Videos by Niels P E T E R Rygaard
Examples from Fairstart staff educations and caregiver trainings with partner organizations in In... more Examples from Fairstart staff educations and caregiver trainings with partner organizations in Indonesia (with ReAct Indonesia), East Africa (with SOS Children's Villages), and Greenland (with the National Board of Social Work and Prevention).
For a video describing the online classroom staff educations and training programs, please go to: shorturl.at/fjnxy 7 views
Papers by Niels P E T E R Rygaard
Fairstart Report 2021, 2021
Fairstart Foundation Denmark 202: Evaluation Report SOS Children’s Villages and Fairstart’s educa... more Fairstart Foundation Denmark 202: Evaluation Report SOS Children’s Villages and Fairstart’s educations in caregiver and family training. The report sums up pre-and post training outcomes for foster parents and their children/youth in care, after eight times of three hour group training sessions. Trainings were conducted by local SOS Children's VIllage staff, in Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zanzibar and Ethiopia while they were enrolled in Fairstart´s 6 month online classrooms for staff. Fairstart performs these educations for SOS Children´Villages Denmark, as part of this organizations African project "Quality in Alternative Care"
Vulnerable Children and Youth Studies An International Interdisciplinary Journal for Research, Policy and Care, 2022
Given the lack of validated screening tools for the well-being of children and caregivers in fami... more Given the lack of validated screening tools for the well-being of children and caregivers in family-based care in low-income settings, the present study aimed to test the psychometric quality of two newly developed tools: Scorecard A as a screener for children’s emotional and behavioral problems and Scorecard B as a screener for caregivers’ well-being and resources.
The study was conducted within the framework of an ongoing caregiver training program in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and included a sample of 124 caregivers and 99 children (57 girls, Mage = 9.30, SD = 4.65, range 3-17) divided in three equally sized age groups of preschool (3 to
5 years), primary school (6 to 12 years) and secondary school age (13 to 17 years). Caregivers reported on children`s emotional and behavioral problems using Scorecard A and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) administered as a structured interview. A subsample
(n = 78) of caregivers participated in another structured interview on various aspects of their well-being and caregiving resources, based on which interviewers rated Scorecard B.
Additionally, caregivers completed Scorecard B and measures of their well-being and resources administered as self-report questionnaires. All assessments were conducted twice with an interval of one week. Scorecard A showed good internal consistency and test-retestreliability
across age groups and significant associations with the SDQ total score and subscales indicate convergent validity, particularly among preschool-aged children. The internal consistency of Scorecard B was acceptable in the questionnaire and good in the interviewer rating, while re-test-reliability in both modes and inter-rater reliability between interviewer and caregiver rating were moderate. Associations with established measures of
well-being and resources provided evidence for convergent validity of Scorecard B. The Scorecards hold promise as brief screening tools to identify children and caregivers with difficulties and evaluate intervention programs in low-resource contexts.
Klimaatverandering, migratie, verstedelijking en de geestelijke gezondheid van bedreigde kinderen in de Europese Unie Een discussie over de behoefte aan grootschalige interventies, 2020
This is the Dutch translation of the author's paper: Climate Change, Migration, Urbanization, and... more This is the Dutch translation of the author's paper: Climate Change, Migration, Urbanization, and the Mental Health of Children at Risk in the European Union
- A Discussion of the Need for Large Scale Interventions. IN: Special Issue: Psychology and the Environmental Crisis, Original Articles and Reviews
Published Online: July 15 2021.
The American Psychologist, 2020
Spanish translation of the preprint of my paper in the American Psychologist "Improving the Menta... more Spanish translation of the preprint of my paper in the American Psychologist "Improving the Mental Health of Abandoned Children - Experiences from a Global Intervention". Publication name and DOI refer to the original English version: American Psychologist, Vol 75(9), Dec 2020, 1376-1388.
Rygaard Publications, 2021
For anyone interested in child mental health and the design of online based interventions, a List... more For anyone interested in child mental health and the design of online based interventions, a List of all publications by year for Niels Peter Rygaard
IN: Special Issue of The European Psychologist: Psychology and the Environmental Crisis, 2021
Psychologists face a growing mental health challenge, calling for innovative large-scale interven... more Psychologists face a growing mental health challenge, calling for innovative large-scale interventions.
World population growth and industrialization are causing climate change, forcing families to migrate into rapidly expanding cities, and suffer in refugee camps. European in-country migration from rural villages adds to urban growth. This rapid shift in adaptation between uprooted families and their new environments tend to increase the risk of family system disorganisation, poor child attachment, and child abandonment.
The paper presents demographic data and projections concerning the effects of climate change and migration on child birth frequency, marital constancy, how early in life children are cared for outside home, and the placement of children in Alternative Care.
European Federation of Psychologist’s Association initiatives address new questions. How can research recommendations be applied in cross-professional interventions? Can e-learning open new channels for dissemination? The author presents how a European Union Lifelong Learning grant project in 10 member countries later developed into the Fairstart Foundation’s partnerships with world NGOs and government agencies.
600 partner staff in 26 countries have been educated in six-month online classrooms, and trained the foster parents and group home staff of some 40,000 children in attachment-based care and learning. Lessons learned for interventions are discussed, to inspire further developments.
Покращення психічного здоров’я покинутих дітей — Досвід Глобальної онлайн-ініціативи, 2020
This is the Ukrainian language version of my paper for the American Psychologist: "Improving the ... more This is the Ukrainian language version of my paper for the American Psychologist: "Improving the Mental Health of Abandoned Children - Experiences from a Global Intervention"
УЛУЧШЕНИЕ ПСИХИЧЕСКОГО ЗДОРОВЬЯ БРОШЕНЫХ ДЕТЕЙ — Опыт Глобальной онлайн-инициативы, 2020
This is the translation in Russian of the author's paper:
"Improving the Mental Health of Abandon... more This is the translation in Russian of the author's paper:
"Improving the Mental Health of Abandoned Children - Experiences from a Global Intervention", DOI: 10.1037/amp0000786
Lederens udvikling af egen organisationskultur, 2020
Artiklen beskriver krydspresset for ledere af opholdssteder, og beskriver et design til fælles tv... more Artiklen beskriver krydspresset for ledere af opholdssteder, og beskriver et design til fælles tværfaglig efteruddannelse og udvikling for hele personalegruppen. Designet er med held implementeret af Fairstart Fonden for personalegrupper på fem danske opholdssteder, og udvikles nu videre til 10 ECT point, i samarbejde med UC Lillebælt. Designet bygger på endvidere på tværfaglige efteruddannelser udviklet for den grønlandske Socialstyrelse, og Fairstart's erfaringer fra mange lande.
The American Psychologist, 2020
Global communication inspires international cooperation and innovations in applied psychology. Vi... more Global communication inspires international cooperation and innovations in applied psychology. Virtual technology enables us to cooperate instantly and design interventions to reach large audiences in need of our services. Applications have emerged from dyadic long-term therapy, over short-term and group therapies, to international cooperations between research teams, care organizations, and major target groups. This expansion is mirrored in the author's path from clinical work in a Danish institution for severely deprived Danish children, to the global outreach of the Fairstart Foundation. Its mission is to support the formation of local care expert networks, by entering long-term partnerships with organizations in need of staff educations and group training programs for caregivers of out-of-home placed children. At present, five hundred staff from NGOs and government agencies in 26 countries graduated in virtual classrooms as Fairstart Instructors. During their six-month curriculums, they have trained groups of foster parents and orphanage staff who provide daily care for some 40.000 children and youth. Students apply training programs in 20 languages from Swahili to Bahasa, each adjusted to local culture. Such expansions challenge our mindsets. In this case: how to design the path from theory and research, to help underprivileged caregivers improve the mental health of children in their care? To inspire further discussions on how research can be applied by digital media to upscale interventions, the text describes the author's steps from idea to current program design. In the light of online innovations spurred by the Covid-19 pandemic, these experiences and considerations may be of
CV Rygaard, 2020
Niels Peter Rygaard, Danish-American child psychologist, CEO at the non-profit www.fairstartfound... more Niels Peter Rygaard, Danish-American child psychologist, CEO at the non-profit www.fairstartfoundation.com. After 25 years of research, therapy and counselling in Denmark, Niels published “Severe Attachment Disorder in Childhood - A Guide to Practical Therapy”, published in 12 language versions. This started a world tour of lectures and studies of orphanage, foster and refugee systems. Shaken by the poor mental health in millions of abandoned children and their overworked caregivers, he invited a network of international researchers to define quality care standards and practices. His foundation now designs staff instructor educations in close partnerships with government agencies and NGOs. Attachment-based training programs for caregiver groups are developed in the process, adjusted to culture and language. 500 instructors in 26 countries have graduated in advanced EdX online classrooms, and have trained the daily caregivers of 40.000 children. Programs are based on the analysis of how world migration and urbanization transform traditional care and child mental health, calling for innovations in psychological theory and research. Currently, Fairstart partners with SOS Children’s Villages in four East African countries. 50 staff were educated as instructors and have trained rural foster families hosting 5000 children. Training sessions are in English, Swahili and Kinyarwanda versions. For Greenland government, two educations in Inuit and Danish versions are implemented. Fairstart now plans Spanish programs with Latin American partners. Rygaard’s books and papers focus on the advance of global psychologist cooperation, to enhance the formation of local expert networks in mental health. As coined by prof. Christine Groark, Pittsburgh University: “Niels has connected all of us across continents, an exemplary illustration of how a psychologist contributes to a better world. His worldwide impact is phenomenal”.
Therapy with Adoptees in Puberty, 2008
The background of these reflections is a number of therapies with a quite uniform content matter:... more The background of these reflections is a number of therapies with a quite uniform content matter: the adopted child enters puberty, and the family experiences a number of serious conflicts to the surprise of those involved. These conflicts often contain the element of intense anger towards the adoptive parents, some times even violence. I have tried to convey some reflections on useful ways of understanding this chain of events, hoping that they can be useful for therapists when planning the therapeutic sessions. Three questions are considered:
1. What is special about the bonding process between adoptive parents and the adoptee?
2. What problems may be generated by these circumstances?
3. How can you work with them?
ICEB, 2019
Across the world, the practical implementation of the UN Guidelines for Alternative Care (as well... more Across the world, the practical implementation of the UN Guidelines for Alternative Care (as well as any other type of intervention) represents major challenges to governments and NGOs invested in caring for separated children and youth. While most governments introduce laws on de-institutionalisation, their agencies and aid organisations struggle to apply solutions for successful implementation: how to finance education for their staff to train large numbers of foster and kinship families, often living in remote areas; how to apply the general guideline recommendations for quality care, in ways acceptable to local child rearing traditions; how to help staff change their mindsets from being institutional employees to develop skills as local innovative community experts; and finally, how to motivate enough families and communities to include children and youth without parental care. To provide organisations with low-cost solutions, the Fairstart Foundation develops blended learning packages in a two-year cooperation with partner organisations. After joint research to map an organisation's needs, Fairstart designs a six month instructor's online classroom for staff groups. As part of the curriculum, each student trains a local group of caregivers, using Fairstart's program USB in local language and culture versions. In Fairstart partnerships, 540 staff from organisations in 26 countries graduated as instructors, and have so far trained the caregivers of more than 35,000 children and youth in care, indicating the relevance of the blended learning approach for partners. Further research is recommended.
Nogle resultater fra en undersøgelse af 48 børn med diagnosen »Tidlig følelsesmæssig frustration« (tilknytningsforstyrrelse).ISBN: 8790650018., 1998
Nogle resultater fra en undersøgelse af 48 børn med diagnosen »Tidlig følelsesmaessig frustration... more Nogle resultater fra en undersøgelse af 48 børn med diagnosen »Tidlig følelsesmaessig frustration«. Belastninger under graviditet, fødsel, i barnets 2 første leveår og resultater ved testning med WISC.
IN: Millon, Simonsen, Birket-Smith and Davis.: Psychopathy – Antisocial, Criminal and Violent Behavior, p.247-260. The Guilford Press NY. ISBN: 1-57230-344-1., 1998
The concept “Early Emotional Frustration” (EEF) is used in Danish child psychiatry, denoting a pe... more The concept “Early Emotional Frustration” (EEF) is used in Danish child psychiatry, denoting a personality development towards adult Antisocial Personality Disorder (Psychopathy). It is an equivalent to the international diagnosis of “Attachment Disorder”. The present study concerns early somatic trauma as a possible component in the syndrome, and studies signs of early arrested psychological development in EEF children. The sample consisted of 48 children (35 boys and 13 girls aged 7-14 years) admitted to a Danish foster and school home specialized in psychopathic children 1985 - 1989. The children were examined regarding maternal age at birth, maternal personality, birth weight, birth complications and early disease known to affect organic development. WISC-R IQ test and retest were administered to subjects at start and end of treatment period. The WISC-R profiles, birth weight and ratio of birth complications were compared to a control group of 23 normal schoolchildren born in the same period.
CYC Online, 2018
Due to migration, urbanisation, natural disasters and political unrest, millions of children and ... more Due to migration, urbanisation, natural disasters and political unrest, millions of children and youth worldwide grow up outside their families. In underprivileged orphanages, foster care systems, in migrant camps, and as homeless youth. Long term outcomes are sad: only half of children in care ever pass the 9th grade or get a job, suffering from poor mental health. This applies also to wealthy countries like Canada, Denmark and Sweden in spite of huge investments (MacKean et al. 2018, Vinnerljung 2005). The poor outcome is due not only to economy – a major cause is the lack of education and support for child and youth care workers, foster parents, and all other frontline staff practicing relations-based work (Rygaard 2017).
Local governments are often unable to support, educate and monitor care work systems effectively. As a result, most care work is performed by volunteer, professional and non-government organisations (NGOs). Growing numbers of high risk children and homeless youth calls for large scale education and supportive training of care workers at low cost, in how to learn and practice quality care work.
To meet this challenge, the Fairstart Foundation gathered a network of international researchers to design international trainer’s trainer educations, and caregiver group training programs. Outcomes of this effort include 420 instructors from organisations and government agencies in 26 countries graduated their six month education, creating a global child and youth care network. In two year co-creation projects with local organisations, the 20 free language versions of training programs online used by instructors have trained the care worker groups of some 30.000 children and youth worldwide, creating a community working from uniform standards for training. CYC Issue 236 Oct 2018, p.67-76
Trauma, Violence, & Abuse, 2016
Quality of child care has been shown to have a crucial impact on children's development and psych... more Quality of child care has been shown to have a crucial impact on children's development and psychological adjustment, particularly for orphans with a history of maltreatment and trauma. However, adequate care for orphans is often impacted by unfavorable caregiver–child ratios and poorly trained, overburdened personnel, especially in institutional care in countries with limited resources and large numbers of orphans. This systematic review investigated the effects of structural interventions and caregiver trainings on child development in institutional environments. The 24 intervention studies included in this systematic review reported beneficial effects on the children's emotional, social, and cognitive development. Yet, few studies focused on effects of interventions on the child–caregiver relationship or the general institutional environment. Moreover, our review revealed that interventions aimed at improving institutional care settings have largely neglected violence and abuse prevention. Unfortunately, our findings are partially limited by constraints of study design and methodology. In sum, this systematic review sheds light on obstacles and possibilities for the improvement in institutional care. There must be greater efforts at preventing violence, abuse, and neglect of children living in institutional care. Therefore, we advocate for combining attachment theory-based models with maltreatment prevention approaches and then testing them using rigorous scientific standards. By using approaches grounded in the evidence, it could be possible to enable more children to grow up in supportive and nonviolent environments. Authors: K. Hermenau, K. Goessmann, M. A. Landolt, T. Hecker, Rygaard, N.P.
Journal of Infant Mental Health, 2014
This Special Issue includes articles that contribute to (a) the global research base pertaining t... more This Special Issue includes articles that contribute to (a) the global research base pertaining to the development of infants and toddlers at risk, primarily those who are institutionalized in lower resource countries; (b) interventions in institutions and to promote family alternatives to institutionalization; and (c) attempts to create modern child welfare systems emphasizing family care in entire states and countries. This introduction places these articles into the broader contexts of the literature in these three domains of interest. Across the world, urbanization, migration, armed conflict, epidemics, and famine disrupt families. Add poverty, abuse, neglect, and parental incapacity due to substance abuse and mental health problems, and the result is millions of children without parental care who come under governmental responsibility, often to be reared in institutions, and at risk for long-term developmental deficiencies and problems. Over the last 2 decades and especially recently, national and international governments and nongovernment organizations have increased efforts to help such children, especially those in low-resource countries. Two types of efforts have been made: one to improve the quality of care provided by institutions and the other to minimize the use of institutions and promote family residential care alternatives. The latter effort includes preventing family separations in the first place, reunification of children with birth families, and developing systems of kinship care, foster care, and adoption. This Special Issue of IMHJ is devoted to reports pertaining to issues in the research knowledge base, program practices, and countrywide policies for infants and young children at risk. We attempt in this introduction to place these reports in the broader context of this field, identify their unique contributions, and highlight lessons learned that can contribute to improved care practices and better child welfare systems. RESUMEN: Esta Edición Especial incluye artículos que contribuyen a 1) la base de la investigación global que concierne al desarrollo de niños pequeños e infantes bajo riesgo, primariamente aquellos que se encuentran bajo el cuidado de una institución en países de bajos recursos, 2) las intervenciones en las instituciones y el promover en las familias alternativas a la institucionalización, y 3) tratar de crear sistemas modernos de bienestar infantil que enfaticen el cuidado familiar en estados y países enteros. Esta introducción coloca estos artículos dentro contextos más amplios en las literaturas de estos tres dominios de interés. R ´ ESUM´ E: Ce numéro spécial comprend des articles qui contribuentà 1) une base de recherches globale ayant trait au développement des nourrissons et des jeunes enfantsà risque, surtout ceux qui sont placés en institutions dans des pays n'ayant que de faibles resources, 2) des interventions en institutions et pour promouvoir des alternatives familialesà l'institutionnalisation en orphelinat, et 3) les tentatives pour créer des systèmes modernes de soutienà l'enfance et mettant l'accent sur le soinà la famille dans desétats et des pays entiers. Cette introduction replace ces articles dans les contextes plus grand des recherches dans ces trois domaines d'intérêt. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG: Diese Sonderausgabe enthält Artikel, die einen Beitrag leisten 1) zur globalen Grundlagenforschung in Bezug auf die Entwicklung von gefährdeten Säuglingen und Kleinkindern, vor allem von denjenigen, die in Ländern mit begrenzten Ressourcen institutionalisiert sind, 2) für Interventionen in Institutionen und für die Förderung von Familienalternativen statt Institutionalisierung und 3) die Sonderausgabe versucht moderne Kinderschutzsysteme zu schaffen, indem die Familienpflege in allen Staaten und Ländern betont wird. Diese Einführung setzt die Artikel in den Kontext der zu diesen drei Interessensgebieten vorliegenden Literatur. ABSTRACT: This Special Issue includes articles that contribute to 1) the global research base pertaining to the development of infants and toddlers at risk, primarily those who are institutionalized in lower-resource countries, : 1) 2
Este resumen describe la compleja "cadena alimentaria" de transformar la investigación para brind... more Este resumen describe la compleja "cadena alimentaria" de transformar la investigación para brindar educación a las ONG, profesionales y gobiernos, para crear redes de expertos locales en niños sin cuidado parental. Incluyendo programas de capacitación en la tierra para su capacitación de grupos locales de cuidadores - en sistemas de cuidado de crianza, orfanato, adopción y campamentos de refugiados.
Para los lectores, compartimos nuestras experiencias desde 2008 para desarrollar una red global mediante la educación de aprendizaje combinado en la atención de calidad. Ahora implementado por organizaciones en 26 países que capacitaron a los cuidadores de unos 30.000 niños.
Uploads
Videos by Niels P E T E R Rygaard
For a video describing the online classroom staff educations and training programs, please go to: shorturl.at/fjnxy
Papers by Niels P E T E R Rygaard
The study was conducted within the framework of an ongoing caregiver training program in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and included a sample of 124 caregivers and 99 children (57 girls, Mage = 9.30, SD = 4.65, range 3-17) divided in three equally sized age groups of preschool (3 to
5 years), primary school (6 to 12 years) and secondary school age (13 to 17 years). Caregivers reported on children`s emotional and behavioral problems using Scorecard A and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) administered as a structured interview. A subsample
(n = 78) of caregivers participated in another structured interview on various aspects of their well-being and caregiving resources, based on which interviewers rated Scorecard B.
Additionally, caregivers completed Scorecard B and measures of their well-being and resources administered as self-report questionnaires. All assessments were conducted twice with an interval of one week. Scorecard A showed good internal consistency and test-retestreliability
across age groups and significant associations with the SDQ total score and subscales indicate convergent validity, particularly among preschool-aged children. The internal consistency of Scorecard B was acceptable in the questionnaire and good in the interviewer rating, while re-test-reliability in both modes and inter-rater reliability between interviewer and caregiver rating were moderate. Associations with established measures of
well-being and resources provided evidence for convergent validity of Scorecard B. The Scorecards hold promise as brief screening tools to identify children and caregivers with difficulties and evaluate intervention programs in low-resource contexts.
- A Discussion of the Need for Large Scale Interventions. IN: Special Issue: Psychology and the Environmental Crisis, Original Articles and Reviews
Published Online: July 15 2021.
World population growth and industrialization are causing climate change, forcing families to migrate into rapidly expanding cities, and suffer in refugee camps. European in-country migration from rural villages adds to urban growth. This rapid shift in adaptation between uprooted families and their new environments tend to increase the risk of family system disorganisation, poor child attachment, and child abandonment.
The paper presents demographic data and projections concerning the effects of climate change and migration on child birth frequency, marital constancy, how early in life children are cared for outside home, and the placement of children in Alternative Care.
European Federation of Psychologist’s Association initiatives address new questions. How can research recommendations be applied in cross-professional interventions? Can e-learning open new channels for dissemination? The author presents how a European Union Lifelong Learning grant project in 10 member countries later developed into the Fairstart Foundation’s partnerships with world NGOs and government agencies.
600 partner staff in 26 countries have been educated in six-month online classrooms, and trained the foster parents and group home staff of some 40,000 children in attachment-based care and learning. Lessons learned for interventions are discussed, to inspire further developments.
"Improving the Mental Health of Abandoned Children - Experiences from a Global Intervention", DOI: 10.1037/amp0000786
1. What is special about the bonding process between adoptive parents and the adoptee?
2. What problems may be generated by these circumstances?
3. How can you work with them?
Local governments are often unable to support, educate and monitor care work systems effectively. As a result, most care work is performed by volunteer, professional and non-government organisations (NGOs). Growing numbers of high risk children and homeless youth calls for large scale education and supportive training of care workers at low cost, in how to learn and practice quality care work.
To meet this challenge, the Fairstart Foundation gathered a network of international researchers to design international trainer’s trainer educations, and caregiver group training programs. Outcomes of this effort include 420 instructors from organisations and government agencies in 26 countries graduated their six month education, creating a global child and youth care network. In two year co-creation projects with local organisations, the 20 free language versions of training programs online used by instructors have trained the care worker groups of some 30.000 children and youth worldwide, creating a community working from uniform standards for training. CYC Issue 236 Oct 2018, p.67-76
Para los lectores, compartimos nuestras experiencias desde 2008 para desarrollar una red global mediante la educación de aprendizaje combinado en la atención de calidad. Ahora implementado por organizaciones en 26 países que capacitaron a los cuidadores de unos 30.000 niños.
For a video describing the online classroom staff educations and training programs, please go to: shorturl.at/fjnxy
The study was conducted within the framework of an ongoing caregiver training program in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and included a sample of 124 caregivers and 99 children (57 girls, Mage = 9.30, SD = 4.65, range 3-17) divided in three equally sized age groups of preschool (3 to
5 years), primary school (6 to 12 years) and secondary school age (13 to 17 years). Caregivers reported on children`s emotional and behavioral problems using Scorecard A and the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire (SDQ) administered as a structured interview. A subsample
(n = 78) of caregivers participated in another structured interview on various aspects of their well-being and caregiving resources, based on which interviewers rated Scorecard B.
Additionally, caregivers completed Scorecard B and measures of their well-being and resources administered as self-report questionnaires. All assessments were conducted twice with an interval of one week. Scorecard A showed good internal consistency and test-retestreliability
across age groups and significant associations with the SDQ total score and subscales indicate convergent validity, particularly among preschool-aged children. The internal consistency of Scorecard B was acceptable in the questionnaire and good in the interviewer rating, while re-test-reliability in both modes and inter-rater reliability between interviewer and caregiver rating were moderate. Associations with established measures of
well-being and resources provided evidence for convergent validity of Scorecard B. The Scorecards hold promise as brief screening tools to identify children and caregivers with difficulties and evaluate intervention programs in low-resource contexts.
- A Discussion of the Need for Large Scale Interventions. IN: Special Issue: Psychology and the Environmental Crisis, Original Articles and Reviews
Published Online: July 15 2021.
World population growth and industrialization are causing climate change, forcing families to migrate into rapidly expanding cities, and suffer in refugee camps. European in-country migration from rural villages adds to urban growth. This rapid shift in adaptation between uprooted families and their new environments tend to increase the risk of family system disorganisation, poor child attachment, and child abandonment.
The paper presents demographic data and projections concerning the effects of climate change and migration on child birth frequency, marital constancy, how early in life children are cared for outside home, and the placement of children in Alternative Care.
European Federation of Psychologist’s Association initiatives address new questions. How can research recommendations be applied in cross-professional interventions? Can e-learning open new channels for dissemination? The author presents how a European Union Lifelong Learning grant project in 10 member countries later developed into the Fairstart Foundation’s partnerships with world NGOs and government agencies.
600 partner staff in 26 countries have been educated in six-month online classrooms, and trained the foster parents and group home staff of some 40,000 children in attachment-based care and learning. Lessons learned for interventions are discussed, to inspire further developments.
"Improving the Mental Health of Abandoned Children - Experiences from a Global Intervention", DOI: 10.1037/amp0000786
1. What is special about the bonding process between adoptive parents and the adoptee?
2. What problems may be generated by these circumstances?
3. How can you work with them?
Local governments are often unable to support, educate and monitor care work systems effectively. As a result, most care work is performed by volunteer, professional and non-government organisations (NGOs). Growing numbers of high risk children and homeless youth calls for large scale education and supportive training of care workers at low cost, in how to learn and practice quality care work.
To meet this challenge, the Fairstart Foundation gathered a network of international researchers to design international trainer’s trainer educations, and caregiver group training programs. Outcomes of this effort include 420 instructors from organisations and government agencies in 26 countries graduated their six month education, creating a global child and youth care network. In two year co-creation projects with local organisations, the 20 free language versions of training programs online used by instructors have trained the care worker groups of some 30.000 children and youth worldwide, creating a community working from uniform standards for training. CYC Issue 236 Oct 2018, p.67-76
Para los lectores, compartimos nuestras experiencias desde 2008 para desarrollar una red global mediante la educación de aprendizaje combinado en la atención de calidad. Ahora implementado por organizaciones en 26 países que capacitaron a los cuidadores de unos 30.000 niños.
Based on a global network of professionals and researchers in high risk children , the www.fairstartfoundation.com enters two year partnerships with NGOs and governments worldwide. In the process, their staff are educated in 6 month online classes. In between modules, each student trains a local group (foster parents, residential or refugee camp staff) of caregivers 8x3 hours, using a training program in local language adapted to local cultural circumstance. This blended learning design offers extremely low cost for staff education, and enables an instructor to train any number of caregiver groups, using a program USB. More than 460 instructors in 26 countries graduated, and have trained the caregivers of more than 30.000 children and youth with 20 free language versions.
Staff workplace satisfaction and child development are registered electronically pre-and post training. E.g., in a project in East Africa ofr SOSChildren's Villages, 660 children in foster care improved by 20% in mental health.
The chapter intends to inspire designers of mental health educations . It provides an example of how to disseminate and upscale a global intervention program, by adapting it to local strengths, needs, and language, in partnerships with NGOs and government agencies. The program has so far (2023) educated 750 partner staff for six months, using a combination of local startup seminars and online classrooms. Students have trained the high-risk parents and foster parents of some 65.000 children and youth in Alternative Care.
Based on these experiences, the chapter provides a meta-analysis of how three family cultures (developed in evolution) are affected: former hunter-gatherer families, former extended families, and present day urban families.
Intercultural definitions of sequential stress, trauma, resilience and Post-Traumatic Growth are applied in analyses of each culture: The culture´s original family organization and infant care practices. How migration and urbanization affect the parenting culture in question, including under-five mortality, and signs of post-traumatic growth.
La presentación resume la investigación sobre cómo el gobierno, los líderes de atención residencial y las instituciones y sus grupos de personal pueden cooperar para mejorar el desarrollo infantil de los niños bajo cuidado. Presentado en la conferencia de tijuana mexico RESILIENCIA. "La FUERZA para enfrentar el abandono y el abuso infantil", 26 de octubre de 2018.
From 30 years of practice, it answers some of the common questions from professionals and caregivers working with children and juveniles suffering from early deprivation, neglect, causing Attachment Disorder development. Links to 12 language versions included.