Other
Part of a series of brochures on parenting, this brochure is designed to assist Pennsylvania parents who are in recovery from drug or alcohol abuse. It begins by urging parents to understand that change is frightening, conflict between recovery needs and the needs of the family may surface, partners and children need to recover too, children often blame themselves for addictions or relapses, and a new family is being created. Tips are provided for using what has been learned in recovery to be a better parent, and for using self-talk to change feelings and behavior.
Other
This issue of a newsletter for child welfare workers in Colorado describes strategies for developing a rapport with families from other cultures, fathers, and teens. The articles review the importance of client-worker collaboration to the success of assessments and services. Professionals who are working with culturally diverse families are advised to learn about values and experiences from a variety of resources, including parents themselves. Cultural differences should be respected and integrated into treatment when appropriate. Techniques for including fathers in casework include…
Other
The purpose of this guidance paper is to provide information on the need for, and methods of, locating absent parents of children in foster care so that the child's permanency and well-being can be achieved more effectively and efficiently. Topics include the importance of locating absent fathers, the identified barriers to locating absent fathers, and recommendations that social services districts and voluntary authorized agencies can consider to support or improve their practices and permanency results. (Author abstract)
Training Materials, Other
Designed to be used in conjunction with the Getting Real parent and youth training component of the Creating Lasting Family Connections (CLFC) curriculum, this 17-minute DVD presentation describes how each person has a shared, hidden, and lost component of the self. It discusses the critical role that trust plays in human relationships and the 'safe and alone' versus 'vulnerable and intimate' paradox faced in these relationships. A card is also included that explains the CLFC curriculum series. (Author abstract modified)
The percentage of children under the age of 18 who live with two parents decreased steadily for several decades (from approximately 85% in 1970 to approximately 68% by the mid-1990s1). Beginning in the mid-1990s, this decrease leveled off and the proportion of U.S. children who live with two married parents has since remained at approximately 68 percent. Despite relatively little change over the last decade, the proportion of U.S. children who live in a single parent household has more than doubled since 1970, from approximately 12 percent to 28 percent. (Author abstract)
Other
Identifies programs in the U.S. and Canada that offer services specifically for children and families of adult offenders. Each entry provides the following information: telephone, address, e-mail, website, contact person(s), area served, year established, publications, and a brief description of the program and its services. (Author abstract)
Other
Family structure changed rapidly in the second half of the 20th century, with two-parent families increasingly replaced by other family forms. Divorce is common, one-third of all births occur out of wedlock, and cohabiting couples are widespread. The decline of marriage has been particularly evident in poor communities. In this societal context, three of the four purposes of the 1996 welfare legislation were related to marriage and family formation: states were urged to promote marriage, reduce out-of-wedlock childbearing, and support two-parent families. Panelists at this First Tuesday forum…
Brief
Consistent emotional bonds between families and adolescents have been found to be a significant protective factor for young people and a necessary component to achieve positive outcomes. That being said, it is estimated that there are 2,473,300 children of male prisoners and 319,718 children of female prisoners in U.S. correctional facilities. Our nation's high rate of incarceration takes a heavy toll socially and economically on children, their families and communities. Supports are needed because they make communities more resilient to the effects of incarceration and serve to prevent…
Other
Designed for child welfare workers in North Carolina, this journal issue focuses on fathers. It begins by discussing father involvement in child welfare, the importance of fathers for healthy childhood development, and the potential impact of having an absent father on children. Factors influencing father involvement are explored, and findings from a study of father involvement in kinship care are shared. Findings from the study indicate caseworkers lacked information about the fathers, focused on the deficits of the fathers, and did not involve fathers in case planning. Strategies for…
Data and sources of information on the effects of father absence on poverty, maternal and child health, incarceration, crime, teen pregnancy, child abuse, drug and alcohol abuse, education, and childhood obesity.
