My diploma thesis titled Societal perception of children raised in infants nursing homes and children homes is research focused. The thesis is divided into the theoretical and practical parts. The theoretical part in its first chapter addresses infant institutes. The second chapter deals with children homes their categorization and covers the disadvantages of children{\crq}s homes. The following chapter is concentrated on the associations that provide help to the children from children's homes. Further, we mention the Instruction of the Ministry of Health for running of the infant institutes and children's homes for children under three years of age. Furthermore, attention is focused at groups of children that are placed in constitutional care, their characteristics and the arguments for their placing in the constitutional care. In the next part, the roles of representatives of children, inanition syndrome information, aims and purposes of the constitutional care, living conditions in these institutions and the volunteers providing help to children in such circumstances are mentioned. Next chapters discuss the existing care types of forsaken children and spare-family care system problems. Later, the constitutional care in the Czech Republic is compared to the Great Britain model. At the end of the theoretical part, we analyze the options of further dwelling and integration of the individuals. The target of this work was to determine the perception of the children from infant institutes and children{\crq}s homes by the society. In our hypotheses we anticipated that the society does not sufficient information regarding the children from infant institutes and the children's homes and that male and female opinion are different. We assumed in our other hypothesis that the society anticipates that these children are future delinquents and that the opinion of younger people were different from those of older people. We used a method of questionnaire to confirm or reject the determined hypotheses. The questionnaire consists of 19 questions. 120 questionnaires were distributed with a 100% return rate. Conclusion of the thesis comprises findings from both the theoretical and practical parts.

This research is conducted within a postmodern and social construction discourse and in context of narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy. It has been influenced by the voices of five contextual theologies: a participatory approach to practical theology, narrative, contextual, feminist and liberation theologies. The participatory action research seeks to highlight how narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy with children at Mary Ward Children’s Home, Kwekwe, Zimbabwe creates an inclusive and caring community. It argues that though residential childcare facilities/children’s homes are considered the last resort in the childcare system, we are witnessing not their demise but their development due to the increased numbers of AIDS-orphans and other vulnerable children in our society. The research aims were:  To develop inclusive narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy practices at the home.  To co-create narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy practices that respect the knowledges of the children involved.  To develop an eco-spirituality as participatory pastoral care and therapy practice.  To explore and co-author creative practices of doing narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy practices which will help the participants integrate into the Home and society. In conclusion, suggestions are made for a narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy practice that is inclusive and caring. In terms of the experience of children living with disability and experiencing loss, as well as those children who have been abused, it is specifically described as therapeutic, empowering and life-giving. Therefore, home managers, caregivers and pastoral therapists are invited into an ethical and passionate practice of pastoral care and therapy that has the potential to transform the lives of children in a residential child care facility. / Thesis (D. Th. (Practical Theology))

This research is conducted within a postmodern and social construction discourse and in context of narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy. It has been influenced by the voices of five contextual theologies: a participatory approach to practical theology, narrative, contextual, feminist and liberation theologies. The participatory action research seeks to highlight how narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy with children at Mary Ward Children’s Home, Kwekwe, Zimbabwe creates an inclusive and caring community. It argues that though residential childcare facilities/children’s homes are considered the last resort in the childcare system, we are witnessing not their demise but their development due to the increased numbers of AIDS-orphans and other vulnerable children in our society. The research aims were:  To develop inclusive narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy practices at the home.  To co-create narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy practices that respect the knowledges of the children involved.  To develop an eco-spirituality as participatory pastoral care and therapy practice.  To explore and co-author creative practices of doing narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy practices which will help the participants integrate into the Home and society. In conclusion, suggestions are made for a narrative and participatory pastoral care and therapy practice that is inclusive and caring. In terms of the experience of children living with disability and experiencing loss, as well as those children who have been abused, it is specifically described as therapeutic, empowering and life-giving. Therefore, home managers, caregivers and pastoral therapists are invited into an ethical and passionate practice of pastoral care and therapy that has the potential to transform the lives of children in a residential child care facility. / Thesis (D. Th. (Practical Theology))