The impact of mothers' perception of child care services and utilization

To examine the impact of mothers' perception of the roles of pre-primary institutions and what motivates them to choose a particular child care service, 138 working mothers and 20 proprietors of nursery schools and day care centers were interviewed. The facilities available to children in the centers studied was also assessed.

The results suggested that these mothers' expected these institutions to play custodial functions as well as to provide early childhood education. This knowledge could guide proprietors and other interested organizations in the provision of appropriate child care programmes to meet the needs of mothers and their children.

The demand for nursery/day care services in Nigeria has become very high due to the increasing number of women in the workforce.     

Correlation of the Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire with the Test of Playfulness in a virtual environment: the power of engagement

The Pediatric Volitional Questionnaire (PVQ) was used along with the Test of Playfulness (TOP) to assess 16 children with cerebral palsy who took part in a study of virtual reality play intervention. Both observational measures are designed to assess children as they are engaged in occupations in one or more environments. Virtual reality offers an alternative play environment for children who have disabilities. It eliminates several physical barriers usually encountered in real life. It also is a powerful medium for engaging and providing a sense of control and enjoyment with the tasks engaged with. Several virtual environments and activities were offered to the children over an eight-week period. The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between these two measures that were used to assess aspects of motivation and playfulness, and to explore which aspects of these measures are most correlated when assessing children in virtual environments. The Pearson correlation calculated between the average motivation score of the TOP and the average PVQ score was significant (r = .47, p = .05). The item correlations were all non-significant except for two. These were item 6 'stays engaged' (r = .51, p = .03) and item 9 'tries to produce effects' (r = .55, p = .02). There is some evidence that these two measures are tapping into similar constructs. These results will be discussed.     

Developmental awareness and moral stage development in child Abuse

In an attempt to better understand why children who have been sexually assaulted commonly fail to reveal their victimization to parents or other adults, a study was undertaken in which the “engagement strategies” of 41 perpetrators were examined, exploring common rationalizations, threats, etc. aimed at insuring continued silence on the part of the victim. The “appeal” for silence offered by the perpetrator to the child was analyzed according to Kohlberg's stages of moral development.

Results indicate that perpetrators appear to alter their engagement strategies to coincide with the developmental level of the child, thus further insuring silence by appealing to criteria for assessing “appropriate” or “inappropriate” behaviors (eg. sexual contact) which are developmentally consistent with the child's level of cognition and moral reasoning.     

The “syndrome of the post-premature child”: a study of its significance -- Part I

Prematurity has the greatest influence upon frequency and degree of mechanical disturbances uncovered by the Test of Imitation of Gestures. The authors look for the significance of this syndrome at various levels:

1. Possible organic damage to the central nervous system structures, through the tonic and motor disturbances checked out by the neurological examination.
2. In the disturbances of the early development of posturomotor abilities.
3. Deviant and delayed development of the cognitive factors (spatial and temporal structuring).
4. Emotional and relationship development.

The investigations were carried out on a sample group of prematurely born children and a control group group of children born at term.

After observing certain behavior disorders which occur among normal children -- mild disorders which become less obvious with age -- the authors show that frequent and gross disturbances which appear in the first months of life and persist beyond the age of 6 years distinguish the premature child. In this same group, however, delays in mental development noted early in life often disappear entirely by the age of 4 years, even among children who were born very prematurely.

The authors then isolated the most typical disturbances found among the premature children, with stress on factors of pathology, maturation, adjustment, and environment.

The authors study the relationship between the disturbances described above and the various aspects of the neurological examinations which enable them to objectify the dynamic factors of the body adjustment to the external world and to other people. The hypothesis that a fundamental relationship exists between disturbances of adjustment and the genesis of the “post-premature child syndrome”, develops from the comparison between the psychological and neurological data in their longitudinal evolution.

Commenting on the relevance of these findings for the care of premature children, the authors stress the value of motor training and remedial education for overcoming the disturbances of spatial structuration and body schema.     

Who cares?—Supporting parents in the care of children in Hong Kong

The paper addresses the following questions: Why are children placed in residential care? What problems do the parents have in caring for their children at home? What services have been used by the parents in seeking solutions to these problems? Are parents' personal resources so inadequate that the risk of removing a child into care must be taken?

The study involved a sampling of the parents of children who were placed in residential care facilities. The findings indicated that most children were placed in residential care because the parents lacked the tangible resources necessary for them to bring up the children themselves. The findings challenge the simplistic assumption that only children who are orphaned or of irresponsible parents are placed in residential care, and prompt social workers to reflect on the practical means to support parents in the care of children in Hong Kong.     

Characteristics of successful directors of for-profit child care centers

The need for quality child care is a national concern of increasing interest to parents, child care providers, employers, and policy-makers in the United States. One of the newest entries in child care options available for consumers is for-profit daycare chains. As for-profit chains increase in both number and size, they will receive increased research attention. Few studies have examined for-profit centers in general or the background characteristics of their directors specifically.

The purpose of this research was to develop a profile of directors of for-profit child care centers and to investigate whether certain background variables, such as level of education, differentiated “successful” from “unsuccessful” directors. Data were collected on 362 child care directors employed during a three-year period with a nation-wide daycare chain in the United States.     

Effect of Intervention on the Language Facility of Poor, Black Adolescent Mothers and their Preschool Children

This study investigates the effects of varying degrees of mother-child language stimulation activities on the test performance of poor Black children and their adolescent mothers.

The sample consisted of 60 mothers paired with their three or four year old children who attended full day preschool. The families were randomly assigned to one of three groups for a twelve week period.

The tests used in the study were the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test; the Cultural Language Test — Mean Length of Utterance; the Cultural Language Test — Standard English; and the Conversation — Mean Length of Utterance Measure.

Three major findings result from the study:

1. The children of mothers provided with intensive training and practice (Group 1) scored significantly higher on all four tests than did the children whose mothers received minimal help (Group 2) or children whose mothers received no help at all (Group 3).
2. Group 2 children did not score any higher than did Group 3.
3. Group 1 mothers scored significantly higher on all measures.

     

Ethical and practical considerations in palliative child care and the support needs of parents and siblings

Death is one of the few certainties in life and yet it is the one event that most people avoid contemplating until forced to do so. When considering death and dying it is assumed by most to occur in old age and in hospital. The death of a child is a devastating loss which can cause the most distressing and long lasting grief (Davey, 1995). According to “Childhood cancer UK” the number of children developing cancer in the United Kingdom has remained constant over the past 30 years (about 1300 new cases each year), with only two-thirds of children with the disease being treated successfully. In Britain 32 per cent of cancer deaths occur at home (Bean, 1994) however only a small proportion of these will be children. Despite the deaths of children at home being a statistically small group it must not be ignored due to the great emotional impact it has on the individual, family, health workers and often local community.

The changing status of children in the UK means that health care professionals must uphold childrens' rights whilst working in partnership with parents. A balance must be found between the traditional protectionist and paternalistic attitude of care and the liberationist approach. This can only be achieved through communication and collaboration between families and members of the multi-disciplinary team allowing the promotion of constructive problem solving

The key aim of palliative care is to give the child as good a quality of life as possible in the time remaining with freedom from distressing symptoms including pain. Every health professional working with a dying child who has pain should give consideration to the complexity of pain, it's unique and diverse effects and engage the entire family and health care team in planning interventions and providing support to the child and to each family member (Graner, 1976).

Siblings, parents and health professionals may be profoundly affected by the experience of the death of the child, therefore, each multi-disciplinary team must develop formal coping strategies to deal with the possible psychological disturbance and to facilitate adjustment after the death of the child.

Martinson, writes of her greatest encouragement which came from the parent of a dying child;

“No matter if it culminates a full life or a life shortened much too soon, does death have to be terrorising? There are many to rejoice and aid in the event of birth, as with the patient that can be helped, but for those going through the frustration of 'not getting better' when science and the masses, sometimes even family and friends who can no longer face them, have deserted, could there be a greater challenge or more considerable need for help?”

(1976, p. 13)

This is a powerful message for health professionals caring for children in the end stages of a terminal illness. It is at this time that the family and dying child are in most need of the consistent, expert and humane relationships provided by the caring professions. The challenges are immense but great reward lies in the privilege of being intimately involved in this final rite of passage through life.     

“caught in the middle” exploring children and young people's experience of domestic violence

This document seeks to explore children's experiences of domestic violence and the effects such violence may have on their lives, both in the short term and in the long term. It draws on the conclusions of various studies in this area which have been carried out in America and the United Kingdom. It aims to raise awareness of the complexity of this issue and to highlight the importance of support for both women and children who may be survivors of domestic violence. The document highlights a number of issues, namely

How children and young people may experience domestic violence;

Identification of links between domestic violence and child abuse;

The impact domestic violence may have on mothering;

The effects domestic violence may have on children and young people's lives;

The legitimacy of the cycle of violence theory;

Issues to be considered when assessing the possible impact of domestic violence on children and young people.     

Adult/child Interaction: How Patterns and Perceptions Can Influence Planning

Individual testing and assessment are often problematic with preschool-aged children. Difficulties include adverse reactions to test procedures, inconsistent performance on tests and unsuitable tests for 3, 4, and 5 year old children as well as the need for unobtrusive observation methods and data collection, so new ways of assessment need to be investigated.

This article examines alternative assessment strategies which Involve teachers, parent/caregivers and children in the process. As motor development is an essential part of child development, children's movement behaviour is the focus for assessment. An adult/child observation coding system with physical, social, cognitive and task dimensions has been developed and used in various early-education settings to identify patterns of interaction between adults and children from both the adult and the child's perspective. This is supplemented by structured interviews at regular intervals with a parent/caregiver to ascertain changes in children's behaviour and mode of interaction with use of a motor checklist to determine children's motor proficiency.

This multi-faceted approach has yielded useful results for teachers, parents/caregivers and children and has made the process meaningful for all parties. The results of this research have implications for teachers, parents and programs with regard to the role of adults in the education of young children and the role of movement and motor programs within child development and curriculum in early childhood education.     

Parental participation at child protection case conferences: An evaluation of practice in north and west belfast

Parental participation at child protection case conferences is still a relatively new and contentious phenomenon. In January 1994 a strategy for this process was implemented in North and West Belfast Health and Social Services Trust and this research was undertaken in order to monitor and evaluate this new way of working.

Structured interviews were carried out with twenty-two parents and a postal questionnaire was sent to six main professional groups (field social workers, non-field social workers, police, doctors, teachers, and community nurses). The questionnaire achieved a response rate of 68% (i.e. 108 returned out of 160).

The results indicate that a positive start has been made to the participation of parents at case conferences and that this was generally welcomed by parents and professionals. Parents do not appear to be “emotionally damaged” by participation and the results indicate that they have a clearer understanding of concerns and a greater commitment to plans as a result of attending. Parental participation also does not appear to affect the focus and purpose of case conferences and indeed, professionals mainly found the presence of parents helpful to conferences.

The research highlighted deficiencies in the preparation of parents, a general feeling of inhibition amongst professionals, and a divergence in the views of parents and professionals as to whether or not participation should be full or partial. A number of conclusions for policy and practice are reached in light of die findings.     

NIGERIAN CHILDREN'S PERSPECTIVE OF URBAN LIFE QUALITY

The Convention on the Rights of the child put in place some set of standards to ensure that in all consenting countries every child is wanted, healthy, educated, safe and loved. Nigeria is one of the countries that has taken some steps to put into practice the accepted rights.

Two hundred children (100 boys and 100 girls) in primary schools in four urban centres were served with questionnaires requesting their views on issues bordering on their well being and quality of life, in such areas as:

1. quality of education
2. space for movement and play
3. food and clean water for drinking and washing
4. play equipment and materials and
5. loving care giver.

The children's responses showed that provision was not made for recreational space for play, the quality of education is poor, there was no provision for play equipment and material and in most cases the adult-child ration was low. Children also complained of polluted environment.

Suggestions were made for the provision of adequate play parks for recreational purposes for the children. Suggestion is also made for government to pay more attention to the well being and health of the children.     

Factors Influencing Success or Underachievement of the Able Child

The aim of this research is to look for reasons for success or underachievement in able children aged between 9 and 11. Those who have a considerable influence on a child during the primary years are teachers and parents and this research explores these relationships.

The participants were selected from three schools within the state sector which represented different aspects of the social spectrum. The children were divided into achievers and underachievers.

Quantitative and qualitative methods have been used for this study and this paper reports on the quantitative analysis. A number of issues are considered including the marital status of parents, handwriting, self-concept and gender. Cognitive style and the possible dissonance between pupil and teacher are also discussed.     

Developments in child and adolescent mental health services

This paper highlights the main issues that are present in the field of child and adolescent mental health services with regard to strategic development. It identifies the major themes that have emerged concerning the commissioning and delivery of services, and also highlights the difficulties faced by particular groups of children.

The authors present their views of the developments within this field from the perspective of their professional experiences.     

Psychological screening in the course of the health control of four-year-old children

The health control of four-year-old Swedish children will include an examination of possible psychologtcal abnormalities and defects. The methods which have been worked out for this purpose by a committee of the Social Council include two main components. A nurse will carry out an interview with the child's caretaker and then evaluate the child's behavior. In addition, a physician will make an attempt to evaluate the child's development. The “risk children” will then be selected for further psychological investigation.

An attempt has been made to test the efficiency of the screening methods mentioned. The evaluations by the child care centers have been compared to more comprehensive clinical-psychological investigations and the results show good agreement between the two teams.

The Investigation has been carried out at PBU, Stockholm (Chief physician Hans Curman, psychologist Lillian Gottfarb).     

Integration: Quality in care and education for the young disabled child

The presentation aims to examine the criteria of quality for care and education programmes for young disabled children in integrated early childhood settings. The conceptual and practical issues which influence quality programmes will be discussed with particular reference to the Integration Programmes operated throughout South Australia in early childhood centres.

The Integration Programmes, developed to enable and support the integrated or normalised development of young children has as its specific 'target' group individual children who are 'too delayed or disabled' to be able to fully participate or participate without direct assistance in community based early childhood programmes. Some of these children are extremely disabled and others' handicapping conditions are exacerbated by severe lack of other available community resources, isolation and other factors.

Integration is more than 'being there'—it is a complex process based upon the recognition of human value and human rights. For greater insight into the Integration Programmes an appraisal of the following aspects will be provided.

• the principles of integration

• the goals of integration

• the dimensions of integration.

The dimensions of integration will be placed in relation to the indicators of quality in early childhood programmes. The juxtaposing of these parameters of quality will lead to the emergence of guidelines for practical goalsetting and evaluation hallmarks of excellence in integration.     

The Future of Pre-Five Services in the UK

In the UK, as in the USA, early years services are characterized by the absence of any coherent national policy, low levels of provision, inegality of access, and fragmentation of services. Whereas there is a consensus that the State should provide for children deemed to be “in need”,there is less consensus over the provision of nursery education, and no perceived State obligation to provide daycare for children of working parents.

The influence of the European Union and the work of the European Childcare Network in setting European targets for coherent development of services offers some possibility of change both in types and levels of provision. However, the example of Strathclyde illustrates that making changes at a local level without a national framework which addresses training and without a fiscal policy, is problematic; it further implies that at both a local and at a national level, process is as important as policy. The paper concludes by highlighting the areas for radical reform.