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Literature review
Prof. Francisco Guillen Grima
Search Databases 1998-2010
MEDLINE, Web of Science, Current Contents
ConnectPsycINFOScholar google
Keywords
“family”, “foster home care”, “kinship”, “parenting”,“education”, “child”, “teen”, “adolescent”, “young”, “drug”,“alcohol”, “risk”, or “prevention”
Definitions
Family members, other than parents, raising children full-time
Family members, other than parents, who are primary carers for extended periods.
Magnitud of the Problem
USA 3,8% 2.8 millionsAustralia 1%UK 100 000 childrenSpain 11 000 families
General FindingsMinority groupsProblems Health Problems Drug related problems Prevalence of Drug abuse in Parents
General Findings
Not eligible for the payments andsupport services available
legal rights are often ambiguous and difficult to enforce
Minority groups
grandparent care giving is particularly
high in inner cities, estimated 30%- 50%
Problems Kinship Carers
Depression social isolation poverty
Health Problems
Women caring for non-ill children 21h/week - 9h/wk have more risk of coronary heart disease (Lee, 2003)
Health Problems (2)
Kinship carers appear to take less care of their own health. Grandmothers raising a grandchild are less likely to report influenza vaccination and cholesterol screening. (Baker 2008)
Drug Problems
Parenting a grandchild & the parenthood of a drug abuser produces stress and distress
Prevalence of drug abuse
Australia 52 % of abusive parents were known to misuse substances.
USA: 72 % Kinship carers due to maternal substance abuse [Patton, 2003]
Effect parents drug use on children
Infants with foetal substance abuse high risk health problemsMothers more punitive affecting kids self-esteem.↑ risk of abuseExposure to hostile environments (drug dealing, prostitution, criminal activities)
KINSHIP CARE PROVIDERS’ NEEDS ANDALCOHOL AND DRUGS PROBLEMS OFTHEIR CHILDREN
The Needs of Kinship Carers
General needsHealthParental skills
General Needs of Kinship carers
Kinship families have less resources, receive less training, services, and support.kinship families are less qualified
Health of Kinship carers
Grandmothers who reported fewer resources, less social support, and poorer physical health experience higher levels of psychological distress. (Kelley SJ, 2000).relationship between burden (family conflict, behaviour management of children, and negative interactions social services) and emotional distress.
Parenting Skills
older kin families are smaller, lower income, and include adoptive mothers with less education.would benefit from preadoption & post-adoption services to assist them grandmothers more difficulties when caring for boys & whiteKinship carers receive less supervision and fewer services than non-kin carers.
NEEDS OF CHILDREN RAISED INKINSHIP CARE
The need of children raised in Kinhsip Care.
Maltreated ChildrenBehaviourSchool/Academic functioningMeaning family & care giving: Children in foster care and Kinship Care.
Maltreated Children
especially advisable (Geen, 2004; Leos-
Urbel and Geen, 2002; Testa, 2001),
no advantage (Lawler, 2008)
Behaviour
importance of children developmental stages younger children living w
Grandmothers comparable other children (Pittman and Boswell, 2005).
young adolescents living w custodial grandmothers more problematic behaviours;
School/Academic functioning
children in out-of-home care are at risk for short and long term school failure
children in kinship care greater difficulties school than children in general
Meaning of family and care giving:children in foster care and kinship care
studies rarely include assessment of children’s feelings and thoughts regarding their foster placements (Berrick, Frasch and Fox, 2000).If kinship carers & parents have good relations child is more socially integrated.keeping children within their extended family reduces stigma and trauma of separation from parents.
Children were happy to be in care of their grandparents and y loved and trustedthem.
Helping Custodial grandparents to raise healthy children
Needs of kisnhip carers
initial stages Beds Food clothing
Ongoing needs information
regarding case progress and
system procedures
day care counselling for the
child.
Policies and their application: civilservices and school. (Context)
It’s difficult to find information on existing programs lack of legal rights fear of the child welfare systemdisparities between informal &formal kinship care policies
Policies and their application: civilservices and school.
Emotional needs of grandchildren:Emotional needs of grandparentsFinancial support issuesLegal issuesTransitions and reorganisation (Mayer, 2002
Emotional needs of grand children
1. Support groups & mental health resoureces
2. Drug & alcohol education3. Intergenerational activities4. Mentoring programs5. Training for social workers.
Emotional needs grand parents
school psychologists should have helpful information about the available resources in the communityInformation on before and after-school activities on (grand)parentingextra time for grandparent/teacher conferencesservices &support to enhance their parental role
Legal issues
care of their grandchildren informally, formally, through legal
custody, guardianship, adoption or by becoming afoster parent.
Financial support issues:
Information about financial assistance Many kinship care families do not
know that they are eligible for it.
Information and advice in order to get additional money
Transitions and reorganisation
Parenting classesEncourage to seek help &resources beyond the family unitCounselling first aid in stabilizing the family system early
Successful strategies (1)
Support groups
including the school system as one of the ways to improve the kinship care families’ support
Successful strategies (2)
intergenerational school-based intervention Carers participate in support groups
and case management services children participate in tutoring,
mentoring and counselling, advocacy and resources procurement
Successful strategies (3)
New Technologies Kinship Support Network (KSN)
CD_ROM
Key findings
Key findings (1)
1. kinship placements.
2. Advantage achievement permanency & improved well-being.
3. poorer & less educated.
4. receive less supervision & services
5. psychological distress
Key findings (2)
pre-adoption and post-adoption services
lack of legal rights practical difficulties (eg. school, medical care).children less mental problems.KC advisable for maltreated children
Key findings (3)
KC protective effect on the early behavioural outcomes for children entering out-of-home care.reduces stigma & trauma of separation from parents.more stable adolescents less mental problem.
Key Findings
Children‘s services should separate a carer´s need for support (money and services) from a child´s need for supervision (casework oversight). It`s difficult for Grandparents finding information on existing programs especially during a family crisis.