Supporting birth parents’ relationships with children following removal: A scoping review

Healy, Karen; Venables, Jemma; Walsh, Tamara

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2023.106961

Cited by 6 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…In the introduction to this article, we mentioned that the Social Services Act states that children in OHC should have an appointed social worker, but parents are not allotted a social worker when their children are taken into care. Our findings point to the same conclusions as international research; that these parents do not receive emotional and practical support from social services (Healy et al, 2023). Nevertheless, parents suffer from moral injury in relation to direct and indirect contact with the social service, as social workers might violate what the parent perceives as a moral right.…”

Section: Unrecognized Parental Suffering: Implications For Child Prot...supporting

confidence: 85%

“…A scoping review of programmes aimed at birth parents of children in OHC found that attempts at reunification and support for birth parents to provide emotional and practical support for their children are rare (Healy et al, 2023). Syrstad and Slettebø (2020) argue that social workers need to work in partnership with parents who involuntarily have children placed in care (Slettebø, 2013).…”

Section: Working With Parents Of Children In Carementioning

confidence: 99%

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Exploring moral injury among parents with children in out‐of‐home care

Wissö,

Melke,

Josephson

2024

Child & Family Social Work

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This article brings together the experiences of parents whose children are placed in out‐of‐home care (OHC) with the theoretical concept of moral injury. The findings are based on empirical data from a research and development project conducted in seven Swedish municipalities with the aim of developing support for such parents. This article draws on a data set of qualitative interviews with 40 parents, 30 mothers and 10 fathers, with children in OHC. The interview transcripts were analysed thematically, with an abductive approach to theories and the empirical data. The findings illustrate how parents of children in OHC experience moral injury in relation to seven aspects: professionals' morally problematic and distressing behaviour, problematic services, an adversarial system, systemic bias, parent's actions, children's withdrawal and feeling excluded. The injuries are related to events in several periods—prior to the child's removal, during the execution of removal and during OHC—and tend to last for many years. These findings stress that the social services must be aware of the injuries parents experience and must minimize the possible harm and moral injury. We also suggest that parents of children in OHC should have an appointed social worker as a means of support.

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Section: Unrecognized Parental Suffering: Implications For Child Prot...supporting

confidence: 85%