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.