Needs in an era of COVID-19: a preliminary investigation of self-reported needs of families who experienced rapid return as a result of government mandates

Wilke, Nicole Gilbertson; Howard, Amanda; Forber-Pratt, Ian

doi:10.1080/17450128.2022.2081393

Cited by 5 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 19 publications

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“…This could be related to the importance of meeting the most immediate and basic needs to stabilize a family, in alignment with Maslow’s hierarchy of needs (Maslow, 1943). This finding is also consistent with earlier research on this sample in which families reported their greatest concerns were basic needs, such as bedding and finances, as their most immediate concern for placement stability when children were returned to their care (Wilke, et al, in press). This indicates both the enduring nature of these needs, as well as the importance of involving the input of families in determining service provision.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Predictors of parental stress and family function one year after rapid unprepared return: A preliminary analysis from five nations

Howard

Forber-Pratt

Wilke³

2022

Developmental Child Welfare

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As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, some governments issued mandates requiring that residential care providers rapidly return children and youth to family. The goal of the present study was to assess outcomes in a sample of families experiencing rapid unprepared return. Specifically, we sought to evaluate the placement stability, assess support services provided to families, and examine how services received impacted parental stress and family functioning. Participants and Setting: 115 families who had experienced rapid unprepared return across five nations, including Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Mexico, and Uganda. Using a quantitative design, results examined (1) placement stability, (2) services received, and (3) the impact of services on family wellbeing. Data revealed the majority of families were still intact after 1 year. More robust support services were associated with lower parental stress and better family functioning. Occupational/financial support, such as financial assistance and job training, and material support, such as home repairs and food assistance, were vital to family wellbeing 1 year following rapid unprepared return. Rapid unprepared return creates risks to families and children, and should not be continued or repeated. However, emergency situations, government mandates or unexpected crises may force conditions for rapid unprepared return. For families that have experienced rapid unprepared return, intensive support and appropriate case management can improve the likelihood of positive outcomes and improve family wellbeing.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 90%

Predictors of parental stress and family function one year after rapid unprepared return: A preliminary analysis from five nations

Howard

Forber-Pratt

Wilke³

2022

Developmental Child Welfare

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“…Representatives from 16 NGOs serving vulnerable children and families completed a brief survey two years after government-mandated rapid unprepared return. These NGOs had participated in a previous study (Wilke et al, 2022a) and were invited to contribute again. All were residential programs experiencing government-mandated rapid unprepared return at the time of the original study.…”

Section: Participantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Despite the advice to the contrary, several governments ordered the immediate return of children to family care as part of their efforts to limit the spread of COVID-19 (Carriera et al, 2021). At least 14 nations, as reported by Wilke et al (2022a), issued mandates for rapid and unprepared returns. Often, children were returned to families they had not been in contact with for years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further, the risks associated with a rapidly spreading virus in close quarters were a cause for concern (CDC COVID-19 Response Team, 2020). To decrease the likelihood of virus spread, some governments mandated the rapid unprepared return of children in residential care to their families due to the inability to maintain social distancing in residential care centers (Wilke et al, 2022a). In light of these unusual and unprecedented circumstances, it is important to have long-term data regarding the children and families impacted by rapid unprepared return and the non-government organizations that serve them.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Additionally, all children and families undergoing reintegration should receive support and monitoring (Corcoran & Wakia, 2016). Unfortunately, very few of these supports were available in the case of the rapid and unprepared return phenomenon (Howard et al, 2022; Wilke et al, 2022a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Placement stability and family support after government-mandated rapid return: A two-year follow-up

Wilke,

Pop,

Howard

2024

Developmental Child Welfare

Self Cite

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During the COVID-19 pandemic, multiple governments around the world implemented directives that mandated residential care providers to rapidly reunite thousands of children and youth with their families. Organizations were faced with expedited timelines for the reunification process, limited ability to prepare children and families, and restricted capacity to support and monitor families in-person due to lockdown measures. As such, there was significant concern regarding stability of placements, and well-being of the children and families affected by the abrupt and unprepared reunification process. This study examined data from 16 non-government organizations (NGOs) impacted by rapid return mandates in six nations (Kenya, Uganda, India, Ethiopia, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Mexico). NGOs were serving 15,978 children in residential care at the time of the mandates. NGOs had an average of 21.87 days ( SD = 9.87) to return children to families. Most NGOs felt children and families were inadequately prepared for reunification. After two years, NGOs were in contact with 90% of the children who had been rapidly returned. Of those children, 56% remained in their family placement. Families who received more types of family strengthening services were more likely to remain intact. Concerningly, 2 years following the rapid return mandates, the NGOs in this study were collectively serving a higher number of children in residential care than prior to rapid return mandates. This suggests that rapid return mandates did not seem to decrease the number of children in residential care long-term. Data-informed recommendations for practice are discussed.

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Children ‘at risk’: a critical content analysis exploring representations of childhood in Canadian media from the first wave to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

Ciotti

Moore

2022

Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies

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Needs in an era of COVID-19: a preliminary investigation of self-reported needs of families who experienced rapid return as a result of government mandates

Cited by 5 publications

References 19 publications

Predictors of parental stress and family function one year after rapid unprepared return: A preliminary analysis from five nations

Predictors of parental stress and family function one year after rapid unprepared return: A preliminary analysis from five nations

Placement stability and family support after government-mandated rapid return: A two-year follow-up

Children ‘at risk’: a critical content analysis exploring representations of childhood in Canadian media from the first wave to the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic

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