Suchergebnisse

"Local food has been the subject of federal, state, and local government policy in recent years as consumer interest in and demand for local foods has grown. In 2017, 130,056 U.S. farms (just over 6% of U.S. farms) were marketing food for human consumption locally through so-called direct-to-consumer (DTC) marketing channels, according to Census of Agriculture data. In Missouri, 3,640 farms (3.7%) had DTC sales. Online marketplaces could help farms who sell food directly to customers compete with other retailers by reducing the costs (such as time and transportation) of transactions at in-person markets such as farmers markets or other traditional markets. In-person marketplaces advantage farms located near urban centers because more rural farms have to travel longer distances to access customers."--First page. ; Written by: Sarah A. Low (Associate Professor and Exceed Director), Kate Thompson (Student Assistant) ; New 2/20 ; Includes bibliographical references

First published in 1998, this seventh volume of Social Attitudes in Northern Ireland reports the main findings of the Northern Ireland Social Attitudes survey carried out in 1996. In this survey, views were obtained on community relations in Northern Ireland; the growth of home ownership; attitudes to the countryside; the role of government in Northern Ireland; attitudes to the National Health Service; attitudes to the environment and belief and trust in the political process. The various chapters provide a measure of the feelings, attitudes and beliefs of the people of Northern Ireland on a wide range of matters. Many of the chapters chart trends from the early 1990s and analyse changes in attitudes over the period.

AbstractIn Australia, there are more than 46 000 children in out‐of‐home care (OOHC). Most of these children have been in OOHC for more than 2 years. Similarly, there are more than 407 000 children in the United States and over 80 800 in England who are 'looked after' with approximately one third of these children being in OOHC for more than 2 years. This paper concerns 'looked after' children's rights to contact with their birth parents. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) requires child protection systems to recognize the rights of children to maintain contact with their families except where this is not in the child's 'best interests'. In this paper, we report on a qualitative study conducted in Australia exploring legal and family support practitioners' perceptions of barriers to contact between children in OOHC and their birth parents. The thematic analysis identified four themes: These were as follows: a focus on systems driven responses; lack of cultural recognition and responsiveness; carers' disconnection from birth parents; and parents' exclusion. We discuss the implications of these findings for understanding and recognizing children's right to contact with birth parents.

The ability to capture large amounts of data that describe the interactions of learners becomes useful when one has a framework in which to make sense of the processes of learning in complex learning environments. Through the analysis of such data, one is able to understand what is happening in these networks; however, deciding which elements will be of most interest in a specific learning context and how to process, visualize, and analyze large amounts of data requires the use of analytical tools that adequately support the phases of the research process. In this article, we discuss the selection, processing, visualization, and analysis of multiple elements of learning and learning environments and the links between them. We discuss, using the cases of two learning environments, how structure affects the behavior of learners and, in turn, how that behavior has the potential to affect learning. This approach will allow us to suggest possible ways of improving future designs of learning environments.

AbstractChildren in out‐of‐home care (OOHC) are a vulnerable group who often experience poorer outcomes than their peers who are not in OOHC. In 2020–2021, there were approximately 46 200 children in OOHC in Australia, with 91% in a family setting with foster or kinship carers. Data from other countries show similar patterns indicating that foster and kinship carers provide care for most children in OOHC. To effectively provide children in OOHC with the care they require, including safety, stability, and connection, the carers need a social support system that equips them to meet the needs of these vulnerable children and to prevent the breakdown of placements. The study presented in this paper draws on social constructivist and critical perspectives to examine the formal and informal social support available to carers using data from a qualitative study investigating OOHC in Queensland, Australia. Our sample is 113 carers, caring for 194 children aged 1–12 years old. We find lack of integration across formal support systems and failure to recognize the invisible workload undertaken by carers are two key challenges faced by carers. Upskilling and stabilizing the child protection work force, as well as better training for carers, is also required. Addressing these issues will enhance the social support systems of carers and improve the safety, stability, and connection of children in OOHC.