Estimating the number of children in formal alternative care: Challenges and results

Given the relatively large body of literature documenting the adverse impacts of institutionalization on children’s developmental outcomes and well-being, it is essential that countries work towards reducing the number of children in alternative care (particularly institutional care), and, when possible, reunite children with their families. In order to do so, reliable estimates of the numbers of children living in such settings are essential. However, many countries still lack functional administrative systems for enumerating children living outside of family care.The purpose of this paper is to provide a snapshot of the availability and coverage of data on children living in residential and foster care from some 142 countries covering more than 80 per cent of the world’s children. Utilizing these country-level figures, it is estimated that approximately 2.7 million children between the ages of 0 and 17 years could be living in institutional care worldwide. Where possible, the article also presents regional estimates of the number of children living in residential and foster care.This work represents an important step to systematically identify and compile sources of data on children in alternative care and provides updated global and regional estimates on the magnitude of the issue. Its findings contribute to raising awareness of the urgent need to strengthen the capacity of countries to improve national systems for counting, monitoring and reporting on these vulnerable children.     

Previous maltreatment and present mental health in a high-risk adolescent population

Childhood maltreatment is known to increase the risk of future psychiatric disorders. In the present study, we explored the impact of experienced maltreatment on the prevalence and comorbidity of psychiatric disorders in a high-risk population of adolescents in residential care units. We also studied the impact of poly-victimization. The participants of the study were adolescents in residential care units in Norway (n = 335, mean age 16.8 years, girls 58.5%). A diagnostic interview (Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Assessment Interview) was used, yielding information about previous maltreatment (witnessing violence, victim of family violence, community violence, sexual abuse) and DSM-IV diagnoses present in the last three months. Exposure to maltreatment was reported by 71%, and in this group, we found significantly more Asperger's syndrome (AS) (p = .041), conduct disorder (CD) (p = .049), major depressive disorder (MDD) (p = .001), dysthymia (p = .030), general anxiety disorder (GAD) (p < .001), and having attempted suicide (p = .006). We found significantly more comorbid disorders in the maltreated group. Poly-victimization was studied by constructing a scale comprised of witnessing violence, victim of family violence, victim of sexual abuse and household dysfunction. We found that poly-victimization was associated with significantly increased risk of MDD, GAD, AS, CD, and having attempted suicide (p < .01). The complexity of the clinical outcomes revealed in this study suggest that longer-term treatment plans and follow-up by psychiatric services might be needed to a greater extend than for the rest of the child and adolescent population, and that trauma informed care is essential for adolescents in residential youth care.     

宫体诗：士人功名场上折戟之后转向内闱的浅酌低唱

魏晋以降,士人在乱世中为了全身避害或者因外乱世而产生的鄙薄事功的心理,使他们从“兴废继绝、润色鸿业”的政治报负中逐渐退身出来,寄情山水或转向内闱。宫体诗便是士人在功名场上折戟之后,将目光转向内闱的一种浅酌低唱。     

Lifetime prevalence and incidence of sexual victimization of adolescents in institutional care

The frequency of sexual victimization in high-risk populations like adolescents in institutional care has hardly been studied. In this study, we report lifetime prevalence and incidence from a nationwide German sample including 322 adolescents (mean age 16.69 years, 43% female) from 20 residential care facilities and 12 boarding schools. Lifetime prevalence for severe sexual victimization (in and outside of institution) was 46.7% for girls and 8.0% for boys. Moreover, 5% of all adolescents experienced severe sexual victimization for the first time after they were admitted to the current institution (mean duration of stay in the current institution 3.08 years). Offenders were mostly adolescents of the same age whereas staff members played a minor role as perpetrators. We conclude that the high rate of sexual victimization among adolescents in institutional care should be considered during decision-making processes concerning out-of-home placement and during a stay in residential care.     

The crucial role of the micro caregiving environment: Factors associated with attachment styles in alternative care in Chile

The distribution of attachment styles has been shown to differ between groups of children living with their parents and children placed in alternative care (AC), defined as residential or foster. However, this is the first study in Latin America to explore possible factors affecting the quality of attachment in children living in both residential and foster care. Two groups of children (N = 57) were compared: one group living in Residential Homes (RC) and the other in Foster Care (FC) in Chile. Children’s, caregivers’ and structural factors (e.g., child: caregiver ratios) and their links with attachment styles were investigated. The micro caregiving environment (i.e., the specific individual child caregiver relationship), especially the caregivers’ engagement, sensitivity, disciplinary control and affection, as well as some structural factors (i.e., child: caregiver ratios), were linked to attachment security in children. Specifically, better emotional caregiving and lower child-caregiver ratios were associated with higher rates of secure attachment. The association between quality of care (as measured by the HOME inventory) and attachment styles seems to be influenced by caregiver relationships (as measured by CCSERSS). Caregiver relationship factors (i.e., affection, engagement and sensitivity) directly impact the quality of the attachment children establish with them while living in AC. However, the relationships that caregivers establish with children under their care can be facilitated by good quality structural factors, particularly child-caregiver ratios.     

民艺居住文化与现代家居设计的融合

民艺不仅仅是民族艺术,同时它也是生活的一种具体体现。现代设计与民艺文化的融合,体现的是设计的民族性和独特性。照搬已经不符合当今时代发展的趋势,要用现代的手段来表现传统文化。我们要留住民艺,为民艺文化创造宽松的发展环境。民艺居住文化与现代家居设计的融合是住宅设计发展的必然趋势,也是社会需求的自然体现。     

重庆农村居民点的空间分布及其优化策略

农村居民点是农业劳动者共同居住,并进行经济、政治和文化等活动而聚集的定居场所。根据居民点空间分布的密度和形态,将重庆农村居民点空间分布模式划分为五种。并在对目前农村居民点空间分布存在的主要问题进行分析的基础上,提出了重庆农村居民点空间优化的思路。     

宁夏财政支出结构变动对居民消费影响的动态分析

以代表性消费者的跨期替代理论模型为基础,利用1985—2006年的相关数据,对宁夏政府财政支出结构对居民消费的影响进行了实证检验.结果表明：长期来看,基础设施建设对居民消费有挤出作用,且挤出作用逐渐变弱;支农支出对居民消费起初有挤入作用,95年—98年大幅度变为挤出;科教文卫支出对居民消费始终起挤入作用;行政管理费用对居民消费呈现先挤出后挤入的作用;其它支出对居民消费的挤入挤出作用较小,随着时间的推移渐趋于零.研究结论为促进居民消费,合理调整政府财政支出结构提供了依据.     

School functioning of children in residential care: The contributions of multilevel correlates

ObjectiveThis study, using an ecological approach, examines the relationships between problems in school functioning (including academic and behavior problems) of children in residential care with a number of variables describing the child and the care setting.MethodsThe study reports on 4,061 children and youth (ages 6–20) in 54 Israeli residential care facilities supervised by the Ministry of Welfare. It is based on data derived from an ongoing system of monitoring care based on annual reports by social workers on children in care settings. Additionally, data on the characteristics of the settings were collected through a structured questionnaire completed by the supervisors at the Ministry of Welfare. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was utilized to examine how characteristics of the individual children and the care settings were related to problems in school functioning among the children.ResultsMost of the children (about 62%) had at least one problem in school functioning. The most vulnerable children were boys, children who were taken from parental homes by court decree, children with problems in quality of contact with their biological parents, and children who stayed in the care setting for shorter periods. The settings’ characteristics most associated with poor performance at school are group structure (vs. mixed and family home structures), higher levels of peer violence, fewer after-school activities, and settings in which children tend to stay for shorter periods of times.ConclusionsThe findings demonstrate the need for an ecological perspective in addressing children's problems in school functioning within the care system. The results help to identify the types of placements that should benefit from additional resources in order to promote adaptive performance in school among the children.Practice implicationsSocial workers in residential care should give high priority to children's positive academic involvement. The study demonstrates the need for identifying the intersection of the individual, familial and institutional contexts in which problems in school functioning are more prevalent. Therefore, it is important to allocate sufficient resources to care settings which serve these children. The study suggests some priorities and directions for policy and practice with children in residential care.     

Residential environment index system and evaluation model established by subjective and objective methods

In this research, the residential environment index system and evaluation model were established by means of subjective and objective methods. The methodology for establishing the evaluation system for residential environment was first analyzed; then the subjective evaluation data-base was established by questionnaire survey; and at the same time, the objective evaluation data-base was constructed by Geographic Information System (GIS); and then the related equation system between subjective and objective system was developed by multiple regression analysis. This research could benefit evaluation of the residential environment quality for various purposes, and also provide important rudimentary data-base for the development and improvement of residential environment for officials. Furthermore, the index system and evaluation model established in this research could construct a strong relation between subjective evaluation and objective data; and thus could provide a comprehensive, efficient and effectiv