Caring for Abused and Neglected Children ─ Making the Right Decisions for Reunification or Long-Term Care

Writing for social work practitioners, researchers, and policy makers, Wade (social policy research, U. of York, UK) et al. consider the long-term consequences of staying in care or returning home for children who entered the social services system in the UK due to abuse or neglect. They focus on decision making, experiences, and outcomes for 149 children and describe their admission to care and background factors involved; types of maltreatment; assessment and planning in decisions for them to go home or remain in care, factors taken into account, and how the decision was supported over the following six months; the factors that best predicted who would go home; and initial outcomes for both groups. The final chapters use survey responses from social workers and teachers and interviews from parents and children to assess the progress of these groups at follow-up in respect to their safety, stability, and overall well-being, and factors associated with their progress. Annotation c2012 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Jim Wade is Senior Research Fellow, Social Policy Research Unit (SPRU), University of York, UK. Nina Biehal is Research Director, SPRU, University of York, UK. Nicola Farrelly is Research Fellow, University of Central Lancashire, UK. Ian Sinclair is Professor Emeritus, SPRU, University of York, UK. Their research interests include children in care, reunification with birth families, foster care and adoption, and leaving care.