Many young people in foster care experience significant mental health difficulties, leading to attendance at services where engaging them in psychotherapy that adequately meets their diverse needs is an ongoing challenge. This Ireland-based study illuminates the inherent challenges of working with this population, while informing practice about how to engage with young people in foster care in a meaningful and helpful way.

The internalizing behavior problems (IBPs) of left-behind children (LBC) due to parental migration are a widespread public health concern in China. A previous study showed that the detection rate of behavioral problems in the Hui was far higher than in the LBC of the Han nationality. However, to date, limited research has focused on IBPs in Chinese LBC of the Hui nationality. The aims of this present study are to explore the prevalence of IBPs and the influencing factors among the Hui LBC in the rural areas of China.

Emerging evidence suggests that distant placements and multiple moves may be detrimental to young people in care settings. Less is known about the characteristics of young people in secure care most affected by these processes. This UK study examined distance from home and number of previous placements in English young people detained in secure care and their relationships with organisational and individual characteristics.

This qualitative interview study assessed the pandemic’s impact on the educational experiences of foster youth in the United States from the perspectives of their caseworkers. Participant caseworkers discussed how the pandemic affected the academic progress and social/emotional development of youth in foster care and highlighted some challenges of online learning.

This paper describes tradeoffs in child welfare policy in the United States and provides background on the latest trends in foster care practice to highlight areas most in need of rigorous evidence. These trends include efforts to prevent foster care on the demand side and to improve foster home recruitment on the supply side. With increasing data availability and a growing interest in evidence-based practices, there are opportunities for economic research to inform policies that protect vulnerable children.

In this video Simon Kanyembo, Director of Social Services at ACE Zambia, addresses the following questions: why child welfare organizations should prefer family-based care to institutional care and response to children who are abandoned or unable to be reintegrated.

In this video Chilala Shilimi Nyendwa, Manager of the Family Preservation and Empowerment Program for ACE Zambia, addresses the following questions: social stigma facing reintegrated children; ability of families to financially support their children and how organizations might respond when families cannot; and child safety outside of institutional care.

In this video Daisy Muzukutwa, Executive Director of ACE Zambia, addresses the following questions: financial viability of reintegration; future of institutional staff after the transition; and where to begin when considering a transition.

This is the second monthly update of the Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Learning Platform published in April 2022. 

In this best practice article, the challenges faced by these children with disabilities and the potential for inclusion within the CCI are discussed based on the field action project intervention of the Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS), Mumbai, with selected government CCIs. The article suggests a multi-pronged intervention approach for the Children with disability (CWD) at the levels of the individual CWD, peer group, CCI and the juvenile justice (JJ) System, which are together recognised as the stakeholders of an ‘inclusive ecosystem’. The article arrives at the ‘Inclusive Ecosystem Model of Rehabilitation’ by drawing from the individual–environment interaction model of disability.