Summary

The Rights of Children and Youth Partnership (RCYP) research project spanned six-years (2015-2020), developed to increase knowledge and evidence around factors that support or hinder the protection of children and youth rights in a number of territories including Trinidad & Tobago. The guiding question was: What are the factors influencing the implementation of the UNCRC in different countries, i.e. Promoters of and barriers to implementation. The research was organized under six thematic areas: 1.Education 2.Child protection 3.Judicial systems 4.Immigration Dynamics 5.Forms of violence against children and youth, 6.The use of social media. Researchers developed a quantitative survey - the Social Media and ICT Questionnaire and Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire. Researchers targetted children aged 11 to 17 years in 46 secondary schools in Trinidad and Tobago, and received 407 questionnaires from 14 schools. The qualitative methodology involved meta-analysis and meta-synthesis of available data, quantitative prevalence studies (e.g., national surveys of various forms of violence against children and youth), institutional ethnographies of organizations that work with children and youth, in depth semi structured interviews (individual and focus groups) and policy analysis. 70 respondent individuals and organizations participated in the qualitative studies.This presentation would spotlight 20 lessons learned from the analysis of the data gathered in the RCYPTT between 2015-2020. Insights gained showed that while there are many NGO's providing services to children & youth, and the formal sector seems to have incorporated the articles of the UNCRC on paper, these seem to be less evident in practice in informal sectors like homes, schools, communities and on social media. Peer-on-peer abuse, cyber-assaults and different forms of child abuse persist. Specialised areas of social work training and practice are implicated, e.g. social innovation & entrepreneurship, Gen Z youth work, gender & relationship education, creating youth-friendly spaces & attitudes, and promoting digital intellect. Public education should be supported by rigid sanctions.          

Keywords (separate with commas)

UNCRC, youth-focused research, child rights, child protection, child welfare, social media, Trinidad&Tobago

Summary

Child welfare services in Finland have been under scrutiny during the last decade. Solutions to the increasing load of complicated cases and a constant lack of staff have been sought by implementing a systemic approach when working with children and families. The systemic approach provides the prerequisite for a holistic view on the child’s development in interaction with its social environment and welfare services. The overall aim of the study presented here is to gain knowledge about what kind of everyday effectiveness in a systemic context is created, led and sustained in a changing working environment. The research is being conducted during a time in Finland when sweeping reforms in social and health care provision are being implemented. The study focuses on child welfare in three bilingual (Finnish and Swedish) counties. The study is collaboratively planned with practitioners, a User organization working with aftercare clients and experts within the field. What is unique in this study is its multiple case study design which aims at developing learning processes between service providers in different counties, a methodological approach that is seldom used in social work research. The study also blends qualitative and quantitative research methods, to get a broader view of the context in which systemic social work is practiced. The data collection started in the Spring 2023 with a survey study among child welfare professionals, and will continue with interviews with both professionals and clients in all three counties. Our presentation will share insights and preliminary results from the research.

Keywords (separate with commas)

child welfare, systemic approach, multi-case study, everyday effectiveness, Finland

Summary

IntroductionThe study reports on child welfare workers’ views on the\ extent of COVID-19 related disruptions to child protection services for newcomer families in Ontario, Canada and how child welfare services can be improved as the pandemic unfolded.BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has had significant impacts on child welfare services.\ The COVID-19 mitigation responses by governments introduced health restrictions and drastic changes to child protection services including adaptation from traditional in-person services to virtual sessions, posing numerous challenges for service-providers and families with child welfare involvements. For families, the pandemic led to a rise in psychosocial distress, increased poverty, home schooling, and isolation; all together resulting in heightened caregiving burdens, sub-optimal childhood, and impacts on youth well-being, alongside heightened vulnerability to child maltreatment incidents. It is timely to understand areas for improvement because these factors have not only impacted families but have also constrained the wellbeing and productivity of child welfare service providers.MethodA total of 108 child welfare workers from Ontario, Canada participated in an online survey during the second wave of the pandemic. The study addressed the following: 1) workers’ caseload characteristics--approximate percentage of newcomer families/visible minorities served; 2) level of difficulty for newcomer families accessing child welfare services due to COVID-19 related disruptions; and 3) areas of service which need to be expanded/improved to support child safety for newcomer families during COVID-19 and beyond.FindingsThe top four services identified by respondents as creating\ difficulty or extreme difficulty when supporting newcomer families were:\  volunteer drive services (93%); supervised agency visits (87%); referral to in-person community services (77%); and treatment (e.g., addiction and substance use treatment) programs (76%).RecommendationsExpanding financial/material assistance to families, promoting sensitivity to families’ language, parenting and culture, and mental health services would immensely improve welfare of both clients and service providers.

Keywords (separate with commas)

Newcomer families, COVID-19, Child welfare services, Urban/Rural regions

Summary

In child welfare (CW) emergency cases, striking the right balance between child protection and participation poses profound challenges. By restricting the possibility of comprehensive information gathering and thorough assessments, the urgency that defines emergency cases adds another layer of intricacy to the already difficult CW decision-making processes. Drawing on insights from interviews with 17 CW practitioners, this study sheds light on how Norwegian CW professionals navigate these complex situations.A salient finding is that many practitioners adopt a protective stance, ensuring children are shielded from the weight of decisions, especially regarding out-of-home placements. This approach is grounded in a perspective that predominantly perceives children as vulnerable beings in need of protection, necessitating adult intervention. However, the study uncovers an intriguing contradiction. When children explicitly express a desire not to stay in their familial settings, this becomes paramount in the decisions pertaining to out-of-home placements. The study further revealed that great value is provided to the children's statements regarding their care situation when assessing the need for an emergency intervention altogether.This dualistic practice reveals an inherent tension, illustrating the fine balance CW practitioners strive to maintain between perceiving children as vulnerable individuals requiring protection and as competent agents whose opinions and emotions warrant acknowledgment and respect. This study accentuates the delicate interplay between protection and participation, underscoring the necessity for CW professionals to skillfully navigate these complex terrains, especially when children's well-being and expressed desires hang in the balance. These findings echo the broader theme of "respecting diversity through joint social action," underlining the significance of inclusive and collaborative decision-making that cherishes and integrates children's diverse experiences and wishes, even in the gravest of circumstances.

Keywords (separate with commas)

child welfare, emergency cases, child participation, child protection, decision making\