bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Intensive Fostering: An Independent Evaluation of MTFC in an English Setting
Authors: Biehal Nina , Ellison Sarah , Sinclair Ian
Published: March 2013

Nina Biehal, Sarah Ellison and Ian Sinclair present the results of an independent evaluation of the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) programme for young offenders in England, where it is known as Intensive Fostering (IF). A quasi-experimental, mixed-methods study was carried out at the three pilot sites, with a total sample of 47 at follow-up. Young people sentenced to IF were compared to a similar group, matched on the eligibility criteria for IF, the majority of whom were sentenced to custody. The groups were well matched in terms of their characteristics and criminal histories. Official data on reconviction were collected at baseline and one year after entry to the IF placement or release from custody (Stage 1), and further data on programme completion and secondary outcomes were collected via interviews with young people and parents, and questionnaires to professionals at baseline and follow-up. Official data on reconviction were also collected one year after exit from the IF placements (Stage 2). At Stage 1 the IF group were less likely to be reconvicted, had committed fewer and less-serious recorded offences, on average, and took longer to commit their first recorded offence. At this point the IF group were more likely to be living with their families and less likely to be in custody than the comparison group. However, by Stage 2 no significant differences in patterns of reconviction remained. IF successfully contained a high-risk group in the community, but the effects of the intervention diminished once they left their foster placements. Environmental effects on entry to and exit from the IF placements may help to explain the results at both stages.
‘Putting the Heart Back into the Record’: Personal Records to Support Young People in Care
Authors: Humphreys Cathy , Kertesz Margaret
Published: March 2013

The records of children and young people growing up in care have multiple purposes and audiences. Cathy Humphreys and Margaret Kertesz discuss the ways in which the characteristics of the documentation determine the record's usefulness to care leavers as a resource for identity at some point in later life. The Who Am I? action research project, based in Victoria, Australia, explores the extent to which records and current record-keeping practices facilitate this. Two approaches were found to be especially useful: the Knowledge Diamond framework, which harnesses the different knowledge brought by diverse groups to the task of developing principles for record-keeping; and the records continuum (constructing, storing and accessing the record), which provided a concept through which to understand the significance of the archive as a dimension of good practice. It was found that workers' accountability to the children now and in the future risks being overshadowed by the requirements of other stakeholders unless the principles that underpin effective record-keeping are articulated and implemented.
Social Workers' Perspectives on the Placement Instability of Looked after Children
Authors: Norgate Roger , Warhurst Amy , Osborne Cara , Traill Maria , Hayden Carol
Published: March 2013

Looked after children (LAC) often experience multiple placements although different rates of placement instability apply across different local authorities. The aim of this research by Roger Norgate, Amy Warhurst, Carol Hayden, Cara Osborne and Maria Traill was to examine social workers' views on factors influencing placement instability. The research focused on a local authority with higher than average rates of placement changes. Eight groups of social workers across the area were identified and members from each team (N = 71) completed a questionnaire and participated in group interviews. The main themes emerging from staff responses were a difficulty accessing mental health services, lack of placement options and limited foster placements, and over-hasty placement decisions due to strict time restrictions on emergency placements. Additionally, children's challenging behaviours and foster carers' unwillingness to manage, or inexperience in managing, such behaviour was identified as a contributory factor. The need to offer more support to foster carers, with a view to improving recruitment and retention, was identified as a key aspect in reducing the need for placement moves.
Birth Fathers and Their Adopted Children: Fighting, Withdrawing or Connecting
Authors: Clifton John
Published: March 2013

Birth fathers of children adopted from care have suffered relative neglect by researchers and service providers. Most current birth fathers are more vulnerable than their predecessors. Their children have usually been removed by court order and compulsorily adopted. However, birth fathers can have an important role to play in helping their adopted children to understand their birth heritage and their present identity. John Clifton presents the findings of a qualitative study of the experiences of birth fathers regarding their children's adoption. The study explores the impact of the adoption on the fathers themselves and upon their ability to find a new reduced role in their children's lives. The findings are that most fathers felt humiliated by the adoption crisis. The alternative ways in which birth fathers manage the consequent emotions of shame and guilt determine outcomes for the men and for their future relationships with their children. Three groups of fathers were identified. Angrily opposed and demoralised fathers found themselves distanced from their children. A third group appeared more able to retain a meaningful connection with their children and bear the loss of their child. The practice implications of the findings are explored.
Developments in Intercountry Adoption: From Humanitarian Aid to Market-Driven Policy and beyond
Authors: Young Alexandra
Published: March 2013

Intercountry adoption (ICA) began after World War II, but opinions differ regarding how the practice has been described and classified in the literature. Alexandra Young examines how various researchers have interpreted its history and proposes a new analysis of the phases in its development. The beginning of ICA was strongly influenced by humanitarian ideals and a desire to help children dislocated by war and natural disasters. During the next period, the motivation changed and it became a solution that satisfied the needs of both developing and developed countries for finding families for children. As the number of children available in developed countries declined, a market mentality evolved in relation to the availability of children. This was followed by the current phase when sending countries are developing domestic solutions for children needing families, leading to a fall in the number of children available for ICA. This article examines this history and discusses factors that have influenced past and present policy and practice.
Group Work with Adolescents Waiting for Families
Authors: Alton Hilary , Bruce Terry , Robinson Margaret
Published: March 2013

This is an account of a group of 10 adolescents all of whom had been in the care of local authorities for the greater part of their lives. Most of them were in long-stay children's homes and their social workers were working towards a placement in a permanent family. The group met four times at regular intervals. Between each meeting the leaders met with the children's residential worker and social worker.
Home-Based Interventions with Families
Authors: Herbert Martin , Iwaniec Dorota
Published: March 2013

The Child Treatment Research Unit (CTRU) based in the School of Social Work at Leicester University has, as its name implies, service, treatment and training functions. It has accumulated several years' experience of behavioural interventions on the Triadic Model with problem children and their families.

The triadic approach—using behaviour modification in home settings—is designed to counter the apparent illogicality in removing a child from the setting in which the problem occurs, of attempting to modify his behaviour in isolation from those who may instigate and reinforce a large part of it and then returning him to the unchanged context in which the problems flourished. A method, behavioural casework, based upon behaviour modification and self-help principles, is described with regard to conduct problems. Procedures as used in the Unit, but more particularly in the natural or foster home-setting, are detailed and the results (which are very encouraging) tabulated.
Please Speak up … Children'S Evidence in Legal Proceedings
Authors: Scott Janys
Published: March 2013

Please speak up, we cannot hear you. And by the way, before we are ready to listen to your evidence you may have to wait for months, if not years, despite your youth. We shall regard you as incompetent to testify if you are under the age of eight.1 We shall ask you to say your piece before the gaze of the person who caused you pain. And furthermore we will not believe you unless there is another independent piece of evidence which supports what you say.2
The Placement of Black Children with Permanent New Families
Authors: Charles Marilyn , Rashid Stephen Parvez , Thoburn June
Published: March 2013

In 1987 a survey was conducted of eleven hundred and sixty-five children with ‘special needs’ placed by the major voluntary adoption agencies with permanent new families between 1980 and 1984 (Thoburn & Rowe, 1988; Fratter et al, 1991). Among those placed were 241 black children and children from other minority ethnic groups. Marilyn Charles, Stephen Rashid and June Thoburn report on an exploratory study undertaken in 1991 and 1992 of this cohort of children.
After Recruitment: Putting the Preparation and Training of Asian Carers on the Agenda
Authors: Almas Tarzan
Published: March 2013

For well over a decade now local authorities and some independent agencies have been successfully recruiting Black (mainly Afro-Caribbean and Asian) families to care for Black children. Unfortunately very little attention has been paid to how to train and equip these Black families to care for the children placed. Tarzan Almas attempts to fill this gap as far as the preparation and training of Asian carers is concerned.
UN Convention: Setting New Targets
Authors: Lansdown Gerison
Published: March 2013

Until comparatively recently children in the UK were viewed as the property of their parents. However, the government's ratification of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child in December 1991 represents a turning point. Gerison Lansdown urges statutory and voluntary organisations to ‘adopt’ the Convention and examine their policies and practice to ensure that children's rights are properly addressed.
Developments in Adoption Information Legislation in Australia
Authors: McDonald Margaret
Published: March 2013

The year 1990 saw the enactment of adoption information legislation in Queensland (May 1990) and New South Wales (October 1990), the last of the Australian states to grant rights of access to information. Queensland, sometimes referred to as ‘the deep north’, is customarily seen as the most conservative of the states, so there was considerable surprise that such legislation should have passed through the Queensland Parliament unimpeded, with acclaim from all parties. Margaret McDonald reports.
Adoption and the Story-Teller
Authors: Reich Diana
Published: March 2013

Why is adoption such a popular and powerful theme in fiction? Diana Reich looks at four contemporary novels and asks what creative writers can teach us about the ‘adoption story’.
Child Protection — Have We Lost Our Way?
Authors: Lynch Margaret
Published: March 2013

The twenty-fifth Hilda Lewis Memorial Lecture was delivered by Dr Margaret Lynch at the BAAF Medical Group AGM seminar in October on the theme of ‘Child protection in Europe’. Below we present an edited version of her lecture.
The Confidential Doctor Centre — A New Approach to Child Protection Work
Authors: Marneffe Catherine
Published: March 2013

Another contributor to the BAAF Medical Seminar on Child Protection in Europe, Dr Catherine Marneffe, from the University Hospital in Brussels described the pioneering work of the Confidential Doctor Centre — ‘Kind in Nood’.
Contested Adoption Proceedings
Authors: Ryburn Murray
Published: March 2013

A family can suffer few more public judgements of social failure than to have a child compulsorily removed from its care. Murray Ryburn records the views and experiences of twelve such families, and considers whether the recommendations of the Adoption Law Review Working Party will ensure that their voices are heard in future.
Fostering and Adoption in Canada: Are There Lessons for Britain?
Authors: Hill Malcolm
Published: March 2013

During 1991, Malcolm Hill spent two and a half months in Canada teaching at the University of Calgary and visiting child welfare agencies and residential establishments. In this article he describes some of the more interesting and innovative developments and comments on some of the significant differences between Canadian and British policy and practice.
Charitable Vocation or ‘Proper Job’? The Role of Payment in Foster Care
Authors: Rhodes Penny
Published: March 2013

Recently, demands that fostering be incorporated into the formal economy as a professional salaried service have increased. Penny Rhodes examines some of the developments which lie behind these demands and discusses their implications.
Removing Rights from Adolescents
Authors: Freeman Michael
Published: March 2013

In October 1992 Michael Freeman addressed a BAAF North Region Seminar on ‘Consent to treatment under the Children Act’. In this article he clarifies the complex legal issues which surround consent.
Fostering as Seen by the Carers' Children
Authors: Part Diana
Published: March 2013

Practice wisdom has it that the attitude of foster carers' birth children can make or break placements, yet their contribution to fostering is seldom scrutinised. Diana Part asked a sample of children in one Scottish region what they felt about fostering.
Adoption Law Review — Some Views from the Triangle
Authors: Richards Jim
Published: March 2013

Despite the short period of time allowed for organisations to respond to the Adoption Law Review, the Catholic Children's Societies of Salford and Westminster canvassed the views of those directly affected by the adoption process. Jim Richards presents extracts from responses they received from adopted people, birth parents and adopters.
Maternal Depression and Child Care: The Significance for Social Work and Social Work Research
Authors: Sheppard Michael
Published: March 2013

Could an effective response to maternal depression help prevent unnecessary admissions to accommodation or care? Michael Sheppard presents evidence that maternal depression is both likely to be widespread in families already receiving social work help, and to have a significant impact on the capacity of mothers to adequately care for their children.
A Comparative Survey of Specialist Fostering in the Uk and North America
Authors: Hill Malcolm , Nutter Richard , Giltinan Donal , Hudson Joe , Galaway Burt
Published: March 2013

The development of specialist fostering in Britain was one of the childcare success stories of the 1980s. Malcolm Hill, Richard Nutter, Donal Giltinan, Joe Hudson and Burt Galaway report here the main findings of a comparative survey of specialist fostering undertaken in 1992, which provides an up-to-date picture of current trends.
The Role of Residential Care for Pre-Adolescent Children
Authors: Critchley Colin
Published: March 2013

Should residential care be used exclusively to meet the needs of older children and adolescents, or can it provide appropriate and positive care for younger children? Colin Critchley describes the development of a residential unit for children aged six to twelve years.
What Does She Look Like?: What Children Want to Know about Their Birth Parents
Authors: Harper Juliet
Published: March 2013

What information would adopted children like to have about their birth parents as they are growing up and before they can have access to data at 18 years? Juliet Harper presents the findings of a small preliminary study.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder in Birthmothers
Authors: Wells Sue
Published: March 2013

Adoption was included for the first time at the world conference of the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies last Easter in Amsterdam. Sue Wells presents extracts from her presentation to the conference, based upon her own research as a birthmother.
Working on Behalf of Birth Families — the Children's Society Experience
Authors: Feast Julia , Smith Janet
Published: March 2013

In July 1991 The Children's Society revised its policies to provide a more active service to the birth relatives of adopted people. Julia Feast and Janet Smith consider some of the issues and dilemmas which arise when agencies decide to act as intermediaries for birth family members wanting information about or contact with adopted adult relatives.
The Children Act 1989 One Year on in Leicestershire
Authors: Shaw Martin
Published: March 2013

Seminars held in Leicestershire during October and November 1992 provided on opportunity to review progress locally in implementing the Children Act. Much of the discussion took place in workshops whose brief was to provide feedback on positive achievements and offer recommendations. Martin Shaw presents the outcomes.
Adoption Panels — Room for Improvement
Authors: Pennie Pennie
Published: March 2013

At a BAAF seminar, held in March, on the theme ‘Adoption panels: promoter of good practice or rubber-stamp?’, Pennie Pennie looked at the expectations of panels and how they might be improved. This article is based upon her presentation.
Services for Intercountry Adoption in the UK: Some Lessons from Europe
Authors: Selman Peter
Published: March 2013

What should a comprehensive UK policy on intercountry adoption consist of? Peter Selman looks at some of the lessons to be learned from the Netherlands and Sweden.
Life under the Children Act 1989
Authors: Buchanan Ann
Published: March 2013

One of the central principles of the Children Act is to hear the voice of the child, yet little account has been taken in the extensive monitoring programme of the views of young people in residential and foster care. Ann Buchanan presents the views of some young people on life under the Act.
The Effects of an Adversarial Process on Adoption Decisions
Authors: Ryburnm Murray
Published: March 2013

The process by which decisions are made for the compulsory adoption of children is one which has been largely ignored in adoption literature. Murray Ryburn examines the use of the adversarial court process to make decisions and considers the effect of this process on social work assessments in contested adoptions.
Surviving a Contested Custody Case
Authors: Hindle Debbie
Published: March 2013

The Children Act emphasises the best interests of the child as paramount, yet there can be real dilemmas about how this should be determined. Debbie Hindle illustrates some of the dilemmas which emerged in the case of Jamie.
Sibling Relationships for Children in the Care System
Authors: Kosonen Marjut
Published: March 2013

How important are brothers and sisters to children who have difficult relationships with their parents, or are separated from their families? Marjut Kosonen presents a literature review on sibling relationships for children who are looked after.
Keeping Memories Safe
Authors: Neville Ruth
Published: March 2013

Hanging on to important memories can be particularly difficult for children who lose contact with their families through illness, death or other separations. Barnardos has pioneered an impressive resource, the Memory Store, which was initially developed for work with families affected by HIV, but has proved equally valuable in adoption work and other instances of separation and loss. Ruth Neville, a senior practitioner and children's worker HIV/AIDS for Barnardos, describes its use.
Preparing Child Witnesses: Involving Parents and Carers
Authors: Borthwick Sarah
Published: March 2013

Children who are to be witnesses in criminal proceedings as a result of being victims of sexual abuse, need comprehensive and sensitive preparation in order to give valuable evidence and remain psychologically intact. Sarah Borthwick argues that parents and carers need more than information if they are to support their children as witnesses.
Short-Term Family Based Care for Children in Need
Authors: Marie Bradley , Aldgate Jane
Published: March 2013

Short-term carers provide a vital breathing space for user-families. Based on research carried out with David Hawley for the DoH, Marie Bradley and Jane Aldgate look at this specialised form of family support and the highly skilled professionals who provide it.
Contact after Contested Adoptoins
Authors: Ryburn Murray
Published: March 2013

It seems reasonable to suppose that the bitterness of an adversarial contest and the granting of an order to which birth parents are strongly opposed are unlikely to offer a foundation for successful future contact. Murray Ryburn reports on the findings of a study of contact after contested adoptions.
‘Spies, Informers and Double Agents’ — Adoption Assessments and Rule Ambiguity
Authors: Selwyn Julie
Published: March 2013

Adoption and fostering practice has played an important part in developing the concepts of empowerment and partnership in the field of child protection. However, writes Julie Selwyn, the complicated and powerful role of the adoption officer in assessing applicants who wish to adopt has largely been ignored.
Religious Persuasion and the Children Act
Authors: Seden Janet
Published: March 2013

The Children Act 1989 requires local authorities to give due consideration to a child's religious persuasion when planning for their future. Janet Seden explores what this may mean and reviews some practice and policy implications.
Capitalising on Adoption
Authors: van de Flier Davis Dixie
Published: March 2013

In this article, Dixie van de Flier Davis looks at the impact of free enterprise on the provision of adoption services in the united States.
Intercountry Adoption: A Comparison between France and England
Authors: Greenfield Joanna
Published: March 2013

In researching the different methods of organising intercountry adoption in England and France, Joanna Greenfield found that neither country could guarantee good practice.
The Next Generation of Post-Placement and Post-Adoption Services: A Complementary Contract Approach
Authors: Burnell Alan , Briggs Adrian
Published: March 2013

From September 1995 post-adoption counselling and consultation services in East Sussex will be provided by the Post-Adoption Centre. Alan Burnell and Adrian Briggs describe how this new venture came about, the services it will provide and its implications for other local authorities.
The Children (Scotland) Act 1995
Authors: Plumtree Alexandra
Published: March 2013

The Children (Scotland) Act received the Royal Assent on 19 July 1995. Alexandra Plumtree worked closely on all aspects of this new Act, not expected to come into force until at least October 1996. Here she summarises some of its key provisions.
Parent and Child Contact in Social Work Disrupted Unions: Social and Psychological Implications
Authors: Banks Nick
Published: March 2013

The Children Act 1989 recognises and encourages continuing contact between children and their birth families. But are contact arrangements being used as a covert means of assessment rather than to support parents and children in maintaining their emotional bonds? Nick Banks examines the social and psychological implications of contact between children and their birth parents, focusing particularly on the needs of black children in contact planning considerations.
Adoption and Attachment
Authors: Howe David
Published: March 2013

Children's early attachment experiences can have a dramatic affect on their day-to-day behaviour, as well as on their social development in later life. Drawing from extensive interviews with adoptive parents, all of whose children were in their late adolescence or young adults at the time of research, David Howe asserts the value of understanding the influence of past care on present placements.
Change of Name and the Adoptive Process
Authors: Morris Ray
Published: March 2013

What's in a name? When it comes to adoption the question of naming a child raises a whole range of issues that have yet to be satisfactorily addressed by any of the official bodies engaged in the adoptive process. Drawing on discussion at a meeting convened by the BAAF Legal Group early this year, Ray Morris seeks to clarify some of these issues and place the needs of the child firmly at the centre of the picture.
Children Living with Domestic Violence
Authors: Mullender Audrey
Published: March 2013

Until very recently social work and other child care agencies in Britain have paid little, if any, attention to the impact of domestic violence on children. Audrey Mullender — a pioneer of research in this field — argues the need for a radical improvement in agencies' response to domestic violence, based on a general raising of sensitivity and awareness at both worker and agency level. Among the specific areas for development suggested are an emphasis on safety planning with women and children, the need for better links between women's services such as Women's Aid, and child care and child protection agencies, and the promotion of positive and healing work with child survivors of living with abuse.
Family Group Conferences: Partnership in Practice
Authors: Ryburn Murray , Atherton Celia
Published: March 2013

The quality of relationship between families and professionals is clearly crucial to the development of good social work practice, especially where the care and protection of children are concerned. After tracing the origins of the Family Group Conference in New Zealand, Murray Ryburn and Celia Atherton describe the procedure and explain how this model, based on a commitment to partnership, is being adapted and used in the UK.
Children in Need: Unaccompanied Refugees
Authors: Argent Hedi
Published: March 2013

‘Some social workers come into contact with refugee children in the course of their work in the UK, but it has not always been clear what is best practice when considering how to make sensitive assessments, arrange appropriate placements and provide adequate support.’

The following article is based on an interview with Louise Williamson, author of the above quote and Director of the Children's Division of the Refugee Council, which was created in 1995 specifically in order to address the needs of refugee children. In collaboration with the writer Hedi Argent, herself a former refugee, Louise Williamson prepared cases to illustrate all the points she wanted to make, but on the understanding that every unaccompanied child has his or her own story and that the circumstances of each are unique.
Involving Birth Parents in Foster Carer Training
Authors: Gilchrist Anne , Hoggan Pauline
Published: March 2013

Foster carers are usually required to take part in a series of training sessions, both before and after their approval as carers. Over the years, the style and content of these sessions have continued to evolve. Here Anne Gilchrist and Pauline Hoggan describe and assess a recent initiative by one District Resource Team, dedicated to easing and improving relations between foster carers and birth parents.
Seen but Bot Heard? Addressing the Needs of Children Who Foster
Authors: Pugh Gill
Published: March 2013

One group that tends to be neglected when it comes to foster family care is the biological children of parents who foster. Using findings from her own research study, Gill Pugh looks at different ways in which the experience of fostering can affect these young people or ‘children who foster’, both in terms of the pressures they might suffer and the very positive role they can play in the fostering process. She emphasises the importance of considering the needs of the whole family when making placements, addressing the needs of ‘children who foster’ from an early stage, and making sure they are listened to and always have access to support.
Recruiting and Retaining Foster Carers: Implications of a Professional Service in Fife
Authors: Ramsay Donald
Published: March 2013

Since 1990, all foster carers in Fife have been paid a professional fee plus maintenance allowances, and the fostering service has been managed by two specialist teams of social workers. Using findings from a recent survey of foster carers in the region, Donald Ramsay compares the characteristics of the carers with earlier British studies, and assesses the impact on turnover and recruitment of the financial and professional support they receive.
Benefits of an Independent Support Group for Adopters
Authors: Gregson Gill , Rooney Nicki
Published: March 2013

The professional back-up for adopters provided by adoption agencies, however valuable, clearly has its limitations. Consequently, in response to the need for a less formal approach, adopters are increasingly turning to each other for mutual support. Based on the experience of setting up an independent support group for adopters, Gill Gregson and Nicki Rooney each discuss the benefits of such an informal network from their respective positions as social work practitioner and adopter.
The Role of Social Workers in Supporting and Developing the Work of Foster Carers
Authors: Sellick Clive
Published: March 2013

The quality of relations between social workers and foster carers can virtually make or break a placement. Clive Sellick uses a wide range of social work literature to examine some of the conditions needed for these relations to succeed, both in the realm of practical organisation and in terms of individual qualities such as reliability, honesty, empathy and warmth.
Adoption a Service for Children?
Authors: Ball Caroline
Published: March 2013

March 1996 saw the long-awaited publication of the British Government's Draft Adoption Bill, broadly welcomed here by Caroline Ball. As she makes clear when outlining the historical context, there has been an urgent need for a radical review of adoption law for some time. However, a number of provisions in the Draft Bill may require amendment. Among the areas Ball suggests for revision are: aspects of the welfare principles; the criteria for dispensing with parental consent; orders for step-parents; and the use of residence orders as an alternative to adoption. The omission of any reference to the consideration of children's race and culture also comes under scrutiny. She concludes that only when such issues have been satisfactorily resolved can the Bill be truly celebrated as an important step toward meeting the diverse range of needs of children affected by adoption.
Adoption Reunion Services in British Columbia
Authors: Harris Perlita
Published: March 2013

Five years have passed since an adoption reunion registry was finally established in the Canadian province of British Columbia. Perlita Harris, a former counsellor with this ‘active’ registry, examines the findings of a recent study evaluating its practice. She also highlights some of the key issues that are important for consideration in the development of services in Britain.
Child Care Social Work and the Internet
Authors: Ballantyne Neil
Published: March 2013

The Internet is here to stay. From its origins as an experimental US military project in the 1960s, this highly decentralised system of communication is today used by some 40 million people worldwide. Among them are a growing number of social care organisations, Neil Ballantyne explores its actual and potential uses in relation to child care issues, with specific reference to adoption and fostering. Currently leading the field in Britain is the National Institute for Social Work, which operates two electronic mailing lists as well as offering access to papers and other social work related sites. Attention is also focused on the many more sites in the USA. These incorporate — among other items — journals, advice for prospective adopters, legal services, campaigning information on attempts to change adoption law, and photolists of children waiting for adoption. Here the unregulated nature of the Internet is underlined, as is the commercial nature of adoption in North America which clearly raises concerns about the trade in children both in that country and across the globe.

Ballantyne ends by summing up both the advantages and some of the drawbacks for social workers of this particular development in new technology. He cautions that while celebrating the enormous potential of the Internet we should never allow electronic communication to replace human judgement.
Developing Alternatives to Residential Care in Romania
Authors: Dickens Jonathan , Watts Julia
Published: March 2013

Compared to Western Europe, Romania has a very high proportion of children in residential care. Most of these children live in the type of large institutions, erroneously labelled as ‘orphanages’, which featured so prominently in Western media coverage of the country immediately after the 1989 overthrow of President Ceausescu. Jonathan Dickens and Julia Watts have worked since October 1994 for the Romanian Orphanage Trust. Focusing on the aims and achievements of that organisation, they describe attempts to develop alternatives to residential care in a society beleaguered by financial hardship and in which social work has only recently re-emerged as a profession, following some twenty-five years of abolition under communist rule. They show how the Trust has deliberately moved away from directly providing and managing services for children and families towards an approach bent on stimulating and helping the growth of Romanian led and managed initiatives. Despite the high number of children in institutions, and obstacles such as poverty and traditional attitudes to substitute family care, the authors conclude that adoption and fostering have an important role to play in an overall programme of prevention, rehabilitation and anti-poverty measures in Romania.
Assessment and Treatment of Children with Moderate Learning Difficulties with Particular Reference to Effective Communication
Authors: Harvey Pat
Published: March 2013

Effective communication and sensitivity to the requirements of each individual child lie at the heart of any constructive treatment for children in need. Pat Harvey focuses on problems faced by children with moderate learning difficulties and examines some of the various communication techniques that enable them to be reached and effectively helped. Many of the cases cited feature children who have been abused or neglected. As with life story work, discussed in the previous article, much emphasis is placed on the importance of rebuilding their self-esteem.
Adopters' Relationships with Their Adopted Children from Adolescence to Early Adulthood
Authors: Howe David
Published: March 2013

Problematic behaviour in adopted teenage children often stems from their very early experiences. In examining the evolution of the relationship between parents and their adopted children from adolescence to early adulthood David Howe identifies three types of adoption, each associated with a distinct pattern of pre-placement care. On the basis of this classification the quality of parent-child relationships is explored at two key stages: when the adopted person is 16 and over 23. In addition, the adopters interviewed in Howe's study provided their own long-term views of the adoption process when looking back. Those who managed to survive the most stressful years often reported much more relaxed, reciprocal relationships with their grown-up children. But they also underlined the importance of expert advice and support to help see them through the worst times.

Conclusion
Birth Parents' Experiences of Contested Adoption
Authors: Mason Kathy , Selman Peter
Published: March 2013

In recent years a growing proportion of adoption orders have been made without the consent of the birth mother, yet the needs of these ‘non-relinquishing’ parents have received little attention. Their need for independent support, both before and after adoption, has been recognised but seldom met. Kathy Mason and Peter Selman present findings from research evaluating birth parents' experiences of contesting the adoption of their child(ren) which was carried out as part of a wider evaluation (see references) of ‘Parents Without Children’, an innovative project offering support for non-relinquishing birth parents. The project has now ended due to a lack of funding and in the last section of this article the authors argue the need for similar services to be provided on a much wider scale.
Birth Fathers, the Adoption Process and Fatherhood
Authors: Clapton Gary
Published: March 2013

A great deal of research has been carried out on birth mothers and the intense grief and sense of loss they feel on giving up their children for adoption. Much less is known about the experiences of birth fathers. In turning his attention to this neglected group, Gary Clapton begins by surveying existing research, mainly in the USA and Australia. Based on this and his own ongoing work, charting and interpereting the experiences of some 25 men, he goes on to ask some key questions about the nature of fatherhood and how certain answers to these might have implications for current policies and practice.
New Research on Teenagers Key Findings and the Implications for Policy and Practice
Authors: Cleaver Hedy
Published: March 2013

Based on the Department of Health recent overview, Focus on Teenagers (1996), this article by Hedy Cleaver explores the problems teenagers present to social services in terms of their health needs, education, behaviour, relationships, identity and life skills. The ability of social services to address these problems and adequately equip adolescents for adult life is scrutinised. Among the beneficial approaches suggested by the findings outlined are the value of mediation and negotiation, the strategic role that a trusted mentor or ‘champion’ can play in the lives of looked after teenagers, and the need for a flexible attitude to placement in order to more successfully accommodate young people's changing circumstances and provide greater stability.
The Nature of Foster Care International Trends
Authors: Colton Mathew , Williams Margaret
Published: March 2013

The nature of foster care is changing around the world. Based on their forthcoming book on the same theme, Matthew Colton and Margaret Williams review developments in the purpose, definition and practice of foster care in countries as different as Argentina, Hungary, Finland, Italy, Zimbabwe and the UK. With respect to purpose, they argue that the growing emphasis on family support, reunification, and normalisation has implications for the way that foster care might be defined. With regard to practice, they point to a trend towards diversification of foster care programmes so that increasing numbers of children with different and more challenging needs can all be served. The authors conclude by suggesting a new definition of foster care, aimed at encompassing the breadth and diversity of service needed to accommodate the changing needs of children everywhere.
Adopted Adults Who Search for Background Information and Contact with Birth Relatives
Authors: Feast Julia , Howe David
Published: March 2013

As part of its work with adopters, adopted people and their birth relatives, the Children's Society Post-adoption and Care Counselling Research Project is engaged in a number of studies looking at adopted people's experiences of seeking background information and contact with birth relatives. Between 1988 and 1995, project workers provided advice and counselling beyond initial contact to 366 adopted people seeking information and possible reunion with a birth relative. In the following study, Julia Feast and David Howe analysed the agency's file records to determine the numbers and characteristics of adopted people who sought help from the project's counsellors. Findings are presented about the demographic characteristics of the adopted adults, their reasons for wanting the service, the type of contact established with a birth relative and the quality of relationship with their adoptive parents.
The Statutory Medical and Health Needs of Looked after Children Time for a Radical Review?
Authors: Mather Mary , Humphrey Jane , Robson Jenny
Published: March 2013

The failure of the health service to meet the needs of looked after children is further emphasised in the following article. Here, Mary Mather, Jane Humphrey and Jenny Robson argue that, despite specific health legislation and the considerable resources which have been allocated for this group over the years, there are a number of elements hindering the system. They identify these by first analysing the medical examinations of looked after children, carried out in one London borough over a two-year period. This analysis is followed by a review of key findings from a survey and series of group discussions with young people, aimed at establishing concerns and priorities from the point of view of themselves as ‘consumers’.
The Children (Northern Ireland) Order 1995 a New Era for Fostering and Adoption Services?
Authors: Kelly Greg , Coulter Joan
Published: March 2013

The introduction of the Children (Northern Ireland) Order marks the province's first major change in child care legislation for almost 30 years. Greg Kelly and Joan Coulter broadly welcome the Order and the positive impact it will have on a child care service too long dominated by child protection issues. They focus in particular on the influence it will have on fostering and adoption services, already affected by widespread organisational changes, and the difficulties these face in trying to develop greater partnership with parents while at the same time always working in the best interests of the child.
The Children Act 1989 and the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 a Comparative Look
Authors: Tisdall E. Kay M. , Plumtree Alexandra
Published: March 2013

Over a period of six years, children's legislation has been revised across the UK. The Children Act, which largely applies to England and Wales, was enacted in 1989 and implemented in 1991. Northern Ireland and Scotland had to wait several years for their parallel legislation; it was not until 1995 that the Children (Northern Ireland) Order and the Children (Scotland) Act were passed by Parliament.

Much can be learnt from comparing the different legislation and, more importantly, their implementation. Writing from a Scottish perspective, E. Kay M. Tisdall and Alexandra Plumtree compare the Children (Scotland) Act 1995 with the Children Act 1989. They begin with a brief introduction to the two Acts, outlining some of the major conceptual changes, and go on to concentrate on two areas: children in need and inter-agency co-operation. The article concludes by reflecting on the lessons that can be learnt from the English and Welsh experience.
The Uneven Scales of Justice Private Law Contact Applications in Divorce and Adoption
Authors: Ryburn Murray
Published: March 2013

Murray Ryburn considers how the courts in England and Wales apply contrasting principles to achieve very different outcomes in the private law where there are disputed questions of contact in divorce and separation on the one hand, and on the other, in adoption. He challenges the extent to which such divergence can be justified when the similarities between the questions at issue could be expected more reasonably to lead to comparable approaches. Reasons for the existence of this judicial divide are considered, alongside the consequent harm that may thereby result in the lives of some children and their kin networks.
Developing Leaving Care Services Tapping the Potential of Foster Carers
Authors: Wade Jim
Published: March 2013

This paper by Jim Wade draws on the findings of a four-year study of specialist leaving care services, funded by the Department of Health. It situates moving on from substitute care or accommodation in the context of broader youth transitions to adulthood. Three key dimensions of transition for a sample of care leavers are discussed: the timing and nature of their moving on; their early education and employment careers; and their ability to develop networks of social support. Issues arising from the support offered by foster carers and social workers are also explored. Finally, the author makes a case for foster carers to have a more central place in the development of leaving care services.
Race, Adoption and Tomorrow's Social Workers
Authors: Kirton Derek
Published: March 2013

Derek Kirton summarises responses from student social workers to a questionnaire on attitudes to race and adoption. The respondents were mainly second-year Social Work (DipSW) students specialising in work with children and families. Two key findings emerged from the survey. Firstly, questions of race and adoption evoke very diverse responses, with an overall tendency towards ‘soft’ support for same-race adoption. Secondly, perspectives are significantly divided according to ethnicity, with minority ethnic social work students markedly more in favour of same-race adoption than their white counterparts. In conclusion, Kirton outlines the possible implications of these findings for adoption policy and practice.
Family Patterns in East African Communities Implications for Children Affected by Hiv/Aids
Authors: Matovu Louise , Mwatsama Mary , Ndagire Benigna
Published: March 2013

In recent years there has been an increasing demand to support adults, children and families affected and infected by HIV/AIDS. Current statistics in the Thames Region show that the majority of affected families are of African descent. This paper by Louise Matovu, Mary Mwatsama and Benigna Ndagire focuses on the need for permanence planning for children from East African families predominately from Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania, who have migrated to the UK, and how their cultural values, family patterns and structures influence their perceptions and uptake of social services. The authors draw on their professional and personal experiences to highlight some useful ways in which an East African family could be supported through an effective permanence planning process for their children. The impact of migration as well as of HIV status is considered.
Adoption and Adjustment in Adolescence
Authors: Fergusson David , Horwood John
Published: March 2013

David Fergusson and L John Horwood examine findings from a longitudinal study of the outcomes of adoption in a birth cohort of 1,262 New Zealand children studied from birth to the age of 16 years. This study suggested that children who entered adoptive families were advantaged throughout childhood in a number of areas including childhood experiences, standards of health care, family material conditions, family stability and mother/child interaction. However, the environmental advantages experienced by children who entered adoptive families were not directly reflected in the pattern of adolescent adjustment of this group. In particular, children placed in adoptive families had rates of externalising behaviours (including conduct disorders, juvenile offending and substance use behaviours) that were significantly higher than children reared in two-parent birth families but somewhat lower than those of children who entered single-parent families at birth.
Who Wants George? Recruiting Alternative Families for Children with Disabilities
Authors: Argent Hedi
Published: March 2013

What are the best ways of finding families for disabled children? Who chooses to have them and why? Hedi Argent identifies some of the needs of disabled children who require permanent care and explores the type of qualities to look for, and those to avoid, in the search for prospective carers. Taking the case of George, among others, she emphasises the importance of devising recruitment publicity that is specially tailored to fit the situation of each individual child. Given the right approach, she argues, carers can be found for even the most severely impaired children.

This article is based on the book, Taking Extra Care — Respite, shared and permanent care for children with disabilities (BAAF, 1997), by Hedi Argent and Ailie Kerrane.