News by Subject Social & Behavior

When an organization supports its employees who choose to adopt children, the employees, their families, the adopted children and the organization itself experience positive benefits and outcomes, according to new research from Baylor University.

New research from Binghamton University, State University of New York shows the human trauma and family separation that resulted from the Trump Administration's zero tolerance policy on undocumented immigration.

A college education is estimated to add $1 million to a person's lifetime earning potential, but for some students the path to earning one is riddled with obstacles. That journey is even more difficult for students who have been in the foster care system or experienced homelessness, according to a new study from the University of Georgia.

The invisibility of dads who lose access to their children because of concerns about child neglect or their ability to provide safe care comes under the spotlight in new research.

Researchers surveyed 97 foster care youths aged 14 to 20. They found that those who were age 18 and over had more advanced financial capability than younger kids, but still had not achieved key skills such as opening a checking account, building up savings or establishing a credit history. The paper recommends enhancements to the foster care system to fully prepare youth for independence.

Observations of groups of wild bonobos, reported in Scientific Reports, suggest that two infants may have been adopted by adult females belonging to different social groups.

The death of a vampire bat 19 days after giving birth presented scientists studying the animals in 2019 with an unexpected chance to observe a rare event: a female bat's adoption of an unrelated baby.

A study of 7,000 children shows that the early talk and communication experienced when very young, while essential preparation for school, does not directly impact on literacy skills by age 11. Although talking, reading, or singing to a young child is very important, children who experience this less - typically those from less-advantaged backgrounds - need not be permanently disadvantaged. By targeting specific 'learning pathways', they could be helped to catch up with their more fortunate peers.

New research is proposing a novel screening tool to assess the quality of care in kinship foster care placement settings. Kinship caregiving--placing a child in a relative's home if the child cannot safely stay in the family home--is becoming more common and is a preferred option for children, says UBC Okanagan Assistant Professor Sarah Dow-Fleisner.