Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Conflicts, Concerns And Family Circumstances In Custodial Grandmothers Over 8 Years, Cristina Noriega, Carol Musil, Jaclene Zauszniewski, Camille Warner

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

Although many grandmothers raising grandchildren experience transitions in their roles as family strains and circumstances change, little longitudinal data has been examined. This qualitative study assessed the relationships between custodial grandmothers’ appraisals of their family conflicts and concerns and family circumstances across eight years. Participants were thirty-five Ohio grandmothers who were raising their grandchildren in 2006-2007 and provided additional self-report survey data in 2008-2009 and 2014-2015. Data were gathered from open-ended questions that were analyzed through conventional content analysis. The reported concerns were financial and emotional difficulties, grandchildren outcomes, mental and physical health of the grandchild and other family members, …

Kinship Diversion In The District Of Columbia: A Review Of Local Practice To Inform National Policy, Marla P. Spindel, Beth A. Stekler, Stephanie Ridgway Mcclellan

GrandFamilies: The Contemporary Journal of Research, Practice and Policy

This article addresses a practice commonly known in the child welfare community as “kinship diversion,” where a child welfare agency informally places children with relatives as an alternative to foster care. While evidence predominantly shows that abused and neglected children have better outcomes when they are placed with relatives when they cannot remain safely at home, serious concerns about these children’s safety and well-being arise when the placement with relatives is informal. Indeed, it is often not understood that these same relatives can be approved as foster parents and can receive essential financial assistance and supportive services to help safely …

Journey Interrupted: A Phenomenological Exploration Of Miscarriage, Marit A. Watson, Vanessa D. Jewell, Sarah L. Smith

The Open Journal of Occupational Therapy

Background: Miscarriage is a significant life event that impacts occupational performance, identity, and competence and that influences perceptions of motherhood. Because of the lack of social rituals often attributed to the death of a loved one, miscarriages may result in disenfranchised grief, which impedes coping.

Methods: This phenomenological study explored the impact of miscarriage on relationships, perceptions of motherhood, and the meaning of occupation in the context of grief. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews (N = 4) and completion of a brief demographic questionnaire. The interviews were digitally recorded, transcribed verbatim, and reviewed to ensure accuracy. Using inductive thematic …