bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Why Two Jurisdictions? Some Aspects of the Historical Context of the Decision to Maintain Separate Courts for Married and Unmarried Parents in Relation to Parental Rights in Victoria
Authors: Charlesworth Stephanie
Published: March 2016

Many professional people working with families are frustrated by the fact that there is still a marked differentiation made between children of married parents and children of non-married parents in the courts. This division has persisted in spite of legislation to remove the status of illegitimacy and the reasons for this are far from obvious to those who are not lawyers. This paper traces the historical background of this split in jurisdiction between State and Federal Courts (i.e., the Family Court) and concludes that it is based on an anachronistic view of State’s rights which no social group or political party would support today.
Tentative Findings on Children’s Attitudes, Perceptions and Responses to Accidental Incidents of Non-Intentional Acts
Authors: Shamley D.A.F. , Moseley Lyn , Douglas Lyn
Published: March 2016

This paper focuses on accidental incidents where there is no intention to misbehave/disobey. The children respond to projective material depicting children having accidents with no malice or forethought. The children’s reactions are discussed in light of their developmental stages as outlined by Piaget and Inhelder (1968) and Kohlberg (1976). The acts depicted are accidental, and should not provoke punishment. The results indicating punishment will be carefully scrutinised; in view of the linkage that exists between child abuse acts; the lack of differentiation that exists between types of misbehaviour that are unlikely to convey the fundamentals, which are a prerequisite for the development of moral judgement.
Report on the 5th International Congress of Child Abuse and Neglect
Authors: Barbour P. Janie
Published: March 2016

This was the fifth International Congress on Child Abuse and Neglect that I have attended, others have been held in Geneva, Paris, Amsterdam and London. The 5th International Congress of Child Abuse and Neglect was held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada in September 1984. In keeping with the Congress theme, which emphasised community responsibility for the prevention of child abuse and neglect, organisers, agencies, professionals and citizens who contributed to the congress and represented different levels of Government and various sectors of the community; thus a broad cross section of the people involved. Prevention is the only way of reducing child abuse and neglect. The aim of the conference was to bring together preventative strategies from both professionals and self help agencies. Child abuse is a community responsibility. Every child has the right to be protected “against all forms of neglect, cruelty and exploitation”. Workers inthefield recognise that the help they bring to families is too little too late, and that we cannot rely on judicial strategies to reduce child abuse. Times are difficult, resources are strained, this affects service delivery, and brings increasing stress to the family, making them more vulnerable to breakdown. The U.S.A. spends $2 billion a year on treating the problem and only $2 million a year on preventative activities.
Parents of Intellectually Handicapped Children — How they are Told
Authors: Meek Toni E.
Published: March 2016

Parents invariably experience great emotional distress when they are informed that their child is intellectually handicapped. From working with parents of intellectually handicapped children, it appears that they experience more anxiety with their child than do parents of normal children, and often have special needs. These needs may vary from requiring assistance to adjust to their child’s condition, to advice and guidance about how to manage their child. It is apparent from talking with parents about their experiences with their intellectually handicapped child, that often their needs have not or have only superficially been met by professionals. Some cases have been adequately dealt with, however, in general there appear to be discrepancies in the availability of assistance for parents of intellectually handicapped children. There is a need to bring into focus the situation as it now exists for parents when they are told of their child’s handicap. The time when parents are told of their child’s handicap is a crucial one for parents, and perhaps not enough is being done to help parents at this time.
The Development of Financial Counselling in Australia
Authors: Jones Andrew
Published: March 2016

A current concern of social workers and other professions in the field of child and family welfare in Australia is the development of programmes of family support. Financial counselling has been extensively promoted as one such programme, and under a variety of auspices, financial counselling services have been developed in many parts of Australia. This article provides an historical perspective on the emergence of this type of family support service. The development of interest in and support for financial counselling programmes is traced and discussed, and the current range of activities is described. Finally, the implications of the pattern of historical development for the future of financial counselling as a family support strategy is considered.
Prisoner Mothers
Authors: Challinger Dennis
Published: March 2016

There can be few more emotional issues in penology than female prisoners’ relationships with their children. Two situations need to be considered. Firstly, when the child is an infant, say, up to three years of age, there are problems concerning mother and child living together during mother’s imprisonment.
Group Home Care: — an inside view
Authors: Oakley Lesley
Published: March 2016

Every child is entitled to share in, and be part of family life. Where the child’s natural family is unable to offer that family experience society is obligated to provide a substitute family. Family group home care should not be regarded as substitute family care. However, if agencies conducting family group home programmes are aware of the limitations of this model, the positive aspects of family group home care may be optimised.
Attitudes & Awareness to Child Abuse: of 40 Greek second year university students and their parents and 40 Greek early school leavers and their parents in Melbourne
Authors: Shamley Dorothy A.F. , Andrios Susan , Arthanasiou Vicki
Published: March 2016

The phenomenon of child abuse was unexplored in Greece until the late 1970’s when the legal, social and medical professions became aware of the growing problem which resulted in the passing of a new law. Studies on child abuse are almost non-existent at present. Maroulis claimed that corporal punishment in the Greek culture can be perceived as an acceptable way of shaping a child’s behaviour. As yet there is very little, if any, research undertaken in Australia on Greek people and their awareness to child abuse. Masselos’s 1981 account of the Greek Community in Brisbane cites only three cases of child abuse as having occurred. This account cannot be viewed as indicating a low prevalence. Education is regarded as one of the essential factors in making people aware of the problem of child abuse and teaching them what the needs and the requirements of children are. Two of the three authors of the present study are from the Greek community, and were most concerned to ascertain the sensitivity to child abuse in the largest ethnic community in Melbourne. This study was undertaken in the year of the campaign “When Love is Not Enough” was launched, 1982. In this study 240 subjects, 40 Greek second year university students and their parents and 40 Greek early school leavers and their parents were given a questionnaire to fill out. The questionnaire contained questions of awareness, attitudes and opinions to child abuse. The aim was to see whether these selected samples of Greek people in Victoria were aware of the problem of child abuse.
Caring for Adolescent Victims of Sexual Assault
Authors: Cooper Royna , Deller Carol
Published: March 2016

The Sexual Assault Referral Centre (S.A.R.C.) was established in January, 1976, as a crisis and support centre for victims of sexual assault. It was Australia’s first hospital-based sexual assault centre and developed out of concern from community groups, feminists and police in Perth about the treatment of sexual assault victims.

The Centre provides a 24 hour per day, 7 day per week service for any victim of sexual assault who is over the age of 12 years. The vast majority of people attending the Sexual Assault Referral Centre have been female but the service is also available for males.
Self Help Parents Anonymous
Authors: Uren Jeanette
Published: March 2016

In 1972 a group of women met to discuss the growing problem of parents under stress, especially the problem of child abuse. With the increase in single parent families, the escalating number of broken marriages and the disappearance of extended families, the pressure of parents was becoming greater. These women decided to form a group, a self-help group, non denominational and non profit making. Parents Anonymous was born.

A common complaint from people who seek help from Parents Anonymous is that many doctors, infant welfare sisters, or other professional workers do not have the understanding or experience to skilfully guide or refer parents who have trouble coping with their children, especially in times of stress. In most cases, particularly with doctors, it is the general practice to either underrate the problem or to hand out a prescription to “calm poor mum down”. Also, to some parents, doctors and other professional workers represent an “authority” and this inhibits their ability to express themselves. They also fear that by admitting their parenting problems they are “failures” and fear that they may have their children taken from them. As parents are particularly vulnerable at such times, it would be helpful if professionals could be more perceptive of stress situations and their underlying causes, and be able to make parents more comfortable about talking out their problems and needs.
The Last Taboo
Authors: Kiely Rosemary
Published: March 2016

The following articles is the winning entry of the Australian Child and Family Welfare Journalism Award for 1981. The award was presented on Monday, 27th October 1981 to Rosemary Kiely. In her reply, Rosemary Kiely mentioned that she had to subit her article twice to the Age before it was published. The first time she submitted the article it was rejected on the grounds that it was reporting on “the last taboo”.

Judges for the award were Dr. Don Edgar, Director, Institute of Family Studies, Max Walsh, Secretary, Australian Journalists’ Association and the editor of Australian Child and Family Welfare.
Conference Notes
Authors: Barbour J.
Published: March 2016

International concern about child maltreatment has been reflected in the establishment of an international society for the prevention of abuse and neglect which now has over 470 members and many national societies around the world.

The Third International conference on child abuse and neglect was sponsored by the International Society for the Prevention of Abuse and Neglect and the Dutch Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. The Conference was held in Amsterdam in April 1981 at the Free University, where 600 participants gathered. It involved professional and lay persons from 33 major countries. The Netherlands and U.S.A. sent 100 delegates each and Australia, 32, 14 of whom were social workers and 4 were medical representatives. Two hundred and fifty papers were presented of which 12 were delivered by Australians.
Youth in Crisis: A Profile of Drug-Related Telephone Counselling Calls in Brisbane
Authors: Wilks Jeffrey
Published: March 2016

Examination of telephone counselling records from a youth centre revealed that parents are particularly concerned about their children’s drug taking. Other frequent crisis situations such as overdoses, the type of drugs being used, and information on family and personal circumstances were assessed to provide a profile of those people seeking help. While the success of crisis counselling centres is difficult to evaluate, the community has an obvious need for such services.
Short Term Support Groups for Recently Separated People
Authors: Rainey Joy
Published: March 2016

This paper describes a group support program for separated people. A simple self-report anonymous questionnaire was the only evaluative device used: the feedback was overwhelmingly positive. The present program raised a number of issues, in particular – who are the most appropriate personnel to deliver the service; whether volunteer or professional. It is also noted that various researchers view social support as a critical variable for the eventual adjustment of the individual. Given the high number of those affected by separation and divorce, inclusion of such services would seem important as part of any preventive community program.
Child Abuse: A Socio-Environmental Perspective – Part 2
Authors: Roberts Ro
Published: March 2016

This article, the second in a series of two, builds on the practice implications of the socio-environmental model of child abuse. The identification in this model, of necessary and sufficient conditions for occurrence of child abuse, leads to the conclusion that effective prevention and management can only be brought about by approaches which create nurturing conditions for all families. Helping programs must be intimately involved in the community of the families they serve – not only by integrating formal and informal networks, but also by promoting community involvement in the definition of community standards of adequate parenting, and in long term support of vulnerable families.

The present articles present some ideas as to how this can be achieved. Social support network theory gives some suggestions of the potential of social supports to provide a variety of resources and to counteract the social supports to provide a variety of resources and to counteract the social isolation identified by the socio-environmental model as an important necessary condition of child abuse. The article concludes by looking briefly at some practice approaches which attempt to maximize the availability and effectiveness of social support.
Case Notes: A Personal View: The Effect of the News of Mothers Imprisonment on the Child: Some Implications for Treatment of Both
Authors: Bradbury Barbara
Published: March 2016

A review article on prisoner mothers by Dennis Challinger (1982) questioned what, policies there should be for mothers in prison having their children with them. The present article is a personal view by a patient written at her request by a therapist. It deals with the impact of the knowledge that her mother had been in gaol for a year when she was four years of age and some thoughts about the efficacy of being with her and the help they both might have received if facilities had been available.
Child Protection Policy in Victoria Part 2
Authors: Hiskey Elizabeth
Published: March 2016

In an earlier article, the developments which occurred in child protective policy in Victoria during the nineteen sixties and seventies were described. This article examines the current policy as expressed in the relevant government legislation and the policies of the Department for Community Welfare Services. The current policy is then compared with the previous policies.
Some Difficulties in Developing a Family – Support Agency
Authors: Howard Mary-Grace
Published: March 2016

When Care-Force was first established in Preston in 1976 we had the noble objective of creating a community based family agency providing a range of supportive services to develop and strengthen family functioning and prevent children having to go into institutional care. We aimed to be flexible, respond to family needs as we found them, supplement rather than duplicate any other services available in the community and find new ways of working with family problems.

We feel that in some ways we have been able to carry out some of these objectives, but there have been difficulties and frustrations which have hampered the planning and development of the services we have tried to create.
Postscript: ‘In Care’ – Kill or Cure
Authors: Crossley Rosemary
Published: March 2016

Between the writing of my article and its publication in the last issue of Australian Child and Family Welfare my critique of St Nicholas Hospital was overtaken by events.

On September 4th the State Government announced that it was proposing to demolish St Nicholas, sell the site and rehouse the residents in small family group homes in the community. This has since then been confirmed as official government policy.
Report of Child Maltreatment Workshop
Authors: Matthews Rae. N.
Published: March 2016

This comprehensive and important document has now been released for general reading and debate.

Child maltreatment was first recognized as a health problem in Victoria in the early 1960's and several Committees of Investigation have met since that time to study the subject. This Report is the result of the latest of these, a Workshop, which commenced following a 2 day seminar in February 1975. At the Seminar there were more than 100 people who shared an interest in child maltreatment. They were drawn from many sections of the community — doctors, lawyers, social workers, teachers, sociologists, nurses, police welfare officers, psychiatrists, kindergarten teachers and voluntary groups.
Perspectives on Assessment in Adoption
Authors: Calder Rosemary , Keil Helen
Published: March 2016

The assessment process in the field of adoption has received scant attention in the literature. This may be a comment on the lack of confidence felt by professionals working in this field, but it all reflects a lack of accountability both to their colleagues and their clients, the prospective adoptive parents and the children being placed for adoption. One of the few studies in this field “Adoptive Screening, new data, new dilemmas” (Brown and Brieland)1 points to the need for a much closer examination of the assessment process, highlighting in particular the way in which social workers may be influenced by their own values as well as by agency criteria. The study goes on to point out that in general “agency practices in this sample reflect substantial caution about placements”. The Child Welfare League of America Standards for Adoption Service: Revised, states that “It is every child's right to have protection. The kind of care that meets his needs and which he would ordinarily be expected to receive from his parents. The family, the community agencies, and the states have responsibilities related to the assurance of this right”. If we take this statement as reflecting the values and assumptions underlying practice in adoption service, obviously the assessment process has a key role to play in protecting the right of children.
Extracts From A Study Tour Of Canada And The United States
Authors: Dyer Mollie G.
Published: March 2016

Before I came to Kenora I was under the impression that the Children's Aid Society was the equivalent of our Social Welfare Department, however I was wrong — it is a voluntary organisation.

Children's Aid helps families who have been experiencing problems. They look for ways to prevent problems arising which would disadvantage children. Their programs are directed towards supporting and strengthening the family unit.
The Effect of Birth Order and Family Size on Self Concept
Authors: Nystul Michaels
Published: March 2016

The present study presents an evaluation of the effects of birth order and family size on the self-concept as measured by the 29 scores of the Tennessee Self Concept Scale (TSCS). One hundred and seventeen middle and upper class 18 to 22-year-old female American university students were administered the TSCS and divided into the following birth-order groups: only, first, middle, and last; and family-size groups: subjects that came from two-child families, three or four-child families, and five-or-more-child families. Analysis of variance and t test statistical procedures showed the only-born to have the most favored birth-order position in terms of self-concept and tendencies to avoid the characteristics associated with pathological disorders. The most favored family size (in terms of self-concept and tendency to avoid the characteristics associated with pathological disorders) was three or more children with the least favored being a family with two children.
Child Welfare in Victoria
Authors: Boss Peter
Published: March 2016

The purpose of this paper has two major aspects. First, it provides an opportunity of presenting an overview of some of the innovations and recent developments in the field of Child Welfare in Victoria. Second, it poses a challenge to make some comment on what these developments might actually add up to; in other words, it begs the question of whether one can make some sort of sense of what is going on. When you are working “in the field”, or as we would say with equally telling imagery in the U.K., “at the coal face”, you cannot always be aware of the implications and ramifications of what you are doing. True, the managers and the planners of your operations must, and do, give thought to this, but for the majority of us, beset by the problems of everyday work routines, it is hard to lift one's glance beyond the eye-level plane; what is more, one is too exhausted to read the unabating volume of reports and articles and statements that are around.
Love is Not Enough: Breakdown in Intercountry Adoption
Authors: Harper Juliet
Published: March 2016

Intercountry adoption (ICA) is a relatively new phenomenon in Australia and it is only since the plight of abandoned children was brought to world awareness at the end of the Vietnam War that it has become an accepted means of eradicating or extending a family. However, the major impetus for this situation has been the rapid decrease in the availability of local infants for adoption and this appears to be an outcome of the greater social acceptability of single parenting and the introduction of the supporting parent benefit which has provided single women with the financial means to keep their babies rather than give them up for adoption. While the numbers of children available for adoption have decreased the demand for them has not and so one is faced with a problem of supply and demand which has lead many persons who would otherwise have not done to consider ICA. It is of course recognised that not all adoptive parents of overseas children come into this category, although increasingly this is becoming the case. If one Is honest then it is suggested that ICA is rarely a first choice as a way of creating a family, indeed, one might say that it is a third choice for those whose age precludes them from adopting an infant. Objectively then, the risk of adoption failure leading to breakdown is a real possibility and one that needs to be thought about and prepared for before the number of ICA accelerate and the probability of breakdown increases.
Rosemount — An Alternative Day Programme
Authors: Cody Margaret , Cornwell Erika , Dakos Tash , Harkin Peter , White Noeline
Published: March 2016

Rosemount is a centre which conducts a voluntary day attendance programme for unemployed 14½-17 year old adolescents.

The programme includes small group work, workshops and counselling. The special feature of Rosemount as an agency is its three-tiered approach to working with adolescents: the individual, the family and the peer group.
Credible Sources of Information about Alcohol and Drugs
Authors: Wilks Jeffrey
Published: March 2016

In this study, parents considered themselves to be the most credible source of Information about alcohol and drinking for their children. However, when information about drugs Is sought many parents believe the police and health specialists are more authoritative. Young adults supported parents as a primary source of information about alcohol and drinking, but considered universities, police, and the media to be more important for drugs. These findings and their implications for the development of alcohol and drug education programs are discussed.
One Greek Migrant Family and Their Deaf Child
Authors: Rodopoulos Loula S.
Published: March 2016

The sense of alienation, despair and hardship experienced by individual migrant families is often forgotten when discussions of migrant problems focus on general issues. This is an account of the experiences of one Greek family with two sons. The oldest, aged eight at the time, was healthy and progressing well at school unlike his younger brother who, although attending kindergarten was 'not talking'. Their parents, both factory workers, were migrants from rural Greece who had high expectations for their future in their new homeland. Unfortunately, life was to be fraught with misfortune. Not the least of this misfortune was a direct result of the insensitive welfare, medical and educational services of this state.
“The Mums' Chums Project”
Authors: Schwarz Robyne , Begg Paddy
Published: March 2016

The Mums' Chums Project is the result of concern, enquiry, thought and preparation to test a preventive method aimed at reducing the incidence of Child Maltreatment.
Parental Survival and the Hyperactive Child
Authors: Reistroffer Mary , McVey Helen Zuber
Published: March 2016

If you are the mother of a youngster victim of the hyperactive child syndrome, you need to have certain resources, qualities, and characteristics if you are to survive. You need, for example, the wisdon of a Solomon, the patience of a Job, the physical stamina of a stevedore, and the calm and control of a saint. You will also need some information, some support and understanding from others, and a refuge to which to flee when you have been pushed to the ragged-edge of your endurance and coping. These are the basics, but as your hyperactive child moves along the path of childhood, the additional things you need to be will become readily apparent. You will feel elation with an accomplishment, near despair when your efforts seem abortive, and through all, an overwhelming fatigue and exhaustion. Some will try to understand and to help; others will not even try. Indeed, you will suffer subtle and oblique comments suggestive of the thought that some shortcoming in your mothering ability has caused the problem. Any confidence you had as a mother will be shaken each day. And, as if it were not enough to live and be mother to a difficult child who resists your efforts, you will find yourself in serious contention with your husband and, perhaps, other members of your family. You will feel isolation and live with the suspicion that you are, in some way, a slightly defective mother.
Family and Parenting Analogies in Australian Residential Child Care: A Time for Change
Authors: Hansen Patricia , Ainsworth Frank
Published: March 2016

In Australia the family is often used as a model for provision of residential care for children. Associated with this model is an acceptance of the parent role as the appropriate one for residential child care workers. This article explores these ideas, outlining the positive and negative aspects of the family model and the parenting function. The alternative put forward is that of identifying residential child care personnel as child development workers.
Current Child Care Policy in its Social Context
Authors: Bryson Lois
Published: March 2016

Child care policy must always relate to the wider social context, indeed it will inevitably do so as we are all affected by broader changes in the social structure and changes in ideology. Nonetheless, rates of change in various areas are not always synchronous. Today, I want to look at some broader changes in society and point to some of their implications for child care policy.
Parental Survival and The Hyperactive Child — Part Two: Challenges of The Child's Middle Years
Authors: Reistroffer Mary , Mcvey Helen Zuber
Published: March 2016

This is the second part of a two part feature on hyperactivity. The first part was published in the Winter 1983 edition. It focussed upon how to recognise hyperactivity and parenting the preschool child who is hyperactive.

In this second part, the focus is upon introducing the hyperactive child to kindergarten and later to school. The authors offer practical suggestions on how to work with the child and his/her teachers to help the child through a difficult time.
Federal Government's Contribution to Child Care: The Children's Services Program
Authors: Gopalakrishnan Gouri
Published: March 2016

There is a folk-tale about three blind men who were trying to picture what an elephant looked like. One felt the elephant's ears and said: ‘An elephant is similar to a winnowing basket’. Another felt the strong legs of the elephant and thought that the elephant looked like a big, solid pillar. The third felt its tail and to him an elephant was akin to a riding crop.
Observations on the Themes of IYY '85 – from a social ecological perspective
Authors: Owen Lloyd
Published: March 2016

The writer has come to share with other recent contributors to this journal, a liking for social ecological approaches to human development and the problems besetting individuals along the way. Like them, he has been attracted to the work of Bronfenbrenner and Garbarino as it seems to reflect in an explanatory way, the variety and complexity of influences, effecting outcomes encountered in practice with adolescents and their habitats. Bronfenbrenner points out the importance of considering development of the individual in a context and proposed a series of systems surrounding the developing person-micro, meso, exo and macro-systems – in which decisions are taken; events occur; and quality varies according to their composition; all impacting on the development of the individual. Garbarino extends this thinking to include concepts of sociocultural risk and opportunity. Using such approaches it becomes possible to consider the way in which young people develop through participating in a social environment. The nature of their interaction with kin, peers, significant others and the organisations and institutions around them is also worthy of study from the point of view of maximising peaceful human relations at both the micro and macro level.
Permanency Planning: An Overview
Authors: McCotter Denzil
Published: March 2016

Most of the pioneering work in relation to permanency planning has been carried out in Oregon by the Regional Research Institute for Human Services and the State Children's Services Department. As the Oregon project has been documented in great detail in five excellent volumes:

1.

Barriers to Planning for Children in Foster Care (1976) Regional Research Institute for Human Services Portland State University;

2.

Overcoming Barriers for Children in Care, (Emlen et al. 1977);

3.

Permanent Planning for Children in Foster Care: A Handbook for Social Workers (Pike et al.) 1977);

4.

Permanent Planning in Foster Care: A Guide for Programme Planners (Dreyer, 1978);

5.

Permanent Planning in Foster Care: Resources for Training (Downs & Taylor, 1978);

and as the utilisation of the Oregon model has been encouraged by the allocation of federal funds to those States wishing to develop it for their own use, it seems appropriate to examine the model and its operation in some detail. Following this, efforts to develop permanency planning elsewhere will be examined and analysed.
Bonding and the Provision of Suitable Day Care Facilities
Authors: Clyde Margaret
Published: March 2016

“Day Care” is a subject which tends to polarise opinion; to the single parent or the economically struggling two parent family, the adult who genuinely wants to work or the student who is also a parent, the concept is most acceptable and very welcome. Day care fulfils a very real need for these people in our society which has managed to separate families into nuclear units and deprived them of the support of the extended family. Day care for these people enables them to pursue a livelihood or studies to lead to a livelihood and clearly in this context day care serves the parent or parents involved. There are other situations however, in which day care is perceived as being of consumate value to the child involved. There is a growing body of psychologists, neurologists and educators who believe that the first three years of life constitute the most crucial stage of development, in that all later learning depends upon the cognitive and social gains made by the infant. It therefore follows that exponents of this philosophy would have us believe that the infant/toddler must be in the most advantageous environment at his disposal, and that for some infants and toddlers an impoverished, unstimulating home is not the most ideal environment.
The Effects of Illness and Hospitalization of Children on their Families
Authors: Tong Mary
Published: March 2016

This article attempts to highlight the difficulties of families with sick children in the hope that personnel involved with them could be more aware and assist where possible.
Parental Involvement in Foster Family Care
Authors: Maluccio Anthony , Whittaker James
Published: March 2016

Parental involvement has become a cornerstone of the movement to promote permanency planning for children and youth wo are placed — or at risk of placement — out of teir homes. Foster family care in particular provides many opportunities for effective involvement of biological parents in child welfare practice. Following consideration of the rationale and purposes of parental involvement, this article focuses on implications and guidelines for promoting optimal participation of biological parents.
Promoting Stability in Foster Care
Authors: Mertin Peter , Baxter Richard
Published: March 2016

For the child in residential care who, for whatever reason will not be returning to the natural family, long term foster placement is often seen as a means of providing a suitable alternative family environment. The formation of mutually satisfying emotional ties within a family setting is recognised as being an important ingredient is the healthy psychological development of a child. However, the high rate of foster placement breakdown attests to the fact that these ties are not easily formed.

In South Australia, at any one time, approximately 2,300 children are known to be living apart from their parents. Some 1,500 of these children are in foster care. A 1982 Department for Community Welfare survey of a 50% sample of children who had been in continuous foster care for more than three years revealed that, while 60%of the sample had experienced only one foster placement, 24% had experienced three or more foster placements. Figures are similar In the United States where analysis of eleven foster care studies revealed that some 23% of children had three or more placements. (Westman, 1979).
Incorporating Natural Family Members into Residential Programmes for Children and Youth
Authors: Ainsworth Frank , Hansen Patricia
Published: March 2016

Most agencies that provide residential services for children and youth make some attempt to work with natural family members; e.g. mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, sister, or brother of those placed within these programmes. Some common approaches to this include the employment of social workers or involvement of other social agencies to undertake this work. Alternatively, a member of the direct care staff in a residential programme may be designated as a family worker and required to make extra effort to maintain links between the child in the programme and the natural family. Under all of these arrangements, direct care practitioners in residential programmes are expected to be responsive to natural family members visiting a child in the programme. They are also expected to support a child planning to return home for a family visit or returning to the programme from such an event.
Strategies & Considerations in the Development of Computerised Client Information Systems in a Welfare Setting
Authors: Martin Julie
Published: March 2016

This paper aims firstly to describe the existing Melbourne Family Care Organisation (M.F.C.O.) Service Information System (S.I.S.) and how it was developed. Although the system was developed to meet our own needs, it has also from the outset been considered to be an innovative demonstration to the field with the hope that other welfare agencies will organise their own systematic data collections to allow for pooling of information and thereby facilitating advocacy, lobbying and social comment. A copy of the computer program, therefore, is available free of charge to any agencies who consider it may be appropriate for them. Secondly, M.F.C.O. would like to share some of their experiences in the hope that other agencies interested in undertaking development of their own systems, may be able to avoid some of the pitfalls we encountered.
Beyond Normalization: Social Role Valorisation
Authors: Steer Michael
Published: March 2016

In 1972, Dr. Wolf Wolfensberger, a renowned American social scientist produced his classic work The principle of normalisation in human services. The principle has become a cornerstone of Government funded services to intellectually disabled children in Victoria. This article presents developments in Wolfensberger's most recent thoughts on normalisation.
Children — Their Status in the Community and the Approach to Child Welfare . .
Authors: Oxenburry Rodney B.
Published: March 2016

Today, we live in a child-conscious society.

We have seen the evolution of numerous child welfare programmes by the traditional agencies and are currently observing a proliferation of new and varied plans through recently developed agencies such as the Children's Commission. Supported by the possessive liberal-individualism in social thought, these policies and programmes purport to secure each child's individual material and emotional well-being so that he or she can develop into a well-reared, industrious and respectable community member. The trouble is that very few people seem to have considered the effects that such individualistic programmes have on our community as a whole. What are the overall objectives of child welfare programmes today? What are the values that determine policies? Are these policies and programmes flexible enough in the light of changing social values and cultural conditions? It is the purpose of this paper to raise questions about the objectives of child-welfare policies and to suggest that they may need to change their disposition towards highly individualistic programmes to an approach that emphasizes clearly established community perspectives.
Fostering and the Retarded …
Authors: Booth Susan
Published: March 2016

Foster care has long been overlooked as a viable alternative in the range of services to the retarded child and his family.

At a time when a number of agencies are planning developments into this area, this article discusses some of the underlying principles and conditions for a successful programme.
Service Delivery at the Regional Level …
Authors: Beringer Ivan
Published: March 2016

The aim of this Paper is to delineate a number of principles related to the effective delivery of welfare services at a ‘regional’ level. Regional level is used in this Paper in a general sense to distinguish ‘community’ based planning from planning at State or Federal level (or planning at an interpersonal, agency, specific field or societal level). No attempt is made to distinguish the precise characteristics of the regional level, but in detailed operationalised planning related to a specific area clear distinctions need to be made between the various planning levels and between the particular services being provided at each level.
The Feasibility of Behavioural Assessment and Treatment in Residential Homes for Children
Authors: Jehu Derek
Published: March 2016

In two recent articles in this journal, a behavioural approach to childhood problems is discussed in the context of natural family situations (Griffin 1978, Herbert and O'Driscoll 1978). This paper extends the discussion to Residential Home settings, and can usefully be read in conjunction with the two earlier articles. It is based on our experience of implementing behavioural programmes of assessment and treatment with individual children living in the type of Residential Home that is administered by Social Services Departments in Britain, which I am told are very comparable to similar establishments in Australia. These Homes care for between 6 and 50 or more children, ranging in age from a few days to 18 years. The problems we have treated in such settings include nocturnal and diurnal enuresis, encopresis, self-care deficits in the retarded, and various forms of conduct disorder. The efficacy of this treatment is reported elsewhere (e.g. Jehu et al 1977), and the present discussion is restricted to its feasibility. Generally speaking, it appears to be a practicable and acceptable approach for the staff and children concerned, but inevitably there are certain obstacles and limitations which are outlined below. This concentration on sources of difficulty rather than strength, should not lead to an undue emphasis on the problems likely to be encountered or to any implication that these are insurmountable.
The “LUV” Roulette
Authors: Hamilton Wendy
Published: March 2016

“My mother once came and told me that she didn't know if Mick and I had sex but that if we had a loving sort of relationship then good — but she thought I was still a bit young for it”, a 16-year-old Canberra girl — let's call her Jane — said.

She lit a cigarette. A budding woman-of-the-world who seemed to know a bit about life and its facts.

But after admitting she had been having sexual intercourse with her boyfriend of almost a year, she said she was not on the pill, nor used any contraceptive.
Child Abuse: Professional Paralysis
Authors: Goddard Christopher R.
Published: March 2016

In this composite case study, the names and some details have been altered to protect the innocent, and the guilty.

Sue was nineteen years old and three months pregnant when she came into contact with a hospital. She had successfully concealed the pregnancy and claimed that she had only just realised her predicament. Referred to the social worker, by the time she got around to saying that she wanted an abortion it was too late. Adoption was explored, and she finally agreed, only to later change her mind. As the weeks went by, Sue, and her boyfriend, made no preparations for the birth, and neither of them talked about the expected child with any pleasure. The social worker discovered that both Sue and her boyfriend came from deprived backgrounds. Sue had been beaten and sexually assaulted by her father and was eventually made a State Ward after her father had died and her mother had claimed she was uncontrollable. Her boyfriend had had a history of psychiatric treatment and a criminal record for petty offences.
The Rights of the Child 20 Years after: Dream or Reality
Authors: Kamal Mehr
Published: March 2016

Anniversaries provide a convenient time to stop and look back on the event they commemorate, a time to take stock of what has been achieved and assess what remains to be done. November 20, 1979, will mark the 20th anniversary of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child. This year – the International Year of the Child – is particularly suited to this type of instrospection. IYC has put the spotlight on the situation of children all over the world and provided an impetus for child-related research. Drawing upon some of the statistics available, let us measure the rights the United Nations affirmed for children 20 years ago against the reality of their lives today.
Family Conflict and the Rights of the Child—Statutory Recognition—Policy and Practice
Authors: Murray Justice Kemeri
Published: March 2016

In this the International Year of the Child the law relating to children's rights has come very much under scrutiny. I do not propose in this article to canvass the rights of the child under the Criminal Law but to examine the rights of the child in that area of the civil law which in these days of increasing marital breakdown, (at a rate from between 1 in 7 to 1 in 5 of every marriage in Australia) is most likely to affect him, namely under the Family Law Act.

I then want to postulate as to how those rights can be extended and improved both by statutory recognition as well as policy administration.
A Comparison of Australian and Overseas Legislation Relating to The Rights of Children to Health Surveillance and Medical Care
Authors: Blood Anne L. , Vimpani Graham V.
Published: March 2016

The notion of legislation being required to ensure compliance with preventive health surveillance programmes in infancy, may with some validity, be questioned on the grounds that handicap in children occurs less frequently than in previous generations. Physical handicaps like the limb weakness which followed poliomyelitis which was prevalent 30 to 100 years ago are virtually unheard of today but there is evidence that there are, particularly in the lower socio-economic groups in our community, significant numbers of children with hidden, undiagnosed disabilities such as deafness.
Some Dilemmas in Human Service Administration: The Case of Child Welfare
Authors: Tierney Len
Published: March 2016

“Hands on”, “know the customer”, “stick to the knitting” – these are the key attributes of excellent organization; so is the message of a recent best selling text in management practice. Successful organizations specialize we are told. They do not produce “manufactures”, rather they produce particular manufactured products; hamburgers or microcomputers. When we turn to the human services, however, we note an increasing tendency to view tham as services, suigeneris, evoking a sense that we have pinned down a slice of reality about which we can think generically for purposes of policy and service provision. This view can be maintained only be asserting that there are no important differences in people's situations, by the use of bulk terms such as “children”, and “families” and by the simultaneous assertion that the important policy issues are organizational and managerial. T hat there are concepts that cut across categories is a reminder that there are, indeed, similarities between human beings and that we share a common culture but it is the real differences between target populations which provide anchorage for differential policies, programs and practice, rather than the similarities alone.
The Three R'S in Child Welfare—Rights, Responsibilites and Rhetoric
Authors: Ainsworth Frank
Published: March 2016

This paper is an edited version of an address given at a seminar on ‘Future Directions in Child Welfare’ held at Monash University in May 1985. The seminar's aim was to facilitate discussion of the Victorian Child Welfare Legislation and Practice Review Report (The Carney Report).
Declaring War on Family Poverty
Authors: Hollingworth Peter
Published: March 2016

The great challenge in the mid 1980's is to find ways to insulate children from the lingering political and economic malaise which has overtaken many families in Australia.

Family poverty, as many of you will know, has overtaken the poverty of the aged with which Australian society and welfare organisations were so familiar until the 1970's.

Nevertheless it came as a shock to me to see in black and white from the Social Security Department the figures which showed that the number of children living in poor families had quadrupled between 1973 and 1983 to the point where nearly one in five children in Australia is being raised in poverty.