NCJ Number
191531
Journal
AIDS Care Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: 1995 Pages: 57-62
Date Published
1995
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This article examined the effect of the HIV epidemic on children and adolescents in six cities.
Abstract
In the United States children and teenagers are being orphaned as their parents die of AIDS. Most orphaned youngsters are not HIV-infected but are at high risk for a range of behavioral and developmental problems, as well as engaging in high-risk behaviors associated with HIV transmission. In the United States these youngsters come primarily from poor communities of color. When their parents die, some of these children need new sources of shelter, food, and medical care, and all of these need emotional support and guidance. This article examined six cities that have been particularly hard hit: New York City, Newark, Miami, San Juan, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. The most urgent unmet needs for children, their families, and new guardians are for mental health services, including bereavement counseling; transitional services to help overcome the loss of AIDS-related benefits following the parent’s legal death; legal services; housing supports; and appropriate evaluations and referrals by juvenile justice and school staff to community-based services. Professional staff needs additional training and support. Public policies and legal standards should stress a preference for maintaining children in their extended families. Much more needs to be done to improve the lives of youths orphaned by the HIV epidemic. References