bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Observations on the Themes of International Youth Year '85 Part 3
Authors: Owen Lloyd
Published: March 2016

PEACE is both an International and local issue which….

…. should also confront basic problems in society like inequality, unemployment, homelessness and racial discrimination .…requires society to be tolerant and flexible so people can be at peace with one another. (IYY 85 Brochure) PEACE .… the Pocket Oxford Dictionary refers to peace as being freedom from or cessation of war; civil order as secured by law; quiet, calm, harmonious relations. To be at peace is to be untroubled. For the present generation of young people issues relating to peace are of critical importance. International brinkmanship and possession of arsenals with unprecedented destructive power underscore age old questions of human relations concerning aggression and the management of competition and conflict. The daily news almost inevitably dreaws attention to conflict between individuals, between large groups of people and between nations. The slogan “Peace in our time” carries a note of urgency yet the daily experience of human conflict both real and simulated on TV screens points to the possibility that potential for conflict is deeply rooted in human nature.
Child Welfare and the Disabled — Is the Battle for Justice Really Being Fought?
Authors: Szwarc Barbara
Published: March 2016

This paper is based on the latest findings of the Children's Bureau of Australia recently released study entitled Particular Care Reconsidered by Barbara Szwarc. The Study, being a follow-up to the 1979 Report by N.J. Smith and G. Gregory entitled Particular Care was based on an Australia wide survey conducted in June 1984 on all children living in Non-Government Childrens Homes and Foster Care. Particular concentration in the study has been given to children in disadvantageous positions.

Also referred to in this paper is another report by Barbara Swarcz on A Study Into The Victorian Children's Aid Society Respite Care Program During the 1985-86 Holiday Period. This report was based primarily on the perceptions of parents of the children who used the program.

Of particular concern in this paper is the amount of undue injustice and inequality that such children and their families suffer just because their children are disabled.
Social Development, its Contexts, and Child Welfare
Authors: Maas Henry
Published: March 2016

Child welfare agencies and workers are often so besieged by pressures from all sides that they may lose sight of their purposes. They may mistake their current programs for their reasons for being. Daily activities in agencies are frequently determined by crises in the lives of societally unintegrated children and youth. They may be called neglected and/or abused, disturbed and/or deliquent. What they tend to have in common, whatever label they are given, is that they are somehow peripheral to their society, undervalued by it, and often victimized. Is it any wonder that children and youth become alienated, feeling unbelonging and depressed? Or that there are high staff turnover, under-funding and organizational emergencies in agencies mandated to provide primarily remedial (after-the-pain) services? Under these circumstances, practitioners have little opportunity to review the assumptions, as well as the effects of their daily work.
Group Learning Towards Family Development
Authors: Carolan Beth
Published: March 2016

Resume

The agency described here works with low-functioning excluded families. Members of these families often cannot perform ordinary family tasks, and one of the agency's aims is to assist development in these areas. This article reports an attempt to use some principles of adult learning theory with a group of women who meet regularly in a social/educational setting.
The Family — A personal view.
Authors: O'Connor Peter
Published: March 2016

The essence of what I wish to say is eloquently and simply contained in the words of Kahil Gibran, when in his work entitled “The Prophet” he speaks of children:-

“Your children are not your children

They are the sons and daughters of life's longing for itself

They come through you but not from you

And though they are with you yet they belong not to you.
The Migrant Family: Some comments on Social Work Practice with non-English speaking migrants.
Authors: Snyder Joan
Published: March 2016

The description of the P. family — their anxieties, hardships and frustrations will be a familiar story to social workers working with non-English speaking migrant clients, regardless of whether the social worker is employed by ethnic or sectarian agencies or the wider general agencies such as government departments, municipal councils or independent organizations. This attempts to investigate some of the ways in which social workers can attempt to help and support the migrant client from a different ethnic group in his struggle to create a new life in Australia. The P. family's story will be used to illustrate some of the major areas of difficulty faced by a migrant family and a number of social work roles and strategies are suggested which might be employed in seeking to bring about social change. The implications of ethnicity for social work practice in a multi-cultural society form a central focus of concern. Finally, general comments and suggestions will be made about the role and responsibilities of the social worker in the multi-cultural society.
Outcomes in Adoption: The views of adoptees and natural parents
Authors: Picton Cliff
Published: March 2016

Under the provision of Section 62 of the Adoption of Children Act (Victoria, Australia) 1964, inspection of records of adoption proceedings is restricted, and Regulations 35 and 36 of the Adoption of Children Regulations 1965 prohibit or restrict access to birth entries relating to adopted children. In November 1976 the Attorney-General of Victoria requested the Statute Law Revision Committee to examine whether these restrictions should apply to an adoptee who has attained the age of 18 years or to the natural mother of an adoptee. The Committee reported in October 1978 and recommended, inter alia, that in any new adoption legislation adoptees should have only a qualified right to access to original birth records on application to a judge. Moreover, any changes in the law should not be made retrospective to cover those already adopted.
A Training Programme for Homemakers
Authors: Drake-Brockman Carey , Constable Elizabeth , Ward Alison
Published: March 2016

The term Homemaker has been used to describe roles which range from a friendly visitor, to a teaching role, to that of a domestic or nursing aide (Canadian Council of Social Development, 1971). To avoid any confusion the Homemakers referred to in this article are essentially support workers with a teaching orientation. Their role is to prevent breakdown in the family unit by acting as a resource to the parent in a range of problem areas, but with a specific focus on child rearing. They aim to protect, restore or improve family functioning in the area of physical, social and emotional health. In some situations they may perform practical tasks to help improve the quality of life in the home, but generally their main task is to assist the parent to acquire the necessary skills.
The Lone Father and his Children: An aspect of Family policy
Authors: Katz Arnold J.
Published: March 2016

Over the last few years the Australian family has again become a focal point for inquiry and intervention. Scholars and researchers, as well as the government, have suggested there has been a breakdown in Australian family life. This has brought in its wake a concomitant increase in divorce and separation, a surge of single parent families, and a decrease in the marriage rate. A broad range of activities has been initiated to both understand the parameters and substance of the subject, as well as to develop means of supporting and strengthening the family.
Treating Adoptees as Persons
Authors: Gregory Graeme
Published: March 2016

The number of children placed for adoption in Australia (and in virtually all other countries) in the 1970's was infinitesimal compared with the number placed in the 1960's. Nevertheless, we enter the 1980's with adoption remaining a major subject for public scrutiny and discussion. Several factors contribute to this interest. Adoption in the one “welfare” activity that touches the lives of the “non-welfare” public, in that it is still seen (unrealistically) as the first alternative for childless couples wanting a family. The decrease in babies needing adoption reduces the number of couples who can look to adoption as a means of having a family and increases the public interest in this “rare commodity”. Two Australian Conferences on Adoption (1976 & 1978) brought together for the first time in this country the various parties involved in the adoption process, generating intense and ongoing examination, discussion and debate. The secrecy of the adoption process has been called into question, particularly by adult adoptees deprived of any information at all concerning their origins.
The Single Parent Family: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Burgess Penny , Nystul Michael S.
Published: March 2016

At least 160,000 Australian men and women are single parents as the result of separation, divorce, death of the spouse, or birth out of wedlock (Social Welfare Commission, 1976). With the custody, care and control of approximately 282,000 children, these single parents can face an array of social problems and, as Schlesinger (1972) observed, warrant greater attention from the helping professions.
Epilepsy: The Social Consequences
Authors: Muirden Evelyn
Published: March 2016

Epilepsy is one of the oldest and most mysterious conditions known to man. Although as long ago as 460 BC, Hypocrates claimed that seizures were due to afflictions of the brain, the myth has persisted until modern times that epilepsy is a manifestation of devil possession or a punishment of sin by God. The sudden onset of attacks and equally sudden disappearance only confirmed the long held view that supernatural powers were at work.
The Nature of Children's Conflict Resolution Styles
Authors: Slee Phillip T.
Published: March 2016

Conflict is an integral part of human relationships. As defined by The University English Dictionary conflict denotes a struggle, a clashing of views or statements, a meeting in opposition or antagonism. The position taken in the present study is that a conflict consists of an opposition between two individuals “when one person does something to which a second person objects” (Hay, 1984, p.2). This particular outlook is consistent with that adopted by Kagan, Knight & Martinez-Romero (1982) in their study of children's conflict resolution styles.

Paradoxically, while conflict may be an important aspect of human relations, conflict as evidenced in children's relations has received scant attention. Research has identified possible sex differences in children's conflict with boys engaging in more direct conflict than girls (Miller, Danaher & Forbes, 1986; Shantz, 1986). Boys do appear to use different conflict resolution strategies (namely more threats and physical force as opposed to negotiation) than girls (Miller et al, 1981). Some evidence also exists that there are developmental changes in children's conflict resolution strategies such that from 5 to 9 years there is an increasing use of a reconciliation conflict resolution style (Aboud, 1981).
Inter-Country Adoption: The Context of Recent Developments and the Need for Research
Authors: English Brian A.
Published: March 2016

This article explores changes in the patterns of marriage and family formation which preceded and now accompany the growth in inter-country adoption in Australia since 1975. It also describes the major aims and the overall plan for a follow-up study of inter-country adoption in New South Wales.
Aboriginal Children: The Challenge for the end of the Millennium
Authors: D'Souza Nigel
Published: March 2016

No other group of children in Australian society stands in greater judgement of the ability and willingness of this society to deal with their problems than aboriginal children.

The challenge that faces all of us in the nineties, including aboriginal community-controlled organisations like SNAICC, is whether we are going to be able to break the cycle of disadvantage, poverty and racism that keeps our children and our community at the very bottom of this society.

The 20th century history of Australia will be seen as the millennium of a great expansion of wealth in Australia. It will be regarded as a period of gigantic advances in science and productive technology. It will also - if historians record accurately - show the plight of aboriginal people as the single glaring blight on the record of this country.
Aboriginal Children 1990 and the International Convention on the Rights of the Child
Authors: Butler Brian
Published: March 2016

Seven days after he had attempted to gouge out his own eye with a paintbrush, 29 year old Malcolm Charles Smith, died in Sydney's Prince Henry's Hospital on January 5th 1989. Apart from the unusual circumstances of Malcolm's tragic death, inadvertently caused by his own actions, everything about his brief life since 1965 had been a complete denial of his existence as a human being and an aboriginal child.
Children, Youth, Elders. Re-linking the Generations
Authors: Edgar Don
Published: March 2016

Since the Australian Institute of Family Studies was established in 1980, we have kept in mind two slogans about family links and supports: ‘Every individual has a family’; and ‘The family does not stop at the front door’. What we meant was that family policy cannot be based solely on a static image of parents and children living together under the one roof.

Most families start off as a couple, then go through a stage of parents and children living in one household. But once the children have grown and gone, does the couple no longer have a family? If the parents separate or divorce, do the children not have any family? When a partner dies or the children are grown, the family still exists, though the patterns of interaction have changed. Thus family policy has to address the nature of these interactions, across households and across time.
Our Children — New Political Agendas
Authors: Hollingworth Peter
Published: March 2016

In my first decade with the Brotherhood in the 60's, the poverty of older people was a central concern. The Henderson Poverty Inquiry's recommendation that the age pension be indexed has led to significant improvements and protection for retired people. But during the 1970's and 80's families with children became the group most vulnerable to poverty. I will refer to government action on child poverty later, but for our part, concern about large numbers of children growing up in poverty has prompted the Brotherhood of St. Laurence and Councils of Social Service to run a national awareness and action campaign: Promise the Children.
Toward Identification of Strategies to Strengthen the Family Unit
Authors: Schultz C.L. , Schultz N.C. , Craddock A.E.
Published: March 2016

This study compares levels of couple agreement about positive and satisfying features of their relationship as reported by a remarried sample (n = 70) couples and a more general sample of couples largely in their first marriage or committed de facto relationship (n = 100 couples). The ENRICH inventory (Olson et al., 1982) was used with the general sample and the ENRICH-Anew inventory (Schultz & Schultz, 1987) was used for the remarried sample, thereby providing the measures of positive couple agreement, which can in turn serve as indicators for strengthening family relationships. There were no statistically significant differences between the two samples, indicating commonalities in stresses and strengths experienced by the two samples. However, there are suggestions in the data that issues related to children and parenting were subject to lower levels of agreement for the remarried couples. The comparison couples produced lower levels of agreement in the areas of conflict resolution and relating to partner's family and friends.
Custody and Access: are children's interests being protected?
Authors: Turner J. Neville
Published: March 2016

All who work with broken families know that disputes as to custody and access of children are the most difficult of all cases to resolve and often create great bitterness. Yet the law relating to them is exceedingly simple. It can be expressed in nine words: “The welfare of the child is the paramount consideration.”

Despite its apparent simplicity though, the law and practices relating to custody and access are undergoing a great deal of heart-searching. If legal periodical literature of other countries is an accurate reflection of concern, it seems that very radical re-thinking is occurring abroad. Some of this is likely to rub off on this country. For, whether we like it or not, the world is getting smaller and the welfare of children is becoming more and more an international concern. The ratification by Australia of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is a timely reminder of this. The incidence of child abduction, kidnapping and inter-country marriages, and of course, inter-country adoption, surely testifies to the fact that we should now be looking at the care and well-being of children as a global issue.
‘Walking my baby back home’ - Policy and Practice in Health Services and Single Parent Families
Authors: Boland Cathy
Published: March 2016

The position of single parent families in Australia is examined from a historical perspective, and this is a prelude to a discussion of service provision in maternity hospitals and Baby Health Centres in New South Wales, which are now staffed under the auspices of the Community Health Program. The paper is concerned with issues raised by criteria used to predict child abuse. These criteria are examined from two methodological perspectives; the first applies to the welfare critiques of social control to health service delivery, and the second is an epidemiological critique that notes an extremely high error rate in predicting child abuse at one maternity hospital.

Some data from the New South Wales Maternal/Perinatal Statistics Collection on low birthweight and hospital status is used to discuss some implications of this critique related to service delivery and social class of both providers and recipients of health services.
H.U.G.S. A parent-child interaction program
Authors: McIntosh Jennifer , Green Lynette
Published: March 2016

This paper provides a brief account of a group program developed by Alys Key Family Care for parents and pre-school children where the growth of a sound, nurturing relationship has been significantly impaired. HUGS is an acronym for “Happiness, Understanding, Giving and Sharing”. The program has the overall aim of fostering positive interaction, enjoyment and the development of a reciprocal caring, confident bond between parents and children. The group has been evolving since 1987, with many refinements in its conceptualisation along the way. The agency is currently producing a manual which describes in detail the rationale and operation of the program, pilot evaluations, HUGS activities and styles of intervention and support which seem particularly effective within the group.
Surrogate Motherhood and Children's Interests: An NCBA discussion paper
Authors: Martin Julie
Published: March 2016

The issue of surrogacy has attracted spirited and concerned public and professional debate. For some commentators even the term itself is considered a misnomer. In the midst of forceful opposition from feminists, churches, and groups concerned with preserving the “traditional family”, together with powerful support from sections of the medical establishment, certain academics and other high profile individuals, the future of surrogacy in Australia is uncertain. What is certain is that surrogacy challenges people's ideas about acceptable means of family formation both on a personal moral level and from the broader perspective of public policy.
Aboriginal Youth, Police and the Juvenile Justice System in Western Australia
Authors: Atkinson Lynn
Published: March 2016

The first section of the paper makes some observations about young people, crime and the police, and the particular vulnerability of Aboriginal youth coming to the attention of the police. Two issues, the maintenance of public order and juvenile offending, provide the framework for the discussion here. The second section looks at the nexus between the pre-trial conference - a recent innovation in the Children's Court in Perth - police prosecutors, and Aboriginal youth.
The Influence of Indigenous Perspectives of “Family” on some aspects of Australian & New Zealand Child Welfare Practice
Authors: Ban Paul
Published: March 2016

This article is written by a non indigenous person who has spent a number of years working with Torres Strait Islanders and is currently working in Victoria on a project that has its origins in Maori child care practice. The author has found that his work as a white social worker has been markedly influenced by contact with both Torres Strait Islander and Maori culture, and considers that this effect has been both positive and beneficial. White social workers for a number of years have been guilty of implementing an assimilationist policy where Governments treat indigenous people as though they are the same as white Australians. While this can be considered an equal treatment model, this policy and practice has been detrimental to the unique contribution indigenous people can provide to social work knowledge and understanding of child care practices. This article intends to share some insight into both these cultures and to hopefully influence readers to be more open when considering their dealings with indigenous people. Particular attention will be given to Torres Strait Islanders as they are indigenous Australians, with additional reference made to the influence of the Maoris in New Zealand.
Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander Children: A vision of survival, a dream with a future
Authors: Bellear Lisa
Published: March 2016

“I mean we're sitting back waiting for our younger people to take over. When I'm talking about younger people I'm talking about teenagers and ah our people in their early twenties. They are the ones that have the new ideas, some of us now I think our ideas are a bit stale, a bit old, we try and keep abreast of what's happening with issues that are affecting people but ah, the same way as we can't, ah don't want white people telling Aboriginal people what should happen, you can't have older people telling younger people what should happen either. But I think we should work together and map out a future and the younger people should come in and take it…seize the time”.
Children's Perceptions of Personal Safety Issues and their Vulnerability to Molestation
Authors: Briggs Freda , Hawkins Russell M.F.
Published: March 2016

Interviews with children aged from 5 to 8 highlighted their vulnerability to molestation. This vulnerability is based in part on children's developmental levels. These include a limited capacity for abstract thought which renders some well intentioned attempts at child protection ineffective. Designers need to consider these developmental limitations when they develop child protection programs. Common parenting practices are also implicated in the perpetuation of children's vulnerability. These practices make it unlikely that a child would have the confidence to report adult-initiated sexual misbehaviour to a parent. Education is necessary to inform parents about ways in which they can reduce children's vulnerability by changing their own practices.
Child Abuse and the Media: Victoria introduces mandatory reporting after an intensive media campaign
Authors: Goddard Chris , Liddell Max
Published: March 2016

A version of this article was presented at the Fourth Australasian Conference on Child Abuse and Neglect, ‘Rights and Responsibilities: Wrongs and Remedies’, Brisbane, 11th - 15th July, 1993.
Abusing Children for a Living: Protecting children from abuse by professionals, Part One
Authors: Goddard Chris
Published: March 2016

Five years ago, in one of my first contributions to this space at the back of what was then called Australian Child and Family Welfare, I wrote a piece on the abuse of children by those in positions of trust and responsibility. The article, ‘What you see depends on where you stand, what you want to see and what you want to tell others you have seen’, (Goddard 1988) was prompted by two events in my life.
The Family Life Education Programme
Authors: Mellor David , Storer Shane
Published: March 2016

This paper describes the development of the Family Life Education Programme, an innovative group approach to parenting issues. The programme aims to (i) utilise the strengths of a multidisciplinary allied health team and (ii) to avoid focusing on the limited issues of child management and discipline. Previous styles of parent education groups are discussed, together with their shortcomings and the authors’ frustrations with such approaches. The rationale for the format of the new programme is described, and the detailed structure outlined. Two innovations are highlighted. Firstly, the programme focuses on issues from both the child and parent perspective (eg, child's play/parents’ recreation). Secondly, the six-week programme uses professionals from various disciplines as weekly consultants, while one member of the team provides week-to-week continuity as an anchor. The programme is evaluated in terms of the impact on the multi-disciplinary team, and the feedback from participants. It is argued that the Family Life Education Programme offers a balanced approach to the many issues confronting parents of young children and it could be implemented not only within multi-disciplinary teams, but also co-operatively across agencies.
Recruiting Out-of-Home Caregivers for Children with an Intellectual Disability in the Shared Family Care Program
Authors: Volard Jill , Baxter Christine , Costa Cliff da
Published: March 2016

Recruiting caregivers for children with an intellectual disability who require out-of-home respite or longer-term care is a problem which has challenged service providers for many years. This paper summarises findings of a recent evaluation of Shared Family Care, a foster care program in Victoria for children with intellectual disabilities/developmental delay. Current recruiting is not succeeding in meeting the demand for either respite, short term or long term care. Findings of the evaluation suggest that factors such as use of appropriate media, and running effective recruitment campaigns is only part of the answer. It is also important at every stage to address caregiver satisfaction with the job and employ strategies to find potential caregivers in the community.
Intensive Family Preservation Services: Do they have a place in Australia?
Authors: Bath Howard
Published: March 2016

Family Preservation Services, and in particular the intensive variety, have recently been attracting a lot of attention in Australia, with initiatives in at least four states. Along with the enthusiasm there has been some hostility and opposition. This paper examines the context in which the services originally developed and attempts to rationally assess their relevance for Australia.
Some effects of attachment disturbance on child behaviour
Authors: Drury-Hudson Julie
Published: March 2016

Internal working models of self and others and expectations of early relationships formed from early attachment experiences strongly influence the ways in which the child relates to others and the world. Infants whose early emotional needs have not been adequately met may come to view the world as comfortless and unpredictable and develop relationships that are marked by anxiety or detachment.

This paper presents some of the foundations of attachment theory and case examples are used to illustrate the ways in which children develop anxious or detached patterns of attachment. Attachment difficulties, together with environmental influences, are thought to be a genesis of later behavioural problems such as poor impulse control, aggression, prolonged emotional dependency and extreme difficulty in relating to other children.
Access for the child in alternative care
Authors: Cherry David
Published: March 2016

In this paper, issues relating to access for the child in alternative care are explored. The various purposes of access are discussed and the major types described. Considerations for decisions regarding the type, setting, duration and frequency of access are discussed and ways of supporting the child afterwards are briefly examined.
The Families First Pilot Program in Victoria: Cuckoo or contribution?
Authors: Campbell Lynda
Published: March 2016

The Families First Pilot Program in the then Outer East metropolitan region of Melbourne began in mid-1991 as an intensive family preservation and reunification service for children on the verge of state care. The service offered was brief (4-6 week), intensive (up to 20 hours per week), home-based and flexible (24 hour a day, 7 day a week availability) and all members of the household or family were the focus of service even though the goals were clearly grounded in the protection of the child. This paper begins with some of the apprehension expressed both in the field and in Children Australia in 1993, and reports upon the now completed evaluation of the pilot, which covered the first 18 months of operation. The evaluation examined implementation and program development issues and considered the client population of the service against comparative data about those children at risk who were not included. The paper concludes that there is room for Families First in the Victorian system of protective and family services and points to several developmental issues.
Contracting arrangements in children's services
Authors: Ainsworth Frank
Published: March 2016

A recent research study of contracting arrangements In children's servtces In Pennsylvania and Massachusetts Is the basts for this article. Key issues In contracting Including the positive and negative aspects of this approach to service provision for contractors and providers are discussed. Questions are also ratsed about the tmpltcattons of contracting for the traditional differentiation between nongovernment not-for-profit and private for-profit organisations
Intensive family preservation programs: What are they?
Authors: Scott Dorothy
Published: March 2016

This paper outlines the basic characteristics of intensive family preservation programs which have very recently been introduced into the child welfare systems of most Australian States. Typically these programs have been used to prevent placement or to assist families whose children are being returned to their care. Highly intensive and with 24 hour availability these short-term services draw on a range of theoretical approaches and are delivered in the family's home and natural environment. It is argued that Australia should avoid both the ‘cultural cringe’ and the ‘Tall Poppy Syndrome’ in assessing what intensive family preservation services may have to offer us.
Competency – views from one child protection front
Authors: Starbuck Elisabeth
Published: March 2016

Definitions of competent practice which were developed by a team of child protection workers are reexamined in light of current debates about enterprise competency standards. Such definitions indicate that competence is more aptly analysed in terms of the nature of workers' process objectives and their capacity to work within tensions and contradictions than in terms of listings of specific skills and knowledge.
The guide map, the beacon and keys to the front and back doors: a case of consumerism
Authors: Owen Jan
Published: March 2016

Recently I was idly leafing through one of our State's educational review magazines. My attention was immediately captivated by a headline which read ‘Students to be empowered as consumers’. ‘At last’, I thought, as I dived in to consume the article, ‘even the education system is going to empower students in their role as consumers of school life’. I'm sure you can imagine my disappointment when I discovered that in fact the education department was introducing a program of teaching students to be good retail consumers. You know the kind - Levis versus Corfu, MacDonald versus Hungry Jacks, Revlon versus Shiseido, Dolly versus Juice, hip versus funk - the type of purchasing traumas we all experience from time to time.
Who cares for these children? An historical analysis of recent documents on provision for those with developmental disabilities
Authors: Cant Rosemary , Hand Margaret
Published: March 2016

While family care has many positive attributes, total care by mothers may not always be the optimal care arrangement from the point of view of the children or their mothers. Here we examine the way deinstitutionalisation policies for children with developmental disabilities has swung away from often inadequately funded institutions, substituting ‘community care’. ‘Community care’ is largely tending work carried out by mothers. The public sector again is under funded and provides almost no tending for these children. We examine the way the rhetoric of community care has hidden the labour of tending work carried out by mothers, and examine the discourses used to justify moving this labour from the public to the private sphere.
The organised abuse of children in rural England: The response of Social Services, Part One
Authors: Goddard Chris
Published: March 2016

There are a number of controversies raging in the world of child protection. Three in particular have attracted attention in recent months. There is the issue of the ‘repressed’ or ‘false’ memories of adults recalling sexual abuse in childhood. This topic has received extensive coverage in professional journals (see, for example, Neale, 1994 for a summary) and in the broader media (Wyndham, 1994).

Once again, the very label given to the problem defines the debate, as indeed has been the case since modern interest in child abuse was prompted by Kempe's (1962) work. It is interesting to note that ‘false memory syndrome’ is now the term used by some to counter claims of abuse in childhood. As Neale points out (1994:17) the term has ‘no medical validity, but the use of the word ‘syndrome’ perhaps suggests such a feature.
New views of parenting
Authors: Bates Frank
Published: March 2016

There is nothing more inscribed nor thought nor felt and this must comfort the heart’s core against Its false disasters - these fathers standing round. These mothers touching, speaking, being near. These lovers waiting In the soft dry grass. [Wallace Stevens. “Credences of Summer”!

“I have come to regard the law courts not as a cathedral but rather as a casino”. [Richard Ingrams, former Editor of Private Eye.]

Before entering into discussion of the substantive topic, it should be said that Australian Family Law is, in one sense at least, always new. It is without question one of the most scrutinised areas of Australian Law: theFamily Law Act1975 has been amended no less than thirty four times since its coming into force in February 1976, sometimes extensively; it has been the subject of two reports of Joint Select Committees of the Australian Parliament, in 1980 (Bates, 1980) and 1992 (below). In addition, its operation and administration is under continual scrutiny from two statutory bodies – the Family Law Council (Family Law Act1975 s115) and the Australian Institute of Family Studies (Family Law Act1975 Part XIVB).
Ermington Family Learning Centre: Breaking the cycle of disadvantage through parents and children learning together
Authors: Hay Jean , Puckeridge Maureen , McDonald Robyn , Kelly Margaret
Published: March 2016

The Ermington Family Learning Centre provides educational opportunities for both children with learning difficulties from low income families, and their parents. The Centre specifically targets disadvantaged children and encourages the involvement of families, most of whom are vulnerable and isolated from traditional services. Because the focus is on children, many parents who would not normally use welfare agencies or seek professional support have accepted help from the Centre. The integrated but indirect approach has ensured not only sustained educational gains and improved self esteem in the children, but improvements in family functioning and the self esteem of parents.
The abused child as a hostage: Insights from the hostage theory on pathological attachment and some developmental implications
Authors: Stanley Janet , Goddard Christopher
Published: March 2016

In a theoretical extension of Goddard's Hostage theory, the authors propose that a pathological attachment may be formed between the abused child and the abuser. While this attachment may have value in the short term for the abused child, it may have longer term developmental costs. Some preliminary evidence for a pathological attachment can be found in the literature.
Help them make it through the night: The behavioural treatment of infant sleep disturbance
Authors: Lawton Carolyn , Blampied Neville M. , France Karyn G.
Published: March 2016

Sleep disturbances such as bed refusal and resistance, sleep-onset delay, night waking with crying, and unwanted co-sleeping with parents affect 15% to 25% of families during their infant's first two years. A program is described that involves structured pre-bedtime activities, putting the child into his or her own bed awake at a regular time, and responding to subsequent waking and crying with planned ignoring and minimally-arousing checks when necessary. This programme was demonstrated in four families and shown to resolve infant sleep disturbances to a clinically significant degree and to the satisfaction of the parents.
A Model for coordination
Authors: Luntz Jennifer J.
Published: March 2016

This article argues that clear coordination structures are essential if collaboration around the complex needs of a small subcategory of seriously emotionally disturbed children and adolescents requiring multi-agency involvement is to be successful. A model of coordination which evolved out of a project conducted in the western suburbs of Melbourne during 1992-1993 is described. Although expensive to implement this model would be less costly than the current unsatisfactory situation where much time and effort is expended by a number of workers from a range of agencies, often for very little return.
Parenting Resource and Management: a primary prevention program for first-time parents
Authors: Rainey Joy E.
Published: March 2016

Parenting Resource and Management (PRAM), a primary prevention program for first-time parents, was initiated in Melbourne in 1986. It was an adaptation of the American program, Minnesota Early Learning Design (MELD), utilising non-professional couples as leaders who were selected, trained and supported by professionals. The advantages of this program included cost effectiveness, a self-help emphasis and involvement of both parents. Difficulties in establishing the program will be discussed. The program was proactive, and intensive publicity to generate interest was required. Anonymous evaluation reports from the participants indicated a positive response, recognising that the program filled a significant gap in the existing community support structures.
Buy Australian: A local family preservation success
Authors: Voigt Louise , Tregeagle Sue
Published: March 2016

The ‘new’ American solution for abused and neglected children — Intensive Family Preservation Programs — are being heavily marketed to Australians. Victoria and New South Wales have enthusiastically embraced the idea with pilot programs based on American statistics proving its value in maintaining children with their families and improving their safety. No matter that the Americans themselves warned that evaluations showed that out of home placements rate was no higher for families that did not receive the program and that the programs came from a country whose own Advisory Board on Child Abuse and Neglect described the child protection system as a ‘national emergency’.
Siblings in out-of-home care: Time to rethink?
Authors: Ainsworth Frank , Maluccio Anthony N.
Published: March 2016

Following a review of the literature on siblings in out-of-home care in the US and the UK, this article discusses the importance of placing siblings together, the challenges faced by agencies when caring for sibling groups, and the need to rethink sibling care in Australia and create a new service structure.
Placing sibling groups together in foster care: The Oz Child sibling group placement program
Authors: Fischer Fiona
Published: March 2016

Sibling groups placed in out-of-home care are often separated due to the relatively small number of caregivers who are able to care for large sibling groups, as well as the individual needs of the children. This article briefly explores the complexities of sibling placement within the international, national and Victorian contexts. It continues with a description of the Oz Child Sibling Group Placement Program which was implemented in Victoria's Southern Region to place sibling groups of three or more children together in foster care. The results of a review of the program are presented, including referral statistics, placement data and caregiver feedback. The article concludes with the consideration of recommendations for change as a result of the review.
The micro-economics of foster care in South Australia
Authors: Delfabbro Paul H. , Barber James G.
Published: March 2016

The South Australian foster care system is plagued by problems of both supply and demand. Decreases in the availability of residential care and suitably trained foster carers has led to a shortage of placements to meet current demand. At the same time, increased selectivity in the intake of children into care has led to an over-concentration of more challenging children who either cannot be placed in foster care, or are being placed with the support of significantly higher loadings or payments. In this paper, it is argued that these problems can be understood conceptually using basic micro-economic principles, namely: demand-supply curve analysis, separation of market segments, and supply elasticity. It is argued that the supply of placements has become increasingly price-inelastic due to the nature of demand (the type of child), and that increasing short-term payment rates only serves to magnify the problem by artificially maintaining unsuitable care arrangements. Alternative solutions, such as the introduction of training and professional foster carers, are discussed.
Lessons Robin Clark taught me in child protection
Authors: Spall Pamela
Published: March 2016

Robin Clark was an inspirational leader in the child protection and out-of-home care field throughout the 1980s and 1990s in Australia. Robin died in 2001. However her legacy continues due to her mentoring of social workers throughout her career and her numerous reviews and evaluations of child protection systems. This article pays tribute to the lessons Robin Clark taught administrators and practitioners in the design and delivery of child protection and out-of-home care systems.
What's wrong with child welfare?: An examination of current practices that harm children
Authors: Kiraly Meredith
Published: March 2016

This paper outlines the growing awareness of one experienced professional in the out-of-home care field regarding some of the deleterious practices of the present time. While much good practice exists in this field, it is the author's contention that entrenched attitudes which convey insensitivity and discrimination towards children and young people in care are still all too frequent; and that these attitudes continue to militate against meeting the essential needs of children and young people.

This paper outlines a group of theoretical concepts and relates them to a number of areas of current malpractice by way of an attempt to explain how these occur. In doing this, it seeks not to deny the sensitivity and skill of most current practitioners, and the excellent work that abounds in the child/youth welfare fields. Rather, the paper seeks to address those areas of practice which are still of concern, and to call for a change of attitude where needed.
Family reunification: Rhetoric and risks
Authors: Clare Brenda
Published: March 2016

This paper explores the recent emphasis on family reunification as an intervention strategy with ‘high-risk’ families whose children have been placed in the care of the State for reasons of significant abuse and/or neglect. It considers some of the dominant ideas and ideologies around reunification as an intervention strategy and reflects on the many layers of complexity involved in seeking to reconnect children and families under circumstances of risk Finally, it considers the ‘systemic factors’ that compound the inherent difficulties involved in returning children to the care of their parents and offers some practice strategies aimed at recognising and minimising those risks and maximising the likelihood of a successful and safe outcome.
Rights, obligations and the public sphere: Arguments and options for securing just policies for young people
Authors: Bessant Judith
Published: March 2016

Children and young people have too easily been subjected to state-sponsored mistreatment and neglect. One primary reason for the discriminatory and often hostile conduct directed at them by agencies ostensibly established to promote their welfare is that they have been ‘constructed’ as dangerous and ‘antisocial’, or as dependent, incompetent and naïve. A key aim of this article is to promote discussion about the significance of children's and young people's status as a key determinant of policies which routinely override their basic rights. The article argues that attention needs to be given to how child and youth policies can be developed more securely within a justice framework.

I argue that, if we are serious about developing both just policies and ethical relationships with young people, we need to recognise the role played by dominant narratives about young people in shaping policies. Once this is achieved, attention can then be directed towards how those identities might be contested and reconstructed. I offer a number of suggestions for securing ethical treatment of young people which includes respecting them as fully-fledged human beings and citizens. I argue that challenging common-sense understandings of young people as dependent, not fully intellectually or morally competent, etc, can inform policies in ways that secure young people's entitlements as full citizens. In particular one way of challenging popular views about young people is to increase their involvement in the public sphere. The fact that most young people cannot currently claim rights for themselves directly is no reason for denying them. Indeed it is a good reason for securing mechanisms for monitoring those who have children in their care and to intervene to put those rights into effect. I also make a case for embedding young people's rights into an account of obligations that can be used to secure respectful and just conduct on the part of older people who have young people in their care.