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Sibling relationships of youth in foster care: A predictor of resilience
Abstract
Few empirical investigations have been conducted examining sibling relationships among youth in foster care, and even fewer have explored relationship warmth as a protective factor. With a sample of 246 youth from a non-profit organization's summer camp program, Camp To Belong, this study examined the association between a warm sibling relationship and resilience for youth in foster care. A warm sibling relationship significantly predicted individual resilience for both middle childhood and adolescence developmental periods. Younger youth with poorer sibling relationship warmth had lower resilience. The implications of these findings are important given that resilience is a factor associated with improved outcomes in the face of adversity. The promotion of sibling relationships, a readily available resource, can be drawn upon by those in clinical practice to improve outcomes for youth in foster care.
... Though the immediate goal of foster care is safety and the removal of children from a potentially dangerous situation, the development of the children should also be a key factor in the decisions of case managers and social workers. Wojciak, McWey, and Waid (2018) wrote about the relationships of siblings as a predictor of resilience, stating that their relationships may in fact grow more intense when removed from their parents. If the siblings are separated, their feelings of loss, confusion, and lack of a sense of belonging can be amplified (Wojciak, McWey, &Waid, 2018). ...
... Wojciak, McWey, and Waid (2018) wrote about the relationships of siblings as a predictor of resilience, stating that their relationships may in fact grow more intense when removed from their parents. If the siblings are separated, their feelings of loss, confusion, and lack of a sense of belonging can be amplified (Wojciak, McWey, &Waid, 2018). The researchers then discussed how sibling coplacement can lead to a more stable placement and a better sense of permanency. ...
... Siblings placed together tend to perform better in school, are more emotionally stable, and have a stronger sense of belonging. This article also offers a glimpse into the timing of placement, stating that siblings can better transition if they enter foster care together rather than immediately being placed separately (Wojciak, McWey, &Waid, 2018). This co-placement helps them to feel safer and more supported. ...
Siblings share a compelling bond that can be either positive or detrimental to their individual development. This article discusses siblings in the unnatural context of foster care, using attachment theory to explain when siblings should be kept together, and then examines underlying concerns that make separation the healthiest option. While it is a general belief among social workers and other foster care professionals that siblings should always remain together, this is not always possible or proper. It can, and at times should, be determined that the sibling bond is broken and a time of separation-whether temporary or permanent-is in the best interest of the siblings as individuals. While there are many future outcomes that could ensue from such decisions, this article will focus only on the foster placements and the immediate safety and well-being of the children. It will also focus primarily on the development stages of young children during the ages when the ability to bond can be securely solidified or potentially lost forever based on attachment theory. The intention is to encourage foster care professionals to reform current practices and consider each case individually.
... Beyond placement together or apart, the quality of sibling relationships may be an important contributor to the well-being of out-of-home care (McBeath et al., 2014;Waid, 2014). Studies investigating sibling relationships and child well-being suggest warm and supportive sibling relationships are associated with lower internalizing and externalizing symptoms (Linares et al., 2007;Wojciak et al., 2013) and greater youth resilience (Wojciak et al., 2018). However, differences in the strength and significance of the associations from sibling relationship quality to indicators of youth well-being have been observed with respect to youth gender (Tarren-Sweeney & Hazell, 2005), age (Wojciak & Waid, 2021), experiences with placement change , how the sibling relationship has been operationalized (Hegar & Rosenthal, 2011), and the respondent's relationship to the youth (Waid, 2021;Wojciak & Waid, 2021). ...
... In sum, current research evidence indicates sibling separation can be detrimental to the well-being of youth in out-of-home care (Hegar, 2005;Hegar & Rosenthal, 2009;Waid, 2014;Wojciak, 2017). Warm and supportive sibling relationships may be protective to youth well-being, particularly with regard to youth internalizing symptoms and individual resilience (Wojciaket al., 2013;Wojciak et al., 2018). Sibling relationships can also be strengthened through intervention, and a small number of efficacious and promising approaches exist specifically to strengthen the relationships of siblings living together or separately in out-of-home care Linares et al., 2015;Waid & Wojciak, 2017, 2019. ...
A preliminary evaluation of a multicomponent youth development program for siblings in foster care was conducted prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pre-test post-test measures of youth well-being were collected from sixteen youth, caregivers, and caseworkers over a six-month period. Caregivers reported increased internalizing and externalizing behaviors, sibling relationship difficulties, prosocial behavior, and resilience during the study period. Youth reported reduced school engagement, increased resilience, and prosocial behavior. In-person sibling programming was associated with increased prosocial behavior. Virtual sibling programming was associated with lower hyperactivity, increased prosocial behavior, and increased emotional problems. Implications for research and practice are discussed.
... Scholars have begun to examine sibling relationship quality as a key factor of youth well-being (Linares et al., 2007;Wojciak et al., 2013;Waid andWojciak, 2017, 2019;Wojciak, 2017). Within this body of literature, positive sibling relationships have been associated with youth's mental health (Gass et al., 2007;Wojciak et al., 2013) and individual resilience (Richardson andYates, 2014: Waid andWojciak, 2017;Wojciak et al., 2018a). ...
Sibling relationships of youth in foster care are often complicated as many youth are separated from their sibling(s) at one point or another. Quantitative studies have identified ways in which sibling placement influences youth outcomes. Fewer qualitative studies have been conducted to understand youth perspectives about their sibling relationships. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine sibling relationships and sibling separation amongst adults with prior foster care experience. Thematic analysis indicated two overarching themes: ‘Sibling Separation was Common’ and ‘Effects of Sibling Separation’. Each theme was comprised of multiple sub-themes that are discussed in detail and explored through an ambiguous loss lens. Recommendations and implications for supporting sibling relationships for youth in care are provided.
... Siblings have unique interpersonal relationships because their interactions are not only related to love and warmth but also to conflict and competition (Buist et al., 2013). However, individuals who remain positive in life have a significant impact on the psychosocial development of adolescents (Killoren et al., 2017;Ponti & Smorti, 2019, 2020Smorti & Ponti, 2018;Wojciak et al., 2018). Positive sibling relationships achieve optimal identity formation characterized by commitment and exploration (Whiteman et al., 2007;Whiteman & Christiansen, 2008;Wong et al., 2010). ...
Siblings play a significant role in the process of forming identity among adolescents. Therefore, this research examined the role of sibling characteristics such as gender and order of birth in moderating the quality of relations among siblings and adolescent identity formation. The respondents were adolescents aged 12-21 years, with at least one sibling having a maximum age gap of 4 years. The data collection technique used two measurement scales involving the warmth and closeness subscale in the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire and The Utrecht-Management of Identity Commitments Scale. Additionally, the hypothesis was tested using a multiple regression test. The analysis showed that the role of same-gender characteristics and birth order strengthens the relationship between siblings with three aspects of identity formation, including commitment, in-depth exploration, and reconsideration of commitment. This finding indicates that adolescents having same-gender and older siblings have better relationship qualities that contribute to a more optimal identity formation.
... An important and still unresolved issue is the short-term and longer-term benefits for children in OOHC being placed with their siblings. Sibling relationships can be close and warm and supportive, and protective in terms of family-wide adverse life events (Waite et al., 2011;Wojciak, 2017;Wojciak, McWey & Waid, 2018). They often also involve some level of rivalry, conflict and ambivalence, which can be beneficial socialising experiences for children in general. ...
This is an analysis of the first 3 waves of data concerning the relationships of children in out-of-home care from the interview cohort of the Pathways of Care Longitudinal Study (POCLS) in NSW Australia.
The population cohort is a census of all children and young people who entered out-of-home care for the first time in NSW between May 2010 and October 2011 (18 months) (n = 4,126). A subset of those children and young people who went on to receive final Children’s Court care and protection orders by 30 April 2013 (2,828) were eligible to participate in the interview study (final orders cohort).
The interview cohort involved 1,285 children and their carers (895 households) who were interviewed for the baseline survey in wave 1. This has been extended to include a total of 1,479 children and their carers who were interviewed at least once across the three waves of data collection.4 The sample of 1,479 comprised 734 boys (49.6%) and 745 (50.4%) girls, with an average age of 5 years at the time of the wave 1 interview and therefore 8 years old at the time of the wave 3 interview.
Five waves of data have now been collected, and there is extensive linked administrative data that includes health, education, and casework information about the
More information about the study is available at:
https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/resources/research/pathways-of-care
and this report at:
https://www.facs.nsw.gov.au/download?file=823745
... Another work developed in this same line (Bravo & del Valle, 2003) found that within the social support networks of young people in RC, the siblings achieve top positions in the support dimension but obtained lower scores in the dimensions of trust and help. Instead, other works have found evidence of the positive effects of affection on siblings in RC. Wojciak et al. (2018) pointed out that maintaining a positive and warm relationship with a strong affective bond strengthens resilience. On another hand, Mota et al. (2017) indicated that, if their behaviour is prosocial, siblings can help prevent the onset of mental health problems, which have a high prevalence in this population. ...
International guidelines recommend that groups of siblings remain together when protective measures are taken. Although this is a deeply rooted practice in most countries, research has found no conclusive evidence of the benefits of this practice, so further knowledge in this field is required. This work aims to describe the characterization of groups of siblings in residential child care. The sample consists of 281 children and adolescents who were in residential care, of which 42% were composed of groups of siblings. Case files were analysed, and the main results indicate that those who are cared for with their siblings are younger, have longer stays and have been subjected to neglect to a greater extent than those who are alone and reunification with their family is more complicated than for the rest. These results are discussed with regard to the scientific literature in this field and conclude with the need to carry out preventive actions and to make decision‐making criteria about groups of siblings more flexible.
... The generalization of these initiatives is one of the outstanding challenges of the Spanish child welfare system. Social referencing facilitates the internalization of personal skills (Hook & Courtney, 2011) that positively affect the insertion into the labor market (Zinn & Courtney, 2017) and the transit to adult life (Blakeslee, 2012;Häggman-Laitila et al, 2019;Neal, 2017;Rouse et al, 2021;Wojciak et al., 2018). ...
Background
The process of transition to adult life of youth with a record of protection is crucial to overcome the difficulties to achieve an independent life.Objective
This research aims to analyze the conditions under which protected youth are emancipated, as well as the factors that facilitate emancipation.MethodA qualitative study was performed with three samples: longitudinal follow-ups with youths when they exit the system and during 12 months (N = 24); life stories of youths who have exited the child welfare system at least 2 years ago and a maximum of 5 years ago (N = 22); interviews with professionals conducting their intervention in adolescent protection resources (N = 18).ResultsThe results indicate that protective action is not enabling youths’ learning in normalized contexts, which negatively affects the conditions under which emancipation occurs. The experience of the protective action conditions the tendency to benefit from the post-majority socio-educational accompaniment.Conclusions
The importance of socio-educational intervention continuing during the first moments of emancipation, providing professional accompaniment to the entire collective, is highlighted.
... The proposal of resilience explains the appearance of this mechanism [10]. For decades, the elasticity of subjects with different ages, sexes, and backgrounds has been continuously studied by researchers [11,12]. However, there is still a lack of research on the development of children's resilience [13]. ...
Background:
In the process of children's physical and mental development, emotional ability is an important part of their cognitive and social ability. Resilience in the face of difficulties or setbacks and other adversity will also produce differences in adaptability, thus affecting physical and mental development.
Objectives:
This study aimed to measure the effect of children's emotional ability on resilience and to provide an in-depth analysis based on age and gender differences.
Methodology:
A total of 300 preschool children aged 3-6 years old in kindergartens of China were randomly selected as the research subjects. Through a combination of experiments and questionnaires, the emotional ability and resilience of children were measured, and differences were analyzed according to the actual situation, using age and gender.
Results:
Children of different ages have significant differences in the dimensions and total scores of emotional ability and resilience, but only some of the resilience dimensions have significant gender differences. Moreover, the emotional ability has a significant positive effect on resilience.
Discussions:
The results confirm the influence of children's emotional ability on resilience, but the research hypothesis has not been fully verified.
Limitations:
This study has the limitations of a single measurement method and a more effective research tool.
... Positive sibling relationships are associated with beneficial outcomes for youth in out-ofhome care. Sibling relationships characterized by emotional warmth and social support are associated with improved emotional adjustment and decreased internalizing symptoms (Wojciak et al., 2013), and among siblings experiencing foster care related separation, higher levels of sibling support are associated with reductions in sibling conflict and increased youth resilience (Waid & Wojciak, 2017Wojciak et al., 2018). It is important to note, however, that not all youth who experience maltreatment and foster care intervention experience positive sibling relationships. ...
There is increasing recognition of the potential for sibling relationships to promote the well-being of youth in out-of-home care. Efficacious interventions now exist to strengthen the sibling relationships for youth in out-of-home care, yet the processes through which these interventions work to enhance sibling relationships remains largely speculative. The current study therefore aimed to identify the critical components of an efficacious dyadic relationship enhancement intervention for siblings in foster care through a secondary analysis of fidelity of implementation and trial outcome data. Data for 168 youth from the treatment condition of the Supporting Siblings in Foster Care study were analyzed. Fidelity of implementation was assessed across seven intervention domains: Sibs 4 Life, Positive/Sib Thinking, Activity Planning, Problem Solving, Cooperation, Managing Feelings, and Adult Allies. Trial outcome data were drawn from efficacy test results and included a multi-agent construct of sibling relationship quality. Descriptive statistics detailed intervention implementation, and hierarchical linear models examined associations between intervention coverage, comprehension, and engagement, and 18-month improvements to the sibling relationship. Results indicate high fidelity to implementation, and Positive/Sib Thinking was the primary intervention domain associated with sibling relationship improvements. Considerations for future mechanisms-based intervention research with siblings in out-of-home care are provided.
... This was an unexpected finding and may be due to the fact that the majority of the sample experienced sibling separation. Previous qualitative inquiries into sibling relationships in foster care indicate youth may experience sibling relationship complications as a result of placement into care and consequent separation(s) (Wojciak, 2017). In the context of the current study, key adults may make assumptions about sibling dynamics, such that the behaviours they see youth depicting (e.g., conflict) may be interpreted as 'normal' sibling behaviours, and overestimate the quality of the sibling relationship when in fact they may be perceived as problematic by the youth. ...
The current study utilized survey data to determine if respondent characteristics and inter-rater agreement on measures of important relationships were associated with resilience among child welfare involved youth. Youth and key adults (e.g., caregivers or caseworkers) each completed a multidimensional survey of youth well-being. Both responded to measures of sibling and peer relationships, youth also completed a brief resilience measure. Inter-rater agreement for sibling and peer relationship constructs were established through independent samples t-test, Pearson correlation coefficient, Cronbach’s kappa, and double-entry intraclass correlation coefficient. Linear regression models then examined associations of respondent and dyad characteristics to inter-rater disagreement, and inter-rater disagreement to youth reported resilience. Post-hoc analyses probed interactions for respondent characteristics and inter-rater disagreement to youth resilience. Results indicate key adults overestimated the quality of youth’s sibling relationships, and inter-rater disagreement was highest when the youth was older and the adult was a caregiver. Sibling rater disagreement was associated with higher youth reported resilience. For peer relationships, significant inter-rater disagreement was not observed. Higher relative disagreement however was associated with lower youth resilience. Findings suggest levels of inter-rater agreement may be an important consideration when assessing the well-being of youth in out-of-home care.
... Another microsystemic variable that is also worth considering is the Quality of Sibling Relationships, since it is associated in middle childhood with Theory of Mind, prosocial behavior, the development of resilience and scaffolding in learning activities [24,25]. It is therefore necessary to assess whether parents generate an atmosphere conducive to fostering good relationships between siblings, as an important developmental resource [26]. ...
Quality of the family context has an important role in the physical and mental health of children; that is why it is important to have reliable and updated tools. This study aims to design and validate a new tool, the Haezi Etxadi Family Assessment Scale 7–11 (HEFAS 7–11), to assess family context quality in middle childhood. A sample of two cohorts of 772 Spanish families with children aged between 7 and 11 (M = 9.39 years; SD = 1.57; 51.2% girls), participated in the study. Results showed good psychometric properties for the instrument and the confirmatory factor analysis showed a five individual subscales structure: 1. Promotion of Cognitive and Linguistic Development (α = 0.79); 2. Promotion of Socio Emotional Development (α = 0.83); 3. Organization of Physical Environment and Social Context (α = 0.73); 4. Parental Stress & Conflict (α = 0.75); and 5. Parental Profile Fostering Child Development (α = 0.80). The association between HEFAS 7–11 and Trial Making Test was also analyzed to determine the concurrent validity of the instrument. The new scale shows its potential in the fields of research, social and educational, to know those variables that need to be promoted under the approach of positive parenting from a public health perspective.
... In most cases, children with more frequent contact with siblings have more positive relationships with their siblings than those with less frequent contact (Cashmore & Taylor, 2017;Wojciak et al., 2013). In a survey of youth who attended a camp-based reunification program for siblings separated in care, Wojciak, McWey, and Waid (2018) reported that sibling relationships for youth in foster care that were categorised as 'warm' were significantly associated with protective factors related to individual resilience for young people in middle childhood and adolescence. Whether or not sibling contact occurs, however, depends on several factors including children's placement history and the quality of the sibling relationship (James, Monn, Palinkas, & Leslie, 2008). ...
For children in care, sibling relationships can be one of their most important life-long relationships. This study describes the nature and complexity of the sibling networks of children adopted from out-of-home care in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. A case file analysis was undertaken of 89 case files for the adoption of 117 children from care, representing all such adoptions that were finalised by the NSW Supreme Court in 2017. In nine in ten cases, children in the adoption application had at least one sibling who lived elsewhere and who was not part of the application. De-identified information about children and siblings’ characteristics living situations, contact arrangements, and relationships were extracted and coded using thematic analysis. Sibling networks were generally large and diverse. Frequency of face-to-face contact between children and their siblings varied based on degree of relatedness, living arrangements, and caregiver type. Importantly, contact arrangements that are in place prior to an adoption order are pivotal to decisions made about proposed post-adoption contact. The results of this study suggest that when siblings are separated in care, efforts are needed to help children, siblings and their caregivers initiate and maintain connections. Such findings highlight the need for adequate post-adoption resources to support sibling connections over time.
... The main intrinsic factors are summarised as: mental health status (Salazar et al., 2018); behavioural and emotional development; age at entry to care (Salazar et al., 2018); confidence and self-identity; school experiences; and prior experiences of trauma, abuse and neglect (Metzler et al., 2017). The main extrinsic factors include the number of placement moves, stability in the family structure, the foster-carer's ability to cope and their resources, the level of alignment in expectations of the foster family, relationships with families of origin, relationships with foster siblings and relationships with social workers (Wojciak et al., 2018). Comparably, Waid et al. (2016) offer a comprehensive list of extrinsic factors that affect placement stability, such as the level of engagement of parents of origin, agency factors such as short-term and temporary placements, caseworker turnover and case history. ...
This paper reports on a qualitative study of outcomes for permanence and stability for children in long-term care in Ireland. The aim of this research was to inform social work practitioners on how to enhance stability and permanence for children and to inform decision making and report writing for children in care. The research was designed and delivered in partnership with social work practitioners in the relevant areas. Drawing from the significant literature on this area the main factors impacting on permanence and stability are summarised and presented in terms of intrinsic and extrinsic factors. Biographical narrative interviews were conducted with twenty-seven participants (children and young people, parents and foster parents). This paper reports how, amongst a complex array of findings, three themes most linked to affect permanence and stability were found to be Relationships, Communication and Social Support. Underpinning these, the importance of Continuity was significant. Based on these findings, recommendations and practice guidance for social workers were developed in partnership with the Irish statutory Child and Family Agency and are summarised in the Conclusion.
... Specifically, positive sibling relationships are associated with lower scores on multiple measures of child behavioral problems (Linares, Li, Shrout, Brody, & Pettit, 2007;Waid, 2014) and increased placement stability for youth in foster care (Waid, 2014). Finally, sibling relationship warmth is a significant predictor of resilience among youth in foster care (Wojciak, McWey, & Waid, 2018), indicating the potential for this relationship to act as a protective factor against trauma and stress. Despite these benefits of positive sibling relationships, preservation of sibling groups in out of home care is not always possible. ...
Youth in out of home care frequently experience disruption to important family relationships, including sibling relationships. Maintained connections with siblings is associated with increased resilience and reduced internalizing behaviors for youth in care. Therapeutic summer camps for foster youth may strengthen social skills and improve self-esteem. The current study evaluated a therapeutic summer camp for youth in out-of-home care to connect with their siblings. The study included semi-structured qualitative interviews with 10 former campers and 18 program volunteers to gain understanding of the camp’s activities and impact on both youth and volunteers. Interviews also asked participants to make recommendations for replicating the camp programming. Interviews were transcribed and thematic analysis was completed to identify key themes. Campers and volunteers described activities designed to help campers build confidence, make memories, and just be kids. Campers and staff identified lasting impacts of the camp experience including improved relationships as well as personal and professional growth. Recommendations for those wishing to replicate the program included balancing structure with flexibility in response to the dynamic nature of the camp environment.
... Para adaptarem-se às situações de estresse envolvidas no processo de transição entre o acolhimento institucional e a vida adulta é fundamental que os jovens recebam apoio social (Hass & Graydon, 2009;Neal, 2017;Wojciak, McWey, & Waid, 2018). O apoio social se caracteriza pelo conjunto de sistemas e pessoas significativas que compõe os elos de relacionamento recebidos e percebidos pelo sujeito (Brito & Koller, 1999). ...
Este estudo teve por objetivo identificar os fatores de proteção e de risco envolvidos no processo de transição entre o acolhimento institucional e a vida adulta. Participaram 13 jovens entre 18 e 24 anos, de ambos os sexos, egressos do sistema de proteção da cidade de Curitiba, no sul do Brasil. Cinco cuidadores também participaram, representando cada uma das unidades de acolhimento de onde os jovens provieram. Os dados foram coletados por meio de entrevistas em profundidade e submetidos à análise temática. Os temas e subtemas identificados dentro de dois eixos temáticos (fatores de proteção e fatores de risco) atravessam diferentes níveis contextuais e revelam um desequilíbrio que dificulta o processo de transição. Conclui-se que, além da maior observância às políticas e diretrizes já existentes, é necessário formular programas novos e específicos para esses jovens, alicerçados na concepção de que eles próprios devem ser os protagonistas de suas trajetórias.
ABSTRACT The study aimed to identify protective and risk factors involved in the transition process from residential care to independent living. Participants were 13 young people from 18 to 24 years old, man and women, who aged out of care in the city of Curitiba, south of Brazil. A total of five caregivers also participated, each representing one of the residential centers where those young people used to live. Data were collected with in depth semi structured interviews and
... Fortunately, a growing body of cross-sectional, observational, and intervention research suggests a protective role for siblings in promoting the relational well-being of youth in out-of-home care McBeath et al., 2014;Waid, 2014). Siblings can provide youth with familiarity and continuity following placement into care (Angel, 2014;Herrick & Piccus, 2005;, and the emotional warmth and social support offered by healthy sibling relationships is associated with decreased internalizing symptoms (Wojciak, McWey, & Helfrich, 2013) and increased resilience both during youth's stay in care (Wojciak, McWey, & Waid, 2018) and following their transition to adulthood (Richardson & Yates, 2014). Sibling interactions provide youth with important developmental opportunities to learn emotional regulation, social skills, and behavioral control (Kramer, 2014), and can help promote positive adjustment to adverse circumstances (Pike, Coldwell, & Dunn, 2005;Stormshak, Bullock, & Falkenstein, 2009). ...
This study utilized web-based data collection and latent profile analysis to visualize and describe the relational well-being of youth experiencing foster care-related sibling separation. Legally authorized representatives for 724 youth in seven states in the U.S.A. completed a brief electronic questionnaire assessing youth's social competence, emotional competence, sibling warmth, and sibling interaction quality. Six profiles of relational well-being emerged from the analysis and included youth who were "struggling-all domains," "struggling-sibling relationships," "thriving-all domains," "near struggling-all domains," "mixed-thriving sibling relationships/near-struggling social-emotional competence ," and "average-all domains." Significant differences were observed for the proportion of youth in a particular profile based on their current out-of-home care status, permanency plan goal, and the survey respondent's relationship to the youth. Implications for future research and practice are discussed.
... When Abdoul was finally removed from the abusive situation nearly 2 years later, he subsequently was moved 31 more times before coming into contact with the law (Tremonti, 2018). Children in the foster care system are not only at risk of abuse and instability but such experiences only intensify the likelihood of police involvement (Lee & Villagrana, 2015;Moore, McArthur, Death, Tilbury, & Roche, 2018;Wojciak, McWey, & Waid, 2018). This alongside anti-Black racism makes children like Abdoul much more likely to come into contact with the criminal justice system and for those interactions to lead to serious charges that could put children's immigration status in jeopardy (Boyd et al., 2016;Nordberg, Crawford, Praetorius, & Hatcher, 2016). ...
This article examines the intersections of the child protection, immigration and criminal systems, and the carceral logics that undergird all three systems. Taking seriously Patricia Hill Collins’ (2017) call to analyze “intensified points of convergence” (p. 1464), we analyze the role of social work in perpetuating carceral systems and the tools that feminist social work provides for disrupting them. Using a case analysis of a foster child in Halifax, Canada, who in 2018 was faced with deportation after social workers failed to secure his citizenship status, we argue that a pipeline exists between child protection and a growing “crimmigration” system. The carceral logics of this pipeline not only draw from anti-Black, Islamophobic, and settler colonial histories of oppression, but they also position certain noncitizen families as unassimilable and requiring of state intervention rather than social supports. With this carceral pipeline in mind, we then draw from feminist anticarceral and intersectional approaches to consider a range of resistance strategies. Ultimately, we argue for a transformative justice approach that goes beyond reforming the pipeline and instead takes seriously the insights of abolitionist movements as an alternative to purely reformist approaches.
... Children in care typically emphasize the importance of their sibling relationships (Morgan, 2009;Wojciak, McWey, & Helfrich, 2013). While there is some evidence that, in a small proportion of cases, children who have experienced abusive or neglectful environments can present a risk to siblings (Linares, 2006), cumulative evidence indicates that positive sibling relationships can aid resilience when children face adversity and can mitigate trauma (Gamble, Yu, & Kuehn, 2011;Gass, Jenkins, & Dunn, 2007;Wojciak, McWey, & Waid, 2018). Studies of sibling placements report associations between sibling co-location and positive outcomes such as closeness to the caregiver (Hegar & Rosenthal, 2011) better mental health (Tarren-Sweeney & Hazell, 2005;Wojciak et al., 2013) and placement stability (Waid, Kothari, Bank, & McBeath, 2016). ...
Loss of sibling relationships is a common experience across international jurisdictions for children entering public care. This is the case despite statutory guidance that emphasizes the need to place siblings together when in their best interests, and increasingly robust evidence of the protective nature of sibling relationships when children face adversity. Research on the experiences and outcomes of siblings in care has thus far focused predominantly on placement and contact patterns, particularly of siblings in care concurrently. This study extends this research by comprehensively mapping sibling networks both within and outside the care system and measuring sibling estrangement (living apart and lack of contact) over time. Drawing on administrative and case file data within the Children's Hearings System in Scotland, the circumstances of 204 children and young people from 50 sibling networks were examined longitudinally. The study found very high rates of sibling estrangement with seven in 10 relationships between a child in out-of-home care and a sibling classified as estranged and half of all siblings classified as strangers (siblings having never lived together and no record of any communication or meetings between the child and sibling). Moreover, sibling estrangement increased significantly as children moved through the care system. We argue that continued effort is needed to improve the accuracy with which aspects of sibling relationships of children in care are recorded and measured in order to assess the longer-term impact of state interventions on children's lives and the capacity of child welfare agencies to meet policy goals.
Keyterms: sibling placements, sibling contact, family estrangement, permanence, sibling reunions.
... Warm sibling relationships have been shown to mediate the relationship between trauma and internalizing symptoms in maltreated youth (Wojciak, McWey, & Helfrich, 2013), and foster care co-placement has been shown to promote youths emotional, behavioral, and relational well-being (Lundstrom & Sallnas, 2012;Tarren-Sweeney & Hazell, 2005), and is associated with successful exits from foster care to permanent living arrangements (Akin, 2011;Albert & King, 2008). Sibling relationships characterized by warmth and emotional support are associated with improved mental health (Howe, Aquan Assee, Bukowski, Lehoux, & Rinaldi, 2001;Wojciak et al., 2013;Yeh & Lempers, 2004) and are associated with higher levels of perceived resilience for youth in care (Richardson & Yates, 2014;Wojciak, McWey, & Waid, 2018). Siblings who experience foster care related separation however are deprived of this natural support, and subsequently are at increased risk of mental and behavioral health difficulties (Hegar & Rosenthal, 2009;Herrick & Piccus, 2005), placement instability (Waid, 2014;Waid et al., 2016) and impermanence (Akin, 2011). ...
Positive youth development is an approach to intervention that is designed to build upon youths’ strengths, provide opportunities to develop skills, foster healthy relationships, and promote a sense of belonging and contribution. Such approaches may have an outsized potential for youth in foster care, who in addition to maltreatment victimization also face foster care specific risks including familial separation, relational discontinuity, and impermanence. To explore the viability of positive youth development for youth in care, this observational study investigated whether participation in a camp-based reunification program for siblings separated by foster care called Camp To Belong influenced youth resilience, a critical protective mechanism for maltreated youth. Three-hundred and thirty-nine youth from eight camp locations in two countries completed pre-test post-test questionnaires, and hierarchical linear modeling procedures determined if youth, sibling group characteristics, and program experiences influenced changes in youth resilience. Findings suggest modest increases in resilience across all camp locations (Yoo =.47, SE =.03, p <.01), and the sibling group accounted for 13% of variance in this outcome (ρ =.13, SE =.08). Increases were particularly notable for girls (Y02 =.13, SE =.05, p <.05) and youth who reported a feeling of belonging in the program (Y02 =.51, SE =.05, p <.01). Higher baseline measures of sibling support however were associated with reductions in resilience at post-test (Y02 = −.19, SE =.05, p <.01). Results suggest brief, camp-based reunification may be a viable approach to intervention with siblings separated by foster care, although differences according to youth gender and baseline sibling support suggest additional research is needed.
... Placement flexibility is crucial given the challenges involved in placing the many foster children with special needs (Goemans, van Geel, van Beem, & Vedder, 2016;Goemans, van Geel, & Vedder, 2015) and sibling groups (U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), 2014;Wojciak, McWey, & Waid, 2018), and the goal of placing children in family-based settings therefore reducing reliance on congregate care (U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO), 2016). ...
In many contexts worldwide, most people grow up with one or more siblings. The current paper reviews research on sibling relationship quality (closeness, communication, and conflict) in adolescence and young adulthood in four different contexts: primarily White North American and European samples (132 articles reviewed); ethnic minority families (26 articles reviewed); China (6 articles reviewed); and when one sibling has a disability (21 articles reviewed). Where the literature was available, within each context we addressed five questions: how does sibling relationship quality change from adolescence through young adulthood, how are demographic and structural characteristics linked to sibling relationship quality, how is sibling relationship quality linked to adjustment and behavior, how are familial relationships and processes linked to sibling relationship quality, and how is sibling relationship quality linked to non-familial relationships. Included articles were published between 2001 and 2021 and included aspects of sibling closeness, communication, or conflict in adolescence or young adulthood. Across all contexts, individual (e.g., gender) and dyadic characteristics (e.g., gender composition, birth order) play a role in siblings’ relationship qualities. In several contexts, the current literature suggests that sibling closeness and communication are linked to positive development, well-being, and healthy relationships with other social partners. In multiple contexts, sibling conflict is linked to poorer well-being and negative relationships with other social partners. These broad patterns, however, are qualified by each context and often multiple moderators.
Understanding the negative impact of the pandemic on children and adolescents is essential in order to provide proper support and intervention. Nonetheless, surmounting adversity, such as COVID‐19, may also provide positive lessons for youth to overcome the negative consequences of the pandemic and prepare society for future crises. The objective of the current qualitative study was to document the perceived positive aspects identified by children and adolescents during COVID‐19 and how they made sense of their experience. Participants (N = 67, 5–14 years old) were recruited in May and June 2020. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted via a videoconferencing platform. Based on the transcribed and coded interviews, a thematic qualitative analysis was derived utilizing NVivo. Participants' answers were grouped into four main themes and sub‐themes: (1) school changes, (2) bonding time, (3) free time, and (4) technology usage. Analysing youth perspectives on their experience of the COVID‐19 pandemic provides insight into some of the positive changes and lessons that can be gained amidst the overwhelming negative consequences of the pandemic.
Sibling relationships are among the most influential relationships of one’s life. For youth in foster care, sibling relationships may be particularly important. Using National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW) II data, this study tested if higher sibling relationship quality was associated with lower depressive symptoms among youth in foster care, and the interactive effects of relationships with siblings and biological mothers on youth depressive symptoms. Results indicated higher sibling and mother relationship quality were associated with lower depressive symptoms. Regarding interactive associations, the protective effects of sibling relationships on youth depressive symptoms were stronger when youth reported lower levels of relationship quality with biological mothers, highlighting the importance of good sibling relationships, especially in the absence of a positive relationship with biological mothers.
Introduction:
Domestic violence and abuse (DVA) is an everyday aspect of many children and young people's lives, both in the home and in their own relationships. Studies estimate that up to one million children and young people experience some form of DVA each year in the UK. Although the majority of families experiencing DVA have more than one child, most research to date has focused on individual children within these families. This study aims to explore the views of practitioners, parent/carers and young people on sibling responses in the context and aftermath of DVA. Our protocol has followed SPIRIT guidelines.
Methods and analysis:
We propose a multimethod study consisting of semistructured interviews, the completion of Sibling Relationship Questionnaires, photovoice interviews and illustrative case studies to explore sibling experiences in the context and aftermath of DVA. A purposive sample of front-line practitioner participants will be recruited and interviewed first. We will ask them to introduce us to parent/carer and young people participants using a snowball approach (n=70). Qualitative data will be analysed through reflexive thematic analysis, theoretically underpinned by critical realism, to explore patterns in participants' views and experiences of siblings in the context and aftermath of DVA. Quantitative data collected from the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire's four domains (warmth/closeness, power/status, conflict and rivalry) will be analysed. Data triangulation of the quantitative and qualitative data within this study will occur at the results interpretation stage.
Ethics and dissemination:
Ethical approval has been obtained from the University of Birmingham Research Ethic Committee (ERN_21-0795). Findings will be published in open access peer-reviewed journals and presented at relevant conferences and events. Child-facing infographics and front-line practitioner guides will also be produced.
Child maltreatment (CM) is a social and public health issue with a high global prevalence. However, sibling dynamics in the context of CM remain understudied. The present study aims to shed light on sibling relationships in the context of parental CM. The sample included 20 Israeli adult CM survivors who grew up with at least one sibling. In‐depth interviews explored their experiences as children, with a focus on their relationship with their siblings. A thematic analysis identified the main theme of the formation, or lack thereof, of sibling coalitions in childhood and adulthood. Some participants described comforting and protective sibling relationships in childhood, whereas others told of conflictual or distant childhood relationships that developed into adulthood alliances. Others described perpetrating parents who attempted to disrupt the sibling relationship. The sibling relationship comprises complex dynamics and emotions, which can vary within a single sibling subsystem. The findings highlight the need to examine sibling dynamics throughout the lifespan and their relation to CM survivors' wellbeing. Regarding the spillover and compensation hypotheses, there is a need to explore the role of the perpetrating parent and their attempts to sabotage the sibling dynamic.
U.S. policy promotes sibling visitation when siblings cannot be placed in foster care homes together, however, when siblings are placed separately, many do not receive visits and there is little research examining the impact of separation and visitation. This study examined child and family well-being for 1) siblings that were not in placement together but had visits, 2) siblings that are not in placement together and do not have visits, and 3) children who are not split from their siblings or have no siblings, using pre-service referral and assessment data of children and caregivers (n = 259) from a clinical pre-adoption program. Multivariate analysis indicated that sibling visits, increased parenting stress, increased child behavioral problems and older age of children were all negatively related to parent ratings of child integration into the family (i.e. sense of belonging). Although more research is needed, these findings suggest that when co-placement is not available special attention should be given to sibling visitation and the possible conflicts of loyalty that can arise and interfere with supportive integration into the foster home.
This research is part of a broader study concerning siblings and the family network. Its objective was to investigate care among siblings and the repercussions of generational transmission on the sibling group. It employed clinical-qualitative methodology, centered on preliminary clinical interviews with families during the family assessment period. Clinical data were gathered at the Applied Psychology Service of a private university in Rio de Janeiro. The 14 families who took part in the study had the following configurations: four married-couple families, four stepfamilies, three single-parent families and three separated-parent families. We observed that both reduced parental investment and excessive family-care workload made it difficult to establish a more health-promoting parent-child relationship, often leading to the parentification of one or more of the children, with the assignment of parental functions to them. Flaws in the psychic assimilation of elements of generational transmission also influence in the creation of sibling bonds, inhibiting the development of family ties of solidarity and the establishment of healthy care practices among siblings.
This article explores children and young people's experiences of a sibling camp based in the United Kingdom. Sibling camps are an intervention based on children's activity holidays that aim to promote meaningful contact for siblings separated in public care. This study adopted a qualitative approach using semi‐structured interviews with 11 children and young people; this included one sibling group of three and four sibling groups of two. The children's ages ranged from 8 to 17 years old, and they had all attended at least one camp with their sibling. Findings highlighted how the children valued the extended time they could spend with their siblings at camp, and how they felt this enabled them to better understand their siblings and improve their relationships. Findings also showed how the children developed close supportive relationships with the staff at the camps, who ensured they were cared for, and they also supported them with managing their relationships, which some participants acknowledged at times could be challenging. The participants also valued spending time with other sibling groups who also experienced separation. The study found camps provided a space for these children to maintain links with their siblings and to strengthen their sibling bonds.
Key findings
• Rates of direct contact between birth families and adoptive families vary considerably across the UK from a low of 16% in Wales to high of 54% in Northern Ireland.
• In addition, there are differences in rates of direct contact with various categories of birth relative such as birth parents and birth siblings.
• A significant minority of adopters across all four nations are receptive to considering additional direct contact with birth relatives than is currently experienced, particularly, with birth siblings.
• The variations across nations in rates and types of contact suggest that decisions regarding a child’s best interests are open to considerable interpretation.
• Some opportunities for positive ongoing contact between adopted children and birth family members, especially siblings, may be being missed.
In this article, we have focused on irritation as a discourse marker for professional foster parents to intervene in adolescents’ disputes. We were interested in how irritation leads to responses from people who are not the object of irritation themselves, but who intervene in the dispute, thus entering and changing the social situation. Four types of responses could be distinguished: 1) responding to the content of the dispute, 2) responding to the process of the dispute, 3) responding to the emotion of the adolescent or 4) ignoring the dispute. Although most cases in our sample seem to exhibit a main strategy that fits this categorisation, in 10 cases different strategies are combined. We showed that in these combined responses professional foster parents do not intervene merely for disciplinary reasons, although they do so when things threaten to get out of hand. They also use these occasions as teachable moments.
Sibling relationships are amongst our longest lasting relationships and contribute greatly to our sense of identity. Research has demonstrated that positive sibling relationships can provide a source of resilience for children facing adversity and provide continuity at a time of change and uncertainty. Sibling placement and contact when children enter public care is a complex area, involving several different legal processes, with associated legislation and guidance. Overall, looked after children have few enforceable rights at present in law in relation to placement and contact with siblings. It is clear that legislative change is needed to enable them to have rights they can vindicate, in order to maintain sibling relationships. In this working paper, we propose a number of legal changes to strengthen children's rights.
The sibling relationships of youth in foster care has garnered increased attention over the past few years indicating the potential protective role these relationships can have. Despite this growth, very little is known about how foster parents perceive the sibling relationships of youth in foster care and ways to promote these relationships. Thematic analysis was used to analyze semistructured interviews of 15 foster parents. Three major areas emerged as a result of the analysis: (a) the experience of sibling relationships in foster care, (b) how sibling relationships should be treated in foster care, and (c) ways to promote sibling relationships. All of the foster parents in this study discussed the importance of sibling relationships for the youth in their care and offer ways to promote these relationships through collaboration and education. Implications for foster parent training and child welfare practice are discussed.
This paper presents a review of the international research literature published since 2005 focusing specifically on sibling relationships in fostering and adoptive families. It presents an overview of the current state of knowledge regarding sibling relationships of fostered and adopted children as well as gaps and limitations. The review concludes that while methodological advances are apparent in this body of work siblinghood is poorly conceptualised and there has been inadequate attention to the perspectives of children. The paper goes on to suggest that one possible source of insight comes from recent work undertaken within social anthropology and sociology and the application of this theoretical and methodological approach to the study of siblinghood in out-of-home care is considered. Copyright © 2015 National Children's Bureau.
The present study compares reunification for sibling groups in foster care under alternate placement conditions, including placement with kin and entering care within the same month. The findings suggest siblings placed completely or partially together reunify at a faster rate than those placed apart. The gap between siblings placed completely or partially together and those placed completely apart increases over time, in particular after the first year in care. Fewer of those placed together remain in care during the first 8 months than those placed apart. Efforts to place siblings together should be strengthened. Monetary incentives might encourage more foster parents to provide homes to keep siblings together. Training foster parents about sibling issues may lead to more intact placements.
‘Looked after’ young people are among the most disadvantaged members of our society. While their disadvantaged status should not be ignored, poor outcomes are often emphasised at the expense of good ones. This article reports a study that adopts the concept of resilience to understand the narratives of the participants’ experience of care and foster care. A total of 15 young mothers, aged 16–19 and mainly from black African backgrounds, were interviewed. Despite lacking a ‘secure base’, informants invested in a sense of moral identity and a source of self-directedness, which enabled them to move from victim of circumstances to individuals who overcome their circumstances.
Children identified as having emotional and behavioral disorders (EBD) may have different out-of-home care placements than their peers without EBD.This study compared the factors influencing placement movements for 362 children with EBD and 363 children without EBD, using clinical Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) scores at baseline data collection of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being. The analyses explored potential case characteristics influencing the number of placements for children with a clinical CBCL score at baseline data collection. Poisson regression models were used to explain the number of placements experienced during the first 36 months of placement. Overall, children with a clinical-level CBCL score were 2.5 times as likely to experience four or more placements as their nonclinical peers. Findings indicated that the presence of depression and not residing with siblings predicted movement among children with EBD. Among children without EBD, only older age was strongly associated with placement moves. Although the direction of effects is equivocal, these results call for greater attention to children's experience of out-of-home placement and the lack of homogeneity among children who are placed outside their homes.
The purpose for this study was to address the ways in which conflictual and positive relationship qualities in the sibling relationship differ at different grade levels during early adolescence. This question was addressed using a cross-sectional design with 170 early adolescents in fourth grade (n = 60), sixth grade (n = 44), and eighth grade (n = 66). Reports of the behaviors engaged in by children as well as their perceptions of conflictual and positive relationship qualities were obtained. Age-related differences were found both in children’s perceptions and in behavioral reports of the sibling relationship. Several prosocial relationship qualities were lower for sixth graders and higher for eighth graders. In addition, children’s perceptions of sibling relationship qualities differed by gender composition of the sibling relationship, with boy/boy dyads reporting lower levels of positive relationship qualities including caring, intimacy, and conflict resolution than did either boy/girl or girl/girl dyads.
Objectives: This article presents the validation of the 28-item Child and Youth Resilience Measure (CYRM-28) among two Canadian samples of youth with complex needs. Method: The CYRM-28 was administered to two groups of concurrent service using youth in Atlantic Canada (n(1) = 497; n(2) = 410) allowing for use of exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Results: Reproducibility agreement is achieved and subscales of the measure are confirmed and show adequate psychometric properties. Conclusions: Findings add support to the CYRM-28 as a reliable and valid self-report instrument that measures three components of resilience processes in the lives of complex needs youth. Advanced statistical modeling yielded evidence that the scale, originally developed for use in various countries, can be used to assess resilience in youth from various ethnocultural backgrounds in Atlantic Canada.
Researchers of resilience seek to understand why some people will recover from or avoid negative outcomes against the odds
associated with exposure to particular adversities. Over the last two decades the concept of resilience has experienced “burgeoning
interest” (Ungar, 2005, p. xvii). However, due to a lack of consistency in defining and measuring this theoretical construct
within and across disciplines, the recent explosion of literature on resilience has contributed more to confusion than clarity
among researchers and policy makers. In order to clarify the opportunities and pitfalls in store for future research, this
paper provides an overview of the historical development of the resilience concept and the different approaches to resilience
prominent today. It also addresses the relationship of resilience to the concept of risk. Since the majority of resilience
research is concerned with the development of children and adolescents, this review is youth-oriented.
KeywordsResilience–Risk–Protective factor–Adaptation–Adversity
This investigation employed latent profile analysis to identify distinct patterns of multiform competence among 164 emancipated foster youth (Mage = 19.67 years, SD = 1.12; 64% female). Fit indices and conceptual interpretation converged on a four-profile solution. A subset of emancipated youth evidenced a maladaptive profile (16.5%; n = 27), which was characterized by low educational competence, low occupational competence, low civic engagement, problematic interpersonal relationships, low self-esteem, and high depressive symptoms. However, the largest group of emancipated youth exhibited a resilient profile in which they were faring reasonably well in all domains despite marked adversity (47%; n = 77). Two additional groups evidenced discordant adjustment patterns wherein they exhibited high levels of psychological competence despite behavioral difficulties (i.e., internally resilient; 30%; n = 49) or significant emotional difficulties despite manifest competence (i.e., externally resilient; 6.5%; n = 11). The obtained profiles were validated against independent measures of behavioral and socioemotional adjustment. Exploratory analyses examined etiological differences across profiles with respect to child welfare variables, such as age at entry into care, placement disruption, reason for placement, and severity of child maltreatment. The findings highlight the need for multidimensional models of risk and resilience and illustrate the importance of heretofore underappreciated heterogeneity in the adaptive outcomes of emancipated foster youth.
Although practice guidelines support the placement of siblings in the same foster home whenever possible, sibling groups are frequently separated. Little empirical knowledge is available to understand why siblings are separated or how different sibling placement patterns are related to children's placement adaptation and permanency outcomes. These questions were investigated using data from a study involving telephone interviews with the caseworkers and foster parents of a cross-sectional sample of 197 randomly selected young adolescents in long-term, traditional family foster care. Placement outcomes, including placement disruption, reunification, and adoption, were followed prospectively for five years. Results of multivariate analyses indicate that adolescents who were placed alone after a history of joint sibling placements were at greater risk for placement disruption than those who were placed with a consistent number of siblings while in foster care. This association was mediated by a weaker sense of integration and belonging in the foster home among youth placed alone with a history of sibling placements. Unexpectedly, youth placed alone, either throughout their stay in foster care or after a history of sibling placements, were less likely to exit to adoption or subsidized guardianship than youth with consistent joint sibling placements.
Sibling relationships in foster care settings have received increased attention in recent years. Despite growing evidence regarding the protective potential of sibling relationships for youth in care, some sibling groups continue to experience foster care related separation, and few programs exist to address the needs of these youth. This study describes and evaluates Camp To Belong, a multi-site program designed to provide short-term reunification to separated sibling groups through a week-long summer camp experience. Using a pre-test post-test survey design, this paper examines changes in youth ratings of sibling conflict and sibling support across camps located in six geographically distinct regions of the United States. The effects of youth age, number of prior camp exposures, and camp location were tested using multilevel modeling procedures. Findings suggest that participation in Camp To Belong may reduce sibling conflict, and improvements in sibling support are noted for youth who have had prior exposure to the camp's programming. Camp-level variance in the sibling support outcome highlight the complex nature of relationships for siblings separated by foster care, and suggest the need for additional research. Lessons learned from this multi-site evaluation and future directions are discussed.
Drawing on qualitative interviews with the children about how they and their siblings have responded to intimate partner violence, this paper explores processes of victim positioning. In their narratives, some children positioned themselves in line with notions of vulnerable victims, while others positioned themselves as caregivers or changed their positions vis-à-vis their siblings. In their stories, they assigned and assumed positions in interaction with their siblings. Receiving sibling support and care was in the narratives related to the quality of the sibling relationship, the shared experiences of violence and the age order.
the main focus of developmental psychopathology research has been on identifying factors that increase children's risk of psychological difficulties / in more recent years attention has also been given to factors that might ameliorate or lessen the impact of negative experiences on children / there are two important questions to consider in relation to sibling relationships in stressful circumstances / the first relates to whether there is any difference in the frequency of positive relationships between children in stressful family circumstances and those in non-stressful family circumstances / the second issue relates to the potential benefit of sibling relationships for children under stress
aim in this chapter is to present data pertaining to whether children are protected by close sibling relationships, to distinguish between factors that are protective and those that increase children's risk, and to compare the frequency of negative and positive sibling relationships in disharmonious and harmonious homes
[the samples for the study] were 83 families in which the marriage had been rated as disharmonious . . . and 83 families in which the marriage had been rated as harmonious / children were between 9 and 12 years old / parents were interviewed in their homes simultaneously but separately using a semi-structured interview / children were interviewed approximately 1 week later (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Youth in foster care may be separated from their sibling(s) for a myriad of reasons. Although empirical attention to sibling relationships has grown, an examination of what sibling(s) mean to children currently in foster care has not occurred. This study used open-ended survey responses of campers who attended Camp To Belong, a summer camp that reunites children who are separated from their sibling because of their placement in foster care. Six different member camps across the United States of America administered camper surveys. Thematic analysis was used to examine 178 responses from campers. Five major themes were identified of what siblings mean to youth in foster care: bond, dependable, fulfillment, despair and impact of separation. Youth shared the positive and protective influence their sibling(s) have in their life as well as the challenges that are associated with being separated from their sibling while in foster care. Implications of the results of the study are provided for clinicians, foster parents, researchers and sibling policy.
Sibling programming is an important part of a prevention framework, particularly for youth in foster care. After children are removed from their families and placed into foster care in the aftermath of maltreatment, the sibling relationship is often the most viable ongoing relationship available to the child, and may be critical to a youth’s sense of connection, emotional support, and continuity. The promise of dyadic sibling programming in particular rests on the ability of interventions to enhance the quality of sibling relationships; yet little research exists that suggests that sibling interventions can improve relationship quality among foster youth. The primary aim of the current study was to examine the effects of a specific dyadic sibling-focused intervention for older and younger siblings on sibling relationship quality. One hundred sixty four dyads (328 youth) participated in the study, with each dyad consisting of an older sibling between 11 and 15 years of age at baseline and a younger sibling separated in age by less than 4 years. Hierarchical linear models were applied to self-reported, observer-reported and observational data over the 18-month study period. Findings suggest that the sibling intervention holds promise for improving sibling relationship quality among youth in foster care. Implications and future directions for research are discussed.
This report summarizes the major findings of a 40-year longitudinal study of a multi-racial cohort of children who had been exposed to poverty, perinatal stress, parental psychopathology and family discord. Individuals are members of the Kauai Longitudinal Study, which followed all children born in 1955 on a Hawaiian island from the prenatal period to middle age. Several clusters of protective factors were identified that enabled most of the high-risk individuals to develop into competent, confident and caring adults. Implications of the findings for developmental theory were discussed and issues for future research identified.
For this qualitative study, 18 foster care alumni, ranging in age from 18 to 25 years, described good foster parents as helping them functionally adapt to foster care. Good foster parents never referred to them as a “foster” child, balanced consistency with individualized application of rules, used terms such as “our family” or “our home,” and included them in extended family gatherings and events. They were emotionally available without being intrusive, especially about stressful events in their lives. They facilitated ongoing contact with people from the child's past without being judgmental. Good foster parents also used their own resources, tried to accommodate personal tastes, and supported extracurricular activities.
In both the academic and popular press, the related concepts of risk, protection, and resilience have emerged as constructs
for conceptualizing social and health problems. The idea of “risk” is ubiquitous in social work. In everyday use, the term
conveys the notion that an individual, family, group, school, neighborhood, or organization is likely to experience a negative
outcome. Although the ideas of protection and resilience conjure up images of extraordinary feats in overcoming adversity,
they are elusive. In light of the growing salience of what some call the “risk-and-resilience” perspective, this special issue
of Social Work Research highlights social work research that uses the concepts of risk, protection, and resilience. In this introductory article,
the authors define key terms, discuss methodological issues, and explore implications for the profession.
Sibling relationships are an important, yet underinvestigated dimension of foster care research. Despite the fact that a majority of children in care have brothers or sisters, only recently have child welfare researchers begun to explore the complex and dynamic nature of sibling relationships in substitute care settings. Although cross-sectional and longitudinal studies suggest differences in stability and permanency outcomes for siblings placed together versus those placed separately, exactly how and under what conditions do sibling relationships positively influence placement stability, permanency, and well-being in foster care settings remains unknown. This article provides a substantive review of the research on sibling foster care, placement stability, and well-being; identifies two theoretical frameworks that may be particularly useful to help explain the intersection of these constructs; and proposes a multilevel conceptual model for advancing research and practice with siblings in foster care.
This study documented positive associations between sibling co-placement during foster care and subsequent competence in age-salient tasks of emerging adulthood (i.e., education, occupation, housing quality, relationship quality, and civic engagement) in a sample of 170 newly emancipated foster youth.•Sibling co-placement was positively related to youth’s narrative coherence (i.e., their capacity to reflect on their foster care experiences in a complex, balanced, and flexible manner).•Indirect paths from sibling co-placement to young adult competence through narrative coherence were significant for male foster youth.•Sibling co-placement appears to be an important relational mechanism underlying resilience among emancipated foster youth•Findings support efforts to maintain sibling connections in care and highlight the importance of sibling influences on the formation of a coherent life narrative for understanding resilience among foster youth.•Future extensions of this study should include longitudinal data, random sampling, and additional qualifiers regarding the nature and quality of sibling relationships in and beyond foster care.
Sibling aggression among maltreated children placed in foster homes is linked to other externalizing problems and placement disruption. The reduction of sibling conflict and aggression may be achieved via a multicomponent ecologically focused intervention for families in the foster care system. The focus of the study is to evaluate the feasibility and short-term effectiveness of a transtheoretical intervention model targeting sibling pairs and their foster parent that integrates family systems, social learning theory, and a conflict mediation perspective. In this pilot study, sibling pairs (N = 22) and their foster parent were randomized into a three-component intervention (n = 13) or a comparison (n = 9) group. Promoting Sibling Bonds (PSB) is an 8-week prevention intervention targeting maltreated sibling pairs ages 5-11 years placed together in a foster home. The siblings, parent, and joint components were delivered in a program package at the foster agency by a trained two-clinician team. Average attendance across program components was 73 %. Outcomes in four areas were gathered at pre- and postintervention: observed sibling interaction quality (positive and negative) including conflict during play, and foster parent reports of mediation strategies and sibling aggression in the foster home. At postintervention, adjusting for baseline scores and child age, intervention pairs showed higher positive (p < 0.001) and negative (p < 0.05) interaction quality and lower sibling conflict during play (p < 0.01) than comparison pairs. Foster parents in the intervention group reported a higher number of conflict mediation strategies than those in the comparison group (p < 0.001). Foster parents in the intervention group reported lower sibling physical aggression from the older toward the younger child than those in the comparison group (p < 0.05). Data suggest that the PSB intervention is a promising approach to reduce conflict and promote parental mediation, which together may reduce sibling aggression in the foster home.
The main goal of this study was to examine the direct and moderating effects of
trustworthiness and modeling on adolescent siblings’ adjustment. Data were collected
from 438 families including a mother, a younger sibling in fifth, sixth, or seventh grade
(M = 11.6 years), and an older sibling (M = 14.3 years). Respondents completed
Web-based surveys describing sibling conflict and warmth. Siblings reported on trustworthiness
and modeling, and mothers described adjustment. Sibling conflict was
directly associated with internalizing and externalizing behaviors for both siblings.
The older siblings’ reports of trustworthiness were directly associated with the
outcome measures. The younger siblings’ reports of trustworthiness were less directly
associated, but a possible salutary effect was most evident under the highest levels of
sibling conflict or warmth. Higher sibling modeling was a risk factor for adjustment
problems in relations characterized by high conflict. Results support exploring trustworthiness
as a key dimension of sibling relations.
In order to provide a fuller and more satisfying description of the significant others in the social world of an adolescent, the Social Relations Questionnaire was developed and then administered to almost 3000 seventh-through tenth-graders in a midwestern suburban school district. The sample was randomly split in half and analyses were run on both halves separately to test for replicability. Results indicated that parents and siblings are almost always listed as significant others by adolescents in all four grade levels. Furthermore, the majority of adolescents listed at least one extended family adult and at least one nonrelated adult as important in their lives. The nonrelated adults lived closer to the adolescents and were seen more frequently and in more contexts than extended family members. Fewer extended family adults were listed in the older grades. Females listed more significant others than males both overall and in terms of both same- and opposite-sex nonrelated young people. As hypothesize, an increasing number of opposite-sex young people was listed as a function of grade level. Most nonrelated young people listed (a loose definition of peers) were from the same grade, same school, and same neighborhood as the respondent. The authors conclude that age-segregation in this community is not extreme (over 40% of the significant others listed were adults) and that the Social Relations Questionnaire provides a useful and holistic description of an adolescent's social world.
This article investigates sibling contact among Swedish fostered children in foster and residential care. The study also examines a potential link between sibling contact and psychosomatic status. Highly structured interviews were conducted with 240 young people (13–18 years) in out of home care. Results show unfulfilled desire for sibling contact among children in Swedish out-of-home care. Nearly 40% of the children interviewed see their siblings more seldom than monthly and a good half of the children—more girls than boys—want more sibling contact. The longer the time the children have spent in care, the greater is the risk of being without contact with brothers and sisters; and the more seldom the children see their siblings, the more they crave contact. The Swedish family service system is obviously no guarantee of fostered children keeping their desired contact with brothers and sisters. Thus, an important task for social workers and others involved in the life of separated children is to open opportunities for contact—if the children want it. From a children's rights perspective, it is fundamental to facilitate sibling contact among fostered children according to their own wishes.
Compared to the sibling literature of the general population, little is known about sibling relationships of youth in foster care. The current study aimed to report on sibling relationships among youth in foster care, and investigate the potential protective nature of sibling relationships of those who have experienced trauma on the expression of internalizing symptoms among a nationally representative sample of 152 adolescents in foster care. Results indicated that the large majority of the sample was currently separated from their sibling. Of those who were not living with their sibling, nearly three quarters saw their sibling monthly or less frequently with one third of the sample reporting never having any contact with their sibling. In addition, bootstrapping methods were used to determine if sibling relationships mediated the effect of trauma on internalizing symptoms. Results indicated that a positive sibling relationship significantly mediated this relationship. Implications of these findings are discussed.
Resilience, defined as positive adaptation and functioning following exposure to significant adversity, is an important topic of investigation in child welfare. The current study used data from the Ontario Looking After Children (OnLAC) project to estimate the prevalence of behavioral resilience (i.e., lower frequency of conduct and emotional problems, higher frequency of prosocial behavior) in 531 5-9 year olds living in out-of-home care, and to determine how behaviorally-resilient children are functioning in other domains (i.e., peer relationships and academic performance). Furthermore, hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine the contribution of four levels of analysis (i.e., child, family, child welfare worker, and child welfare agency) on behaviors and to identify the contribution of predictor variables within each of these levels. Findings indicated that 50-70% of children exhibited resilience on one behavioral outcome while approximately 30% showed resilience on at least two of the outcomes. Also, 8.4-9.6% exhibited resilience on one of the behavioral outcomes in addition to peer relationships and academic performance. The child level accounted for the highest proportion of total explained variance in behavioral outcomes, followed by the family-, child welfare worker-, and child welfare agency-levels. A number of child and foster family variables predicted behavioral functioning. Findings indicate that it is important to inquire about children's functioning across multiple domains to obtain a comprehensive developmental assessment. Also, child and foster family characteristics appear to play considerable roles in the promotion of behavioral resilience.
Siblings' constructive and unstructured shared activities were examined as moderators of the links between first- and second-born siblings' adjustment across a two-year period in adolescence. Siblings (N = 189 dyads) reported on their depression, peer competency, self worth during home interviews, and their time together in constructive (e.g., sports, hobbies) and unstructured (e.g., hanging out) activities during seven nightly phone interviews. Siblings spent an average of 10 hours together across seven days, about 12% in constructive and 25% in unstructured activities. Regression analyses revealed that, controlling for adjustment at Time 1, associations between siblings' adjustment scores were moderated by siblings' constructive and unstructured shared time. These patterns were most evident in mixed-sex dyads.
This article delineates parallel frameworks that grew out of the research on risk and resilience over the past four decades, a framework for research and a framework for practice, and then discusses the promise of an emerging synthesis. The research framework defined the meaning, models, and methods that successfully guided four waves of research to date on the nature and processes involved in human resilience. The applied framework emerged in response to urgent needs of children and families faced by adversity and those charged with helping them, resulting in guidelines for translating the unfolding but incomplete research evidence into action. The application of a resilience approach transformed practice in many fields concerned with promoting resilience in people at risk for problems, revolutionizing the mission, models, measures, and methods of practice to align with the emphasis on positive adaptation and strengths defining a resilience-based approach. Yet these interventions rarely translated back to inform and refine resilience theory in ways that would accelerate progress to promote resilience more effectively. The concluding section on translational synergy discusses the potential for a synthesis of basic and applied resilience frameworks as the next steps toward realizing the original objective and promise of resilience science.
The concepts of strengths and resilience are essential for understanding and promoting positive development in children and adolescents. These concepts have been studied in the research literature for many years and more recently have been applied to child and adolescent assessment and intervention research. However, strength and resilience based intervention programs have not been evaluated rigorously for their use of empirical methodology. In this article, we systematically identified and reviewed all of the outcome studies over the last decade for strength and resilience based intervention programs to assess the extent to which these studies utilized controlled empirical methodology. The results of the review yielded 11 outcome studies that examined strength and resilience based practices. Using the Quality Assessment Tool for Quantitative Studies developed by the Effective Public Health Practice Project, we found three studies to be high quality, exhibiting high levels of experimentally controlled research. The remaining 8 studies we considered to be moderate to weak quality research. We concluded that these 11 studies provide preliminary support for the efficacy of strength and resilience based interventions. Our systematic review also highlights areas where methodology in future studies can be strengthened to provide more conclusive evidence of these approaches.
Background:
The development of Bronfenbrenner's bio-social-ecological systems model of human development parallels advances made to the theory of resilience that progressively moved from a more individual (micro) focus on traits to a multisystemic understanding of person-environment reciprocal processes.
Methods:
This review uses Bronfenbrenner's model and Ungar's social-ecological interpretation of four decades of research on resilience to discuss the results of a purposeful selection of studies of resilience that have been done in different contexts and cultures.
Results:
An ecological model of resilience can, and indeed has been shown to help researchers of resilience to conceptualize the child's social and physical ecologies, from caregivers to neighbourhoods, that account for both proximal and distal factors that predict successful development under adversity. Three principles emerged from this review that inform a bio-social-ecological interpretation of resilience: equifinality (there are many proximal processes that can lead to many different, but equally viable, expressions of human development associated with well-being); differential impact (the nature of the risks children face, their perceptions of the resources available to mitigate those risks and the quality of the resources that are accessible make proximal processes more or less influential to children's development); and contextual and cultural moderation (different contexts and cultures provide access to different processes associated with resilience as it is defined locally).
Conclusion:
As this review shows, using this multisystemic social-ecological theory of resilience can inform a deeper understanding of the processes that contribute to positive development under stress. It can also offer practitioners and policy makers a broader perspective on principles for the design and implementation of effective interventions.
discuss the findings from a recent study in which a group of siblings was followed from the preschool period through middle childhood and early adolescence / in the study a range of issues concerned with the relations between family relationships and sociocognitive development over this time period were investigated / focus is on 4 themes concerning the sibling relationship / the 1st is the issue of stability in the quality of sibling relationships over this period / the 2nd and 3rd concern factors associated with changes in the relationships over this period, specifically the significance of life events and the changing significance of SES and gender as the children reached early adolescence / the issue of what the family members themselves view as important contributors to change are discussed
there were 9 girl-girl pairs, 8 boy-boy pairs, 11 girl-boy pairs, and 12 boy-girl pairs / [the sibling pairs were ages 5–6 yrs at the 1st interview and 12–13 yrs at the 4th interview] (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Tested the hypothesis that children would report that different social-network members provide different social provisions, using 199 5th–6th grade White children. Ss completed network of relationships inventories, which assessed 10 qualities of their relationships with mothers, fathers, siblings, grandparents, friends, and teachers. Consistent with R. S. Weiss's (1974) theory (i.e., that individuals seek specific social provisions or types of social support in their relationships with others), Ss reported seeking different provisions from different individuals. Mothers and fathers were turned to most often for affection, enhancement of worth, a sense of reliable aid, and instrumental aid. Next to parents, grandparents were turned to most often for affection and enhancement of worth, and teachers were turned to most often for instrumental aid. Friends were the greatest source of companionship, and friends and mothers received the highest ratings of intimacy. Ss also reported having more power in their relationships with other children than in those with adults. Conflict was perceived as occurring most often in sibling relationships. Ss were most satisfied with their relationships with mothers, and they thought their relationships with mothers and fathers were the most important. Bases for children's differentiations of their relationships and implications for understanding social networks are discussed. (19 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
Reports on a study of siblings in foster care, exploring factors germane to the placement of the siblings, outcome of sibling placements, and implications for the decision process. Of 262 children placed by a family service agency, 235 had siblings, and 111 were placed with a sibling on the basis of diagnostic decisions, rather than on expedience. Most of the sibling pairs were placed together initially, and about two-thirds remained together. Fewer White siblings were placed together and remained together than those of other races. Placement disruption rates did not differ between siblings and only children, but sibling placement patterns (e.g., whether siblings were placed together or separated) did have some complex interactions with disruption rates. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)
a2 University of Minnesota
This paper describes the well-being of participants in the Midwest Evaluation of the Adult Functioning of Former Foster Youth (n = 603), a study of youth leaving out-of-home care in the USA, at the point where they have been ‘young adults’ for about 1 year. Although some of these young adults are in stable situations and either moving forward with their education or employed in promising jobs, more of them are having significant difficulties during the early stages of the transition to adulthood. Too many are neither employed nor in school, have children that they are not able to parent, suffer from persistent mental illness or substance use disorders, find themselves without basic necessities, become homeless, or end up involved with the criminal justice system. They are doing worse than other young adults across a number of important dimensions. Most of these young adults continue to maintain relations with members of their family of origin, with many finding themselves living with family at age 19. Importantly, those young people who chose to remain under the care and supervision of the child welfare system experienced better outcomes than those who either chose to or were forced to leave care.
This project qualitatively analyzed the stories that 23 preadolescent foster children told about their lives. An ecological framework in conjunction with the social constructionist understanding of stories guided the ethnographic semistructured interviews. These stories contained both common and unique features and provided insight into the lives of foster children whose environments involved poverty, drugs, crime, violence, and racism. Research domains included confusion, social ambivalence, anger, loss, and aids to resiliency. This study highlights the importance of these stories for the children who create them and those who will work with them.
The current exploratory study used quantitative and qualitative data from an evaluation of the ‘Advocates to Successful Transition to Independence’ programme, a mentoring programme designed to train mentors to assist older adolescent foster youth in acquiring skills and resources needed for successful transition out of foster care and into adulthood. The study was conducted in two phases over 2 years. Quantitative methods were used to describe characteristics of the older adolescent foster youth and advocates, and qualitative methods were used to describe the experiences of youth and advocates in the programme. Results suggest that the use of a mentoring programme for older adolescent foster youth represents a particularly beneficial prevention strategy that may help prevent negative outcomes as youth emancipate from the foster care system and transition into young adulthood. Implications and recommendations for developing mentoring programmes for transition-aged youth are presented.
Utilizing longitudinal, 3-wave data collected from multiple informants (fathers, mothers, and target children) in 374 families, the potential effects of sibling relationships on adolescent development across early and middle adolescence were investigated. Adolescents who perceived their sibling relationships more positively at Time 1 tended to have better friendships and higher self-esteem at Time 2, which, in turn, were associated with less loneliness, less depression, and fewer delinquent behaviors and less substance use at Time 3. Moreover, a bidirectional relationship was found between adolescent self-esteem and the quality of their sibling relationships, suggesting that a more positive sibling relationship helps to enhance adolescent self-esteem, and that higher adolescent self-esteem predicts a more positive sibling relationship. A bidirectional relationship was also found between adolescent sibling relationships and adolescent friendships. However, a much stronger association between adolescent sibling relationships at Time 1 and adolescent friendships at Time 2, than between adolescent friendships at Time 1 and adolescent sibling relationships at Time 2, may suggest that the quality of an earlier sibling relationship is more predictive of the quality of a later friendship for adolescents rather than the other way around.
The purpose of this qualitative study is to better understand the experience and perceived impact of multiple placement moves on adults who lived in foster care for at least some portion of their childhoods. Network and snowball sampling resulted in interviews with 22 adults between the ages of 18 and 65 years old, who had formerly lived in foster care. The findings reveal that the experience of placement moves is not only remembered as a series of significant losses but also perceived by participants to leave imprinted negative emotional scars, particularly in the area of trusting people and building and maintaining relationships. While participants remembered the negative aspects of placement moves in very similar ways, strategies for coping and resilience were more unique to individuals. The findings are important in that prior research on placement stability has not focused on understanding the perceived consequences of the move experience on those formerly in foster care who are now adults. Theories of attachment, grief, traumatic stress and resilience, as well as the concept of family privilege, can help to inform best practice for foster care practitioners and caregivers involved in placement moves for foster children.
Although research that focuses on sibling placements in foster care has increased in recent years, for the most part this research has focused on single samples from a point-in-time perspective. In this paper, we approach the matter of sibling placements with longitudinal data, differentiating between the notions of togetherness and intactness in order to describe the placement experiences of sibling groups. We generally found that, although siblings often enter care on the same day, they make up less than half the groups entering care. We also found that small sibling groups are more likely to be placed intact. So, too, are siblings placed with relatives. We also studied intactness over time. All told, when the movement between statuses is accounted for fully, more sibling groups were intact at 6 months as a percentage of children still in care than at the time of placement. Moreover, there is evidence that separated siblings who remain in care are sometimes brought together over time, sibling group size and placement type affect the likelihood that siblings are brought together, and children who follow their siblings into care are much less likely to be placed with a sibling compared to siblings that enter foster care on the same day.
This study presents the beliefs of three resilient African-American adolescent mothers transitioning from foster care into independent living in Illinois. Young mothers were followed for at least seven months as they participated in an innovative writing workshop for older foster youth. During this time, youth repeatedly initiated discussions of parenting while in foster care. Videotaped observations of workshops, in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews, and youth writing assignments yielded rich materials pertaining to parenting while in foster care. Young women identified a number of common challenges including financial difficulties, the pressure of meeting multiple obligations, stigma, and the negativity of some caseworkers. They also articulated cultural beliefs and practices which may support resilience. These included: the positive value placed on children and motherhood, spirituality, “other mothers” and various sources of community support, and an oppositional gaze. Implications for child welfare research and practice are discussed.
Using Child Protective Services (CPS) and Long Term Foster Care (LTFC) samples from the National Study of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), this study examines 2488 observations of 1415 different children to investigate relationships among kinship foster care, sibling placement, and child welfare outcomes, including youth behavior, family and caregiver relationships, and school performance. Although a growing body of literature has addressed issues of kinship placement and sibling placement, no prior studies have examined outcomes of both types of placement, including possible interactions when placements involve kinship foster care of sibling groups.This article first provides an overview of research concerning outcomes of kinship foster care or joint placement of siblings in foster care. Following discussion of the study's samples and variables, the article presents both descriptive and regression analyses of outcomes. It concludes with a discussion of the substantive findings, their implications, and limitations.
It is estimated that over two-thirds of children in out-of-home care have siblings. Because of the significant relationships that children may have with their parents and siblings before being removed from their home, children who enter the child welfare system may experience anxiety, trauma, grief, guilt and loss of identity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the ameliorating effect that sibling connections can have on these factors. It is the authors' position that sibling connections are extremely important to children in out-of-home care and, apart from situations where sibling contact will cause trauma or disruption for the children, professionals should make every effort to maintain sibling relationships. The authors investigate the issue of sibling connections in substitute care by adding a unique perspective to the discussion. Both of the authors are child welfare researchers who also spent a significant amount of time in foster care, together and separated from siblings. As adults who have lived within the child welfare system, the authors offer other professionals an alternative way to look at the issues, and new ideas for practice and policy aimed at resolving the challenges faced by children in out-of-home care.
This correlational study explored the concurrent association between basic measures of child functioning (e.g., social competence, emotional and behavioral problems) that may be influenced by placement status (i.e., placement with, or separation from, an older sibling in foster care). Subjects were 38 preschool-aged foster children: 25 were placed with an older sibling and 13 were separated from an older sibling. ANOVA and Chi-Square tests revealed few significant between-group differences on the background and case history variables or between the two groups of foster mothers. One notable exception was that children placed with their siblings had a greater frequency of prior psychological problems. With respect to the measures of child functioning, the two groups did not differ on prosocial behavior. However, the children placed with their older siblings tended to have fewer emotional and behavioral problems but lower receptive vocabulary scores than children separated from their siblings. The results are discussed in terms of placement policy and decision-making issues.
The preservation and maintenance of sibling relationships in child welfare settings have begun to come to the forefront of practice and policy considerations. While past research on families coming into contact with the child protective services system has largely focused on the parent–child relationship, an emerging body of literature indicates that the relationship between brothers and sisters cannot be ignored. This paper highlights recent and historical trends in the literature on siblings in foster care, reviews some of the legal issues surrounding conjoint sibling placement, proposes a constitutionally protected right of association among siblings in out-of-home care, and explores the multiple and complex methodological challenges facing researchers in this area.
In spite of an extended transition to adulthood for many segments of the population, many youth still struggle considerably with transition outcomes. With data from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth (NÂ =Â 8984), this study uses latent class analysis to identify patterns of youth development in emerging adulthood based on education level and social outcomes. These classes are used to identify risk and protective factors for class membership. Four profiles of youth were identified with two groups showing positive outcomes and two groups struggling considerably. Bivariate and cumulative logit analysis shows that demographic characteristics, childhood home environment, and psychosocial resources predict class membership. Involvement in youth-serving government systems is associated with poorer outcomes and remains salient when considered with other risk factors. The emergence of this new developmental stage requires a reexamination of vulnerability and how we understand risk and resiliency during this period.
Researchers have suggested that health disparities in African American women, including adverse birth outcomes, lupus, obesity, and untreated depression, can be explained by stress and coping. The Strong Black Woman/Superwoman role has been highlighted as a phenomenon influencing African American women's experiences and reports of stress. The purpose of this study was to develop a preliminary conceptual framework for Superwoman Schema (SWS) by exploring women's descriptions of the Superwoman role; perceptions of contextual factors, benefits, and liabilities; and beliefs regarding how it influences health. Analysis of eight focus group discussions with demographically diverse African American women yielded themes characterizing the Superwoman role and personal or sociohistorical contextual factors. Participants reported that the Superwoman role had benefits (preservation of self and family or community) and liabilities (relationship strain, stress-related health behaviors, and stress embodiment). The SWS framework might be used to enhance future research on stress and African American women's health.