Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2004. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 195-205).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 2004. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 195-205).

No description available.

No description available.

Legislation in South Africa pertaining to the care and protection of children is presently being revised and changed. Should alternative care be necessary for a vulnerable child, the Children's Act 38/2005 prioritises a foster care placement over a child and youth care centre of which a Children's Home is a part. Given the steady decline in traditional family living due to, amongst other things HIV/AIDS, poverty and unemployment in South Africa, the dominant view of family care being prioritised may not always be feasible in reality. The study researched this view by hearing the voices of children and their caregivers, in both foster care and in Children's Homes by conducting a qualitative study based on the exploratory and descriptive designs A purposive sampling strategy was used as there were clear criteria for the selection of participants. There were two sample groups. One consisted of child participants and the other consisted of caregivers viz. foster parents and child-care workers. Caregivers were included for the purposes of enhancing reliability, validity and trustworthiness of the study. Data was collected by means of semi-structured in depth interviews with the child participants. Two focus groups were held with the caregivers; one with the foster parents and the other with the child-care workers. Both the in depth interviews as well as the focus group discussions were guided by similar themes that were linked to the main objectives of the study. The findings revealed that children's voices were largely absent in decisions pertaining to their well being; that they preferred to live with families of origin as opposed to alternative care and should they be placed in alternative care, foster care was preferred to Children's Homes. The findings further emphasized the need for infrastructural support such as family preservation programmes, financial and social work support for all poverty stricken families and strengthened human resources for Children's Homes. Recommendations therefore centred around ways in which to capacitate families of origin; ways of including children in decision making and the necessary infrastructural support to ensure optimum care for vulnerable children. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2007

A research report submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the degree Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology In the faculty of Humanities at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg February 2016 / Literature on adoption and abandonment in South Africa is somewhat limited. As abandonment is a pressing issue in South Africa, it is important to grow the body of literature so that these children and their adoptive families can be given effective help and support. This study focused on the relationship between adoptive parents and their previously abandoned, adopted children. Emphasis was placed on exploring this relationship and capturing the narrative of these adoptive parents as they provided an account of their experiences in adopting an abandoned child. To help guide this exploration, this study looked at how the experience of being abandoned affects the relationship between the adoptive parent and their adopted child. The study then focused on how good enough parenting ameliorated these early adverse experiences and finally explored the type of help sought by adoptive parents to help their children. The research design employed for this study was qualitative in nature and semi-structured interviews were conducted with five adoptive mothers in Johannesburg. Thematic content analysis was used to obtain themes and interpret the data. The findings of this study revealed that the adopting of abandoned children was a challenging journey yet, given that these adoptive mothers have been good enough caregivers to their children, providing them with consistency and stability in care, they have inspired the birth of relationships that feel more secure. In addition, the findings pointed out that the tracking of the relationship between adoptive parents and the adopted child from pre-pubescent years into pubescent years is likely to reveal more about the relationship. / MT2017

In these six intertwining fictional short stories, one fateful decision ripples through the lives of multiple generations. Annie is an unmarried young mother during World War II when she leaves her young daughter in the care of a childless couple. When Annie fails to return for the child after days and then years, a new and fragile family is formed only to be tested by Annie's eventual return. The other stories in this collection follow the daughters and granddaughters who have to navigate their own lives in the shadow of this abandonment. Spanning multiple decades, Annie's decision remains a pivotal psychological scar imprinted in her descendants and those left to care for the child that she could not.

Whisper was a reject, living in a world so polluted and damaged that many humans and animals alike were born with defects. She'd grown up in an outcast camp far from any village, and those who lived in the camp were like her: disfigured. But on her sixteenth birthday, Whisper's father came to take her back to the village where she was to fill her mother's vacated spot and perform duties for the family. Her job was to cook, clean, wash the clothes, and maintain the family property. At night she was chained to the doghouse. Her uncle decided that Whisper could make far more money for the family by other means. He escorted her to the city where he brought her to the Purgatory Palace which was full of people like her, people with disfigurements who had been abandoned by their families and lived in the city for one reason only -to beg for money. Whisper refused to beg, and instead used the violin she'd received from her mother, and played songs for the money she earned. This became tolerable for a time. But Whisper missed her forest home with an ache as cold as the city and she missed the other rejects from the camp in the woods. When she was accused of attacking a store attendant, she found herself in jail. She was rescued by Solomon, a man who had heard her songs on the street corners and said that she played as only a genius could. He offered her a place at The Conservatory of Music, where she would study the violin with him. Whisper accepted this offer but even though she was warm, safe, and played music every day, she did not fit in at The University and knew that she never would. This is a young adult novel about Whisper, trying to find a place in a world that doesn't accept her. It is a story of rejection, pollution and social status. Whisper discovers that through perseverance, friends and determination, anyone can find a way to fit.

Orientador: Leonardo Lemos de Souza / Banca: Alvaro Marcel Palomo Alves / Banca: Carmem Lúcia Sussel Mariano / Banca: Elizabeth Piemonte Constantino / Banca: Rita Melissa Lepre / Resumo: A presente tese buscou compreender quais os sentidos produzidos sobre a infância e o processo de acolhimento institucional de crianças acolhidas institucionalmente numa cidade no interior do Paraná. A metodologia consistiu em acompanhar o cotidiano de crianças e adolescentes por meio do método cartográfico, que busca acompanhar e realizar a leitura dos campos de força e sentidos existentes entre os atores da pesquisa. A partir do conhecimento do cotidiano da casa lar, chegou-se a eixos de análise que trataram: a) das relações entre disciplina e afetos; b) sobre os sentimentos que atravessam as relações na Casa Lar; c) das perspectivas para o futuro e para a saída da Casa Lar d) a dimensão do direito a história no processo de acolhimento. Como considerações finais, percebe-se que no processo de acolhimento institucional estão presentes dois modos de significar a infância, que estão em constante conflito e diálogo: uma significada pelas pessoas ao redor que pensam e tratam as crianças de acordo com a visão delas (infância pensada e vivida pela Casa Lar), que é a infância sofrida, abandonada, marcada pelo abandono e violência, e a infância vivida e narrada pelos moradores da Casa Lar. A maneira que a instituição tem de enxergar a infância se reflete na maneira como ela trata as crianças e jovens: são crianças de uma classe social baixa, que carregam o estigma de serem de famílias pouco convencionais, vasculhadas e acompanhadas pelos mais diversos tipos de dispositivos de control... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Abstract: The present thesis attempted to understand the implications generated on childhood and the process of institutional host of children and institutionally accepted in a city of the interior of Paraná. The methodology consisted of monitoring children and adolescent's daily life with the use of cartographic method. Starting from the facts(data) of the nursing home daily life, we ended up to analysis axes that dealt about: a)the relationship between discipline and affection; b)the feelings that interweave relationships in Casa Lar; c)the prospects for the future and leaving of Casa Lar; d) the extent to right to history in the reception( hosting) process. As a final consideration, two approaches to represent infancy which are in constant conflict and dialogue in the process of institutional protection are evident. The first one is signified by the people around them that consider and deal with the children according to their perception; that is, a suffered and abandoned childhood marked by neglect and violence. The second one is childhood experienced and narrated by the people (inhabitants) of Casa Lar. The way the institution perceives childhood is reflected in the way it treats children and young people. They are low social class children who carry the stigma of being from poorly structured families, scrutinized and violated by social control devices when they are out of the institutional reception (hosting) system. However, children and adolescents find means and take advantag... (Complete abstract click electronic access below) / Doutor

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Chicago, School of Social Service Administration, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references. Also available on the Internet.