LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN

Definitions
1. Looked after children
  1. NSPCC
    1. Those looked after by the state
  2. House of Commons Children, 2009
    1. Children who are looked after by a local authority under Section 3 of the of the Children Act 1989.
    2. The collective term for children who = subject of care orders, those voluntarily accommodated by a local authority & children in other specific circumstances
  3. Department for Children, Schools and Families, 2009
    1. Under the Childrens Act 1989 a child = looked after by a local authority if he/ she is in their care / is provided with accommodation for more than 24 hours by the authority.
2. Harm
  1. Adoption and Children Act 2002
    1. Includes "impairment suffered by hearing or seeing the ill-treatment of another"
  2. Children Act 1989
    1. Ill treatment or impairment of health or development
      1. Can be physcial, sexual or emotionally
Care orders
1. Court can make a Care Order in respect of a child to a Local Authority (LA) under Section 31 of the Children Act 1989 if
  1. the child concerned is suffering, or is likely to suffer, significant harm
  2. The care given to the child, or likely to be given to him if the order were not made, not being what it would be reasonable to expect a parent to give him
  3. The child being beyond parental control
2. Children's Act 1989, Part 51, Section 31
  1. "On the application of any local authority or authorised person, the court may make an order..."
    1. placing the child in the care of a designated local authority
    2. Putting him under the supervision of a designated local authority
Voluntary arrangement
1. When parents enter an agreement with a service to provide care for their child for a period of time
2. Used if parent unable to care/ get care from family/ friends for their child for a period of time
3. Parents still hold responsibility over their child
Why children are taken in to care
1. Abuse/neglect
  1. Over half of looked after children came in to care because of abuse/neglect
    1. NSPCC
  2. 62%
2. Depeartment for education (2013)
  1. Parents are unable to provide sufficient care (illness)
    1. 4%
  2. Absent parenting
    1. 5%
  3. Child's disability
    1. 3%
  4. Family in acute stress
    1. 9%
  5. Family dysfunction
    1. 15%
  6. Socially unacceptable behaviour
    1. 2%
Factors increase likelihood = looked after
1. Parent or caregiver
  1. Characteristics & Psychological Well-Being
    1. low self-esteem
    2. external locus of control
    3. poor impulse control
  2. Parental Histories & the Cycle of Abuse
    1. 1/3 individuals who = maltreated will subject their children to maltreatment
    2. Presence of emotionally supportive relationships = help lessen risk of intergenerational cycle of abuse
  3. Substance Abuse
    1. 1/3-2/3
    2. Study Chicago, x3 more likely to maltreat
    3. Can interfere with a parent's mental functioning, judgment, inhibitions, and protective capacity
  4. Attitudes & knowledge
    1. Studies have found that mothers = physically abuse their children = both more negative & higher than normal expectations of their children
    2. A lack of knowledge on normal development of children
2. Family
  1. Family situations: marital conflict, domestic violence, single parenthood, unemployment, financial stress, and social isolation
  2. Family structure
    1. single parents, more children or greater numbers of people living in the household
    2. 27.3 children per 1,000 in single parent familes= abused
      Annotations:
      - 77% risk physically abused 87% risk harmed by physical neglect 165% risk physical neglect 74% risk emotional neglec 80% risk serious injury from abuse 120% risk some type of maltreatment overall.
  3. Martical conflict & DV
    1. 30- 60% of families where spouse abuse takes place, child maltreatment also occurs
    2. Stress
      1. neglectful families report more day-to-day stress than non-neglectful families
    3. Parent-child interavtion
      1. Maltreating parents have been found to be less supportive, affectionate, playful, and responsive
3. Child
  1. rate of documented maltreatment= highest 4 children birth-3 years
  2. Disabilities
    1. National study, 1993- children with disabilities= 1.7 times more likely= maltreated
  3. aggression, attention deficits, difficult temperaments, and behavior problems
4. Environment
  1. Poverty and Unemployment
    1. Families= annual incomes under $15,000 in 1993= more than 22x more likely to be harmed
    2. Low income= more stress= higher chnace maltreatment
  2. Social Isolation & Social Support
    1. parents= maltreat= report greater isolation, more loneliness,& less social support
  3. Violent Communities
    1. risk < children from safer neighborhoods for severe neglect, physical abuse & sexual victimization

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LOOKED AFTER CHILDREN

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	Created by Charlotte Joseph almost 12 years ago