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This paper uses a mixed methods research design that combines qualitative and quantitative data from low-income parents to increase understanding of the dynamics of their child care decision-making. The paper relies on a graphically depicted conceptual model of the decision-making process. In the model, individual characteristics found in prior research to affect child care decisions are clustered into constructs: family, community, child care preferences, constraints and barriers, and financial assistance. Findings demonstrate that when controlling for other characteristics, most of the characteristics captured in the conceptual model predict type of child care selected. Study data include measures of employment constraints and a verified measure of subsidy receipt, both of which are important to understanding child care decisions of low-income parents and on which research is limited. We find both to be strong predictors of child care selection decisions. Parents' child care selection preferences emerge as the strongest predictors of the type of care selected. Parents' prioritization of support for learning and trust in the provider were the most likely to predict a specific type of care. Findings from this study have direct implications for policy and practice, especially as states implement the changes associated with the Child Care and Development Block Grant Act of 2014 with its emphasis on helping parents select arrangements that support the child's development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of the approximately 70 low-to-middle-income (LMI) oil-and-gas-rich countries, almost all are victims of the resource curse or paradox of plenty, which conceptualizes the development patterns with petroleum and mineral resources. Lifting the resource curse can positively change the trajectory of global development. After the failure of the implementation of natural reserve funds in most oil-and-gas-rich LMI countries, scholars suggested the direct distribution of natural resource revenues to the population to escape the resource curse. The paper suggests an evidence-based asset-building policy, child development accounts (CDA), linked to oil and gas revenues being directly distributed to the population. CDAs are saving accounts specifically targeting children, started in the late 1980s, to help families to fulfill life goals for their children such as postsecondary education, homeownership, business development, and retirement security. The elements of the recommended policy are based on the findings of three qualitative studies carried out in Azerbaijan in 2017 and 2018, and in six post-Soviet countries in 2019 and 2020. Primary data were collected through in-depth interviews with key informants (N = 94), such as ministers, deputy ministers, representatives of the oil funds, academicians, financial institutions, and local and international nonprofit organizations. Secondary data came from archival records, such as governmental reports, publications from national and international agencies, published research, and statistics from relevant government agencies. Purposive sampling techniques were used. The inclusion criteria were being a senior policy-maker, having a deep understanding of the policy-making process, and having deep knowledge of social protection and child well-being systems in Azerbaijan. The data were analyzed by NVivo. The paper used 10 CDA design elements recommended by Michael Sherraden and his colleagues as well as national CDA policy models from across the globe. Azerbaijan, an oil-and-gas-rich LMI country was chosen as a case study for the recommended policy design [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stigmatization of children with disabilities at school is a culturally widespread social justice challenge. The paper is the second of a two-part series. In the first paper (Haight, Kayama, Ku, Cho, & Lee, 2016), we described the problem of stigmatization from the perspectives of experienced elementary school educators in Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and the US. In this paper, we focus on the solutions provided by these same educators; specifically, their perspectives on socialization practices to minimize stigmatization and support the development of self for children with disabilities and their typically-developing peers. We conducted cross-cultural analyses of individual, semi-structured, audio recorded interviews with 26 Japanese, 43 South Korean, 16 Taiwanese and 18 US educators, including school social workers. Educators from all research sites described socialization practices to support children with disabilities and their typically-developing peers. For children with disabilities, US educators focused on individualized support provided in private to minimize stigmatization. East Asian educators intentionally involved peers in supporting children with disabilities. For typically-developing peers, educators described cultivating empathy (Japan), providing formal disability awareness programs (South Korea), teaching moral values (Taiwan) and respecting individual differences (US). We discuss these socialization practices within educators' sociocultural-historical contexts. Educators' perspectives can be used to develop culture- and stigma-sensitive intervention programs for children with disabilities and their peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stigmatization of individuals with disabilities is a widespread social justice issue. This paper introduces a study of disability, stigmatization and self for children with disabilities and their typically-developing peers. It is the first of two companion papers. It examines the problem of stigmatization from the perspectives of experienced elementary school educators practicing in diverse cultural contexts. We conducted cross-cultural analyses of individual, audio recorded interviews with 26 Japanese, 43 Korean, 16 Taiwanese and 18 US educators, including school social workers. Educators from all four cultural groups described disability and stigma as challenging children's development of self: children with disabilities may experience the self as isolated and inadequate, and typically-developing peers may experience the self as lacking culturally expected values of empathy and respect. Educators' understandings of children's experiences also were culturally nuanced. Educators variously described children with disabilities as experiencing a sense of not belonging [Japan], loss of motivation [South Korea], too much shame [Taiwan], and low self-esteem [US]. They variously described typically-developing children as challenged to show empathy [Japan], include children with disabilities in their peer group [South Korea], develop benevolence [Taiwan], and show respect for individual differences [US]. We contextualize educators' perceptions within their specific sociocultural-historical contexts. Our second paper will focus on solutions; specifically, educators' perspectives on how to minimize stigmatization and support the development of self for children with disabilities and their typically-developing peers. Together, these companion papers provide social workers with valuable perspectives for eliminating the stigmatization of children with disabilities in future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a response to Bywaters' (2015) critique of our paper on ‘Cumulative Jeopardy’ (Brown & Ward, 2014), in which we presented data showing a mismatch between timeframes for early childhood development and responses to evidence of abuse and neglect from professionals with safeguarding responsibilities. Bywaters (2015) claims that the study on which it is based is flawed on methodological, empirical, conceptual and ethical grounds. This paper explores each of these grounds for criticism and refutes them. We point out that Bywaters' calculations are inaccurate and lead him to exaggerate the methodological weaknesses of our study. Bywaters argues that we should have collected additional empirical data on deprivation factors; but this would not have significantly improved our classification of risk of future harm or altered our key findings. These show that a high proportion of children in the sample were not adequately safeguarded from harm, an issue that Bywaters ignores. Instead, he asserts that we have an ideological bias towards separation, and this forms the basis for much of his conceptual and ethical criticism. We reject this argument, pointing out that the study focused on those infants who were at greatest risk of compromised development, injury and death from maltreatment, and that these are the babies for whom the fundamental question is whether or not they can safely remain at home. We do not interpret our data as necessarily indicating that more children should come into care, as Bywaters claims, but that more needs to be done to safeguard them from harm, whether they are living with birth parents or placed permanently away from home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, the child welfare field has devoted significant attention to siblings in foster care. Policymakers and practitioners have supported efforts to connect siblings via shared foster placements and visitation while researchers have focused on illuminating the empirical foundations of sibling placement and sibling intervention in child welfare. The current paper synthesizes literature on sibling relationship development and sibling issues in child welfare in the service of presenting a typology of sibling-focused interventions for use with foster youth. The paper provides two examples of current intervention research studies focused on enhancing sibling developmental processes and understanding their connection to child welfare outcomes. The paper concludes by presenting an emerging agenda informing policy, practice, and research on siblings in foster care. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper makes the case that the pattern low-income families walk into is a present time-oriented or consumption-based welfare system, with attendant incentives and disincentives; in contrast, the pattern higher-income families walk into is future-oriented or asset-based. These two divergent systems do not deliver equitable educational outcomes for children. To ensure that higher education can play an equalizing role in the U.S. economy, the nation needs a better welfare system for the poor, one that builds on the asset-accumulation structures that serve the needs of advantaged families. This new institutional approach would undo the current system of educational advantages for higher-income children over low-income children and, in turn, redress educational inequalities in America. In order to create a level playing field welfare policies are needed that enable low-income families to accumulate assets. In this paper we discuss policies that might help low-income families accumulate assets, including modifications to existing income supports, as well as the development of complementary asset-based institutions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• We apply generalized propensity score matching method and instrumental variable method to explore the relationship between breastfeeding duration and child development. • The relationship is relatively stable and presents a U shape, with the optimal breastfeeding duration (6–10 months) promoting children's early behavior performance. • Breastfeeding longer than the optimal duration delays child development. • The optimal duration of breastfeeding had a greater positive effect on children from disadvantaged backgrounds. • The conclusions of this paper have obvious practical value for the policy of child development strategies and parenting practices. Based on a large-scale survey in China, we use the generalized propensity score matching method and instrumental variable method to explore the effect of breastfeeding duration on child development, and find that there is a relatively stable "U" relationship between breastfeeding duration and children's early behavioral performance, with the optimal breastfeeding duration (6–10 months) promoting children's early behavioral performance. However, more than the optimal breastfeeding duration will delay child development. We further find that the effect of breastfeeding duration on child development varies among different groups. There is evidence that the optimal breastfeeding duration has a greater positive effect on children from disadvantaged backgrounds. The conclusions of this paper have obvious practical value for the policy of child development strategies and parenting practices. Given the importance of early child development, there should be a reasonable breastfeeding duration, and the feeding interventions for disadvantaged children can bring higher returns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Service integration for foster children has recently improved following scholarly recommendations (Shonkoff & Phillips, 2001) that sparked federal action to integrate child welfare services with intervention services for children with special needs, as well as with local education and Medicaid agencies (). However, integration with early care and education (ECE) has lagged behind despite the potential of such efforts to help child welfare agencies fulfill their mandate to ensure children''s safety, permanency, and well-being (P.L. 105-89, 1997). Research aimed at informing the integration of ECE and foster care is also lacking, as these two areas of investigation have developed along largely parallel tracks. The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for understanding the potential roles that ECE can play within the foster care system that can, in turn, guide a systematic, policy-focused research agenda. We introduce the paper with a discussion of federal policy barriers to ECE and child welfare service integration, and close with a specific recommendation that the Children''s Bureau and the Office of Child Care take steps to encourage research aimed at filling the knowledge gap at the intersection of these two core services for vulnerable children and families. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Child Development Accounts (CDAs) are savings or investment accounts typically opened at birth or during a child's early years with the aim of promoting savings and asset accumulation for child development purposes, such as post-secondary education or homeownership. Beginning in January of 2017, the Israeli government established a universal CDA program called the Saving for Every Child Program (SECP). Under the program, every Israeli child gets a personal investment fund into which the government makes monthly contributions, and parents can further opt to make additional monthly deposits and change the default deposit location for these funds (a savings account versus an investment fund). Using population-level administrative data, this paper examines SECP enrollment and participation patterns for the first six months following the program's inception. We observe generally high rates of program participation among SECP-eligible households. However, we also find that more affluent, better educated, more employed, and ethnic majority households tend to engage with the program at higher rates and in ways that will likely yield higher economic returns in the future. These results indicate that while the SECP, as currently designed, may increase the overall financial security of Israelis, it may also contribute to growing economic inequality. • Initial household enrollment and participation in the universal Israeli CDA program was high. • Ethnicity, parental education, and employment were largest predictors of program engagement. • Israel's program has the potential to promote long-term asset development in Israeli households. • However, more vulnerable families often engage with the program in less welfare-enhancing ways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese Hukou system, a major tool for social control employed by the government, has undergone various fundamental reforms and has received increasing attention in recent years. This study investigates the relationship between Hukou policy innovations and migrant children's cognitive and non-cognitive outcomes, which are vital to the lifetime development of individuals. On the basis of 2654 children holding non-local Hukou from the 2013–2014 wave of the China Education Panel Survey, the results show that migrant students who expect to have fair access to local senior high schools have significantly higher test scores and higher educational aspirations than their counterparts. The expectation of attending a local senior high school improves migrant students' relationship with teachers and the social acclimation with classmates. These findings carry policy implications for addressing migrant children's educational challenges and shed light on China's reform of its Hukou system to achieve social justice and equality. • This paper analyzes the impacts of Hukou reforms on migrant students. • Test scores are higher for migrant students expecting fair access to local senior high schools. • Fair access is positively related to higher educational aspirations. • Fair access improves student-teacher relationships for migrant students. • Fair access improves classmate relationships for migrant students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The aim of this paper is to explore eleven year old children's understanding of well-being through their completion of Well-Being Maps and subsequent interviews on their content. The children were asked to describe the people, places and things which they viewed as important to their sense of well-being. The subsequent interviews explored their rationalisations for their choices. Ninety-two eleven year old children attending four schools with varying levels of deprivation and ethnic diversity took part in the study. This is the first section of an English study which is a part of the Multi-National Children's Understanding of Well-Being Study involving 26 countries which aims to explore how children conceptualise and experience well-being from a comparative and global perspective. Commonalities and divergences in the English children's responses were explored. Across the entire sample of 92 children, there were clear commonalities. Relationships with family, predominantly parents, were viewed as very important. The reasons provided were consistent love and affection; constant support, encouragement and protection; fun to be with. The duration of this quality of parent-child interaction appeared to be the key. Trust and a sense of security were the result. Relationships with friends were deemed important by over two thirds of the children. The qualities of these relationships mirrored those with the parents with a sense of trust and security being present. Where places and activities were included on their maps, they were often linked to important relationships. Activities appeared to be important in acknowledging the relationship but also maintaining it. Activities were also valued by the children for skill development. There were some differences across the sample with relationships with friends and grandparents being more reported as important in the two areas of high deprivation, irrespective of ethnic diversity. The level of material possessions and holidays abroad were much more frequently reported in the school serving the low deprivation area. At times, the explanations for differences appeared to be an interplay of socio-economic factors and religious and cultural traditions. Suggestions for further research on children's perspectives on factors important to their well-being are made. Highlights • Children's understanding of well-being is a critical component of conceptual development in the field. • Close relationships with family and friends are identified by 11 year old children as central to their well-being. • It is predominantly through relationships that children attach importance to places and activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A major challenge in child welfare is whether a program (or service) developed and successfully implemented in one jurisdiction, especially another country, will attain the same outcomes for children and families in another jurisdiction? This paper presents the “DCE Classification System” (Defining, Classifying, and Evaluating), a classification system that facilitates cross-jurisdiction comparisons of child and family services. The paper reviews the cross-national research literature in child and family services as well as literature on classification schemes and typologies. As an example of the issues that arise when importing a promising program, we briefly highlight the exporting and importing of family group conferencing. After tracing the history and development of the DCE Classification System, the paper describes the proposed classification scheme, and provides a brief example of how researchers and practitioners can use the classification system for cross-national comparisons of client outcomes and program costs. Finally, we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of this approach, as well as possible benefits for child and family practices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Proposals for Child Development Accounts (“CDAs”) have been around for more than ten years. They are now widely accepted as part of the mainstream discourse on potential Federal tax policy initiatives. The purpose of this paper is to address the primary design issues and political opportunities facing advocates of CDAs. The first part of the paper provides a brief overview of the history and current status of CDAs. The second part describes the emerging consensus on core CDA policies, potential design trade-offs, and the implications of recent experimental and pilot programs. The third part addresses the political framework for CDAs, and offers recommendations for enacting a universal, permanent, and progressive platform of CDAs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper explores young children''s perceptions and expectations about attending college, and the potential influence of a savings program on shaping children''s perceptions about paying for college. As part of a four-year study of a school-based college savings program called “I Can Save”, this paper uses qualitative evidence from interviews conducted in second and fourth grades with a diverse group of 51 children. Findings suggest that most of the children in the study have a general understanding of college and have begun a process of considering higher education. Further, children in “I Can Save” are more likely than a comparison group of children to perceive that savings is a way to help pay for college. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Child Development Accounts (CDAs) as a matter of policy have existed for some time, though predominantly in developed countries. While there are at least a few government social programs with CDA components in the developing world, such policies have yet to gain significant traction. This paper finds that despite this lack of policy movement, CDAs do exist in developing countries in a variety of forms and delivered by a diverse group of institutions. Government-linked institutions (such as savings and post banks); non-governmental institutions (such as credit unions and NGOs); and commercial financial institutions are all innovating in CDA design and delivery. This paper offers a review of how CDAs exist in developing countries, including the types of institutions offering CDAs, and design features and delivery mechanisms common among such accounts. The paper concludes with implications of this analysis for policymakers and researchers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In the SEED Initiative, twelve community-based organizations (CBOs) across the United States and its territories were chosen to offer CDAs, establish best practices in delivering CDAs and demonstrate “proof of concept.” Since the inception of the SEED Initiative, a second wave of CDA programs has emerged at the local level. The purpose of this paper is to analyze these community and city-wide CDA innovations in the U.S. and to examine the role that CBOs play in these innovations. First, this paper explores the theory behind CBO engagement in asset building and the roles CBOs typically play at the local level. Second, this paper describes the specific roles performed by CBOs in the SEED Initiative and analyzes their relative strengths and weaknesses in delivering CDAs. Third, the paper describes several newer city-wide innovations that are designed to deliver CDAs on a larger scale and explains the role that CBOs play or may play in these innovations. Finally, the paper concludes with several key recommendations about the proper role for CBOs in providing support for CDA initiatives at the community level, city level, and beyond. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This article provides an overview of the Special Issue on "Innovative Initiatives in Child Development Programs," offering insights into the field and discussing the individual papers included in this collection. The issue encompasses ten groundbreaking initiatives taking place worldwide, as diverse communities address their unique and pressing child development challenges. Among the initiatives, seven studies adopt the social demand approach, two studies embrace the societal challenge paradigm, and one study applies the systemic change approach. In addressing enduring problems, creative and innovative solutions are imperative, leveraging novel ideas, methodologies, technologies, and products to confront evolving obstacles. This introductory article highlights the potential of innovative initiatives in child development programs, acknowledging their methodological limitations and logistical barriers while showcasing their ability to create positive social impact within their respective communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Inequalities in ECE access are due to structural characteristics as well as parental beliefs, and motivation for care. • Inequalities in ECE access are dynamic, changing according to children's developmental age. • Empirical application of an adapted version of the Pungello and Kurtz-Costes model for examining the care selection process. • Analysis is based on recent longitudinal data for Germany after multiple imputation. The paper investigates which and how characteristics of the family, the child, the context, and personal beliefs are related with attendance in early childhood education (ECE), examining their dynamics across the first three crucial years of children's life. By relying on the theoretical model developed by Pungello and Kurtz-Costes, we contribute to the literature on selection into ECE by providing (i) a comprehensive framework simultaneously integrating different sets of factors that can influence access to ECE and (ii) an empirical test of their relevance across crucial children's developmental stages by using recent data from the German National Educational Panel study. Binomial logistic regression models, applied to multiply imputed data, show that the German ECE system remains unequal even after a period of intense reforms. Inequalities begin already at one-year-old, being largest when children are two years old and decreasing at age three. Findings confirm the importance of structural divides linked to children's social origins and residential area as main drivers of ECE inequalities, especially at two years old. Yet, also mothers' beliefs play an important role: perceiving formal care as a tool to both support children's cognitive enrichment and favour their own occupational career increases children's ECE participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Immigration-related family separation is a crisis in the US. • There are many forms of immigration-related family separation. • Immigration-related family separation leads to poorer education outcomes for children. • Length of time of separation leads to poorer outcomes for immigrant children. • Family separation affects children from all countries and regions of origin. Forced separation of immigrant children from their parents in 2018 spurred calls for immigration reform. Research shows that immigrant children experience separation from parents during the immigration process for many reasons and that they experience a wide range of negative outcomes. This paper builds on the scholarship exploring the relationship between family separation and education outcomes of US immigrant children. Using the sample of immigrant children (n = 94,731) in the 2010–2018 American Community Survey, this study analyzes the association between separation and the likelihood of a peer education gap using descriptive statistics and multivariate logistic regression analysis. This paper supports prior scholarship and finds that immigrant children who experience separation are over 35% more likely to experience a peer education gap. It adds to the literature by exploring patterns of immigrant children from all countries of origin and examining the effects of length of separation on education outcomes. While children from all places of origin experience separation, the percentage of such children is much smaller when children come from wealthier countries and regions and, more importantly, the length of separation is much longer for immigrant children from poorer countries. This study finds that the length of separation correlates with poorer education outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low-income families' ability to sustain employment while ensuring the care and safety of their young children is profoundly affected by federal policies regarding access to subsidies and programs, such as Head Start. The current structure of these policies evolved during the decades following the 1990 enactment of the Child Care and Development Block Grant – a period that also witnessed expansion of the Head Start program and growth of state pre-K programs. Using data from two nationally representative surveys of child care providers conducted in 1990 and 2012, this paper examines trends in the supply, sponsorship, and funding structure of publicly-funded child care centers during this period of active policymaking in early care and education. These changes include major expansion in the number and share of child care centers receiving public funds, as well as in the number of children enrolled in these centers; relatively more rapid growth among for-profit vs. non-profit centers in the publicly-funded sector, but consistency in that the major share of publicly-funded centers remained non-profit; and substantial growth in publicly-funded centers receiving vouchers as a primary funding mechanism. These trends carry the potential to enhance the reach of quality improvement efforts tagged to public funds and may have increased low-income families' choice of centers with differing hours, in a range of locations, that serve a wider age range of children, as well as children supported with differing funding sources. Whether the growing supply of publicly-funded centers has actually kept pace with demand, let alone enhanced access of low-income families to care that supports their children's development, are critical, next-stage questions to address. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Relative deprivation theory suggests that perceived socioeconomic standing has implications for multiple aspects of life. Early childhood is critical for later development and concern about effects of rising inequality on children has grown along with inequality in recent decades. However, one of the key requirements for relative deprivation to matter for child outcomes is that children must have a sense of social class and their socioeconomic standing. Because the voices of children are often lost among current debates, this paper poses two questions: 1) How do young children conceive of social class and their standing in the distribution in the context of high inequality; and 2) How do these conceptions develop over time? We conducted longitudinal, semi-structured interviews with 44 young children (ages 5–6), who attend the same three elementary schools in a small Midwestern city. By following the same children over two years, this study is uniquely able to shed light on how conceptions of class develop over time. We found that, as children got older, they increasingly associated money with differences in quality, became more likely to assign value judgements to money, and became less reliant on verbal proof of wealth. Although many children misreport their own socioeconomic standing, our findings suggest young children are aware of social class inequality and may therefore experience relative deprivation. Reducing inequality could mitigate potential implications of relative deprivation for child development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mindfulness emphasizes the awareness of the “here-and-now.” Studies in the recent decade have found that mindfulness can affect positive change in child and adolescent school performance. As an emerging field, however, the mechanisms and effects of mindfulness practice on academic performance for children in developing countries have not been elaborated sufficiently in previous studies. Using China as an example context, this paper examines the relationship between mindfulness practice and academic performance of migrant children, and explores the role of executive function in this relationship. Through a survey with 219 fifth-graders in two migrant schools in Beijing, this study validates the positive association between mindfulness, executive function, and better school grades in Chinese, math, and English tests. Additionally, this study adds empirical evidence to the roles of mindfulness in child development, and also sheds light on the pathway through which mindfulness positively correlates with academic performance. These findings provide implications for addressing child academic challenges and conducting further research among migrant children in China and beyond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A dialogical 'what matters' methodological approach aids child participation. • Children's views assist in the theorising and the purpose of child participation. • Children value an intergenerational dialogical reflexive space. • Voice and participation should be (re)conceived as relational. • Children link participation, talking, and listening, with care and protection. According to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child a child has the right to be heard and included in all matters that affect them. Child participation in child welfare research, policy and practice also has instrumental and intrinsic value. However, participation and voice, especially with children, remain contested in how they are applied and theorised. This paper is an extract from research on what matters to 19 children living in kinship care in England. It focusses on the children's reflections on what child participation means for research, for child welfare services, and for family life. This was the first study to combine a dialogical participative approach with critical realism. Multiple methods such as child-led tours, photo-elicitation, and visual methods were used to capture the children's valuations of their lives and participation. Theory-building alongside the child participants provided empirical certainty with an interpretivist awareness of subjectivities. Analysis of the children's reflections reveal that voice and agency must be theorised as relational. Furthermore, the children desire inter-generational dialogical spaces to contemplate different views, explore what matters, and out their inner conversations. The children wish for discussions that listen to tensions rather than try to resolve them. Also, appropriate discussions that acknowledged interdependence aligned with the children feeling safe and cared for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Holistic mentorship model for children in difficult circumstances to access rights. • Holistic child development indicators to measure the all aspects of child development. • Children's identity and holistic mentorship for safe and inclusive program approach. • Technological support for measuring the child development indicators and establishing collective accountability. • Triangulation of children's participation, mentorship and technology for innovations in child development. Every child has a right to dream for their future. Children are vulnerable and face challenges in accessing their rights, including but not limited to joyful family and community life; quality health, education, and career facilitation; and an understanding of their ecosystem. Innovations in holistic child development are essential and require child-centered and right-based approaches in the welfare system. There is a need for a customized and personalized approach to bridge the gap in the child development process and to help children explore and enjoy their rights and realize their full potential as rights-holders in society. To address this need, Trust for Youth and Child Leadership (TYCL) initiated N'KaNa , a holistic mentorship program for children living in difficult circumstances, such as institutional care and vulnerable communities such as slums and Dalit and tribal villages of Puducherry and Tamil Nadu regions of India. N'KaNa aims to build brother/sister relationships between needy children and local pre-assessed and pre-selected professional mentors. The program relationships include a mentee (child), a mentor (professional), and a student volunteer. Mentorship progress is tracked through a mobile application. This paper has been developed based on the impact measurement of the N'KaNa project. The researchers adopted a decolonizing research methodology to theorize a postcolonial indigenous way of conducting research and applied a triangulation strategy to qualitative research approaches. Focused life story interviews with children of N'KaNa assessed holistic child development indicators such as education, health, relationships with friends and family, community support, safe environment, and personal hygiene. Triangular feedback and child mentorship tracker data was used to cross-validate the qualitative data. The study found that the children's lived experiences highly influenced their career goals and that the program helps them track their progress systematically. The research also observed positive indicators of change in children's education, health, family safety, community environment, attitude, and behavior. This paper captures the model of the N'KaNa project, a participatory holistic child development process, its outcomes, challenges, and lessons learned from the process and recommendations for key stakeholders of the child welfare system in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parental belief is associated with Child social-emotional development. • Parental investments mediate parental belief and child development. • The mediation effects vary across investments and developmental outcomes. • The varieties of play materials and activities are the strongest mediators. Parental investments are associated with early child outcomes, and some evidences outside China suggest that parental belief might affect parental investments. However, the interrelationships of parental belief, parental investments, and early child development has not been well documented in China. This paper aims to study the interrelationships between the caregiver's parental belief, the caregiver's parental investments, and the child's early developmental outcomes in rural China. A total of 1787 sample households in an undeveloped rural area of western China are enrolled in the cross-sectional study. A parental belief questionnaire, the Family Care Indicators (FCI), the Bayley Scales of Infant Development version III (BSID-III), and a socioeconomic questionnaire were used to measure the caregiver's parental belief on parenting practices, the caregiver's parental investments, the child's early developmental outcomes, and the socioeconomic characteristics of sample households, respectively. The mediation model was then applied to estimate the interrelationships. The results find that the caregiver's parental investments significantly mediate in the relationships between the caregiver's parental belief and the child's early developmental outcomes. Through parental investments, one standard deviation (SD) increase in the caregiver's parental belief is corresponding to 3% of one SD increase in the child's four developmental outcomes (cognition, language, motor, and social–emotion) respectively. For future studies aimed at designing targeted interventions on early child development in rural China, the key findings of this paper might be informative. Early interventions aimed at strengthening the caregiver's subjective belief on parenting practices and increasing the parental investments in the household might be effective to improve the development of rural children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The South African government offers three main services to improve the developmental potential and overall well-being of the country's children: cash grants, health care, and education. There is research to suggest that receiving supports to the household in multiple domains simultaneously might improve children's development over and above improvements to development that are typically experienced when receiving a single developmental support, however, no research to date has empirically examined the patterns by which these services may be received, the associated quality of these services, the multilevel characteristics of children and their households that might predict receiving particular patterns of services, or the relationship between service receipt and children's academic and cognitive development in a natural (non-experimental) environment in South Africa. This paper uses three-step latent class analysis to explore patterns of receipt of the three primary government-provided services, the child-, caregiver-, household-, and community-level factors that predict receipt of these patterns, and the associations between service receipt patterns and the academic and cognitive outcomes of low-income 7–10 year old children living in peri-urban and rural regions of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, while accounting for potential sources of selection bias. Results revealed three service receipt patterns: primarily education, primarily cash grants and education, and all three services, showed that household level factors were most predictive of service receipt such that the most economically disadvantaged households were likely to receive the most services, and found that children receiving more services had poorer math outcomes as compared to children receiving fewer services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Youth-led visual media based participatory action research. • Child-centered visual SWOT analysis. • Youth-led approaches tackling generational differences and power dynamics within the community. • Multi-stakeholder approach to enhance collective accountability. • Building powerful community through youth-led co-creation. In India, 27.5% of the population is youth in the age group of 15–29 years and 67.5% of the Indian population lives in rural and semi-urban areas. Youth civic engagements and youth-led initiatives are crucial for community development. The purpose of this paper is to examine how well youth-led initiatives are creating a positive impact in the community, as well as how these initiatives are recognized by their own community members and key stakeholders. This paper describes how youth-led visual technology and media-based community development processes transformed a nomadic tribal community in India with a focus on promoting child rights. The project "INaGi: A Child-Centered Visual SWOT" (I laingargaludan Na garamum Gi ramamum, Tamil for "Youth with Urban and Rural Areas") was executed by Trust for Youth and Child Leadership (TYCL), a youth-led organization based in Pondicherry, India. The project offered visual technology and media tools to local youth to capture the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the tribal community and provided space for them to reflect, connect, and act for mutual social transformation. This process recognizes indigenous knowledge, co-creation, and the power of young people and new age technology, and it enables local people to innovate local solutions for local problems. Furthermore, this paper discusses a youth-led bottom-up approach for the planning and execution of child-centered community development, as particularly distinct from a donor-driven project approach. Visual-based participatory action research methods were adopted to engage youth, community members, and other key stakeholders of the project. This paper captures the participatory youth-led community development process, its positive outcomes, and lessons learned from the process and put forth recommendations for key stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood adversity is a complex issue with the potential for lasting effects over the developmental trajectory. Research has confirmed that people who experience significant adversity, hardship and trauma in early stages of development are at an increased risk of a range of negative outcomes at later stages of the life-course, including increased psychological distress and dysfunction, decreased likelihood of educational engagement and an increased risk of early parenthood. However, distal events exert their influence on later outcomes through various proximal mechanisms. One such postulated mechanism is a sense of belonging. This study investigated the role of sense of belonging as a mediator between experiences of adversity in childhood and psychosocial outcomes in emerging adulthood, amongst a sample of 254 young people receiving a range of social services throughout Australia. Results of three mediation analyses confirm that the path from childhood adversity to psychological distress and educational engagement is only weakly mediated by sense of belonging. No other statistically significant relationships were found. These results indicate that additional mediators are likely needed to more fully explain the effects of childhood adversity on psychosocial functioning in emerging adulthood. The paper concludes with a discussion of the relevance of belonging for practice in the field of child and youth welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evidence concerning the impact of abuse and neglect in the early years points to the importance of taking swift and decisive action when very young children are suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm. The decisions made by professionals who have safeguarding responsibilities are extremely difficult and will have long-term consequences for children's life chances. This paper explores three complementary questions. Firstly, how far is there a mismatch between timeframes for early childhood development and those for responses to evidence of abuse and neglect from professionals with safeguarding responsibilities? Secondly, if a mismatch exists, why has it occurred? And thirdly, how might the issues identified be addressed? Illustrations are drawn from a prospective longitudinal study of the decision-making processes influencing the life pathways and developmental progress of an English sample of very young children who were identified as suffering, or likely to suffer, significant harm before their first birthdays and have now been followed until they are five years old. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The success of antiretroviral therapy (ART) has sparked a global commitment to strengthen health systems for an improved response. The response, however, is largely biomedical. Far less attention and funding exist for mental health and psychosocial support services (PSS). While the evidence-base for these services is less developed, the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF) has responded to glaring needs through a “learn by doing” approach. This paper documents lessons learned as we responded to expressed needs for child-centered HIV support in Zambia. We formed a multidisciplinary working group to improve support for children on ART. In collaboration with the Zambian Ministry of Health (MOH) and with support from the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), we began, in 2008, by implementing a pediatric HIV counseling course focusing on disclosure, adherence, and stigma. Play therapy and adolescent-support programs followed. In 2013, with funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, EGPAF established HIV and developmental delay centers. Through working with the Zambia MOH, we have forged a national response. This involved training pediatric HIV counselors, play therapy counselors, adult mentors and positive peer mentors, as well as clinicians and volunteers in HIV and early childhood development. We have learned that providing health workers with skills to dialog with HIV-affected children and families in honest and developmentally-sensitive ways yields results. Thousands of children have been reached and improved adherence and acceptance of one's status have been reported. Non-medical services have been developed by busy practitioners to meet glaring clinic gaps using a “learn by doing” approach. More resources are required to scale up these programs and for ‘good practice’ evidence to be gathered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are concerns that current models of HIV service delivery pay insufficient attention to the struggles of children, their families and health services in managing the social factors that govern the health, development and psychosocial well-being of children and youth growing up with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. The papers in this Special Issue offer some direction for how we can offer more holistic and integrated responses that accommodate a broader vision of children's needs and provide a strong rationale for developing a framework of Social Determinants of Health as they relate to children and youth living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa. We argue that such a perspective has the potential to improve HIV treatment outcomes by cementing the need to i) understand, measure and respond to drivers of health, health inequities as well as barriers to development; ii) foster partnerships and inter-sectoral cooperation; iii) adopt child-, family- and community-centered approaches that are linked to broader care and support systems; and iv) develop a focused research agenda on Social Determinants of Health as they relate to children and youth living with HIV. Given that HIV is experienced, lived and managed within interpersonal relationships, overlapping and complex social structures and economic systems, we conclude that efforts to achieve an AIDS-free generation are most likely to be successful if they recognize and engage with the Social Determinants of Health as they relate to children and youth living with HIV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Peer victimization is a serious social problem that can negatively affect children''s psychosocial development and school adjustment, and may have lasting effects for victims. The rates of peer victimization among preschool children with disabilities, however, are unknown. This paper examines the prevalence and nature of peer victimization among children with disabilities in school settings using data from the Pre-Elementary Education Longitudinal Study (N =1270). One-quarter to one-third of preschool children with disabilities experienced some form of peer victimization in school. Peer victimization increased over the 2003–2006 period (21% in Year 1, 25% in Year 2, 30% in Year 3), and there were also substantial rates of co-occurring types of victimization among children with disabilities. These results suggest the urgent need to provide bullying prevention strategies for children with disabilities—strategies which have been previously neglected in the context of school-based bullying prevention and intervention programs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Parents transfer many forms of advantage to children based on their financial resources. Of interest is whether parents transfer educational and financial advantages and whether this occurs early in life. This paper examines financial advantage by asking whether children''s own savings—apart from that of their parents—can be predicted by a separate measure of parents'' savings for their child. This study predicts children''s basic and college savings at ages 12 to 15 with separate samples from low-to-moderate- (LMI; N =333) and high-income (HI; N =411) households using Panel Study of Income Dynamics and Child Development Supplement data. Propensity score weighting and logistic regression results find that parents'' savings for their child is significant in both household types. Given this, policies that aim to include children in savings may help reduce transfers of financial advantage and, ultimately, educational advantage. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper has two main goals. First, we provide a review of 34 studies on the relationship between assets and children''s educational attainment. Second, we discuss implications for Child Development Accounts (CDAs) policies. CDAs have been proposed as a potentially novel and promising asset approach for helping to finance college. More specifically, we propose that CDAs should be designed so that, in addition to promoting savings, they include aspects that help make children''s college-bound identity salient, congruent with children''s group identity, and that help children develop strategies for overcoming difficulties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper presents the results of an independent evaluation of the Multi-dimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) programme for young offenders in England, where it is known as Intensive Fostering (IF). Methods: A quasi-experimental, mixed methods study was carried out at the three pilot sites, with a total sample of 47 at follow up. Young people sentenced to IF were compared to a similar group, matched on the eligibility criteria for IF, the majority of whom were sentenced to custody. The groups were well-matched in terms of their characteristics and criminal histories. Official data on reconviction were collected at baseline and one year after entry to the IF placement or release from custody (Stage 1), and further data on programme completion and secondary outcomes were collected via interviews with young people and parents and questionnaires to professionals at baseline and follow up. Official data on reconviction were also collected one year after exit from the IF placements (Stage 2). Results: At Stage 1 the IF group were less likely to be reconvicted, had committed fewer and less serious recorded offences, on average, and took longer to commit their first recorded offence. At this point the IF group were more likely to be living with their families and less likely to be in custody than the comparison group. However by Stage 2 no significant differences in patterns of reconviction remained. Conclusions: IF successfully contained a high-risk group in the community, but the effects of the intervention washed out once they left their foster placements. Environmental effects on entry to and exit from the IF placements may help to explain the results at both stages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper examines the strategies and approaches child welfare agencies used to integrate meaningful family involvement into their service delivery systems, under the Children''s Bureau Improving Child Welfare Outcomes Through Systems of Care demonstration initiative. Through a series of retrospective interviews with child welfare agency staff, systems of care project staff, family members actively involved in implementing the systems of care initiative, and local program evaluators, researchers investigated the family involvement planning and capacity building activities of child welfare agencies during the initiative''s implementation. Findings indicate that child welfare agencies'' capacity building efforts primarily centered on human resource development, focusing on three areas: program staffing, family engagement, and agency buy-in. These findings illustrate the importance of developing the capacity of child welfare agency staff and family members before fully implementing family involvement programs and activities. Although more research is needed to document the impact of family involvement, the lessons learned from these grant communities'' experiences provide critical information and can inform development of policies and practices to help child welfare and other child- and family-serving systems promote and implement meaningful and sustainable family involvement. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Multidisciplinary strategic collaborations are becoming increasingly commonplace. This is particularly evident in relation to safeguarding children. However, whilst there is a growing body of literature on both the effective leadership of collaborations and child protection there is little that combines the two. This means that senior managers, who are members of safeguarding partnerships, have a limited evidence-base to inform their collective learning and development. This paper seeks to add to the body of knowledge by first exploring both the literature on strategic collaboration and considering the implications for safeguarding partnerships. Second, by making an argument, that in order for members to engage in the effective joint leadership of collaborations they require opportunities for reflection and ongoing collective development. Third, providing an example of a way in which this can be achieved through the use of a self-assessment and improvement tool. Finally, considering the lessons learnt from the development of such a tool, focusing specifically on the implications for members of partnerships addressing complex problems such as the multifaceted issues associated with child maltreatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 24 of the 25 countries with the world''s highest levels of HIV/AIDS prevalence rates in the world. The consequences of this pandemic have resulted in thousands of children being orphaned throughout the continent. With extended families being overwhelmed by the care of these children, many are left with very few opportunities to provide a future for themselves. Education is an orphan''s best hope to rise above these circumstances. In Uganda, Africa, a region hard hit by HIV/AIDS, primary school is free, but children attending secondary school are charged tuition, which severely limits orphans'' opportunities to attend. This paper describes a family asset-based intervention research project in Uganda that provides orphans with matched savings accounts known as Child Development Accounts (CDAs) to help them save money to pay for secondary school. Results showed that the children with CDAs not only saved, but were also found to have more positive changes in their future educational plans and a higher level of confidence in their plans than their counterparts in the comparison group who did not have CDAs. These results could have a major impact on future policy and program initiatives for children in Uganda and other developing nations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this paper we examine the establishment and operations of a CDA program in Caguas, Puerto Rico. This program affords us an opportunity to test whether asset-building policies can provide a new approach to social welfare in Latin American countries and Hispanic communities in the United States, a middle way between paternalistic, government-based social programs on the one hand and so-called neo-liberal approaches on the other. First we provide a brief summary of Latin America and Puerto Rico''s institutional heritage. We then make a case for implementing CDAs in Puerto Rico and Latin America based on and largely derived from John Rawls''s influential Theory of Justice. We believe this approach could be useful for policy advocates in Latin American countries due to the historical influence of social contract theories, especially that of Rousseau''s, in the political development of the region. We conclude with an analysis of the CDA program in Caguas and the lessons derived from our experience as advisors to the municipal government in setting up this program. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Children''s accounts have been proposed as a means for creating an inclusive and accessible system for asset building throughout the life course. The idea gained traction in multiple settings, leading to a series of policies and demonstration projects across the globe. In the United Kingdom, the policy was adopted in the form of the Child Trust Fund program which began in 2005. A privately-funded project called the SEED Demonstration was launched in the United States in 2003. During this period a number of different children''s savings account policy proposals have been made at the federal level in the United States. The details of these proposals differ but as a group reflect the recognition by select policymakers of the promise of this intervention. In particular, it has the potential to seed the savings process, facilitate financial education, increase economic opportunity, promote social development, and begin a lifelong process of asset accumulation. The introduction and evolution of this policy idea over the past five years has been instructive. It has indicated the types of policy design choices that will have to be addressed if this policy is to be implemented on a large-scale. The big lift will not just be getting this idea further into policy discussions, but will entail the consideration of a wide range of complex implementation issues including how the system would be funded and administered. This paper describes, the policy development process to date, analyzes the policy design choices and tradeoffs, reviews policy insights from demonstration projects, and assesses how the shifting political landscape may influence future policy deliberations and create implementation opportunities in the U.S. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Food security–consistent access to adequate food for active, healthy living–is an important foundation for children''s good nutrition and health. This paper provides an overview of recent research and statistics on the extent and severity of food insecurity in low-income households with children. We summarize research evidence on the determinants of food insecurity and its consequences for children''s health and development and identify strengths and gaps in the current monitoring systems and research. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Comprehensive, integrated service systems are increasingly viewed as a promising strategy for supporting healthy family functioning and child development in low-income families, but have shown variable impacts. This paper reports early findings from a longitudinal study of voluntary service use by a sample of low-income families with young children. Mothers (N =531) recruited soon after their newborns'' birth in 2004 and 2005 from targeted communities in Palm Beach County, Florida are being followed for 8 years to assess service needs, service use, family functioning, and child well-being. A cluster analysis of services used in the second year revealed four distinct patterns of service use: a low-service group receiving mainly health care and food assistance, two moderate-service groups, and a high, multi-service group. These patterns were associated with families'' demographic characteristics, nativity, health status, social support, year 1 maternal functioning, and previous service experiences. However, there were no significant differences between the service pattern groups with respect to year 2 maternal depression and parenting practices. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper analyses the communicative competence and the degree of social adaptation of children in care. It provides further knowledge of the relationship between the children''s social and linguistic skill and analyses the presence of difficulties in the different components of language (morphology, syntaxis, semantics and pragmatics). The research was carried out in children''s homes in Extremadura (Spain). The sample consists of 74 children between 6 and 18 years of age. The study illustrates that the children''s linguistic development is below what is considered to be normal for their chronological age. They have greater difficulties in pragmatics and morphology than in syntaxis and semantics. The relationship between the level of dominion in morphology, syntaxis and semantics and the children''s degree of social maladjustment is evident. We call attention to such important aspects as intentionality in communication and the context in which the children''s language is developed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: There is a large body of the literature which suggests that extracurricular activities (ECA) in schools have positive effects on student achievement; however, the majority of the research measured associations rather than causal effects. This study presents a robust methodological approach to determine whether student participation in extracurricular activities might have causal effect on academic outcomes and attitudes towards Literacy and Numeracy during secondary schooling. The results of this particular study could not provide conclusive evidence for causal effect of ECA on student performance. Nonetheless, the methodology presented in the paper does provide an effective research framework for measuring causal effects of a range of school based interventions and activities on student achievements and attitudes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Using the 1997 and 1999 waves of a nationally representative dataset collected by the Urban Institute and Child Trends, this paper investigates the associations between contemporary maternal nonstandard work schedules and children''s outcomes at various ages through 17 years of age. Some weak associations were found between mothers'' contemporary nonstandard work hours and children''s outcomes at ages 6–11 and 12–17. In particular, children''s school engagement at ages 6–11 and attending extracurricular activities at ages 12–17 were negatively associated with maternal nonstandard work schedules. The patterns of the results suggest complex links between contemporary maternal work schedules and child outcomes. Implications for further research are discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• There is no significant difference between the OVOP centers and county level centers in terms of ECD. • Early learning environment is positively associated with ECD. • Teachers' burnout shows no relationship with ECD. • OVOP centers promoted the equality of rural ECE. Early childhood development (ECD) has become an issue of great concern in academics. This study evaluated the effects of a foundation-supported intervention called the One Village One Preschool (OVOP) project, which provided access to early childhood education (ECE) to disadvantaged and minority children in rural areas in central and western China. This study aimed to examine the variance in ECD between OVOP preschools and county level preschools. Hierarchical linear modeling involving 540 rural children aged 4 to 7 years was employed to explore the effects of early learning environment in predicting ECD. We found that the implementation of the OVOP project had benefited the children by enhancing their ECD. This paper discusses the policy implications of the study to promote the equality of ECE in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Parental investment and skill mediate caregiver mental health and child development. • Caregiver depression are more harmful to parenting practices and child development. • The variety of play material has significant mediation effect on child development. • Coercive parenting mediate caregiver mental health and child development. Parenting practices are associated with early childhood development (ECD), and some evidences suggest that mental health might affect parenting practices. However, the interrelationships of mental health, parenting practices, and ECD outcomes have not yet been well documented in developing contexts like rural China. This paper aims to investigate the interrelationships between the caregiver's mental health, parenting practices, and the child's ECD outcomes in rural China. A total of 1787 sample households in an undeveloped rural area of western China are enrolled in the study. A socioeconomic questionnaire, the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale, the Family Care Indicators, the Parent and Family Adjustment Scales, and the Bayley Scales of Infant Development version III were used to measure the socioeconomic characteristics of sample households, the caregiver's mental health, parental investments and parenting skills, and the child's development outcomes, respectively. Mediation model was then applied to estimate the interrelationships. The results showed that parental practices significantly mediated between the caregiver's mental health and the child's cognition, language, motor, and social–emotion development. Through parental investments, one standard deviation increases in the caregiver's mental health test score was associated with the decline in the child's four development scores by 0.6% standard deviation, respectively. Through parenting skills, one standard deviation increases in the caregiver's mental health test score was associated with the decline in the child's language and social-emotional score by 2% and 5% standard deviation, respectively. Different dimensions of caregiver mental health, parental investments and skills played heterogeneous roles in the interrelationships. Early interventions aimed at improving the caregiver's mental health, parental investments and skills are important and might be effective to improve early childhood development in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Little research exists about young fostered children and their education. • Fewer fostered children attend centre based early childhood education. • Attachment theory focus may have led to 'security first' thinking by foster carers • Foster carers are often carrying out educational practices in their homes. • A large scale study of foster carers' educational roles and their impacts is needed. While the education of looked after children has attracted considerable policy attention in Europe and North America, and globally the early education of preschool aged children is the subject of substantial investment, the early education of young children in foster care is neglected in both research and policy. This paper is a cross-national think piece to stimulate research and debate about young children in foster care. We present findings from two studies, one in England and one in Sweden, exploring foster carers' views and practices with young children. We argue that there is a perceived tension, in foster care policy and practice, between education and emotional wellbeing such that young children's attachment relationships and sense of security is privileged over their engagement in educational practices. Attachment relationships are a necessary but insufficient condition for optimal development of fostered children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dog-assisted reading program fosters positive reading experiences for students. • Dog-assisted reading program promotes non-judgemental space for students. • Self-reported increases in reading confidence by students reading to therapy dog. • Dog-assisted reading program supports student wellbeing. • Dog-assisted reading program complements student reading related achievements. Wellbeing is a critical aspect of children's development since it holds a significant role in short- and long-term outcomes, including reading and academic success. Educational policies increasingly highlight the important role schools have in promoting children's wellbeing. One approach gaining traction is the implementation of dog-assisted reading programs in schools. This paper reports on the evaluation of a dog-assisted reading program in Victoria, Australia on children's perceived wellbeing. The dog-assisted reading program was the Story Dogs™ reading program based on the successful Reading Education Assistance Dogs program. The evaluation was conducted with primary school children during Term 2 of the academic school year. Qualitative methodologies were used to explore wellbeing over an eight-week period of involvement in the Story Dogs™ reading program. Participants included 11 children aged 7–8 years of age, 8 parents, 8 teachers and 6 dog handlers. Using semi-structured interviews all participants were interviewed at the end of the eight-week period with the aim of generating rich textual data. The thematic analysis of the semi-structured interviews will be reported and discussed suggesting the program may have potentially enhanced children's perceived wellbeing, particularly in relation to promoting positive engagement and a sense of achievement when reading. Limitations are addressed including the timing of evaluation in second term of the school year after the program has already commenced. Implications will be noted including the importance of clear communication between handlers and teachers as well as the importance of larger-scale studies to generate more robust empirical evidence for the use of dog-assisted reading programs in primary school. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]