September 2019 – Present
Study Title: Promoting Attachment and Mitigating the Risk of Infant Maltreatment among Young Expectant Mothers Involved in the Child Welfare System
Principal Investigator: Dr. Bryn King, Associate Professor, Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto
Funding: Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) Insight Grant
About the Study:
This study explores the lived experiences of young and expectant mothers with child welfare involvement in Ontario. Twenty-one interviews with young mothers in Ontario who had previous experience with child welfare services were conducted and analyzed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis. Young mothers believed the primary reason for their increased surveillance in the community was their youth. Their age was associated with the circumstances that triggered an investigation, including their living and caregiving situations, their previous history of child welfare involvement, and their financial and social circumstances.
Progress: We are currently engaged in knowledge mobilization initiatives!
Publications Related to This Project
King, B., Goulden, A., Appiah, J., Wong, F., & Chowdhury, R. (2023). “Because I’m young”: Experiences of young mothers with child welfare involvement. Clinical Social Work Journal, 1-20.
Goulden, A., Hoekstra, K., & King, B. (2023). A scoping review of programs for young mothers with child welfare involvement in Canada and the United States. Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal, 40, 299-312.
King, B., Fallon, B., Goulden, A., O’Connor, C. & Filippelli, J. (2019). What constitutes risk for young mothers? An examination of child protection investigations involving adolescent and transition-age mothers. Families in Society, 100(4), 409-421.
Presentations Related to This Project
Goulden, A., Chowdhury, R., Wong, F., Appiah, P., King, B. (2024, January). (Un)expected allies and adversaries: Relationships that define young mothers’ experiences with the child welfare system (oral paper). 28th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research. Washington, District of Columbia.
King, B., Goulden, A., Appiah, J., & Wong, F. (2023, January). “Because I’m young”: Experiences of young mothers with child welfare involvement (oral paper). 27th Annual Conference of the Society for Social Work and Research. Phoenix, Arizona.
1 Goulden, A., Hoeskstra, K., & King, B. (2020, January). Programs for young mothers with child welfare involvement in Canada and the United States: A scoping review (oral paper). Society for Social Work and Research. Washington, District of Columbia.
King, B., Fallon, B., O’Connor, C., & Goulden, A. (2019, January). What constitutes risk among young mothers? Examining the determination that very young children are at risk for future maltreatment during a child protection investigation (oral paper). Society for Social Work and Research. San Francisco, California.