ALIGN Journal for Services to Children and Families Call for Contributions to a Special Issue: COVID 19: Overcoming the Threat in Child Welfare Settings
A 2020 University of Toronto report (see link below) that reviewed studies on pandemics and children in care underscores the important effects of COVID 19 on Canada s child welfare system relating to 1) the high number of children in care, 2) the high vulnerability of the population (facing social, economic, and behavioral issues), and 3) and ways that pandemics can significantly challenge the capacity of public agencies to operate and provide services and supports during this period of heightened demand and uncertainty.
We believe agencies in Alberta and Canada have risen to the challenge and have met it with innovation and creativity. For this special issue of the ALIGN Journal we invite you to share your creative COVID solutions with a broader audience. As we move through the stages of the COVID 19 pandemic, agencies, consultants, and child welfare professionals in the community service sector develop processes, overcome challenging situations, and develop unique, innovative solutions for dealing with the threat.
We invite you and your colleagues to submit an article (2000 to 5000 words) for a special issues focusing on COVID 19: Overcoming the Threat in Child Welfare Settings.
Here are some examples of the kinds of article you might submit.
– Stories of overcoming COVID resource and capacity challenges (PPE, distancing, cohort identities, hygiene)
– Descriptions of models and templates of COVID contingency and emergency plans (what worked, lessons learned)
– Case studies of increased COVID response coordination across welfare sectors (communication innovation, use of social media, special meetings)
– Stories of building on strengths and positive COVID coping mechanisms of communities, families, caregivers and children
– Narrative accounts of overcoming COVID challenges in residential care
– Research studies of outcomes and factors related to COVID resilience, agency capacity, intervention strategies, and mitigation success.
We will also consider book reviews on helpful COVID coping books for children, descriptions and examples of COVID training materials and posters, and COVID related stories and poems by youth in care, foster parents, and staff. Ar ticles can be submitted to the special issue editors: Cathy Mitchell [email protected]
and Thomas Barker [email protected]
DEADLINE EXTENDED TO JANUARY 31, 2020
