Journal of Children's Services

Gunderson, Lara M.; Willging, Cathleen E.; Trott Jaramillo, Elise M.; Green, Amy E.; Fettes, Danielle L.; Hecht, Debra B.; Aarons, Gregory A.

2018 Journal of Children's Services

doi: 10.1108/jcs-09-2017-0043pmid: 30906421

Evidence-based interventions (EBIs) for human services unfold within complicated social and organizational circumstances and are influenced by the attitudes and behaviors of diverse stakeholders situated within these environments. Coaching is commonly regarded as an effective strategy to support service providers in delivering EBIs and attaining high levels of fidelity over time. The purpose of this paper is to address a lacuna in research examining the factors influencing coaching, an important EBI support component.Design/methodology/approachThe authors use the Exploration, Preparation, Implementation, and Sustainment framework to consider inner- and outer-context factors that affect coaching over time. This case study of coaching draws from a larger qualitative data set from three iterative investigations of implementation and sustainment of a home visitation program, SafeCare®. SafeCare is an EBI designed to reduce child neglect.FindingsThe authors elaborate on six major categories of findings derived from an iterative data coding and analysis process: perceptions of “good” and “bad” coaches by system sustainment status; coach as peer; in-house coaching capacity; intervention developer requirements vs other outer-context needs; outer-context support; and inner-context support.Practical implicationsCoaching is considered a key component for effective implementation of EBIs in public-sector systems, yet is under-studied. Understanding inner- and outer-context factors illuminates the ways they affect the capacity of coaches to support service delivery.Originality/valueThis paper demonstrates that coaching can accomplish more than provision of EBI fidelity support. Stakeholders characterized coaches as operating as boundary spanners who link inner and outer contexts to enable EBI implementation and sustainment.

Cane, Tam; Vydellingum, Vasso; Knibb, Wendy

2018 Journal of Children's Services

doi: 10.1108/jcs-06-2017-0026

The purpose of this paper is to examine the experiences that people with HIV faced as they navigated through the intricate processes of trying to access adoption services in the south of England. It proposes the need to pay more attention to people living with HIV (PLWHIV) able to adopt children. The study aims to develop an increased focus on PLWHIV able to adopt.Design/methodology/approachThe paper is an exploratory study using an interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) approach. Open-ended interviews were conducted with seven participants including individuals and couples. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using IPA’s cross-case and ideographic analysis.FindingsThe paper provides empirical insights about the challenges that PLWHIV experienced with social workers. Positive experiences were in the minority. Lack of information, inadequate support, stigma and discrimination, cultural insensitivity and disempowerment were frequently reported. The paper suggests that greater understanding and better education for social workers would improve access to adoption by people with HIV.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the chosen approach and small sample size, results may not be generalisable.Practical implicationsThis study increases knowledge, promotes positive attitudes and improved support for PLWHIV who are stable and able to offer permanency to adoptive children.Originality/valueThis paper provides new ideas in an area that is scarcely researched. It identifies the need to undertake further studies to understand how social workers assess PLWHIV and what can be done to provide adequate support.

Hill, Karen D.; Hill, Brian J.

2018 Journal of Children's Services

doi: 10.1108/jcs-05-2017-0016

The purpose of this paper is to examine the development of family protective factors in participants of Help Me Grow Utah (HMGU), a community-based system that promotes child development, seeks early detection of developmental delays, and links families to services.Design/methodology/approachIn this paper, standard quasi-experimental survey design was utilized. HMGU and control group participants completed the FRIENDS Protective Factors Survey, which was slightly modified into a retrospective pre-test and post-test format to address previous survey concerns of response-shift bias, self-serving assessments, and family maturation. Participants were asked to respond to ten questions at present and then again from the perspective of two years previous.FindingsParticipants in HMGU had statistically significant increases in protective factor scores in all but one subscale, with dramatic increases in two subscale questions on knowledge of parenting and child development. Control group scores statistically increased in four subscales, albeit at lower rates than HMGU participants. Interestingly, control group scores on two subscale questions relating to child maltreatment risk were significantly lower on post-tests as compared to their retrospective pre-test scores.Research limitations/implicationsParticipants in HMGU clearly increased in the development of protective factors. Replication of this study is recommended and the need for a control group in protective factor studies is imperative.Practical implicationsFindings from this study suggest that child services focused on enhancing knowledge of parenting and child development might also expect to improve protective factors. One-on-one care coordination with families seems particularly effective. The findings might also benefit other social programs as they utilize retrospective pre-test, post-test, and control groups in their evaluations.Originality/valueHMGU is the first affiliate to utilize retrospective pre-test/post-test methodology, which can overcome confounding results attributable to response-shift bias. Also, the use of a control group affords inclusion of natural maturation in considering findings.

Giano, Zachary; Merten, Michael J.; Tuttle, Brooke

2018 Journal of Children's Services

doi: 10.1108/jcs-06-2017-0028

The purpose of this paper is to explore the relationship between persistently sleeping away from the home as a predictor of adolescent delinquency in a largely Latino sample of 91 adolescents.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs multiple linear regressions to examine the relationship between sleeping away from the home (IV) and antisocial behavior and substance use (DVs) with dangerous neighborhood characteristics as a moderator.FindingsResults show that sleeping away from the home on a persistent basis is a significant predictor of antisocial behavior and substance use. Neighborhood characteristics moderated the effect of sleeping away on substance use only. One possible explanation includes opportunities for increased time with deviant peers that is created by persistently sleeping away from home. Additionally, sleeping away from the home may allow adolescents from strict households to opportunistically engage in delinquent behavior in households with less strict rules.Originality/valueAlthough sleeping away is a common behavior often encouraged by parents as a part of social learning, there is evidence to suggest that it could be potentially detrimental, particularly amplified when the adolescent lives in more dangerous neighborhoods. To date, this is the first study to examine the effects of persistently sleeping away from the home on adolescent delinquency.