Removal at birth and infants in care: Maternity under stress
This paper focuses on the removal and placement in state care of newborns and infants. National child protection data show a growing proportion of infants entering care. Pre-birth provides an unparalleled opportunity for early intervention. Arguably, the removal of infants from their mothers undermi...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Journal Article |
| Published: |
Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners Inc.
2015
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/67775 |
| _version_ | 1848761655041720320 |
|---|---|
| author | Harrison, C. Harries, M. Liddiard, Mark |
| author_facet | Harrison, C. Harries, M. Liddiard, Mark |
| author_sort | Harrison, C. |
| building | Curtin Institutional Repository |
| collection | Online Access |
| description | This paper focuses on the removal and placement in state care of newborns and infants. National child protection data show a growing proportion of infants entering care. Pre-birth provides an unparalleled opportunity for early intervention. Arguably, the removal of infants from their mothers undermines this opportunity and unarguably, creates cascading negative effects on women and their families. Western Australia is used as a case study wherein data over a seven-year period details an increase in infants entering care. This paper presents these data and examines the policy text to identify how they portray the problem of risk to infants, represent their mothers and shape practice. The findings suggest a lack of attention to the interdependence of the mother-infant relationship and the needs of vulnerable women. Being exploratory and interpretive, these findings constitute a guide for alternative representations and solutions that promote the health and wellbeing of the mother-child unit. |
| first_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:35:07Z |
| format | Journal Article |
| id | curtin-20.500.11937-67775 |
| institution | Curtin University Malaysia |
| institution_category | Local University |
| last_indexed | 2025-11-14T10:35:07Z |
| publishDate | 2015 |
| publisher | Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners Inc. |
| recordtype | eprints |
| repository_type | Digital Repository |
| spelling | curtin-20.500.11937-677752018-05-18T07:59:41Z Removal at birth and infants in care: Maternity under stress Harrison, C. Harries, M. Liddiard, Mark This paper focuses on the removal and placement in state care of newborns and infants. National child protection data show a growing proportion of infants entering care. Pre-birth provides an unparalleled opportunity for early intervention. Arguably, the removal of infants from their mothers undermines this opportunity and unarguably, creates cascading negative effects on women and their families. Western Australia is used as a case study wherein data over a seven-year period details an increase in infants entering care. This paper presents these data and examines the policy text to identify how they portray the problem of risk to infants, represent their mothers and shape practice. The findings suggest a lack of attention to the interdependence of the mother-infant relationship and the needs of vulnerable women. Being exploratory and interpretive, these findings constitute a guide for alternative representations and solutions that promote the health and wellbeing of the mother-child unit. 2015 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/67775 Australian College for Child and Family Protection Practitioners Inc. restricted |
| spellingShingle | Harrison, C. Harries, M. Liddiard, Mark Removal at birth and infants in care: Maternity under stress |
| title | Removal at birth and infants in care: Maternity under stress |
| title_full | Removal at birth and infants in care: Maternity under stress |
| title_fullStr | Removal at birth and infants in care: Maternity under stress |
| title_full_unstemmed | Removal at birth and infants in care: Maternity under stress |
| title_short | Removal at birth and infants in care: Maternity under stress |
| title_sort | removal at birth and infants in care: maternity under stress |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/67775 |