Prior research has raised concern about the appropriateness of psychotropic medication use and the validity of psychiatric diagnosing for youth in child welfare but has lacked in-depth case information. This study reports results from a psychiatric nurse review conducted with eight youth entering a foster care intervention using case records and…

Although the methamphetamine epidemic in the United States has caught the attention of law enforcement and the media, the needs of the children living in so-called "meth homes" have not yet been addressed. These children are endangered from not only the chemicals involved, but also parental abuse and/or neglect. Little is known, however,…

Much controversy exists regarding the effectiveness of residential treatment. Recently, emerging research has demonstrated that community-based residential treatment has more positive long-term outcomes for youth. This article describes a community-based program that was implemented at a residential treatment agency serving youth. Targeted…

Reviews trends in and current uses of child welfare case recordkeeping, and proposes a flexible format for organizing public child welfare case records. In the design of recordkeeping systems, recognition must be given to the multiple purposes case records are put to and the needs and demands of casework staff. (MDM)

The Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) of 1997 includes provisions to deny reunification services under specified conditions and gives states latitude to develop any number of additional "aggravated circumstances" in which parents need not be offered services. California legislators have developed a relatively large number of…

Explores the perceptions of 74 New Jersey child welfare workers pertaining to independent case reviews of children placed outside the home. Workers' understanding of the law, their methods of dealing with placement review in their practice, their relationship with their local board, and their overall assessment of the advantages and disadvantages…

Anonymous reports are routinely accepted for investigation as part of nationwide effort to counteract child abuse and neglect. However, reports pose difficulties for investigators and frequently prove false. Authors discuss results of study of anonymous reporting in one catchment area and implications of study's findings for risk assessment and…

Describes techniques which families adopting children 6 months old or older might use to help communicate feelings of love, continuity of affection, and permanence of the new home to both verbal and non-verbal children. Includes songs and stories. (MG)

Analyzed the relative performance of contract agencies providing out-of-home care by examining administrative data on the length of time it took children placed in out-of-home care to return to their families. Found that contract agency performance differs and that "agency effects" leave an independent imprint on a child's out-of-home…

Discusses the strengths and weaknesses of administrative databases, issues with their implementation and data analysis, and effective presentation of their data at different levels in child welfare organizations. Focuses on the development and implementation of Washington state's Children's Administration's administrative database, the Case and…

Discusses the widespread, planned destruction of foster care files in social service centers in Quebec, focusing on the issues for the former clients, for the agencies involved, and for the social work profession. Argues that, for social workers, the destruction of the files represents an abandonment of their professional principles. (MDM)

Describes a program in which children not legally free for adoption are placed with foster families committed to eventually adopting them although aware that the children may not become legally free. (BRT)

Describes a longitudinal study of recurrent client involvement with the child welfare system. Analysis of frequency and correlates of case-reopening in a sample of 612 cases (many involving foster care) revealed that one-third of all closed cases were reopened. Predictors were child's age, racial and religious background and prior agency…

Explores the history of the federal Adoption Incentive Program, the first federal child welfare outcome-based incentive program to rely solely on administrative data; discusses the program in the context of other federal child welfare incentive programs. Considers the use of data to project program utilization and costs, set baselines for the…

Describes a child welfare program that used outcome information to support a learning organization to achieve better outcomes for children and their families. Considers factors that facilitate the use of outcome data and which should be included in an outcome orientation to management practice. (JPB)