Children Involved in Child-Welfare Systems and the Death of a Birth Parent: Implications of a Scoping Review with Sparse Findings

Abstract The loss of a parent at a young age is a stressful and traumatic experience. Children receiving care and support through child-welfare systems are more likely to experience the death of a parent during childhood compared to their peers. The aim of this scoping review was to provide an overview of the extent of research on children in child-welfare systems who have experienced the death of a birth parent. The scoping review was conducted following the updated guidelines from the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI). The findings revealed a scarcity of research knowledge in this area, as only three identified studies met the eligibility criteria, leading us to classify it as a “near-empty review”. JBI recommends that near-empty reviews include suggestions for further research. Accordingly, we recommend: (1) exploring children’s perspectives and developing knowledge from the child’s viewpoint in their everyday life, and (2) investigating how the theoretical concept of ambiguous loss can enhance understanding of loss and bereavement among children in child-welfare systems. Together, we believe these recommendations will enhance our understanding of death losses and bereavement, which are often overlooked in society, and are essential for informing social work practices with children in child-welfare systems.