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AbstractParents with intellectual disabilities are over-represented in child welfare settings; however, there is little research about how these parents fare in their communities, and what factors may predispose them to child welfare involvement. This study was organized around four research questions to better understand how parents with low intellectual functioning encounter child welfare systems: 1) What percentage of mothers of young children have low intellectual functioning? 2) How common is child welfare involvement for mothers with low intellectual functioning when their children are young? 3) What characteristics predict child welfare involvement for mothers with low intellectual functioning when their children are young? and 4) How does low maternal intellectual functioning predict child welfare involvement during early childhood when controlling for poverty? Data were analyzed from 2,268 mothers who were primary caregivers and participated in the Future of Families Child and Wellbeing Study. Findings indicate that 1.4% of mothers had low intellectual functioning, and these mothers were more than twice as likely to have child welfare involvement by the time their children were 5. All mothers with low intellectual functioning who had child welfare involvement identified as Black, non-Hispanic. Extreme poverty was ubiquitous in this group. It was found that poverty fully mediated the relationship between low maternal intellectual functioning and child welfare involvement. Results suggest the need to identify targeted supports that are responsive to the unique needs of mothers with low intellectual functioning in order to avoid child welfare involvement in the first place.

Youth who are disconnected from work and education require policy and practice attention due to the long-term negative impacts of early disconnection. Municipal youth councils have been identified as one mechanism of civic engagement that offers youth opportunities to contribute to local decision-making. Yet, limited research has focused on the relationship between youth councils and youth disconnection. This multi-method study combined existing data on youth disconnection rates in US metropolitan areas with data on municipal youth councils collected from an Internet search to explore whether youth councils might impact youth disconnection. Additionally, content analysis of youth council mission statements provided descriptive information regarding the stated purpose of youth councils. Findings indicated that most urban areas had operating youth councils and that youth disconnection rates were lower in areas with youth councils. Analysis of mission statements offers suggestions for how youth councils might relate to disconnection and other outcomes. Results have implications for developing civic engagement interventions to strengthen youth connection.

Family engagement is a critical component of child welfare practice. Studies report improved experiences and outcomes when families are involved in decision making. Robust engagement may also serve as a culturally responsive approach to improving outcomes for families. Although practice-level interventions have received attention in the literature, there is a dearth of research on program- and system-level family models. The present study contributes to the emerging literature by analyzing publicly available data to document U.S. state efforts to engage families. Findings describe the origin, membership, and activities of four macro-level practice models. Similarities and differences among states as well as implications for future research and practice are discussed.

The Grand Challenges for Social Work initiative, led by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare (AASWSW), aims to organize the social work profession around 12 entrenched societal challenges. Addressing the root causes of the Grand Challenges will take a coordinated effort across all of social work practice, but given their scale, macro social work will be essential. We use Santiago and colleagues’ Frameworks for Advancing Macro Practice to showcase how macro practices have contributed to local progress on two Grand Challenges. We offer recommendations and a call for the profession to invest in and heed the instrumental role of macro social work practice to address the Grand Challenges.

The study examines foster care youths' perceptions of their relationships with child welfare caseworkers, including the characteristics youth value and the supports they seek surrounding decision making while in foster care. Interviews were conducted with 18 foster care youth. Qualitative analysis identified perceived trust as an overarching theme connecting three subthemes: worker continuity, worker nonjudgmental listening, and worker ability/willingness to transcend the confines of the role. Workers should receive specialized training so they can better understand the developmental stages of adolescence and emerging adulthood, view these youth in the context of the youths' life experiences, and refine their interpersonal skills to better respond to the needs of this age group. Policy and program efforts should focus on reducing workforce turnover.