兒童貧窮問題引起香港社會及政策制定者的深切關注。香港特區政府及各非政府組織推出了不同的策略、計劃及方案以舒緩兒童貧窮問題。可是，大部份針對小學生的現行計劃及方案普遍著重提升兒童的學術成果多於其全面發展。本研究旨在探討由企業發起及持續舉辦的校本計劃及社區為本計劃在幫助香港貧窮兒童脫貧及全面發展的成效。 / 本研究採用多重個案研究法，對兩個與企業合作推行持續性兒童扶貧計劃的個案，包括學校一(School-1)及非政府組織一(NGO-1)作深入了解。多種質性數據從這兩個個案的三項計劃中搜集，包括十二節參與式觀察及四十五個半結構性訪談(負責職員、組織者、主持人、義工、兒童參與者及他們的父母)。 / 本研究有四項主要研發現: / 一，連結社會資本及橋樑社會資本是兒童參與者在建立人力資本過程中的催化劑。二，在兒童參與者及義工建立信任關係的過程中連結社會資本及橋樑社會資本是互相依賴而成。三，兒童參與者能夠成為主動的行動者。他們除了能夠在影響他們生命的決定上作出選擇；並藉著把握學習及社交機會，抗拒因生活於不利環境中所產生的負面影響，更能夠改變環境，把希望灌注入父母的生命。四，三項計劃均提供為期九至十個月的服務，讓介入工作在這段較長時間中引發兒童參與者的改變，並把希望灌注入他們的生命。此外，也讓他們的父母、計劃組織者及負責職員觀察兒童參與者的成長及改變。 / 綜合這些研究發現，人力資本的建立、建立連結社會資本及橋樑社會資本所帶來的支援關係、兒童的聲音能否獲得聆聽及作出決定時兒童的意見能否受到尊重，均對計劃能否有正面效果有直接關係。基於這些研究發現，建議扶貧計劃需在貧窮兒童的較早期的生命歷程中推行，並且介入的時期較長，讓兒童參與者的成長及改變能被引發並被觀察出來，把希望灌注入兒童及父母的生命，讓他們能發現彼此的優點、對生命存有盼望、為美好的將來釐訂實際計劃及具信心與社會人士保持接觸。這些均是他們在打破貧窮困局及戰勝社會排斥的過程中不可或缺的原素。 / Children poverty problem has become a main concern of Hong Kong society and the policy makers. Different strategies, programmes and projects have been implemented by the HKSAR government and different NGOs to alleviate the child poverty problem. However, most existing programmes and projects for primary school children emphasize on educational outcomes rather than the holistic child development. / This study aims to understand whether and how the enterprise-initiated and ongoing school-based and community-based programmes may help the poor children in Hong Kong in poverty alleviation and holistic development. / One school (School-1) and one NGO (NGO-1), which implemented ongoing poverty alleviation programmes with enterprises, were selected for this multiple-case study. Based on the analysis of the multiple sources of data collected from the three main programmes, including 12 sessions of participant observation and 45 semi-structured interviews (with responsible staff, organizers, host, volunteers, participating children and their parents), four key findings were obtained to answer the research question. / First, bonding and bridging social capital acted as a catalyst in the process of developing human capital among the participating children. Second, bonding and bridging social capital relied on and built upon each other in the trust building process among the participating children and the volunteers. Third, the participating children could be the active agents, who could exercise their choices in decisions affecting their lives, resist the negative influences of the adverse environment by holding onto the learning and social opportunities, and even change the environment by instilling hope in their parents. Fourth, the three main programmes under this study were organized for the same group of children for about nine to ten months in each cycle, which allowed time for the intervention to generate change and instill hope in the participating children and also enabled the parents, organizers and responsible staff to observe the growth and change in the participating children. / The findings suggest that the development of human capital is directly related to the supportive relationship built during the intervention process through bonding and bridging social capital, and the experiences of being listened, involved and respected in decisions affecting them through child participation. It is recommended that programmes should be organized for the poor children in their early stage of life-course and with a longer period of time for intervention and observation of their growth and change in the participating children. When hope is instilled in the children through joining the programmes, hope is subsequently instilled in the parents as well to acknowledge one’s merits, to feel hopeful to live a life with a wide range of possibilities, to have more confidence in making concrete plan for a better future and getting in touch with the people in the society. All these are indispensable on the road to beat the odds of poverty and conquer social exclusion. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Detailed summary in vernacular field only. / Tang, Mun Yu. / Thesis (Ph.D.) Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2013. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 437-467). / Abstracts also in Chinese. / Tang, Mun Yu.

This exploratory study looked at Child Protective Service workers' perceptions of how housing issues affect their decisions in the removal of children from their parents, and the reunification of children with their parents. The survey examined San Bernardino County Child Protective Service workers in the Inland Empire region of California.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare the outcomes of the Independent Living Program (ILP) of former foster youths who have aged out of foster care and group care in San Bernardino County of California using an exploratory and quantitative survey design.

The purpose of this study was to identify to what degree specific factors influence the level of satisfaction experienced by foster parents whose foster children are recieving mental health services from agencies that they have been referred to by a Coming of Age Foster Family Agency.

The purpose of this study was to gather data relating to motivations of individuals who volunteer to participate as foster parent. By surveying potential, as well as current volunteers, a motivational profile was obtained that will aid in future recruitment and retention efforts.

This study will explore whether the relationships between grandparents and birthparents affect kinship care placement outcomes for court dependent children. Data was extracted from an existing study of kinship care providers.

This work examined social workers at the Riverside County Child Protective Services and their need for cross-cultural training specifically when working with ethnic minority families.

This study identified the needs of homeless children in the Hospitality House shelter of the Salvation Army in San Bernardino. This study explored the current services provided to satisfy the homeless children's needs. The study also assessed the extent to which the shelter supervisors were familiar with the Mckinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act and types of services they are mandated by the Act to provide for homeless children in shelters.

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2015. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study focused on the social protection of vulnerable children in Zambia. The aim was to find out how social protection had evolved and how it was conceptualised – its functions and types, policies and programmes, the benefits and services, and the risks and vulnerabilities that it addresses. A descriptive study design was used with qualitative methods of collecting and analysing data. The sample of 24 participants from government and nongovernmental organisations involved in social protection delivery as well as carers of children was drawn from the Central, Lusaka and Southern provinces of Zambia respectively. A semi-structured interview schedule was used, and all the recorded interviews were transcribed by the researcher and sent back to the participants for proofreading or corrections, where necessary, before analysis. The basic needs, the empowerment, the risk management, the rights-based, and the capability approaches have been used to further the conceptualization, design features and implementation modalities of social protection. Additionally, given that a theoretical basis for social protection is still lacking, the study drew on representational, explanatory, normative, human capital, social construction, social contractual, and structural social work theories in order to complement, extend and verify the findings. Ethical clearance (number Desc_Moonga2012) was obtained from Stellenbosch University’s Research Ethics Committee. The ethical clearance certificate was used to apply for and obtain permission from the Zambian Ministry of Community Development Mother and Child Health and nongovernmental organisations involved in the study. Empirically, the study found that social protection was an old activity under a new name and was being scaled up rapidly but biased towards cash transfers. By and large, social protection in Zambia is provided as unconditional transfers, mainly as social assistance. No existing legislative or policy framework specifically focused on social protection was found, although the latter had been drafted at the time of the study. The Zambian government and a number of partners such as CARE, Child Fund, World Vision and the World Food Programme, to mention only a few, were found to be involved, but their efforts were fragmented and interventions for children were limited, fragmented and less responsive to the current risks and vulnerabilities of children. The study also established that if 2–3% of the country’s gross domestic product as recommended by the International Labour Organization were used, Zambia could afford to provide extensive social protection coverage (beyond its current offering) by using local resources. However, this would require putting in place appropriate and sustainable resource mobilisation measures and decentralization of the processes and interventions. Based on these and other concluding findings, it is recommended that in order for social protection for vulnerable children in Zambia to be effective, among other requirements, political will is needed in the provision of social protection for vulnerable groups, especially children, through legislative and policy frameworks. Additionally, there is a need for sustainable resource mobilisation, especially through progressive taxation such as taxation of undeserved income and taxation of big businesses, especially mining companies. However, due to limitations in qualitative methods and descriptive designs and the small sample of the data used, the conclusions and recommendations of the study are but conjectural. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie het op die maatskaplike beskerming van kwesbare kinders in Zambië gekonsentreer. Die doel was om te bepaal hoe maatskaplike beskerming ontwikkel het en gekonseptualiseer is – die soorte en funksies van maatskaplike beskerming, die beleide en programme daaroor, die voordele en dienste wat daarmee verband hou, en die gepaardgaande risiko’s en kwesbaarhede. ʼn Beskrywende navorsingsontwerp met kwalitatiewe metodes vir data-insameling en -ontleding is gebruik. Die steekproef van 24 deelnemers uit die staatsektor en nieregeringsorganisasies wat met die lewering van maatskaplike beskerming gemoeid is, sowel as kinderversorgers, het uit die Lusaka-, sentrale en suidelike provinsies van Zambië gekom. ’n Semigestruktureerde onderhoudskedule is gebruik. Die navorser het alle opnames van onderhoude getranskribeer en dit voor ontleding aan die deelnemers gestuur om te proeflees en enige nodige regstellings te maak. Die basiese behoefte-, bemagtiging-, risikobestuur-, regsgebaseerde en vermoëns benaderings is gebruik om die konseptualisering, ontwerp kenmerke en implementering van modaliteite van maatskaplike beskerming te bevorder. Benewens die gebrek aan ’n teoretiese grondslag vir maatskaplike beskerming, het die studie op die verteenwoordigende- verklarende-, normatiewe-, menslikekapitaal-, maatskaplikekonstruksie-, maatskaplikekontrak- en strukturele maatskaplikewerk-teorieë staatgemaak om die bevindinge aan te vul, uit te brei en na te gaan. Etiekgoedkeuring (nommer Desc_Moonga2012) is van die Universiteit Stellenbosch se Navorsingsetiekkomitee verkry. Die etiekgoedkeuringsertifikaat is op sy beurt gebruik om toestemming te vra en te verkry van die Zambiese Ministerie van Gemeenskapsontwikkeling en Moeder- en Kindergesondheid en nieregerings-organisasies wat by die studie betrokke was. Die empiriese bevinding van die studie is dat maatskaplike beskerming ’n ou aktiwiteit met ’n nuwe naam is, en dat dit vinnig uitgebrei word, dog na kontant-oorplasings oorhel. Maatskaplike beskerming in Zambië geskied merendeels as onvoorwaardelike oorplasings, hoofsaaklik in die vorm van maatskaplike bystand. Geen bestaande regs- of beleidsraamwerk wat bepaald oor maatskaplike beskerming handel, kon opgespoor word nie, hoewel werk aan ’n beleidsraamwerk ten tyde van die studie aan die gang was. Die Zambiese regering en ’n aantal vennote, waaronder CARE, Child Fund, World Vision en die Wêreldvoedselprogram, om net enkeles te noem, is betrokke by maatskaplike beskerming dienslewering, maar hul pogings is gefragmenteer. Veral intervensies vir kinders is beperk, gefragmenteer en nie juis ingestel op die kinders se huidige risiko’s en kwesbaarhede nie. Daarbenewens het die studie vasgestel dat indien 2–3% van die land se bruto binnelandse produk gebruik word, soos wat die Internasionale Arbeidsorganisasie aanbeveel, Zambië kan bekostig om met behulp van plaaslike hulpbronne omvattende maatskaplike beskerming (wat verder strek as sy huidige aanbod) te bied. Dít sou egter vereis dat toepaslike en volhoubare maatreëls en desentralisering van prosesse en intervensies ingestel word om hulpbronne te mobiliseer. Op grond van hierdie en ander bevindinge is die gevolgtrekking dat maatskaplike beskerming vir kwesbare groepe in Zambië slegs doeltreffend sal wees indien die nodige politieke wil bestaan om deur regs- en beleidsraamwerke maatskaplike beskerming aan hierdie groepe, veral kinders, te voorsien. Daar bestaan ook ’n behoefte aan volhoubare hulpbronmobilisering, veral deur progressiewe belasting soos belasting op onverdiende inkomste en belasting op groot ondernemings, bepaald mynmaatskappye. Weens die beperkinge van kwalitatiewe metodes en deskriptiewe ontwerpe, sowel as die klein datasteekproef wat gebruik is, is die gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings van die studie egter bloot verondersteld.

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2001. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: There are an estimated 10 000 children in and around the streets of South Africa, with the speculation that this could be higher, given the difficulties surrounding the counting of the street children. Not all street children live on the streets permanently: many spend their days there mainly for economic reasons earning an income, then spend their nights at their homes or those of friends and relatives. Others go to the street as an alternative to going to school or, in an effort to avoid parents or caregivers who show little interest in their lives, or who force them onto the street to earn money. It is particularly children that have not become permanent residents of the street and that are part of community-based home schools, that are the focus of this study. A· qualitative approach is used to establish the experiences of these children in a residential area in the northern suburbs of Cape Town. The study revealed the following: • Community-based home schools provide children with basic needs like food, clothing and importantly, a trusting relationship with an adult. • Children's lives are restored in a non-threatening environment, assisting them to regain their dignity, establish healthier selfconcepts as well as higher self-esteem. Once these basic needs are fulfilled, it became evident that children are able to return to the experience of mainstream school and in so doing face the world with renewed fervour. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Na beraming is daar omtrent 10 000 straatkinders in Suid Afrika. Daar word gespekuleer dat die getal hoër kan wees as gevolg van die probleme met die tel van straatkinders. Nie alle straatkinders leef permanent op die strate nie. Baie spandeer hul dae op straat slegs vir ekonomiese gewin waar hulle 'n inkomste verdien, en slaap snags by hul huise óf by vriende óf familie. Ander leef op die straat as 'n alternatief om skool toe te gaan. Hulle doen dit ook om hulouers of voogde te vermy wat min aandag aan hulle skenk of wie die kinders forseer om geld op die straat te verdien. Dit is veral kinders wat nie permanent op die straat lewe nie, en deel is van huisskole, wat die fokus is van hierdie studie. 'n Kwalitatiewe benadering is gebruik om die ervarings van hierdie kinders in 'n gemeenskap in die noordelike voorstede te bewerkstellig. Die studie het die volgende getoon: • Gemeenskapsgebaseerde huisskole voorsien kinders met die basiese benodighede soos kos, klere en baie belangrik, die vertroue van 'n verhouding met' n volwassene. • Die kinders se lewens word herstel in 'n omgewing wat nie bedreigend is nie en wat hulle help om hul waardigheid te herwin en om 'n gesonde selfkonsep en hoër selfbeeld te vestig. • Wanneer hierdie basiese benodighede vervul is, het dit duidelik geword dat hierdie kinders kon terugkeer na die hoofstroom-skool ervaring en op hierdie manier kon hulle die wêreld met hernuwe ywer aanpak.