Children involved in the child welfare system (CWS) are exposed to various negative neighborhood and family-level factors contributing to their poor developmental outcomes, including poor social-behavioral health. Considering the importance of social-behavioral functioning for children’s cognitive growth and academic success, it is important that the interplay of neighborhood and family-level factors and their effects on the social-behavioral outcomes of at-risk children are well understood. By utilizing the first two waves of nationally representative data from the National Survey of Child Adolescent Well-Being (NSCAW II), the study examines the potential direct and indirect effects of mothers’ perceived neighborhood factors on the social-behavioral outcomes of young children involved in the CWS. Hypothesized direct and indirect pathways operating through mediating mechanisms such as maternal mental health, parental responsiveness, and harsh discipline were tested by using structural equation modeling (SEM). The results suggest that perceived neighborhood danger is significantly related to mothers’ depressive symptoms, increasing the likelihood of harsh and negative parenting being used by depressed mothers, ultimately resulting in negative social-behavioral outcomes of young children in the CWS.

The study explores the perspectives of social work students, faculty, and the main employer of social workers with regard to new graduates’ readiness for social work practice in Georgia. The results of focus groups and in-person interviews revealed significant gaps and tension between academic programs and professional practice contributing to students’ low levels of readiness for practice. Participants identified various concerns regarding academic program curricula, field education, and professional practice; although, reasons for new graduates’ lack of readiness for practice highlighted by the main employer and academic program faculty were conflicting and pointed need for further actions.