NCJ Number
216996
Journal
Child Abuse & Neglect Volume: 30 Issue: 12 Dated: December 2006 Pages: 1381-1399
Date Published
December 2006
Length
19 pages
Annotation
Individual, family, and caseworker characteristics were examined as factors in problem recognition (PR) and intentions to change (ITC) in a sample of caregivers who received in-home child welfare services following substantiated reports of child abuse or neglect.
Abstract
The findings indicate that PR and ITC fluctuate over time and vary among cases in some systematic ways, although the current analysis did not explain much of this variance. Case characteristics explained less than 10 percent of the variance in PR and ITC. Caseworker experience accounted for less than 1 percent of the variance. Results provide some support for the hypothesis that PR and ITC are separate components of readiness for change. Severity of caregiver depression, negative life events, and lack of social support were associated with greater PR, but economic and housing problems were not. As predicted, younger caregivers had higher ITC scores than older parents. Unexpectedly, single parents did not have lower ITC scores than others. Caregivers with more children showed reductions in ITC scores over time, providing some support for the hypothesis that additional responsibilities might compete with ITC. The absence of an overall trend suggests that in-home services did not have uniform effects on PR and ITC. Practitioners should conduct assessments of caregivers' views of the presenting problems, goals and values, level of discomfort with the status quo, hope that the situation can be improved, and views of available alternatives. This was a longitudinal study (between March 1997 and June 1999) of 353 child welfare in-home services cases conducted in conjunction with the Evaluation of Family Preservation and Reunification Services. Caregivers were interviewed at 4 weeks, 16 weeks, and 1 year after referral for in-home services. 4 tables and 52 references