Science AI Journal
Social Sciences · Research topic

Open research questions in Child Welfare and Adoption

794 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 8,165 Child Welfare and Adoption papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • The sample size was limited to six cases, - The study only included children with MAPP in permanent foster or adoptive care, - The study was part of a larger trial and may not be generalizable to other populations

    Supporting a child with maltreatment associated psychiatric problems (MAPP): Exploration of parent and professional experiences using multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • There are no guidelines specific for the treatment and support of children with MAPP. Treatment guidelines for this population require further development.

    Supporting a child with maltreatment associated psychiatric problems (MAPP): Exploration of parent and professional experiences using multi-perspectival Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis · 2026 · DOI

  • The pressures of planning in emergencies make handling separations in a more child-centred way challenging. The lack of professional guidance and time constraints imposed by competing demands are significant hurdles. The study also identifies the challenge of defining trauma and establishing a universally accepted definition.

    It ‘supercharged our ability to empathise’: Safeguarding practitioners’ experiences of a trauma-informed approach to child–parent separation · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of national guidance addressing the lived experience of children during the separation from their families. Gaps in training, guidance, and supervision can leave social workers feeling deskilled, overwhelmed, and less prepared. The concept of trauma remains poorly defined, leading to ongoing confusion and conflicting explanations.

    It ‘supercharged our ability to empathise’: Safeguarding practitioners’ experiences of a trauma-informed approach to child–parent separation · 2026 · DOI

  • The paper identifies a gap in the support provided to care-experienced students during the care-leaving transition. It highlights the lack of measures for emotional well-being and support in government care leaver statistics. The study notes that the current support systems often fail to provide adequate support, leading to significant upheavals, including homelessness.

    ‘The Door Closes and That’s It’: Experiences of Leaving Care and Turning 18 in Education · 2026 · DOI

  • Inconsistent communication and resource constraints are identified as challenges in responding to missing child incidents. Procedural variation and challenges in building trust with children and partner agencies are also highlighted as barriers. The study notes that standardized approaches are often ineffective, and that flexible, individualized interventions are needed.

    Responding to missing children in residential care: Care home staff perspectives regarding challenges and solutions · 2026 · DOI

  • limited research exploring how care home staff respond to missing child incidents, - inconsistent communication and disproportionate police involvement, - conflicting definitions of 'missing' and 'absent'

    Responding to missing children in residential care: Care home staff perspectives regarding challenges and solutions · 2026 · DOI

  • lack of understanding of the complexities of care experiences and their association with attainment - need for improved support for children who may be hidden to schools - limited research on the educational attainment of children in long-term foster care

    Educational pathways and outcomes for care‐experienced children: A 16‐year longitudinal study · 2026 · DOI

  • The evidence base remains limited, - Few longitudinal, intervention-driven, and culturally inclusive studies were found, - Methodological heterogeneity across studies was observed, - Quality appraisal informed interpretation but did not determine inclusion

    Developmental outcomes across foster care, adoption, and child welfare services: a mini review · 2026 · DOI

  • The evidence base remains limited, with few longitudinal, intervention-driven, and culturally inclusive studies. There is a need for more research on the developmental outcomes of children involved in foster care, adoption, and child welfare services. The paper identifies a gap in the literature regarding the comparative effectiveness of different care pathways.

    Developmental outcomes across foster care, adoption, and child welfare services: a mini review · 2026 · DOI

  • However, few studies have directly compared the clinical characteristics and mental health service use of youth across different child protection pathways.

    Psychiatric Characteristics and Mental Health Service Use Among Hospitalised Youth in Foster Care, Adoption, and Child Welfare Supervision: A Retrospective Comparative Study · 2026 · DOI

  • Family-Centered Practice (FCP) is supported in research and policy, yet little is known about how professionals in (semi) residential youth care interpret its principles and involve families in daily practice.

    Professionals’ Perspectives on Family-Centered Practice in Dutch (Semi-)Residential Youth Care: A Qualitative Interview Study · 2026 · DOI

  • This study focuses on a specific and underexplored population, many of whom have experienced traumatic events and/or complex migratory trajectories.

    ATICC: a mixed-methods study on addiction, trauma, and immigration among vulnerable young adults in the grand est youth network · 2025 · DOI

  • BACKGROUND: Little is known about bullying experienced by internationally adopted teens residing in Europe.

    School victimization and psychosocial adjustment among Eastern European adopted adolescents across Europe · 2024 · DOI

  • to the school administration. The administration cannot deal with 18 concerns simultaneously. Stay with one or two per meeting. Consider the school schedule. I once went to the main office the last day before school opened in the fall for some information. Everyone was scurrying around and certainly had no time for me. I scurried too - right out the door. Summer, on the other hand, is a perfect time to discuss general topics, like the future of the school’s gifted program or finding good topics for parent programs. Administrators are not under as much pressure from deadlines then and often enjoy having time for an idea session. After you make an appointment, verify it with a letter. “For our meeting next Tuesday, we hope to talk about. . . .” the administrator the

    A Handful of “Knows” for Parent Advocates · 1987 · DOI

  • It is time to stop thinking of a child care program as a response to a continu ing problem. We must look on it as a basic community service which can strengthen family life. Our present knowledge of the development of young children means that we can view the role of day care in a broader light.

    The challenge of good child care · 1987 · DOI

  • Further studies on the importance of stable and individualized relationships in family foster care. Research on the expansion of foster care modality in Brazil. Investigations on the relação between a negligência and abuso na infância and mudanças neurocognitivas and neurobiológicas.

    ACOLHIMENTO FAMILIAR: UMA ANÁLISE NEUROPSICOSSOCIAL EM CONTRAPONTO AO MITO DO DANO INEVITÁVEL À SAÚDE MENTAL · 2026 · DOI

  • The gap between the rights guaranteed to children and adolescents and the reality experienced by many of them. The lack of understanding of the importance of stable and individualized relationships in family foster care. The need for expansion of foster care modality in Brazil.

    ACOLHIMENTO FAMILIAR: UMA ANÁLISE NEUROPSICOSSOCIAL EM CONTRAPONTO AO MITO DO DANO INEVITÁVEL À SAÚDE MENTAL · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of studies assessing the effectiveness of programmes such as leisure time football for enhancing health and well-being of young people in Out of Home Care. There is a need for effective models of engagement for this population.

    Fancy a Game of Football?: The Well-Being Benefits of Engaging Children and Young People in Out of Home Care in Sport · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should be conducted on the living environment from children's perspectives. Children should be recognized as active participants and researchers.

    Children’s Perspectives on Their Living Environment: A Systematic Review · 2026 · DOI

  • The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted access to quality childcare, creating a need to improve Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation.

    Lessons Learned in Providing Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation During the COVID-19 Pandemic · 2026 · DOI

  • There has been little research focused on identifying factors that might explain why discrepancies occur between face-to-face interview and paper-and-pencil questionnaire assessments of adverse life events in young children. The study addresses this research gap by examining multiple caregiver factor domains in relation to agreement in reports of type of adverse life event exposure.

    Improving the Assessment of Childhood Adversity: Factors Influencing Questionnaire and Interview Method Concordance · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the protection and well-being of children in transnational families in Romania. The paper highlights the need for improving data collection practices, strengthening interinstitutional coordination, and developing targeted interventions.

    Measures regarding the protection of children from transnational families in Romania · 2026 · DOI

  • Future research should explore the experiences of young unmarried fathers in other contexts. Future research should examine the effectiveness of interventions aimed at supporting young unmarried fathers.

    “Lobola Gives You Access to the Child”: Human Rights Violations Within Cultural Expectations of Young Unmarried Fathers at Zeerust, South Africa · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a lack of research on the experiences of young unmarried fathers in Zeerust, South Africa. The study identifies a gap in understanding the cultural practices that influence the experiences of young unmarried fathers.

    “Lobola Gives You Access to the Child”: Human Rights Violations Within Cultural Expectations of Young Unmarried Fathers at Zeerust, South Africa · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Child Welfare and Adoption

Most recent work

Find a gap in your own Child Welfare and Adoption sub-topic

This page shows what the Child Welfare and Adoption literature already flags as unresolved. To narrow it to your specific question, run the guided finder — it searches the gap library on demand and checks candidates against 250M+ OpenAlex works.

Open the Research Gap Finder →

Related topics in Social Sciences

Legal Issues in Turkey
2,430 open questions
Criminal Justice and Corrections Analysis
2,108 open questions
Higher Education Research Studies
1,907 open questions
Global Educational Policies and Reforms
1,881 open questions
Teacher Education and Leadership Studies
1,849 open questions
Social Work Education and Practice
1,735 open questions
Science Education and Pedagogy
1,620 open questions
Electoral Systems and Political Participation
1,568 open questions
794 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 8,165 Child Welfare and Adoption papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

Tools for your next paper

Gaps & Literature SearchFind open questions in any field — 120,000+ open gaps mined from our own library.Pre-CheckIs your paper ready? A Tier 1–5 acceptance probability in seconds.Journal FinderA ranked shortlist of target journals from a 17,500-venue index.Duplicate Publication CheckerCheck prior-publication & salami-slicing risk across 8 sources.Citation GeneratorFreeA DOI or title → APA, MLA, Vancouver, Chicago, BibTeX, RIS. No signup.Graphical Abstract MakerFreeTurn your findings into a colorblind-safe graphical abstract.

Compare the category — Honest roundups of the AI research tools, ours listed alongside the alternatives.

Command palette

Jump anywhere, run any action.