled carbon monoxide.

RESULTS

There was approximately a 30% discordance between the self-reports of children and their parents, with parents reporting less smoking in homes or cars than their children. Kappa scores for parent-child agreement by ethnicity ranged from 0.15 to 0.41 for smoking at home and 0.17 to 0.54 for smoking in cars. Biochemical testing suggested that around 30% of children had been exposed to secondhand smoke, corroborating their self-reported proportion of 37% (baseline in the home) whereas few parents (11%) reported smoking in home or cars.

CONCLUSION

Parents were significantly less likely than children to report smoking inside the home or car. Biochemical testing indicated that children's reporting is more accurate. This has implications for future studies relying on self-reporting by children and/or their caregivers.

Predictors of inadequate prenatal care in methamphetamine-using mothers in New Zealand and the United States

This study compared patterns of prenatal care among mothers who used methamphetamine (MA) during pregnancy and non-using mothers in the US and New Zealand (NZ), and evaluated associations among maternal drug use, child protective services (CPS) referral, and inadequate prenatal care in both countries. The sample consisted of 182 mothers in the MA-Exposed and 196 in the Comparison groups in the US, and 107 mothers in the MA-Exposed and 112 in the Comparison groups in NZ. Positive toxicology results and/or maternal report of MA use during pregnancy were used to identify MA use. Information about sociodemographics, prenatal care and prenatal substance use was collected by maternal interview. MA-use during pregnancy is associated with lower socioeconomic status, single marital status, and CPS referral in both NZ and the US. Compared to their non-using counterparts, MA-using mothers in the US had significantly higher rates of inadequate prenatal care. No association was found between inadequate care and MA-use in NZ. In the US, inadequate prenatal care was associated with CPS referral, but not in NZ. Referral to CPS for drug use only composed 40 % of all referrals in the US, but only 15 % of referrals in NZ. In our study population, prenatal MA-use and CPS referral eclipse maternal sociodemographics in explanatory power for inadequate prenatal care. The predominant effect of CPS referral in the US is especially interesting, and should encourage further research on whether the US policy of mandatory reporting discourages drug-using mothers from seeking antenatal care.

Racial and ethnic disparities: a population-based examination of risk factors for involvement with child protective services

OBJECTIVE

Data from the United States indicate pronounced and persistent racial/ethnic differences in the rates at which children are referred and substantiated as victims of child abuse and neglect. In this study, we examined the extent to which aggregate racial differences are attributable to variations in the distribution of individual and family-level risk factors.

METHODS

This study was based on the full population of children born in California in 2002. Birth records were linked to child protective service (CPS) records to identify all children referred for maltreatment by age 5. Generalized linear models were used to compute crude and adjusted racial/ethnic differences in children's risk of referral, substantiation, and entry to foster care.

RESULTS

As expected, stark differences between Black and White children emerged in the rates of contact with CPS. Black children were more than twice as likely as White children to be referred for maltreatment, substantiated as victims, and enter foster care before age 5. Yet, there were also significant differences across racial/ethnic groups in the distribution of socioeconomic and health factors strongly correlated with child maltreatment and CPS involvement. After adjusting for these differences, low socioeconomic Black children had a lower risk of referral, substantiation, and entry to foster care than their socioeconomically similar White counterparts. Among Latinos, before adjusting for other factors, children of U.S.-born mothers were significantly more likely than White children to experience system contact, while children of foreign-born mothers were less likely to be involved with CPS. After adjusting for socioeconomic and health indicators, the relative risk of referral, substantiation, and foster care entry was significantly lower for Latino children (regardless of maternal nativity) compared to White children.

CONCLUSIONS

Race and ethnicity is a marker for a complex interaction of economic, social, political, and environmental factors that influence the health of individuals and communities. This analysis indicates that adjusting for child and family-level risk factors is necessary to distinguish race-specific effects (which may reflect system, worker, or resource biases) from socioeconomic and health indicators associated with maltreatment risk. Identifying the independent effects of these factors is critical to developing effective strategies for reducing racial disparities.

Challenges to recruit and retain American Indian and Alaskan Natives into social work programs: the impact on the child welfare workforce

There is a shortage of professionally trained American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) social workers available to provide services including child welfare services to tribal communities. This study used a mixed-model survey design to examine the perceptions of 47 AI/AN BSW and MSW students enrolled in social work programs across the to determine the challenges associated with recruitment and retention. The findings are supported in the literature. Findings indicate that social work academic programs have not made substantial gains in the recruitment and retention of AI/AN students over several decades. Students identified the following seven major barriers to successful recruitment and retention: (1) a lack of AI/AN professors; (2) a shortage of field placement agencies that serve AI/AN clients; (3) conflicts between students' academic obligations and responsibilities to their families and tribal communities; (4) students' feelings of cultural isolation; (5) the need for AI/AN role models and mentors; (6) a lack of understanding by universities of cultural customs and traditional values; and (7) racism. Implications for policy and practice are offered.

Is a structured, manualized, evidence-based treatment protocol culturally competent and equivalently effective among American Indian parents in child welfare?

In a statewide implementation, the manualized SafeCare home-based model was effective in reducing child welfare recidivism and producing high client satisfaction. Concerns about the effectiveness and acceptability of structured, manualized models with American Indians have been raised in the literature, but have rarely been directly tested. This study tests recidivism reduction equivalency and acceptability among American Indian parents. A subpopulation of 354 American Indian parents was drawn from a larger trial that compared services with versus without modules of the SafeCare model. Outcomes were 6-year recidivism, pre/post/follow-up measures of depression and child abuse potential, and posttreatment consumer ratings of working alliance, service satisfaction, and cultural competency. Recidivism reduction among American Indian parents was found to be equivalent for cases falling within customary SafeCare inclusion criteria. When extended to cases outside customary inclusion boundaries, there was no apparent recidivism advantage or disadvantage. Contrary to concerns, SafeCare had higher consumer ratings of cultural competency, working alliance, service quality, and service benefit. Findings support using SafeCare with American Indians parents who meet customary SafeCare inclusion criteria. Findings do not support concerns in the literature that a manualized, structured, evidence-based model might be less effective or culturally unacceptable for American Indians.

The development and implementation of a strategic framework to improve Aboriginal child development and wellbeing in far west NSW: a collaborative approach

In 2005, the Maari Ma Chronic Disease Strategy of the Maari Ma Health Aboriginal Corporation in far west NSW identified the importance of addressing the fetal, infant and child origins of chronic disease in adults. In 2008a process for developing a strategic framework to improve the development and wellbeing of children was initiated. The process incorporated all organisations involved with children. A multisectoral working group was established to facilitate the development of the strategic framework which was published in 2009 and a Project Officer was employed by Maari Ma to implement it. This included working with agencies that have the potential to affect the social determinants of health. It is anticipated that, in the medium to long term, this approach will contribute to reducing the rate of chronic disease in adulthood, and reduce the gap between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal health outcomes.

Travel to school and physical activity levels in 9-10 year-old UK children of different ethnic origin; Child Heart and Health Study in England (CHASE)

Background

Travel to school may offer a convenient way to increase physical activity levels in childhood. We examined the association between method of travel to school and physical activity levels in urban multi-ethnic children.

Methods and Findings

2035 children (aged 9–10 years in 2006–7) provided data on their usual method of travel to school and wore an Actigraph-GT1M activity monitor during waking hours. Associations between method of travel and mean level of physical activity (counts per minute [CPM], steps, time spent in light, moderate or vigorous activity per day) were examined in models adjusted for confounding variables. 1393 children (69%) walked or cycled to school; 161 (8%) used public transport and 481 (24%) travelled by car. White European children were more likely to walk/cycle, black African Caribbeans to travel by public transport and South Asian children to travel by car. Children travelling by car spent less time in moderate to vigorous physical activity (−7 mins, 95%CI-9,-5), and had lower CPM (−32 CPM, 95%CI-44,-19) and steps per day (−813 steps, 95%CI,-1043,-582) than walkers/cyclists. Pupils travelling by public transport had similar activity levels to walkers/cyclists. Lower physical activity levels amongst car travellers' were especially marked at travelling times (school days between 8–9 am, 3–5 pm), but were also evident on weekdays at other times and at weekends; they did not differ by gender or ethnic group.

Conclusion

Active travel to school is associated with higher levels of objectively measured physical activity, particularly during periods of travel but also at other times. If children travelling by car were to achieve physical activity levels (steps) similar to children using active travel, they would increase their physical activity levels by 9%. However, the population increase would be a modest 2%, because of the low proportion of car travellers in this urban population.

Physical and mental health disparities among young children of Asian immigrants

OBJECTIVE

To examine physical and mental health functioning among Asian-American children of US-born and immigrant parents.

STUDY DESIGN

We used data from the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Kindergarten Class of 1998-1999 base-year public data file. The sample was restricted to 7726 Asian and US-born white children. Asian subgroups were created based on parents' country of birth. Child physical and mental health was assessed based on multiple sources of data and measures. Analyses included multivariate linear and logistic regression.

RESULTS

After adjusting for demographic and contextual differences, disparities were found for physical and mental health indicators. Children of foreign-born Asian families (from east, southeast, and south Asia) were at greater risk for poor physical health, internalizing problems, and inadequate interpersonal relationships compared with children of US-born white families.

CONCLUSION

There is little support for the "model minority" myth with regard to physical and mental health. Evidence of physical and mental health disparities among young Asian-American children and differing risk based on region of origin of immigrant parents suggests the need for culturally informed prevention efforts during early childhood.

Prêt-à-Manger: why the French have their cake and eat it, too

Even if you weren't aware of the rising intensity of debates over food politics in recent years, the face-off between Sarah Palin and Michelle Obama probably caught your attention. One of Michelle Obama's most high profile acts as First Lady was to plant an organic food garden on the White House lawn—ironically later found to be contaminated by sewage-sludge-based fertilizer, rendering the lovingly grown vegetables off limits. The launch of the Obama Foodorama (the First Lady's foodie blog) and "Let's Move" (Obama's cause célèbre child anti-obesity campaign) soon followed. Palin's subsequent attacks on Obama's "interference" in personal food choices culminated in her visit to a Pennsylvania primary school, where Palin publicly proffered cookies to schoolchildren, in a presumed attempt to warn them of nanny state "food police."

Failures in children's protection in Newfoundland and Labrador: from the Hughes (1991) to Markesteyn and Day (2006) inquiries and beyond

The death in 2003 of Zachary Turner, a child in receipt of children’s protection services in Foxtrap, Newfoundland, sparked an independent inquiry into his death. Subsequently, other reviews were completed of children’s protection services. These were not the first reviews or inquiries of this kind in Newfoundland and Labrador. In 1991, Justice Samuel Hughes had conducted a public inquiry into children’s protection services. This article is a critical historical analysis of selected aspects of children’s protection services. The authors uncover repeated failures by government in its child protection systems and discuss implications for future concerns.

Should we get married? The effect of parents' marriage on out-of-wedlock children

Using a representative sample of children all born to unwed parents drawn from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study and a potential outcome approach to account for self-selection into marriage, we investigate whether marriage after childbearing has a causal effect on early child development. Comparing children with similar background characteristics and parental mate-selection patterns who differ only in terms of whether their parents marry after childbirth, we find that marriage after childbirth significantly increases a child's early cognitive performance but there is no evidence that it affects child asthma risk or behavioral outcomes.

Parental risk attitudes and children's academic test scores: evidence from the US panel study of income dynamics

Using a sequence of questions from the 1996 US Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID), we explore the implications of interpersonal differences in parent's attitudes towards risk for the academic test scores of their children focusing on information drawn from the 1997 Child Development Supplement of the PSID. In addition, we explore whether parental risk preference influences whether the child subsequently attends college. Our findings suggest that a parent's degree of risk aversion is inversely related to the academic test scores of their children as well as being inversely related to the probability of attending college post high school.

"Operation Pied Piper": a psychoanalytic narrative of authority in a time of war

The evacuation of British children during World War II is read alongside the legend of the "Pied Piper" after which the mass migration was officially named. While virtually every British account of World War II makes mention of the evacuation, most are silent on the question of its ominous title: "Operation Pied Piper." This paper traces the legend's key theme - on influencing and being influenced - as it surfaces in the writing of one child analyst and one social worker charged with the responsibility of leading a family of five hostels for British youth. At a time when Hitler's deadly regime reached unprecedented heights across the Channel, the legend of the "Pied Piper" becomes a highly suggestive metaphor for thinking about D. W. Winnicott and Clare Britton's writing on what authority could mean in the face of leadership gone terribly wrong. Quite another, profoundly intimate loss of leadership haunts their words as well: Sigmund Freud, in exile from Hitler's Europe and leader of the psychoanalytic movement, died in London just weeks after the first wave of Blitz evacuations. It is in this context that Winnicott and Britton articulated a theory of authority that could address the losses of history without at the same time demanding the loss of the mind.