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Objectives: Using baseline and second wave data, the study evaluated the measurement and structural properties of parenting stress, personal mastery, and economic strain with N = 381 lower income parents who decided to join and those who did not join in a child development savings account program. Methods: Structural equation modeling mean and covariance structures was performed across groups and occasion was performed. Results: Measurement invariance was established across groups and across occasions. However, parenting stress differed across occasions. Conclusions: SEM methods are useful in testing theories as well as comparing manifest and latent structures of constructs across groups and occasions.

Objectives: Using baseline and second wave data, the study evaluated the impact of child savings accounts participation on parenting stress, personal mastery, and economic strain with N = 381 lower income parents who decided to join and those who did not join in a child development savings account program. Methods: Structural equation modeling for multiple group and time models was performed. Results: The degree of parenting stress at the first measurement occasion ( M = 2.02, standard deviation [ SD] = 0.34) was significantly different, Δχ2(2, n = 381) = 28.30, p <.001, (at the .017 level; Bonferroni correction) from the second measurement occasion ( M = 1.93, SD = 0.34); however, the effect size was in the small-to-medium range ( d = .25). Conclusions: Participation in such programs does not negatively affect the well-being of parents. Implications are directed toward practice, policy, and research.

Effective practice in a global world requires knowledge and understanding of diverse cultures. Most social workers around the world are committed to values and policies that enhance the well‐being of especially vulnerable populations and that protect their human rights. However, not all cultural practices or policies place the same value on human rights and the protection of vulnerable populations, a situation that may result in conflicts for social workers, who have an ethical obligation to advocate for human rights as well as to be sensitive to their clients' cultural contexts. Based on multidisciplinary research and contemporary examples of gender discrimination, forced marriages, child labor, and female genital mutilation, this article proposes resolutions to this conflict. It concludes by suggesting practices and policies that might help social workers to strike an effective balance between cultural diversity and the promotion of human rights.Key Practitioner Message: ● Social workers are best placed to understand individuals and communities within their various cultural contexts; ● Social work practice and policy should be sensitive to cultural practices that may undermine human rights and the well‐being of vulnerable populations; ● Guided by professional values and ethics, social workers can assume the roles of educator and advocate in enhancing the rights of individuals.

The trafficking of humans is a serious issue. The Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) is the main legislative effort in the US that addresses this problem. Based on social work values, the article provides an assessment of the TVPA and suggests that service provision and victim identification need to be strengthened to better serve human trafficking victims. Global trends, efforts, and limitations in reducing trafficking are discussed. Specific interventions by social workers in victim identification and service provision are presented.

ABSTRACTFamilies with children and living in poverty are vulnerable to decreased control over their lives and the ability to act in self‐interest. While having children may reduce efficacy among these families, their presence may also, in turn, increase their resilience. Using cross‐sectional data from n= 194 poor families in Southeastern USA, this study compares the constructs of self‐efficacy and agency between families with and without children. Results showed that among families with children, lack of agency was negatively correlated with self‐efficacy Δχ2 (1, n= 194) = 12.65, P < 0.001, r=−0.37. Implications are directed towards practice and policy that may increase the efficacy and agency of poor families with children.

This study examined the effects of social exclusion (socio-cultural and structural-economic exclusion) on the mental health and social well-being of African immigrants in the United States ( N = 409). We found that social exclusion increased depression and anxiety symptoms, decreased societal trust, increased subjective isolation, and increased worries about one's safety among African immigrants. The results further indicated strong negative effects of discrimination on mental health and social well-being. The findings highlight the need for social work interventions that target discrimination and structural exclusionary mechanisms in efforts to improve the mental health and social well-being of African immigrants in the United States.

SummaryPeople with disabilities are five times more likely to experience poverty than the general population, yet very little is known about how financial capability can help increase their financial well-being. Using secondary data from the 2015 National Financial Capabilities Study, this study used path analysis to test Sherraden's theoretical model of building financial capability on a nationally representative sample of people with disabilities. This included assessing how variables of ability (i.e., financial literacy) and variables of opportunity (i.e., financial inclusion) combine to improve one's financial well-being and stability.FindingsMultiple fit indices suggested that the data fit the path model well: χ2 = 37.73 (14), p = .001, RMSEA = 0.04 (90% CI: 0.03–0.05), TLI = 0.97, CFI = 0.99. Findings indicate that financial literacy and financial access both impact the financial well-being in this sample of people with disabilities ( N = 1232). Also, access to financial products moderated financial literacy to increase its impact. This study empirically substantiated the selected financial capability framework.ApplicationsImplications of this study are targeted toward social work researchers and practitioners. There have been very few empirical studies on building financial capability among people with disabilities, so this article serves as a foundation for much needed research in this area while also filling a gap in the extant literature. Additionally, disability case managers will find this research useful, as it provides evidence for practical steps they can take to help their clients work toward achieving financial well-being.