Perinatal Health Profiles Associated With Removal From the Home and Subsequent Child Protective Services Report in Maltreated Infants.

Infants face the highest risk of abuse and neglect nationally. There is a compelling need to understand the individual risk factors and needs of families of maltreated infants so that prevention efforts can be tailored for optimal effectiveness. Using linked birth certificate and CPS records data, we employed latent class analysis to identify distinct profiles of perinatal health factors associated with infant maltreatment. Classes were then regressed onto two key child welfare outcomes-removal from the home and re-report. Results indicated 10 latent classes primarily associated with supervisory neglect and presumed prenatal substance exposure. Rapid repeat pregnancy, smoking during pregnancy and inadequate prenatal care emerged as key risk factors. Presumed substance exposure was associated with high risk of removal from the home and low risk of re-report. The opposite was found for supervisory neglect. Substantial variation existed across classes and types of maltreatment, suggesting a need for tailored prevention strategies.

Health-risk behaviors and peer pressure of adolescents in the child protective services in Türkiye: A cross-sectional study.

PROBLEM: This study was carried out to investigate the health-risk behaviors and peer pressure of adolescents aged 12-18 years in need of protection at child protective services. METHODS: The data of this cross-sectional study were collected using individual interviews with 85 adolescents living in child homes and child homes buildings complex between February 25 and May 31, 2019. The data were collected using the "Descriptive Information Form," the "Health-Risk Behaviors Questionnaire," and the "Peer Pressure Questionnaire." FINDINGS: The results of study in adolescents were 34.1% were in the risk group in terms of weight, and 41.2% had a psychiatric problem. Among the health-risk behaviors of adolescents; 56.5% did not pay attention to daily nutrition, 51.8% had fast food every day, 54.1% injury behaviors were doing dangerous sports, only 15.3% wore seat belts, 78.8% did not exercise three or more days per week, 38.8% watched television and computer three or more hours per day, 27.1% used painkillers without consulting a doctor, 24.7% applied the health recommendations they read on the internet, 20.0% of the adolescents reported that they went on a diet without consulting the healthcare personnel, and 14.1% voluntary vomited to lose or maintain their weight. And 21.2% of the adolescents were exposed to peer pressure. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that adolescents in need of protection at child protective services have health-risk behaviors and low-level peer pressure.

SCAN for Abuse: Electronic Health Record-Based Universal Child Abuse Screening.

BACKGROUND: Identification of physical abuse at the point of care without a systematic approach remains inherently subjective and prone to judgement error. This study examines the implementation of an electronic health record (EHR)-based universal child injury screen (CIS) to improve detection rates of child abuse. METHODS: CIS was implemented in the EHR admission documentation for all patients age 5 or younger at a single medical center, with the following questions. 1) "Is this patient an injured/trauma patient?" 2) "If this is a trauma/injured patient, where did the injury occur?" A "Yes" response to Question 1 would alert a team of child abuse pediatricians and social workers to determine if a patient required formal child abuse clinical evaluation. Patients who received positive CIS responses, formal child abuse work-up, and/or reports to Child Protective Services (CPS) were reviewed for analysis. CPS rates from historical controls (2017-2018) were compared to post-implementation rates (2019-2021). RESULTS: Between 2019 and 2021, 14,150 patients were screened with CIS. 286 (2.0 %) patients screened received positive CIS responses. 166 (58.0 %) of these patients with positive CIS responses would not have otherwise been identified for child abuse evaluation by their treating teams. 18 (10.8 %) of the patients identified by the CIS and not by the treating team were later reported to CPS. Facility CPS reporting rates for physical abuse were 1.2 per 1000 admitted children age 5 or younger (pre-intervention) versus 4.2 per 1000 (post-intervention). CONCLUSIONS: Introduction of CIS led to increased detection suspected child abuse among children age 5 or younger. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II. TYPE OF STUDY: Study of Diagnostic Test.

Desarrollo infantil y sus principales desafíos en los primeros años de vida: lugar e importancia de los centros de educación y protección del Instituto del Niño y Adolescente del Uruguay / Child development and its main challenges in the first years of life: place and importance of the education and protection centers of the Children and Adolescents Institute of Uruguay

Existe un aumento progresivo de los problemas del neuropsicodesarrollo. Las intervenciones psicoeducativas y sociales oportunas con soporte en evidencias mejoran la evolución a lo largo de la vida de los niños. Los Centros Educativos en Primera Infancia tienen el potencial de identificar precozmente a niños con riesgos de alteraciones en el neuropsicodesarrollo. El Centro de Formación y Estudios del Instituto del Niño y Adolescente del Uruguay convoca a la Unidad Académica de Psiquiatría Pediátrica para la formación y actualización en esta problemática. El objetivo del trabajo es implementar un Programa de Capacitación en desarrollo normal, sus variaciones y desafíos; oportunidades de estimulación, identificación precoz de alteraciones e intervenciones en Centros Educativos en Primera Infancia; simultáneamente capacitar en habilidades de comunicación y trabajo interdisciplinario a posgrados de psiquiatría pediátrica y otras disciplinas de salud mental. Está dirigido a trabajadores del Instituto del Niño y Adolescente del Uruguay que trabajan con niños de 0 a 3 años. La implementación se realiza a través de tres modalidades articuladas, escalando progresivamente en contenidos: 1) Conferencias abiertas. 2) Curso introductorio a través de talleres virtuales sincrónicos. 3) Instancias docentes de profundización con equipos de Centros Educativos en Primera Infancia. Resultados: 2800 inscriptos. Se realizaron dos conferencias (4500 participantes en total), ocho cursos introductorios y se está implementando la modalidad 3 para el año 2024. Las encuestas de satisfacción han sido entre muy buenas-excelente. Se concluye que la implementación de este Programa de Capacitación permite la difusión de conocimientos y el intercambio interdisciplinario, por lo que es necesario continuar la cooperación entre Unidades Académicas, explorar otras modalidades pedagógicas y estudiar el impacto de la capacitación.

A progressive increase in neuro-psycho- developmental problems has taken place; timely evidence-based psycho-educational and social interventions improve children's lifelong development. Early Childhood Educational Centers have the potential for early identification of children at risk for neurodevelopmental disorders. The Training and Studies Center of the Institute of Childhood and Adolescence of Uruguay convenes the Academic Unit of Pediatric Psychiatry for training and updating on this issue. The objective is to implement a Training Program on normal development, its variations and challenges; stimulation opportunities, early identification of changes and interventions in Early Childhood Educational Centers, while training pediatric psychiatry postgraduates and other mental health disciplines in communication skills and interdisciplinary work. Methodology: Aimed at workers of the Institute of Childhood and Adolescence of Uruguay, working with children from 0 to 3 years old. Three articulated modalities, progressively increasing in content: 1) Open lectures. 2) Introductory course: synchronous virtual workshops. 3) Teaching instances with teams from Early Childhood Educational Centers. Results: 2800 participants. Two conferences (4500 participants) and eight introductory courses were held. Modality 3 is being organized for 2024. Satisfaction surveys show very good to excellent results. It is concluded that the implementation of this training Program makes knowledge dissemination and interdisciplinary exchange possible, so it is necessary to continue cooperation between academic units, explore other pedagogical modalities and study training impact.

St. Zenobius, the Patron Saint of Injured Children and Non-accidental Trauma.

St. Zenobius (337-417), second only to John the Baptist as a Patron Saint of Florence, revived a 5-year-old boy who appeared to be dead after he was struck by an ox cart, one of his several acts of resurrection for which he was revered. His miracles inspired some of the greatest artists of the Florentine Republic, including Ghiberti and Botticelli. Celebrated from Late Antiquity as protector of the city, St. Zenobius might also be considered the guardian of injured children. But it wasn't the only instance where he had to revivify an injured child: a boy died while he was entrusted to the saint's care, a circumstance that today would qualify as non-accidental trauma (NAT) from neglect and prompt an investigation from the police and child protective services.

Child protective services contact and youth outcomes.

BACKGROUND: Few studies have investigated whether Child Protective Services (CPS) contact influences child wellbeing, independent of underlying maltreatment and not considered as a proxy for such maltreatment. OBJECTIVE: The present study estimates the association between CPS contact and child delinquency, education, substance use, and mental health and development. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: The study used data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study, a longitudinal birth cohort study of children born in 20 US cities. Study outcomes were based on age-15 interviews with the focal children and their caregivers with sample sizes ranging from 2088 to 2327 across outcomes. METHODS: The relationship between CPS contact and child wellbeing was estimated using the propensity score method of inverse probability of treatment weighting. RESULTS: CPS contact was associated with an 88% increase in the probability of smoking (p = .010), a 29 % increase in externalizing behavior (p < .001), a 27% increase in internalizing behavior (p = .001), a 18 % increase in the probability of being expelled (p = .32), a 7.5 % increase in a depression (p = .002), a 6.9 % increase in anxiety (p = .002), a 6.2 % reduction in happiness (p = .008), a 6.0 % increase in impulsivity (p < .001), and a 5.5 % increase in school troubles (p < .001). CONCLUSIONS: Despite a federal mandate to improve child wellbeing, we found no evidence that contact with the child welfare system improves child outcomes. Rather, CPS contact was associated with worse mental health and developmental outcomes.

Social Work Evaluations Among Pediatric Patients Transferred for Burn Care.

INTRODUCTION: Regionalization efforts aim to improve healthcare by designating specialty centers for a geographic area. Regionalization may play a role in determining patient treatment plans and outcomes. We hypothesize that these factors may be influenced by race, socioeconomics, insurance, and longitudinal follow-up. METHODS: Retrospective review of 81 patients ages 0-18 years evaluated at our Level 2 Trauma Center between February 2016-December 2020 who met criteria for transfer to a Regional Burn Center. RESULTS: 67% of patients were transferred to the Regional Burn Center. There was no difference in the percentage of transferred patients with respect to age, race, ethnicity, insurance type, or rurality of home address. Secondary analysis showed that 57.4% of children were transferred without evaluation by social work. Five patients' injuries were due to non-accidental trauma (NAT); two of these patients were transferred without social work evaluations. 28% of those transferred had documented involvement of Child Protective Services (CPS). Of the 31 transferred patients without social work evaluation, 67% had incomplete or missing notes from the burn center, including 100% of those subsequently confirmed to be due to NAT. Only 32% of patients received follow-up at our institution. CONCLUSION: We identified no differences in transfer percentages with respect to race, ethnicity, or insurance type. Secondary analysis demonstrated a significant gap in care regarding access to records and social work involvement. As NAT and social concerns are common amongst children with burns, we propose policies to ensure that these concerns are not overlooked during regionalization efforts.

Recebimento e encaminhamentos de notificações de casos de violência sexual pelo conselho tutelar / Receiving and forwarding notifications of cases of sexual violence by brazilian child protective services / Recepción de notificaciones y derivaciones de casos de violencia sexual por el consejo tutelar

Objetivou-se compreender os procedimentos de recebimento e encaminhamento de notificações de casos de violência sexual realizados por conselheiros tutelares. Para isso, foram realizadas 10 entrevistas semiestruturadas com conselheiros/as tutelares de duas cidades do norte do Rio Grande do Sul. Os resultados indicaram pouca clareza na definição de violência sexual e de notificação. Foram consideradas notificações exitosas aquelas em que há informações de identificação de prováveis vítimas e agressores/as, enquanto as notificações não exitosas possuem poucas informações desses. Referente aos encaminhamentos, observou-se que há êxito quando os serviços da rede dialogam e se articulam e não êxito quando aspectos burocráticos predominam. Buscando uma melhoria no recebimento e nos encaminhamentos das notificações sobre violência sexual faz-se necessária a formação continuada por meio de capacitações, bem como a construção de fluxogramas para o efetivo trabalho.

We aim to understand the procedures of receiving and forwarding notifications of cases involving sexual violence against children performed by Child Protective Services (CPS). We carried out 10 semi-structured interviews with counselors from two cities of Rio Grande do Sul (a southernmost state in Brazil). The main results indicated little accuracy in defining sexual violence and notification. Successful notifications were those in which there is information that could identify victims and perpetrators. Unsuccessful notifications usually contain little information. Counselors observed successful outcomes in forwarding notifications when the services of the system dialogue and articulate, and unsuccessful ones when bureaucratic aspects predominate. We conclude it is necessary to invest in continuing education through capacitation, as well as constructing flowcharts for effective work in CPS.

El objetivo fue comprender los procedimientos para recibir y reenviar notificaciones de casos de violencia sexual realizados por Consejos Tutelares (CT). Fueron hechas 10 entrevistas semiestructuradas con 10 consejeros tutelares de dos ciudades de Rio Grande do Sul. Los resultados indicaron poca claridad en la definición de violencia sexual y notificación. Las notificaciones exitosas son las que incluyen informaciones que permiten identificar posibles víctimas y agresores. Las notificaciones no exitosas contienen pocas informaciones. Se observó que hay éxito en las derivaciones cuando los servicios de la red dialogan y se articulan y no éxito cuando prevalecen los aspectos burocráticos. La formación continua a través de capacitaciones es necesaria, así como la construcción de diagramas de flujo para el trabajo efectivo del CT.

Co-Reporting of Child Maltreatment and Intimate Partner Violence: The Likelihood of Substantiations and Foster Care Placements.

Intimate partner violence (IPV) negatively affects children. Although IPV-related reports frequently come to the attention of child protective services (CPS), there is neither a unified standard for how CPS systems should respond, nor sufficient research documenting that reaction. The current study used population-based administrative records from California to assess how CPS responds to reported allegations of IPV, with and without physical abuse and/or neglect allegations. We used multinomial regression to model the likelihood of investigation outcomes. Results indicate that 20.7% of CPS reports had IPV alleged during hotline screening, and of those, just 3.2% were screened out compared to 20.2% for reports where IPV was not alleged. Almost half (45.5%) of IPV-alleged reports came from law enforcement, in contrast to 15.2% of reports that did not allege IPV. IPV-alleged reports were more likely to have allegations substantiated without a case opened for services, but less likely to result in foster care placements. Several statistically significant differences were identified by the type of alleged maltreatment co-reported with IPV. This study contributes to an understanding of how CPS responds to IPV-alleged reports.

Explorando el sistema de protección de la niñez en Honduras / Exploring the child protection system in Honduras / Explorando o sistema de proteção infantil em Honduras

Resumen (analítico): Se exploran las prácticas institucionales que facilitan u obstaculizan la protección de derechos de niños, niñas y adolescentes en el sistema de protección de la niñez en Honduras a través de sus diferentes etapas. Desde un diseño de Etnografía Institucional, se realizaron entrevistas a catorce trabajadores de instituciones que trabajan con niñez, y a tres residentes en un domicilio de protección. Como resultado, se identificaron múltiples instancias de denuncia, y una estrecha comunicación entre las mismas. Sin embargo, existe carencia de recursos en el sistema, y prejuicios contra adolescentes de la comunidad LGTBIQ; así como prácticas alimentadas por una concepción tradicional de la niñez. El sistema no solamente parece incumplir con algunos principios de la Convención, sino que se encuentra desbordado por precarias condiciones del contexto nacional.

Abstract (analytical) This study explores institutional practices that either facilitate or hinder the protection of the rights of children and adolescents in the child protection system in Honduras. The research focuses on the different stages that users go through when they request services. Using an institutional ethnography design, semistructured interviews were held with 14 workers from institutions that work with users in the system, as well as with three adolescents living in a protection home were conducted. The main results found that there are multiple mechanisms for reporting cases of child abuse, as well as close communication between the different mechanisms. However, there is a lack of resources in the system as well as prejudice against adolescents from the LGTBIQ community; also, practices are fed by a traditional conception of childhood. The system doesn't just violate some of the principles of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, but that its work is overwhelmed by the precarious conditions in the national context.

Resumo (analítico) Este estudo teve como objetivo explorar práticas institucionais que facilitam ou dificultam a proteção dos direitos das crianças e adolescentes no sistema de proteção à criança em Honduras, através das diferentes etapas. Para isso, com base no desenho de Etnografia Institucional, foram realizadas entrevistas semiestruturadas com quatorze trabalhadores de instituições governamentais e não governamentais e com três adolescentes residentes em um lar de proteção. Entre os principais resultados, constatou-se que existem várias instâncias para relatar casos de abuso infantil, bem como uma estreita comunicação entre elas. No entanto, havia também falta de recursos nas instituições que compõem o sistema, bem preconceitos contra adolescentes da comunidade LGTBIQ. Na análise, muitas práticas são alimentadas por uma concepção tradicional da infância. Por outro lado, o sistema de proteção à criança parece não apenas violar alguns dos princípios da Convenção, mas que seu trabalho é sobrecarregado por precárias condições do contexto nacional.

O trabalho infantojuvenil e a ausência de dados: percepção da rede de proteção / Children's labour and lack of data: perception of the protection network / Trabajo infantil y falta de datos: percepción de la red de protección

Este artigo tem como objetivo identificar as características do trabalho infantojuvenil a partir da rede de proteção dos direitos das crianças e adolescentes. Participaram da pesquisa 35 atores sociais que atuam na Rede de proteção dos direitos da criança e do adolescente de uma cidade mediana na região central do Tocantins. Utilizou-se de um questionário composto por questões abertas e fechadas e para análise dos dados, a Análise Temática de Bardin. A partir da análise, a maioria dos atores sociais respondeu que a instituição em que atuavam não tinha dados sobre o trabalho infantojuvenil, apenas dois afirmaram que tinham registro de trabalho infantojuvenil; no entanto, quase todos os atores sociais entrevistados já viram ou têm conhecimento de crianças e adolescentes em situação de trabalho. Um dado que chama a atenção é que a maioria dos atores sociais considera o trabalho infantojuvenil bom, como dignificante e que possibilita as crianças e adolescentes criarem responsabilidades, contanto que não interfira nos estudos e não ofereça riscos à saúde.(AU)

The objective of this paper is to identify the characteristics of child labour based on the protection network for the rights of children and adolescents. The research included 35 social actors who work in the Network for the protection of the rights of children and adolescents from a medium-sized city in the central region of Tocantins. A questionnaire composed of open and closed questions and for the analysis of the data the Bardin Thematic Analysis was used. From the data, most social actors answered that the institution they worked in did not have data on child and youth work, only two stated that they had child and youth work records, however, almost all social actors interviewed have seen or have knowledge of children and adolescents in work situations. A fact that draws attention is that most social actors consider child and youth work to be good, dignified and that allows children and adolescents to create responsibilities, as long as it does not interfere with studies and does not offer health risks.(AU)

Este artículo tiene como objetivo identificar las características del trabajo infantil y juvenil basado en la red de protección de los derechos de niños, niñas y adolescentes. Participaron en la investigación 35 actores sociales que trabajan en la Red para la protección de los derechos de niños, niñas y adolescentes de una ciudad mediana en la región central de Tocantins. Se utilizó un cuestionario compuesto por preguntas abiertas y cerradas y para el análisis de los datos se utilizó el Análisis temático de Bardin. A partir de los datos, la mayoría de los actores sociales respondieron que la institución en la que trabajaban no tenía datos sobre el trabajo infantil y juvenil, solo dos declararon que tenían registros de trabajo infantil y juvenil, sin embargo, casi todos los actores sociales entrevistados han visto o tienen conocimiento de los niños. y adolescentes en situaciones laborales. Un hecho que llama la atención es que la mayoría de los actores sociales consideran que el trabajo infantil y juvenil es bueno, digno y que permite a los niños y adolescentes crear responsabilidades, siempre que no interfiera con los estudios y no ofrezca riesgos para la salud.(AU)

Smoking prevalence and desire to quit among employees in Transylvanian foster care homes.

OBJECTIVES: Few studies have investigated smoking habits among foster care home children and employees, who are at high risk for smoking. Additionally, there are no published studies on the intention to quit smoking among employees of the Romanian Child Protection system, a gap we address in this manuscript. METHODS: A repeated cross-sectional survey was conducted among foster care employees in three Transylvanian counties (Mures, Sibiu, Covasna) in January 2014 to February 2015 (baseline) and September-December 2016 (follow-up). A foster home-based smoking prevention and cessation intervention targeting employees and children was conducted between the two waves. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine associations between socio-demographics, reasons for smoking, tobacco use patterns, reasons for quitting, and tobacco policy attitudes on intention to quit (dependent variable), controlling for participation in the smoking prevention intervention. RESULTS: 305 employees participated in the baseline (76.4% of females, 23.6% of males) and 304 employees in the follow-up surveys (68.8% of females, 31.2% of males) after the smoking prevention and cessation intervention. At baseline, 34.8% of respondents reported that no one was smoking within the foster care home, which increased to 59.1% at follow-up (p < 0.001). Being male and a high level of professional satisfaction were the only correlates of intention to quit in the bivariate models at baseline. Professional satisfaction and a belief that smoking is bad for one's health were the only correlates of intention to quit at follow-up. In multivariable models, professional satisfaction was the only consistent predictor of intention to quit at both time points (OR 5.63, 95% CI 1.71-18.56; OR 4.98, 95% CI 1.43-17.30). CONCLUSIONS: Efforts should be made to promote cessation among foster care employees that includes evidence-based support, along with compliance to policies that prohibit smoking indoors to reinforce cessation efforts.

Assessment of the validity of the AUDIT factor structure in parents involved with child protective services.

Background: Identification of hazardous alcohol use is a critical step in connecting individuals to treatment and child protective services (CPS) is a treatment entry-point for parents if hazardous use is identified. The Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT) is a common screening tool in this setting. However, prior research identifies one to three factors in the AUDIT, revealing uncertainty in the perception and/or impact of alcohol use. Determining the factor structure of the AUDIT for CPS-involved parents is important for its relevance and use in CPS. Objectives: This analysis examines the type and number of factors present in a sample of parents involved with CPS. Methods: Using confirmatory factor analysis (CFA), this study compares the one-, two-, and three-factor structures of the AUDIT in a large sample of CPS-involved parents (N = 4009, 90.8% female, 9.2% male) and a sub-sample who endorsed alcohol use (N = 1950). This analysis used data from Waves I and II of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II. Results: In the main sample, the two-factor (RMSEA = .044, 90% CI: 0.039-0.048; CFI = 0.967; TLI = 0.956) and three-factor (RMSEA = .045, 90% CI: 0.041-0.050; CFI = 0.966; TLI = 0.952) fit better than the single factor model (RMSEA = .072, 90% CI: 0.067-0.076; CFI = 0.908; TLI = 0.881). In the three-factor model two of the factors had a correlation of 0.99; parsimonious models are usually preferable. Sub-sample results were similar. Conclusions: The two-factor AUDIT is appropriate for screening CPS-involved parents. Screening with the AUDIT should improve early identification and referral to treatment for CPS-involved parents with hazardous alcohol use.

It's not "Just poverty": Educational, social, and economic functioning among young adults exposed to childhood neglect, abuse, and poverty.

BACKGROUND: Neglect is the most common allegation in Child Protective Services (CPS) investigations. Researchers and media have questioned whether and how CPS-investigated neglect differs from poverty. Prior studies are limited by self-reported or cross-sectional measures, small samples, and short observation periods. OBJECTIVE: (1) To estimate the "added harm" of CPS-investigated neglect, net of poverty exposure (depth and duration), on high school completion, employment and earnings, incarceration, and teen parenthood; (2) To assess whether abuse is a stronger risk factor for adverse outcomes than neglect. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: 29,154 individuals born in 1993-1996 from Milwaukee County, WI, who either received food assistance or were reported to CPS before age 16. METHOD: Using logistic regression with a rich set of social and demographic controls, we compared individuals with CPS-investigated neglect, abuse, or both abuse and neglect in early childhood or adolescence to those who experienced poverty but not CPS involvement. We calculated cumulative measures of poverty duration and poverty depth between ages 0 and 16 for the full sample using public benefit records. RESULTS: Outcomes among children with alleged or confirmed neglect were statistically significantly worse in all domains than impoverished children without maltreatment allegations, and similar to children with alleged or confirmed abuse. Effect sizes varied by outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Overall, this study suggests that CPS allegations of neglect are distinct from poverty and an important risk factor for adverse outcomes in adulthood.

Post-implementation of a Safe Harbor law in the U.S.: Review of state administrative data.

BACKGROUND: Safe harbor laws have been implemented to change the way systems of care respond to juveniles exploited in commercial sex in the U.S., yet there is little research on the way these laws have impacted the identification and rehabilitation of juveniles. OBJECTIVE: Using administrative data, this study investigates the impact of a safe harbor law enacted in one state in the U.S. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING: This study examines secondary data on juveniles with prostitution-related charges from 2007 to 2017 (n = 17); juveniles who were screened for human trafficking by juvenile court personnel (n = 56,937); (3) screenings for human trafficking with juveniles in the juvenile justice system (n = 12,223); and (4) juveniles who were reported to the child welfare agency as possible victims of human trafficking (n = 697). The number of criminal cases of human trafficking involving victims under the age of 18 years old from 2007 to 2017 were analyzed by calendar year (n = 61). METHODS: Aggregate, administrative data was accessed and analyzed. RESULTS: Findings show that juvenile justice and juvenile court personnel are screening for trafficking at an increasing rate and making referrals to the child welfare system as mandated by law. However, a relatively low percentage of these cases are substantiated, confirmed and/or result in criminal charges to the trafficker. Despite safe harbor mandates that prohibit the charging of juveniles with prostitution offenses, there is evidence that this is still occurring in small numbers. CONCLUSIONS: Based on these findings, researchers have identified next steps to facilitate future investigations of safe harbor laws.

Agentes del sistema de protección en Uruguay: sentidos del cuidado / Agentes do sistema de proteção no Uruguai: sentidos de cuidado / Agents of the protection system in Uruguay: meanings of care

El artículo analiza los sentidos que los/as agentes del sistema de protección social a la infancia y adolescencia en Uruguay atribuyen al cuidado. El diseño es cualitativo y se realiza un estudio de caso de tipo descriptivo, en profundidad, con enfoque etnográfico y el corpus se compone de entrevistas, documentos, observaciones y registro en diario de campo. Los resultados muestran seis categorías; estructura y recursos, necesidades, derechos, construcción de cotidiano, familia, y egreso del sistema que agrupan las reflexiones acerca del cuidado en este contexto institucional. Dentro de las conclusiones se visualiza la heterogeneidad de sentidos influidos por los roles y posiciones que se ocupan, formaciones y centros donde se desempeñan. Y la importancia de una redefinición de la ética del cuidado en el sistema de protección, la dotación de recursos para una efectiva materialidad del cuidado y la urgencia de implementar un proyecto de desinstitucionalización.

O artigo analisa os significados que os agentes do sistema de proteção social para crianças e adolescentes no Uruguai atribuem ao cuidado. O delineamento é qualitativo a partir de um estudo de caso do tipo descritivo e em profundidade com um corpus de entrevistas, documentos, observações e registros em diário de campo. Os resultados mostram seis categorias; estrutura e recursos, necessidades, direitos, construção da vida cotidiana, família e desligamento do sistema que agrupam as reflexões sobre o cuidado nesse contexto institucional. Dentro das conclusões é visualizada a heterogeneidade de sentidos influenciados pelas posições ocupadas, treinamento e centros onde eles trabalham. O artigo conclui com a importância de uma redefinição da ética do cuidado no sistema de proteção, a alocação de recursos para uma materialidade efetiva do cuidado e a urgência de implementar um projeto de desinstitucionalização.

The article analyzes the meanings that the agents of the social protection system for children and adolescents in Uruguay attribute to care. The research design is qualitative and a descriptive, indepth, case study with ethnographic approach is carried out along a corpus of interviews, documents, observations, and a field-notes journal. The results show six categories; structure and resources, needs, rights, construction of daily life, family, and discharge of the system that envolve the reflections about care in this institutional context. Within the conclusions is visualized the heterogeneity of meanings influenced by the roles and positions that are occupied, trainment and centers where they perform. And the importance of a redefinition of the ethics of care in the protection system, the allocation of resources for an effective materiality of care and the urgency of implementing a deinstitutionalization project.

Failure to Provide Adequate Palliative Care May Be Medical Neglect.

Doctors are required to notify Child Protective Services (CPS) if parents do not provide appropriate medical care for their children. But criteria for reporting medical neglect are vague. Which treatments properly fall within the realm of shared decision-making in which parents can decide whether to accept doctors' recommendations? Which treatments are so clearly in the child's interest that it would be neglectful to refuse them? When to report medical neglect concerns to CPS may be controversial. It would seem inhumane to allow a child to suffer because of parental refusal to administer proper analgesia. In this ethics rounds, we present a case of an adolescent with chronic pain who is terminally ill. Her parents were not adherent to recommended analgesia regimens. Her palliative care team had to decide whether to report the case to CPS.

Child abuse and the pediatric surgeon: A position statement from the Trauma Committee, the Board of Governors and the Membership of the American Pediatric Surgical Association.

BACKGROUND: The pediatric surgeon is in a unique position to assess, stabilize, and manage a victim of child physical abuse (formerly nonaccidental trauma [NAT]) in the setting of a formal trauma system. METHODS: The American Pediatric Surgical Association (APSA) endorses the concept of child physical abuse as a traumatic disease that justifies the resource utilization of a trauma system to appropriately evaluate and manage this patient population including evaluation by pediatric surgeons. RESULTS: APSA recommends the implementation of a standardized tool to screen for child physical abuse at all state designated trauma or ACS verified trauma and children's surgery hospitals. APSA encourages the admission of a suspected child abuse patient to a surgical trauma service because of the potential for polytrauma and increased severity of injury and to provide reliable coordination of services. Nevertheless, APSA recognizes the need for pediatric surgeons to participate in a multidisciplinary team including child abuse pediatricians, social work, and Child Protective Services (CPS) to coordinate the screening, evaluation, and management of patients with suspected child physical abuse. Finally, APSA recognizes that if a pediatric surgeon suspects abuse, a report to CPS for further investigation is mandated by law. CONCLUSION: APSA supports data accrual on abuse screening and diagnosis into a trauma registry, the NTDB and the Pediatric ACS TQIP® for benchmarking purposes and quality improvement.

Cohort profile: Children in Need Census (CIN) records of children referred for social care support in England.

PURPOSE: The Children in Need Census (CIN) is a case-based administrative dataset on children referred to social care services in England. CIN includes information on the 'needs' of children, and whether they received social care support. Local and national government bodies in England currently use CIN for evaluation purposes. Data are accessible to researchers under certain conditions, allowing researchers to investigate the health implications of adverse childhood experiences. However, CIN suffers from lack of metadata, meaning it can be challenging for researchers to process and interpret data, particularly if researchers are unfamiliar with the English children's social care system. To address this issue, we provide the background to CIN and describe the available data from 2008 to 2016. PARTICIPANTS: CIN is derived from case records held by English local authorities on all children referred to children's social care for a 'needs assessment', regardless of whether they are eventually assessed as 'in need of social care support'. Local authorities submit these case records to the UK Department for Education for collation. CIN holds information on an estimated 2.76 million children from October 2008 to March 2016. Since 2013/2014, just under 900 000 children have been recorded in the CIN annually, equivalent to around 8% of children in England (annual prevalence). Approximately, 650 000 children enter or renter the dataset each year, equivalent to 5% of children in England (annual incidence). DATA SUMMARY: Of the estimated 2.76 million children in the data, 50% are male and 47% female. 45% are referred to children's social care services due to abuse or neglect. 10.7% of children in CIN went onto a child protection plan, meaning they were judged to be (at risk of) suffering significant harm. FUTURE PLANS: CIN data collection is annual and ongoing. Data from the most recent census period typically become available for researchers in the following Spring.

Percepción de stakeholders de Chile Crece Contigo, acerca de su implementación en la comuna de Concepción, Chile / Perception of Chile Crece Contigo stakeholders on its implementation in the Commune of Concepción, Chile

RESUMEN Objetivo Explorar la percepción de los stakeholders vinculados al subsistema de protección de la infancia "Chile Crece Contigo" en lo que respecta a su implementación en la comuna de Concepción, Chile. Métodos Estudio cualitativo. Se utilizaron entrevistas semiestructuradas y un focus group como técnicas de recolección de información. Se realizó un muestreo teórico en base a la representación de los niveles de decisión y poder respecto a la implementa-ción de Chile Crece Contigo en la comuna de Concepción. Los datos fueron analizados con el software ATLAS.ti 6.2. Resultados Destacaron como logros la alta valoración de Chile Crece Contigo, junto con, la capacidad de instalar temas tan relevantes como el cuidado de la primera infancia. El aspecto no logrado más importante fue el aprovechamiento de los beneficios entregados y la difusión de la política. El mayor facilitador de la implementación fue el compromiso con el Chile Crece Contigo, mientras la mayor barrera, la situación contractual de los profesionales. Finalmente, como aspectos a mejorar se apuntaron la infraestructura, la articulación de la red Chile Crece Contigo y los recursos asociados a la política. Conclusión La implementación de Chile Crece Contigo en la comuna de Concepción ha alcanzado una alta valoración y reconocimiento en la comunidad, sin embargo, aún se requiere trabajar en el logro de aspectos relacionados con la articulación de los distintos stakeholders que componen la red Chile Crece Contigo, la difusión de la política en todos los niveles y el mejor aprovechamiento de los beneficios entregados a la población.(AU)

ABSTRACT Objective To explore the perception of stakeholders on the implementation policy of the childhood protection subsystem "Chile Crece Contigo" in the Commune of Concepción, Chile. Materials and Methods Qualitative study. Semi-structured interviews and a focus group were used as information gathering techniques. A theoretical sampling was carried out based on the representation of decision and power levels with regard to the implementation of Chile Crece Contigo in the Commune of Concepción. The data were analyzed with the ATLAS.ti 6.2 software. Results The most notable achievements highlighted by interviewees were the high valuation of Chile Crece Contigo, along with the possibility of placing relevant subjects such as first childhood care into the agenda. On the contrary, taking advantage of benefits delivered by the program and the dissemination of the policy were deemed as not achieved. The main facilitator of the implementation was the commitment of the beneficiaries to Chile Crece Contigo, while the most important barrier identified was the contract modality of professionals. Finally, aspects to be improved included infrastructure of facilities, the Chile Crece Contigo network articulation and the funds to secure sustainability of the program over time. Conclusion The implementation of Chile Crece Contigo in the Commune of Concepción has achieved high recognition in the community, however, it is still necessary to work on the achievement of aspects related to the articulation of the different stakeholders that make up the Chile Crece Contigo network, the diffusion of politics at all levels, and the best use of the benefits delivered to the population.(AU)