Susan Yoon

Rural families have unmet service needs due to geographic isolation, lack of service providers, and unavailability of transportation supports. Rural children are at a greater risk for child maltreatment, with higher rates of investigated and substantiated child maltreatment compared to urban children. The current study sought to understand how child protective services caseworkers and supervisors perceive service needs of families in the rural areas where they work. Through in-depth qualitative interviews with 27 child welfare workers in rural [masked for peer review], three themes emerged: (1) material and economic support; (2) family and child support; and (3) health and social services. Interview participants emphasized the interconnected nature of these needs and the ways in which these needs relate to child maltreatment in rural communities.

This prospective study of young children ( M = 11.62 months, SD = 8.28) with prior child welfare contact examined trajectories of exposure to various types of maltreatment (i.e., domestic violence, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, physical abuse, and neglect) as risk factors for children’s psychopathology sequelae. Data were drawn from 1,059 children (52% male, 48% female; 39% White, 28% Hispanic, 27% Black) in the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being II. Repeated-measures latent class analysis identified four trajectories of child maltreatment exposure: “Stable Low Multi-Type,” “Increasing Emotional–Physical,” “Stable High Emotional–Physical,” and “Stable High Multi-Type.” Maltreatment trajectories significantly predicted internalizing ( χ ² [3] = 21.89, p < .001) and externalizing symptoms ( χ ² [3] = 33.04, p < .001). Children in both the “Stable High Multi-Type” trajectory ( M = 18.42, SE = 1.05, p < .001) and the “Increasing Emotional–Physical” trajectory ( M = 14.61, SE = 0.53, p < .01) exhibited elevated externalizing symptoms. The “Increasing Emotional–Physical” trajectory was associated with elevated internalizing symptoms ( M = 13.27, SE = 0.93, p < .001). Findings indicate the need for continuous, comprehensive assessment of maltreatment exposure and underscore the value of early, targeted interventions in enhancing children’s well-being.

Understanding how protective factors and strengths operate to promote positive youth development is critical for supporting youth who have experienced childhood maltreatment. Guided by the Resilience Portfolio Model, including the poly-strengths framework, this study examined how both the configuration (i.e., strengths portfolios) and cumulative presence (i.e., number of strengths) of multi-level strengths predict adolescents’ prosocial behaviors and academic achievement. Data were drawn from the second cohort of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being and included 357 adolescents (M_age = 13.21 years; 40.34% boys). Latent class analysis was conducted to identify distinct patterns of strengths, and Ordinary Least Squares regression analysis was used to examine the cumulative effects of poly-strengths. Results indicated that adolescents in the Multi-domain resilience portfolios group consistently demonstrated the best prosocial and academic outcomes. A future-oriented group that struggled with regulation generally appeared to have higher functioning than a well-regulated group with limited meaning and connection. Although the overall number of strengths (i.e., poly-strengths) predicted greater prosocial skills, it did not significantly predict academic achievement. These findings provide empirical support for resilience models that account for both the cumulative and configurational nature of strengths in youth development following maltreatment.

This study examines patterns of harsh parenting within families and explores the associations between cumulative risks and these patterns. Drawing on data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study collecting data from 20 large cities across the United States, latent profile analysis was utilized to identify distinct profiles of maternal and paternal harsh parenting behaviours among 2175 families with 9‐year‐old children. Three profiles were identified: the maternal harsh parenting profile (4.65%), the paternal harsh parenting with maternal psychological aggression profile (4.41%) and the low harsh parenting profile (90.94%). Maternal cumulative risks emerged as significant predictors of membership in the maternal harsh parenting profile. Boy was associated with a high possibility of being a member of both the maternal harsh parenting profile and the paternal harsh parenting with maternal psychological aggression profile. Furthermore, younger fathers were more likely to belong to the paternal harsh parenting profile with the maternal psychological aggression profile. These findings underscore the importance of considering family‐level harsh parenting patterns and cumulative risk factors in understanding harsh parenting behaviours. The results have significant implications for developing tailored interventions to address specific family parenting patterns and cumulative risk factors, ultimately improving parenting outcomes and child well‐being.

Purpose: With rising nonmarital births and the adverse effects of poverty on families, understanding discipline patterns among low-income, unmarried parents is essential. Prior studies have often focused on individual parents, typically mothers, leaving dyadic parenting dynamics underexplored. This study aimed to identify distinct patterns of parental discipline within dyadic family systems in low-income, unmarried families and examine parental, interparental, and child factors predicting group membership and associated child outcomes. Method: Data were drawn from the Building Strong Families study, a longitudinal study of low-income couples. Analyses included 1,466 couples living together at the 36-month follow-up. Latent class analysis with a three-step procedure identified discipline patterns, examined parental, interparental, and child predictors, and compared child externalizing behavior across groups. Results: Four discipline patterns emerged: (1) Mother harsh discipline (22.31%), with mothers’ frequent harsh and positive discipline; (2) Father harsh discipline (26.12%), with fathers’ frequent harsh discipline; (3) Both harsh discipline (19.65%), with both parents using harsh strategies; and (4) Both positive discipline (31.92%), with both parents consistently using positive, non-violent approaches. Maternal education, employment, intimate partner violence (IPV), fathers’ coparenting support, and paternal parenting stress predicted group membership. Children in the both harsh and maternal harsh groups exhibited the highest externalizing behavior, whereas those in the both positive group had the lowest. Conclusions: Discipline patterns varied by severity and alignment between parents. Maternal harsh discipline posed a significant risk, while consistent positive parenting was protective. Findings emphasize dyadic, family-centered interventions, IPV prevention, and early screening to support vulnerable families.

Harsh parenting poses significant risks to children's emotional, cognitive and behavioural development. This study examines the interplay of maternal and paternal risk factors for harsh parenting through psychometric network analysis, emphasizing their interconnectedness within family systems. Data from the Future of Families and Child Wellbeing Study, collected in 20 large cities across the USA, were analysed to construct separate networks for maternal, paternal and combined parental factors. The results identify parental depression as the central factor across all networks, highlighting its pivotal role in shaping harsh parenting behaviours. Material hardship and coparenting difficulties also emerged as influential factors, closely interacting with depression. While the maternal and paternal networks exhibited notable similarities, the combined network revealed strong interconnections between maternal and paternal risk factors, underscoring the importance of a dyadic approach to understanding family dynamics. The findings suggest that interventions targeting parental depression and financial stress could yield the most substantial impact on other interconnected risk factors. Adopting a family systems perspective that integrates both maternal and paternal influences is essential for designing effective, tailored interventions to support healthier family dynamics and child development.

Background: Health disparities by race are present within the child welfare population, with Black children and caregivers experiencing some of the poorest health outcomes. However, it is unclear whether child welfare system factors or existing health conditions drive such health disparities. Objective: This secondary data analysis study tested longitudinal and reciprocal associations between child welfare system factors (i.e., child welfare system-identified service needs, provision of services, caseworker–caregiver relationship satisfaction), caregiver physical and mental health, and child health, and examined whether these associations differed for Black and White families affected by the U.S. child welfare system. Participants and Setting: Data were from the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-Being Second Cohort (NSCAW-II; N = 2,732). Methods Random intercept cross-lagged panel modeling (RI-CLPM) was conducted. Multigroup modeling (MGM) was employed for race moderation. Results: Child welfare system-identified service needs at W1 were linked with decreased caregiver mental health at W2 (b = -.06, p = .04). Caregiver mental health at W1 was linked with decreased service needs at W2 (b = -.11, p = .014). Child welfare system provision of services at W1 was linked with decreased caregiver physical health at W2 (b = -.06, p = .002). Caregiver mental health at W2 was linked with increased child health at W3 (b = .07, p = .03). Black and White families exhibited different child welfare processes. Conclusions: Child welfare system factors may be predominant drivers of child and caregiver health. Culturally tailored approaches are critically needed to reduce health disparities involving Black children and families.

Parents who experience prenatal and early postnatal psychological distress are at higher risk of exhibiting parental hostility, which has an adverse impact on children's behavioral development. The current study investigated longitudinal associations between mothers' and fathers' early psychological distress and later parental hostility and children's behavior problems. The current study also examined whether perceptions of positive coparenting can serve as a haven of psychological safety to buffer the negative spillover from one's own and one's partner's psychological distress to one's later parental hostility. Data were drawn from the Building Strong Families project. Mothers and fathers (1998 families; 63% Black, 27% White; 16% Latinx; averaged 24 years old) reported their psychological distress during pregnancy or shortly after childbirth and reported their positive coparenting at 15 months. At 36 months, parental hostility was assessed via observations, and mothers reported children's behavior problems. The results showed that when parents perceived low positive coparenting, mothers' greater psychological distress was associated with higher fathers' hostility, whereas fathers' greater psychological distress was associated with lower mothers' hostility; these associations waned when parents perceived high positive coparenting. Both mothers' and fathers' hostility were positively associated with children's internalizing behavior problems, and fathers' hostility was positively associated with children's externalizing behavior problems. Strengthening coparenting relationships may be especially helpful for protecting children from elevated paternal hostility in contexts where mothers face elevated psychological distress.

Objective: This study aimed to explore the potential effects of a child welfare service delivery model called Ohio START (Sobriety, Treatment, And Reducing Trauma), a certified affiliate of the national START (Sobriety, Treatment, and Recovery Teams) model, which supports families through case closure. Background: Few family‐based interventions targeting parental substance use disorder and child maltreatment among child welfare systems‐impacted families have been evaluated. Methods: Participants ( N = 198) completed surveys on family protective factors (i.e., social support, concrete support, family functioning, parenting knowledge, attachment) and sociodemographics. Six to 12 months following pretest completion, parents completed the post‐START evaluation (i.e., duplicate surveys from enrollment, satisfaction survey [open−/closed‐ended items]). Results: Descriptive statistics showed high levels of family protective factors pre‐ and post‐START. Paired‐samples t tests showed statistically significant increases in family functioning, t (74) = −2.09, p = .040, and total family protective factors post‐START compared with pre‐START, t (74) = −2.20, p = .031. However, no statistically significant increases were observed in other subscales. Thematic content analysis of open‐ended survey items revealed the following themes: concrete resources, positive relationships with staff, family reunification, and willingness to participate in START again. Conclusion: Results suggest the potential for START to promote resilience among this population. Implications: Findings have implications for further investment in family‐based models for this population that integrate peer supporters and use identified family strengths.