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• A fast fake news detection model using deep learning • An intelligent semantic analysis approach for short texts • Graphic expressions for illustration of technical details • Simulative experiments on real-world datasets for evaluation With the prevalence of social network service in cyber-Physical space, flow of various fake news has been a rough issue for operators of social service. Although many theoretical outcomes have been produced in recent years, they are generally challenged by processing speed of semantic modeling. To solve this issue, this paper presents a deep learning-based fast fake news detection model for cyber-physical social services. Taking Chinese text as the objective, each character in Chinese text is directly adopted as the basic processing unit. Considering the fact that the news are generally short texts and can be remarkably featured by some keywords, convolution-based neural computing framework is adopted to extract feature representation for news texts. Such design is able to ensure both processing speed and detection ability in scenes of Chinese short texts. At last, some experiments are conducted for evaluation on a real-world dataset collected from a Chinese social media. The results show that the proposal possesses lower training time cost as well as higher classification accuracy compared with baseline methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Based on the family stress model and the stress-buffering model, the present study examines the relationship between caregivers' financial stress and child internalizing problem behaviors, the mediating role of caregiver maltreating behaviors, and whether social services for caregivers buffer this relationship. The current study is based on data from wave two of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being dataset (N = 2670). Results indicated increased high familial financial stress was associated with child internalizing problems. Caregivers' psychological aggression, physical assault, child neglect, and sexual maltreatment emerged as mechanisms mediating this relationship. Tangible service and social network service were found to mitigate the deleterious effect of financial stress on child internalizing behaviors, but primarily for those whom financial stress was high. These findings highlight the role perceived financial stress has on potential maltreatment and child outcomes, rather than relying on objective measures of economic status. Implications for social services focused interventions for children and caregivers coping with high levels of perceived financial stress are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystem functions can be understood as the quantified amount of an ecosystem's role in a natural process, while ecosystem services are the requantification of the ecosystem functions by factoring in environmental conditions and human needs based on social perspectives. In this study, differences between ecosystem functions and services were presented in terms of air purification of a forest ecosystem. Forest volume growth was employed to quantify the pollutant absorption capacity of a forest and was indicated by the natural functions (NF) for air purification by a forest ecosystem. Forest ecosystem services can be requantified from the forest functions by adding the air pollutant and population densities. Air pollutant density was applied to the assessment of the environmental services (ES) of forest ecosystems. Furthermore, the environmental social services (ESS) of forest ecosystems were assessed by including population density considerations. We simulated differences in NF, ES, and ESS in relation to pollutant and population density; while NF was spatially quantified without a close relationship to air pollutant and population density, ES and ESS reacted to environmental and social condition more sensitively. These results imply that the ecosystem services of forest resources for air purification are high where the pollutant and population densities are high, while the ecosystem functions of forest resources for air purification depend solely on forest conditions and not on the density changes of air pollutants and population. This study suggests that the differences in NF, ES, and ESS are important factors to be understood and considered in the decision-making process for ecosystem services. When considering human needs and surrounding environmental conditions, the results suggest that decision makers should utilize the ES and ESS concepts, which reflect both population and pollutant density along with additional human-related factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article is devoted to comparison of the Russian acts with the international norms guaranteeing the rights of disabled people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.06.014 Byline: Gordon Hannah (a), Marilyn Ray (a), Abraham Wandersman (b), Victoria H. Chien (b) Keywords: Performance-based contracting; Getting To Outcomes; Accountability; Capacity building; Technical assistance Abstract: This study examines an intervention designed to enhance the ability of social service agencies to implement performance-based contracting using the Getting To Outcomes.sup.[R] (GTO.sup.[R]) accountability framework. The GTO approach to contracting focused specifically on outcomes, provided a comprehensive framework for contracts, and provided multi-component support to agencies. The following results were demonstrated after a nine-month intervention: (1) participants reported being more knowledgeable about 10 areas of outcome accountability; (2) the quality of contracts was rated as improved (especially in regard to measurable outcomes), but still needing improvement; and (3) increased collaboration was reported between funders and providers. Limitations, implications and future directions of the study are discussed. Author Affiliation: (a) Finger Lakes Law and Social Policy Center, Inc., United States (b) University of South Carolina, Department of Psychology, United States Article History: Received 9 April 2010; Revised 17 June 2010; Accepted 18 June 2010

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.06.001 Byline: Jeffrey J. Koob (a), Susan M. Love (b) Keywords: Solution-focused; Foster care; Placement stability; Residential treatment; Child welfare Abstract: The objective of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of solution-focused brief therapy (SFBT) in promoting foster care placement stability in an urban residential treatment facility. Thirty one adolescents with a history of multiple placements were compared to their first and second years in the facility. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) was the preferred treatment method in year one; SFBT was the preferred treatment method in year two. Co-developer of solution-focused brief therapy trained the staff for a week followed by three-day trainings at three and six months. The number of disruptions in the teens' year prior to staff training was compared to the number in the subsequent year. The mean number of disruptions decreased from M=6.29 (SD=3.6) to M=1.45 (SD=.68), p Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Social Work, California State University, Long Beach, 1250 Bellflower Blvd., Long Beach, CA 90840-4602, USA (b) Department of Social Work, California State University, Northridge, 18111 Nordhoff Street, Northridge, CA 91330-8226, USA Article History: Received 21 March 2010; Accepted 1 June 2010

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2010.04.001 Byline: Eric van Santen Keywords: Length of stay; Foster care; Reunification; Independence; Exit type Abstract: This paper examines factors influencing length of stay in non-kinship family foster care. It also examines the effects of different covariates on the likelihood of four post-care exit types being reached (reunification, independence, foster family, and institutional care), using a multinomial regression. The data forming the basis for the analysis are official statistics of the German child and youth welfare service relating to two exit cohorts for the years 2005 and 2006, an overall total of 9995 cases. Age at entry to non-kinship family foster care was in the range 0 to 21years. Where children had been in the younger age groups at entry, and in instances of parental loss of custody, the length of stay (LOS) in non-kinship family foster care increases significantly. A shorter LOS can be observed mainly in instances of non-German children, children of unmarried parents, return to a single parent responsible for upbringing, and where there had been prior home-based care. The effects of the independent variables differ according to exit type. The likelihood of reunification with the family of origin or with relatives is smaller than with other exit types if the custody rights have in the past been withdrawn, the child has already been placed out-of-home prior to the current care spell, or with longer LOS. Author Affiliation: Deutsches Jugendinstitut e. V. (German Youth Institute (DJI)), Abteilung Jugend und Jugendhilfe (Department Youth and Youth Welfare), Nockherstrasse 2, 81541 Munich, Germany Article History: Received 19 January 2010; Revised 31 March 2010; Accepted 1 April 2010

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.12.009 Byline: Tonia Stott, Nora Gustavsson Keywords: Permanency planning; Placement stability; Foster care youth; Aging out; Relational permanence; Foster care Abstract: Youth aging out of the foster care system are at risk for poor outcomes. Little is known about the etiology of these outcomes. However, placement instability may be one contributor. Permanency planning as a policy was well-intentioned. However, for adolescents likely to age out of care, the policy may actually contribute to placement instability. A review of the elements of permanency reveals a complex concept which emphasizes continuity of relationships. Federal permanency legislation and state policy may be in conflict with this goal, especially for youth who age out of care. We review the challenges faced by youth aging out of care, their placement histories, permanency planning as a policy and practice, and suggest modifications to permanency planning to facilitate the development and maintenance of the stable social networks essential for successful transitions to adulthood. Author Affiliation: Arizona State University, School of Social Work, MC 3920, 411 N. Central Ave., Ste. #800, Phoenix, AZ 85249, United States Article History: Received 4 October 2009; Revised 8 December 2009; Accepted 14 December 2009

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.10.007 Byline: Amedeo D'Angiulli (a)(b), Richard Sullivan (c) Keywords: Early specialized foster care; Developmental outcomes; Home salivary cortisol; Preterm infants; Prenatally substance-exposed infants; Prenatal polydrug exposure; Clinical significance Abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate possible associations between developmental outcomes of prenatally substance-exposed infants and early specialized foster care. Participants were volunteer foster families and 22 infants from the Vancouver Coastal Safe Babies program; this specialized care program included selective recruitment of foster parents, training and support for foster infant retention. Subdivided in two gestational groups (preterm and full-term), the infants were assessed at home using BDI-2 Screening Test to determine their development in cognitive and social domains. Salivary cortisol was sampled three times (awakening, morning and evening) on two different days to determine the infants' basal cortisol patterns. No evidence of clinically significant atypical development was found in either the preterm or full-term group. The preterm group had consistently lower mean cortisol levels than the full-term group but when the mean cortisol concentrations were corrected for number of months spent in foster care, the differences between preterm and full-term groups were no longer significant. From a perspective of clinical significance, these results suggest that stable, committed and specialized early foster care may be associated with 'better than expected' developmental outcomes in prenatally substance-exposed infants. Author Affiliation: (a) Institute of Interdisciplinary Studies, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6 (b) Department of Psychology, Carleton University, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1S 5B6 (c) School of Social Work, University of British Columbia, 2080 West Mall, Vancouver, B.C., Canada V6T 1Z2 Article History: Received 11 May 2009; Revised 3 October 2009; Accepted 14 October 2009

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.10.023 Byline: Monique B. Mitchell, Leon Kuczynski Keywords: Foster care; Children and stress; Lived experience; Foster care transition; Transactions; Ambiguity; Children's well-being Abstract: Twenty children, ages 8 to 15, participated in a hermeneutic phenomenological study which examined children's lived experience of the initial placement into foster care. Using the sensitizing frameworks of life transition (Cowan, 1991) and cognitive appraisal theory (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984), the analyses identified two primary transactions resulting from the foster care transition: the apprehension transaction and foster home placement transaction. Five main events and six domains of ambiguity were elicited from children's reports of the foster care transition. The implications of these findings and suggestions for future research are provided. Author Affiliation: Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road East, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1 Article History: Received 24 July 2009; Revised 28 October 2009; Accepted 29 October 2009

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.06.010 Byline: Nicole Esparza Keywords: Runaway and homeless youth; Poverty; Social service provision Abstract: Studies of homeless youth services conclude that services contribute to improving the life chances of homeless youth, but little research has addressed the structural conditions that promote the creation of these services. This study investigates the prevalence of programs serving unaccompanied homeless youth in 26 metropolitan areas from 1989 to 2006. Specifically, it examines the extent to which the supply of funds, the need for services, and politics affect the prevalence of services. The findings suggest that political culture and supply measures (e.g., federal grants and homeless youth funding) have a greater effect on the prevalence of programs than the need for services. Author Affiliation: USC School of Policy, Planning, and Development Lewis Hall 312 Los Angeles, CA 90089-0626, United States Article History: Received 13 April 2009; Revised 3 June 2009; Accepted 3 June 2009 Article Note: (footnote) [star] This research was supported by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Scholars in Health Policy Research Program and grants from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (H-21501SG) and the National Science Foundation (SES-0622270).

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2009.04.016 Byline: Karin E. Malm (a), Erica H. Zielewski (b) Keywords: Fathers; Child welfare; Permanency; Reunification Abstract: Over the past decade an interest in fathers and their contributions to family stability and children's healthy development has heightened the attention paid within the child welfare field to identifying, locating, and involving fathers. The article presents findings from analyses of data on nonresident fathers and child welfare case outcomes for foster children. Using data available from a telephone survey of child welfare caseworkers, together with administrative data on case outcomes, a positive association between nonresident father support and reunification outcomes for foster children is shown. The sample of foster children with nonresident fathers who provided financial support, nonfinancial support, or both types of supports, were far more likely to experience a reunification outcome than children whose fathers did not provide these supports. The findings demonstrate associations between support and reunification but cannot demonstrate causality given the cross-sectional nature of the dataset. More research is needed to better understand the nature of nonresident father support in the lives of foster children, and the quantity and quality of interactions between mothers, nonresident fathers, and their children. Author Affiliation: (a) Child Trends, 4301 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 350, Washington, DC 20008, United States (b) The Urban Institute, 2100 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20037, United States Article History: Received 14 April 2009; Accepted 23 April 2009

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.08.001 Byline: Bridgette Lery Keywords: Spatial scale; Child welfare; Foster care; Neighborhood effects; Spatial analysis Abstract: The renewed popularity of neighborhood-based child welfare services has been built on studies showing that certain neighborhood demographic characteristics are linked to child maltreatment. In response to this data, public child welfare system reform efforts seek to target services to neighborhoods at high risk for child welfare involvement. This study examines whether or not those neighborhood attributes are related to the risk of entering foster care. These relationships are examined at three spatial scales to establish whether the associations change depending on neighborhood operationalization. Foster care entries between 2000 and 2003 (n =3311) from a largely urban California county are geocoded to each of the three scales (N =46 zip codes, 320 Census tracts and 983 Census block groups). Fourteen demographic Census indicators are reduced to four meaningful constructs. Residential instability, impoverishment and childcare burden are positively associated with high foster care entry rates no matter how neighborhoods are delineated. Author Affiliation: Chapin Hall Center for Children at the University of Chicago, 1313 East 60th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, United States

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.07.007 Byline: Bethany Lee, Rick P. Barth Keywords: Residential education; Foster care; Boarding schools Abstract: There is an increasing interest in the use of boarding schools for disadvantaged youth, including youth in the child welfare system. However, concerns about group placements and the failings of other congregate care services like residential treatment have raised questions about the role of residential schools for foster care youth. This study presents results from the first national survey of residential education programs. Based on a sample of 67 residential education programs, findings offer a description of enrolled students and the services they received through residential schools. Results suggest that the number of applications programs received was more than double the number of youth enrolled in residential schools and schools reported that almost half of program graduates enter college. Implications for policy and future research are also presented. Author Affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Maryland Baltimore, 525 W. Redwood St., Baltimore, MD 21201, United States Article History: Received 27 February 2008; Revised 29 May 2008; Accepted 22 July 2008 Article Note: (footnote) [star] The authors would like to thank Heidi Goldsmith and the Coalition for Residential Education for leading data collection efforts and providing input on this manuscript.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.01.002 Byline: Amy Holtan Keywords: Kinship care; Foster care; Family; Social integration; Negotiated relationships Abstract: The aim of this article is to address the complexity of relationships in kinship foster care and explore the social integration of foster children. The article analyzes the meaning of family and parenting from the perspectives of the child, the foster parents, and the biological parents. Author Affiliation: University of TromsA[cedilla], Center for Child and Adolescent Mental Health, North Norway, NO-9037 TromsA[cedilla], Norway Article History: Received 22 June 2007; Revised 18 December 2007; Accepted 3 January 2008

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.addbeh.2006.12.012 Byline: Michael G. Vaughn (a), Marcia T. Ollie (b), J. Curtis McMillen (b), Lionel Scott (b)(c), Michelle Munson (d) Keywords: Foster care; Substance abuse; Conduct disorder; Adolescents Abstract: The purpose of this study was to explore prevalence and predictors of current and lifetime substance use, substance abuse disorder, and polysubstance use among older youth in foster care. Interviews were conducted with 406 17-year old youth (90% of those eligible) in one state's foster care system between December 2001 and June 2003. Forty-five percent of foster care youth reported using alcohol or illicit drugs within the last six months; 49% had tried drugs sometime during their lifetime and 35% met criteria for a substance use disorder. Having a diagnosis of Conduct Disorder and/or living in an independent living situation significantly increased the likelihood of current and lifetime substance use and disorder. A diagnosis of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder also predicted increased likelihood of polysubstance use and substance abuse disorder. In conclusion, older youth in the foster care system report similar levels of lifetime alcohol and illicit substance use when compared to the general adolescent population. However, rates of substance use disorder are high. Particularly at risk for both high rates of use and disorder are youth in independent living situations and youth with a diagnosis of Conduct Disorder or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Author Affiliation: (a) University of Pittsburgh, 2117 Cathedral of Learning, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 United States (b) George Warren Brown School of Social Work, Washington University in St. Louis, One Brookings Drive, St. Louis, MO 63130 United States (c) School of Social Work, Georgia State University, P.O. Box 3995, Atlanta GA 30302-3995 United States (d) Case Western Reserve University, 11235 Bellflower Road, Cleveland OH 44106 United States

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2007.04.009 Byline: Marion A. Becker (a), Neil Jordan (b), Rebecca Larsen (a) Keywords: Permanency planning; Foster care; Child welfare Abstract: Permanency planning has been the accepted practice of the American child welfare system for the past quarter-century. Permanency planning for foster care is the process of taking prompt, decisive action to maintain children in their own homes, or to permanently place them with other families. This study examined the significant predictors of successful permanency planning and length of stay in foster care for children served by the child welfare system in Florida. A retrospective study was made of children who had been placed into and exited foster care in Florida between July 1, 1998, and December 1, 1999. Each child (n =7807) was studied for 12 months from the day of entry into foster care. The relative importance of factors contributing to the outcome of permanency planning was determined using logistic regression. Results showed that across the state, the child's geographic district of residence was the single most important predictor of outcome. Geography accounted for a 7-fold difference among districts in the rate of successful permanency planning. Other factors that helped determine the outcome of permanency planning were race, presence of a mental disorder, developmental disabilities and placement in therapeutic foster care. Author Affiliation: (a) Department of Mental Health Law & Policy, Louis de la Parte Florida Mental Health Institute, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, United States (b) Mental Health Services & Policy Program, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, Northwestern University -- Feinberg School of Medicine, 710 N Lake Shore Dr Ste 904, Chicago IL 60611, United States Article History: Received 14 February 2007; Revised 3 April 2007; Accepted 17 April 2007

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2006.12.010 Byline: Jung Min Park (a), Phyllis Solomon (b), David S. Mandell (c) Keywords: Foster care; Out-of-home placement; Psychiatric episode Abstract: This longitudinal study examined the extent, sequence, and correlates of foster care placement among children who received inpatient mental health treatment. The sample comprised 1890 Medicaid-eligible children in a large metropolitan area, between the ages of 6 and 15 years, who experienced their first Medicaid reimbursed inpatient psychiatric episode between 1999 and 2001, and who had no foster care history prior to their first episode. Overall, 26.5% of the sample was placed in foster care within 4 years of the episode, most within 24 months. In adjusted analyses, children who had externalizing disorders, who were older, and who were Latino were more likely to be placed in foster care. The results suggest that inpatient treatment -- especially for those with externalizing disorders -- is an important marker for future placement in foster care. These children in particular may benefit from integrated mental health and child welfare services and continued follow-up post-discharge. Findings also suggest the importance of comprehensive interventions, including treatment and education for children and families during and after inpatient treatment to reduce the risk of children's placement in out-of-home care. Author Affiliation: (a) School of Social Work, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1207 W. Oregon Street, Urbana, IL 61801, United States (b) School of Social Policy and Practice, University of Pennsylvania, United States (c) Departments of Psychiatry and Pediatrics, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, United States Article History: Received 4 October 2006; Revised 23 November 2006; Accepted 17 December 2006

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jpubeco.2006.11.004 Byline: Jonathan Gruber (a), Daniel M. Hungerman (b) Keywords: Crowd-out; Charitable giving; Religion; Great depression Abstract: Interest in religious organizations as providers of social services has increased dramatically in recent years. Churches in the U.S. were a crucial provider of social services through the early part of the twentieth century, but their role shrank dramatically with the expansion in government spending under the New Deal. In this paper, we investigate the extent to which the New Deal crowded-out church charitable spending in the 1930s. We do so using a new nationwide data set of charitable spending for six large Christian denominations, matched to data on local New Deal spending. We instrument for New Deal spending using measures of the political strength of a state's congressional delegation, and confirm our findings using a different instrument based on institutional constraints on state relief spending. With both instruments we find that higher government spending leads to lower church charitable activity. Crowd-out was small as a share of total New Deal spending (3%), but large as a share of church spending: our estimates suggest that benevolent church spending fell by 30% in response to the New Deal, and that government relief spending can explain virtually all of the decline in charitable church activity observed between 1933 and 1939. Author Affiliation: (a) MIT and NBER, United States (b) University of Notre Dame and NBER, United States Article History: Received 24 April 2006; Revised 9 November 2006; Accepted 12 November 2006 Article Note: (footnote) [star] We are grateful to participants at the MIT public finance lunch, the Sloan Marketing Seminar, the Applied Microeconomics Seminar at Columbia, the SSRC capstone conference on non-profits and philanthropy, the University of Illinois-Chicago, and the ASSA meetings for helpful comments, and to Jocelyn D'Arcy, Ariel Edelstein, George Lam, Christopher Lee, Matthew Levy, Bert Lue, Benjamin North, Phillip Neuhart, Eechen Ong, Naakorkoi Pappoe, Dipan Patel, Juliana Perez, Joanna Shen, Ira Simkhovitch, Aek Thimton, Anthony Tse, Constantinos Tsoucalas, Jonathan Ursprung, Jennifer Wong, and James Xenakis for excellent assistance in creating the data for this project. The authors have endeavored to make the data used here available for others as needed. Price Fishback, Shawn Kantor, John Wallis, and the Southern Baptist Historical Library and Archives also provided data. Thanks also to the referees for helpful comments. This work was supported by the Metanexus Institute. Hungerman also acknowledges financial support from the NBER.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2006.10.003 Byline: Pia Kyhle Westermark (a)(b), Kjell Hansson (b), Bo Vinnerljung (c) Keywords: Foster care; Foster parents; Manual based treatment; Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care Abstract: This article focuses upon 28 Swedish foster parents and their experience of working in a manual-based treatment program - Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care (MTFC) - focusing on treating troubled youth. Using interviews and questionnaires, the study addresses how foster parents perceive the components and core terms specific to MTFC. Both quantitative and qualitative analyses were conducted. Interestingly, 80% of the foster parents as a group rated all the program components the highest possible positive value. From the qualitative analysis a difference appeared between the foster parents about the view on foster parenthood and the attitudes towards the program. One group perceived themselves as professionals and accepted the program. The second group, although seeing themselves as professionals found it difficult to accept the program. The third group viewed foster parenthood as a 'way of life'. The highlight of this study is the overwhelmingly positive attitude towards the MTFC program manual. It appears that 24-hours a day access to 'treatment tools' and a treatment team, are very important inputs for the satisfaction of foster parents. Author Affiliation: (a) Institute for Evidence Based-Social Work, The National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden (b) School of Social Work, University of Lund, Lund, Sweden (c) Centre for Epidemiology, Institute for Evidence Based-Social Work, The National Board of Health and Welfare, Stockholm, Sweden Article History: Received 12 August 2006; Revised 1 October 2006; Accepted 9 October 2006

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2006.03.005 Byline: Kristin M. Ferguson (a), Neela Dabir (b), Karl Dortzbach (c), Grace Dyrness (d), Donna Spruijt-Metz (e) Keywords: Faith-based organization; Homeless; Street children; Religion; Outcomes; International Abstract: This study sought to determine which faith elements exist in faith-based programs for homeless and street-living youth in Los Angeles, Mumbai and Nairobi and how these concepts are defined according to staff and youth clients. Descriptions of client outcomes across programs are also explored. Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews were conducted with 22 staff and 11 clients from 11 faith-based programs for homeless youth in Los Angeles. In Mumbai and Nairobi, 6 staff and 12 youth were interviewed from 3 faith-based programs in each city. Findings reveal similarities across cities in services, faith components and client outcomes. Differences are noted in the influence of the socio-political context on service provision. Recommendations are offered to guide faith-based organizations in designing and improving services for homeless and street-living youth. Author Affiliation: (a) University of Southern California, School of Social Work, 669 West 34th Street, Los Angeles, CA 90089-0411, United States (b) Tata Institute for Social Sciences, Mumbai, India (c) Institute for the Study of African Realities, Nairobi, Kenya (d) USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, United States (e) USC Keck School of Medicine, Institute for Prevention Research, United States Article History: Received 17 January 2005; Revised 7 March 2006; Accepted 27 March 2006

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2006.04.003 Byline: Peter J. Pecora (a)(b), Ronald C. Kessler (c), Kirk O'Brien (a), Catherine Roller White (a), Jason Williams (d), Eva Hiripi (c), Diana English (b)(e), James White (f), Mary Anne Herrick (g) Keywords: Educational and employment outcomes; Foster care; Northwest Foster Care Alumni Study Abstract: This study evaluated the intermediate and long-term effects of family foster care on adult functioning using a sample of 659 young adults from two public and one private child welfare agencies, case record reviews, structured interviews, and a survey response rate of 76%. Foster care alumni completed high school at a rate comparable to the general population, but a disproportionately high number of them completed high school via a GED. Alumni completion rates for postsecondary education were low. Consequently, many alumni were in fragile economic situations: one-third of the alumni had household incomes at or below the poverty level, one-third had no health insurance, and more than one in five experienced homelessness after leaving foster care. Two foster care experience areas were estimated to significantly reduce the number of undesirable outcomes in the Education outcome domain: positive placement history (e.g., high placement stability, few failed reunifications), and having broad independent living preparation (as exemplified by having concrete resources upon leaving care). For the Employment and Finances outcome domain, receiving broad independent living preparation (as exemplified by having concrete resources upon leaving care) was estimated to significantly reduce the number of undesirable outcomes. Author Affiliation: (a) Casey Family Programs, United States (b) University of Washington, School of Social Work, United States (c) Harvard Medical School, United States (d) University of Alaska Anchorage, United States (e) Child Welfare League of America, United States (f) Portland State University, United States (g) Washington Education Foundation, United States Article History: Received 3 February 2006; Revised 29 March 2006; Accepted 7 April 2006

A study examines the differences in education imparted to lawyers and social workers and the impact of this on their future collaboration in the service of disadvantaged populations.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2005.03.010 Byline: Keith A. Miller, Philip A. Fisher, Becky Fetrow, Kathy Jordan Keywords: Reunification failures; Foster care; Foster children Abstract: We examined postreunification variables regarding parent characteristics, child characteristics, parent service utilization, child service utilization, family environment, and neighborhood environment as they relate to reunification failure. The sample for the study included foster children who, at reunification with their birth parents, ranged in age from 4-7 years. All participants were reunified with at least one parent. Among the variables found to significantly differentiate between failed and successful reunifications were parental utilization of substance abuse treatment, child utilization of special educational services, child utilization of individual, family, or group therapy, overall parenting skill level, appropriate use of discipline, and quality of neighborhood. We discuss the implications of these results for policies aimed at increasing the success rate of reunifications following foster care. Author Affiliation: Oregon Social Learning Center, 160 East 4th Avenue, Eugene, OR 97401-2426, United Sates Article History: Received 13 November 2004; Revised 17 March 2005; Accepted 27 March 2005

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2005.02.011 Byline: Kristen R. Humphrey (a), Ann P. Turnbull (b), H. Rutherford Turnbull (b) Keywords: Adoption and Safe Families Act; Families; Children; Foster care; Disability Abstract: This article, which describes a component of a larger research project, focuses on participants' perspectives on (a) ways that the Adoption and Safe Families Act (ASFA) affected access to services for children with emotional or behavioral disabilities and their families, and (b) other ways that the ASFA affected children with emotional or behavioral disabilities and their families. Fifty-eight interviews with 33 participants (youth in out-of-home placements, their parents, foster care providers, service providers, and judges) took place. Participants reported that they believed the ASFA shortened the amount of time families had for correcting problems while their children were in custody. Some service providers may feel less inclined to help families because the law seems to require less from service providers than was required in the past. In addition, participants believed that when courts make decisions involving families, those decisions are more likely to call for termination of parental rights than for reunification. The investigators offer recommendations regarding these issues that involve the ASFA, families, and children with disabilities. Author Affiliation: (a) Humphrey Education Services, 507 N. Mesquite St., Olathe, KS 66061, United States (b) Beach Center on Disability, University of Kansas, United States Article History: Received 20 October 2004; Revised 28 January 2005; Accepted 21 February 2005

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2005.03.004 Byline: Anne S. Robertson Keywords: Childhood intervention; Childhood reassessment; Foster care system Abstract: Since the release of Zero to Three's principles on assessment of young children, child welfare social workers and other professionals have improved ways to incorporate parents and parenting caregivers into their child's team. However, given the increasing numbers of young children coming into care, and their risk for long-term disability, it is imperative that child welfare social workers become the catalyst to improve options for all young foster children. This paper provides a brief overview of young children in the foster care system and discusses the role of parents and parenting caregivers in the assessment of young children. The paper then explores the interdependence of assessment and intervention and the challenges involved with including parents and parenting caregivers in the assessment of their children. The final section of the paper synthesizes the findings to make several recommendations to improve social work practice for young children in foster care and their families. Author Affiliation: School of Social Work & Bureau of Educational Research, 236 Education Building, 1310 South Sixth Street, University of Illinois, Champaign, IL, 61820, United States Article History: Received 4 January 2005; Revised 5 March 2005; Accepted 17 March 2005

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2004.12.013 Byline: Mary Anne Herrick (a), Wendy Piccus (b) Abstract: It is estimated that over two-thirds of children in out-of-home care have siblings. Because of the significant relationships that children may have with their parents and siblings before being removed from their home, children who enter the child welfare system may experience anxiety, trauma, grief, guilt and loss of identity. The purpose of this paper is to explore the ameliorating effect that sibling connections can have on these factors. It is the authors' position that sibling connections are extremely important to children in out-of-home care and, apart from situations where sibling contact will cause trauma or disruption for the children, professionals should make every effort to maintain sibling relationships. The authors investigate the issue of sibling connections in substitute care by adding a unique perspective to the discussion. Both of the authors are child welfare researchers who also spent a significant amount of time in foster care, together and separated from siblings. As adults who have lived within the child welfare system, the authors offer other professionals an alternative way to look at the issues, and new ideas for practice and policy aimed at resolving the challenges faced by children in out-of-home care. Author Affiliation: (a) Washington Education Foundation, Washington, United States (b) University of California, Berkeley, United States

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2004.12.018 Byline: Rebecca L. Hegar Abstract: This article reviews 17 studies from several countries which address definitions and descriptions of sibling groups in care, characteristics of children placed together or separately, and outcomes of sibling placements. Most studies examining outcomes suggest that joint sibling placements are as stable as, or more stable than, placements of single children or separated siblings and that children do as well or better when placed with siblings. Implications for policy, practice, and research are discussed. Author Affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Texas at Arlington, Box 19129, Arlington, TX 76019-0129, United States

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2004.12.015 Byline: Sonya J. Leathers Abstract: Although practice guidelines support the placement of siblings in the same foster home whenever possible, sibling groups are frequently separated. Little empirical knowledge is available to understand why siblings are separated or how different sibling placement patterns are related to children's placement adaptation and permanency outcomes. These questions were investigated using data from a study involving telephone interviews with the caseworkers and foster parents of a cross-sectional sample of 197 randomly selected young adolescents in long-term, traditional family foster care. Placement outcomes, including placement disruption, reunification, and adoption, were followed prospectively for five years. Results of multivariate analyses indicate that adolescents who were placed alone after a history of joint sibling placements were at greater risk for placement disruption than those who were placed with a consistent number of siblings while in foster care. This association was mediated by a weaker sense of integration and belonging in the foster home among youth placed alone with a history of sibling placements. Unexpectedly, youth placed alone, either throughout their stay in foster care or after a history of sibling placements, were less likely to exit to adoption or subsidized guardianship than youth with consistent joint sibling placements. Author Affiliation: University of Illinois at Chicago, Jane Addams College of Social Work, 1040 W. Harrison Ave., Chicago, IL 60607, United States

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2004.09.005 Byline: Kathy Lemon (a), Alice M. Hines (b), Joan Merdinger (b) Keywords: Foster care; Pathways to College study; Independent living programs Abstract: Using data from the larger Pathways to College study, this article presents two analyses exploring the potentially beneficial role of independent living programs (ILPs) for foster youth. First, a comparative analysis using survey data describes characteristics of former foster youth who were enrolled in an ILP while in foster care (N=81) compared to those who were not (N=113). Second, an ethnographic analysis using interview data with ILP coordinators in nine California counties describes typical and unique ILP services, as well as the impact of recent federal policy changes on ILPs. Survey results indicated that ILP participants were more likely to be African American or Mexican American/other Latino, and while in foster care, they tended to be placed in nonrelative placements, had more out-of-home placements, and were more likely than non-ILP participants to have been taught a number of independent living skills. Ethnographic results indicated that ILP services typically use an instructional model that focuses on teaching discrete and concrete skills considered to be associated with self-sufficiency, and recent legislation has increased funding and flexibility in ILP services. Implications and recommendations for ILPs are discussed. Author Affiliation: (a) School of Social Welfare, University of California at Berkeley, United States (b) College of Social Work, San Jose State University, One Washington Square Hall, San Jose, CA 95192-0124, United States Article History: Revised 9 July 2004; Accepted 22 September 2004

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2004.10.010 Byline: James Barber (a), Paul Delfabbro (b) Keywords: Foster care; Child well-being; Psychosocial adjustment Abstract: The psychosocial adjustment of children to long-term foster care was investigated in two studies. The first study tracked 235 children over 2 years and obtained repeated measures of foster child well-being, while the second study employed semistructured interviewing to obtain consumer feedback of 48 children in the care system. Taken together, results suggested that children adjust well to long-term foster care as reflected by the overall positive developmental trajectory in standardized measures of psychological adjustment and by the generally very positive feedback of the children interviewed. Author Affiliation: (a) Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, 246 Bloor Street West, Toronto, Canada M5R 3P6 (b) Psychology Department, Adelaide University, North Terrace, Adelaide, Australia 5001 Article History: Received 24 May 2004; Revised 12 July 2004; Accepted 18 October 2004

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2004.02.011 Byline: Craig Schwalbe Keywords: Risk assessment; Structured decision making; Naturalistic decision making; Statistical decision making Abstract: This article examines the usefulness of actuarial risk assessment for high-stakes decision making in child welfare, mental health, criminal justice and juvenile justice. Review of the literature affirms the potential benefits of risk assessment instruments for decision making by human service professionals. However, research also hints at the underutilization of risk assessment in practice. Although a number of explanations may account for this, the needs of decision makers in the real world of day to day practice has received little attention in the literature. This article identifies insights from the Recognition primed decision making theory (RPD) that promise to strengthen the utility of actuarial risk assessment instruments. It argues that an actuarial risk assessment instrument, based on appropriate causal theory, would have a greater likelihood of utilization as compared to the a-theoretical instruments that predominate in current structured decision making systems. Author Affiliation: University of North Carolina, School of Social Work, 301 Pittsboro, Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3550, USA

The study traces the development of intellectual efforts to understand some of the interactions between the market and other social institutions. Microanalysis explained decision-making by buyers, who maximized satisfaction by choosing among assortments of goods and services and sellers, whose manipulation of marketing variables contributed to social welfare.

Abstract: This study uses a geographic information system to model mobility and accessibility as inputs to infrastructure planning in rural Nepal. The focus is on where to locate pedestrian bridges to improve access to schools and health services. Priorities are assigned to potential bridges based on an index of relative importance derived through use of a spatial interaction model. Despite differences in the number of schools versus health care facilities, there is considerable similarity between the spatial distributions of high and low priority bridge sites. However, even if all potential bridges are built, pockets of poor accessibility remain unless additional service centers are located in these regions. The analytical approach outlined here can provide easy-to-update, system-wide information that could be incorporated into local planning processes to help government officials and the public-at-large assess the benefits of different infrastructure scenarios. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: In a motorized society, increasing numbers of drivers and their family members will have to face the issue of driving cessation late in life due to dementia or age-related conditions. Mobility support for driving retirees should be considered from a public health perspective. Compared with alternative forms of transportation, relying on family members and friends, municipality-provided mobility support services would be more reliable and practical. The present study aimed to explore the provision of mobility support measures at the community level. Study design: A cross-sectional study of all municipal governments in Japan. Methods: A nationwide survey was conducted using a postal self-administered questionnaire to explore the allocation of municipality-provided mobility support measures for two target groups: (1) healthy older residents and (2) older residents with dementia. The possible sociodemographic characteristics of municipalities affecting the implementation of such measures were examined. Results: Data from 1027 (56.8%) municipal governments were analysed. The present study demonstrated that mobility support measures for older residents, particularly dementia sufferers, were not sufficiently developed in municipalities. Moreover, the analyses showed that the following three characteristics of municipalities were related to the implementation of mobility support measures for healthy older residents: longer roads, low percentage of older residents per unit of road length, and low population density. Conclusions: These findings provide insight into the possible incentives for implementing mobility support for healthy older residents, and indicate the prospective mobility needs of driving retirees, including dementia sufferers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We describe two fatal cases of child abuse in which neighbors were unaware of the victims'' disappearance for 1.5 months and 1 year, respectively. Recently, there have been fatal child abuse cases in which neighbors have been aware of the signs of the abuse but not notified the Child Care Authorities. Lack of concern about child welfare in the community is the greatest obstacle to protecting children at risk of abuse. The most effective means of preventing child abuse is to educate the community about how to recognize the signs of abuse and to inform the authorities. We emphasize that the community has an obligation to protect children against crime, including child abuse. The roles of the Social Services in preventing child abuse have been extended. Forensic pathologists are required to play a key role in child abuse prevention, and in Japan their activity should be extended to the administrative field. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Older adults with ADL or IADL dependencies had a higher risk of unmet healthcare needs. • Dependency in any component of ADL or IADL was associated with the risk of unmet healthcare needs after adjusting comorbidities. • Not only mobility dependencies but also dependencies in the non-mobility components of ADL or IADL led to a high risk of unmet healthcare needs. • To reduce unmet healthcare needs, integration of health and social care supporting ADL or IADL dependency could be considered. Purpose: To determine the impact of overall and component-wise activities for daily living (ADL) as well as instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) dependencies on unmet healthcare needs in older adults. Materials and Methods: Cross-sectional analyses were performed based on a National Survey of Older Koreans. A total of 10,082 participants aged ≥ 65 years were included. All data were collected through standardized, personal interviews with participants and their representatives. Logistic regression was used to analyse the risk of unmet healthcare needs, with or without adjustment. Results: Amongst all participants, 734 (7.2%) had ADL dependency. Participants with ADL dependency had lower income, education level, and perceived health status (p <0.001). The adjusted odds ratio (aOR) for the risk of unmet healthcare needs was 1.52 (95%, confidence interval [CI] 1.19–1.95) for ADL and 1.54 (95%, CI 1.28–1.86) for IADL. When men have ADL dependency, aOR of unmet healthcare needs was higher than that of women (aOR 1.89, 95% CI 1.15 - 3.11; aOR 1.65, 95% CI 1.15 - 2.36, respectively) and IADL showed the same trend. Any dependency on ADL or IADL was associated with higher risk of unmet healthcare needs, whether adjusted or not (p <0.001). Conclusions: Older adults with ADL or IADL dependency had higher risks of unmet healthcare needs than their independent counterparts. In addition to mobility problems, other components were related to unmet healthcare needs. Therefore, to reduce unmet healthcare needs, integration of health and social care that supports ADL or IADL dependency should be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Migrant families have significantly poorer reading outcomes than locals. • Parents who volunteer in reading programs show better family reading outcomes. • Migrant and low-income parents benefit more from volunteering in reading programs. • More public-nonprofit collaborations can greatly improve family reading outcomes. • Training low-resource parents to engage children in reading yields powerful impact. Reading is one of the most important educational activities for children, and a child's relationship with reading is largely shaped by parental involvement and family environment. Families of lower socioeconomic status often have poor reading environments and less awareness of the importance of reading. This study explores the effects of Rainbow Flowers, a community service organization that promotes parent–child reading in Shenzhen, the city with the largest proportion of migrants in China. Using mixed-methods analyses of a city-wide online survey of 16,328 parent participants (13,523 migrants and 2805 locals) and six volunteer case studies, we compare migrant and local family reading outcomes, examine whether (through quantitative analysis) and how (through qualitative analysis) in-depth parental involvement in parent–child reading is associated with family reading outcomes, and identify which families benefit more from such involvement. Our analyses show that migrant families overall have significantly poorer reading outcomes than locals. However, parents who volunteer in Rainbow Flowers reading programs experience substantially better family reading outcomes. The benefits of parents engaging as both service users and volunteers are especially strong for migrant and low-income families, and include improved reading environment, parental awareness of the value of reading, and child socioemotional development. The findings suggest that parental involvement plays an important role in enhancing family reading outcomes and may improve non-reading-related family well-being, particularly for low-resource families. Public institutions and social service organizations should collaboratively provide accessible reading resources and empower parents to effectively engage their children in joint reading activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The machine learning methods help researchers select the predictors of health status in the older population efficiently. • The machine learning methods automatically capture the complicated relationships between the non-linear predictors and the health outcomes. • The artificial neural networks have the best prediction accuracy in relation to older people's self-reported health. Health and social care services are crucial to old people. The provision of services to the elderly with care needs requires more accurate predictions of the health status of the elderly to rationalize the allocation of the limited social care resources. The traditional analytical methods have proved incapable of predicting the demands of today's society, compared to which machine learning methods can more accurately capture the nonlinear relationships between the variables. To ascertain visually the performance of these machine learning methods regarding the prediction of the elderly's care needs, we designed and verified the experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utility of the concept of provisioning for exploring innovative strategies that groups of women are using to provide for themselves, and members of their households and neighborhoods is presented. Provisioning communities are defined as groups of women who come together in local initiatives to address fundamental sources of impoverishment and practical livelihood needs.

A model is build to assess the welfare implications of allowing large developers to participate in these auctions. The strategies of large real estate developers and how these strategies affect social welfare are examined.

A study using federal administrative data derived from states' Child Support Enforcement programs to explore the effectiveness of two kinds of incentive strategies in shaping outcomes is presented. The findings suggest that incentives work to effect improvements in social services programs and also work at individual, program, and state levels.

Taiwan's implementation of the 1997 Air Pollution Emission Fees Program will conceivably lead to long-term reductions in pollution emission. The benefits to Taiwan from the expected reduction in crop losses as a direct result of such a decrease in air pollution, is estimated.

To link to full-text access for this article, visit this link: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2008.12.001 Byline: Leroy H. Pelton Author Affiliation: School of Social Work, University of Nevada, Las Vegas, 4505 Maryland Parkway, Box 455032, Las Vegas, NV 89154-5032, United States Article History: Received 20 November 2008; Accepted 1 December 2008