Denna uppsats handlar om biologiska barn och hur deras delaktighet, utifrån barnkonventionen och begreppet ”barnets bästa”, beaktas av yrkesprofessionella som handhar ärendet när deras familj åtagit sig uppdrag att vara familjehem. Syftet med vår studie är att undersöka hur socialtjänsten beaktar biologiska barns bästa vid en familjehemsplacering, utifrån biologiska barns delaktighet. Ett steg till att undersöka deras delaktighet är att ta reda på om det finns rutiner för hur yrkesprofessionella inom familjehemsvård i deras arbete gör biologiska barn i familjehem delaktiga under en familjehemsplacering. Genom en kvalitativ metod som metodval har vi med hjälp av en semistruktuerad intervju genomfört intervjuer med fyra familjehemssekreterare inom familjehemsvård på socialtjänsten samt fyra externa familjehemsutredare på uppdrag av socialtjänsten. Urvalsgruppen arbetar inom och på uppdrag av olika kommuner i Sverige och har olika års erfarenhet inom yrket. Tidigare forskning både internationellt och nationellt har bland annat studerat om placerade barns upplevelser i familjehem samt familjen som helhet i familjehem. När det gäller biologiska barn i familjehem visar det sig att det är ett ytterst begränsat forskningsområde. Resultat i studien visar att trots de yrkesverksammas olika bakgrund så beskriver majoriteten av urvalsgruppen att biologiska barns delaktighet inte har en direkt given plats i processen då rutiner för det saknas och föräldrarna förväntas förmedla vidare information till sina barn. Samtliga i urvalsgruppen ger en beskrivning av att biologiska barns delaktighet i en familjehemsplacering bör förstärkas. Det finns behov av att lyfta och tillämpa biologiska barns rätt till delaktighet vid en familjehemsplacering. Resultatet visar på att frågan är angelägen att få besvarad och behöver undersökas närmare med ytterligare forskningsstudier. / This essay is about biological children and how their participation, based on the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the concept of "the best interests of the child", is considered by professionals who handle the case when their family has undertaken the task of being a foster family. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there are routines for how professionals in foster care units in their work make biological children in foster families involved during a family home placement. The study intends to make visible how the participation of biological children is considered at all stages of a foster care placement, i.e., from the beginning, during the time and at the end. Through a qualitative method as a method choice, we have, with the help of a semi-structured interview, conducted interviews with four foster care secretaries in family home care at the social services and four external foster care investigators on behalf of the social services. The selection group works within and on behalf of various municipalities in Sweden and has different years of experience in the profession. Previous research both internationally and nationally has, among other things, studied the experiences of placing children in foster families and the family in family homes. Regarding biological children in family homes, however, research shows that it is an extremely limited area of ​​research. Results in the study show that despite the professionals' different backgrounds, most of the sample group describes that biological children's participation does not have a directly given place in the process as routines for it are lacking and parents are expected to pass on given information to their children. A description from everyone in the selection group shows that biological children's participation in a family home placement should be strengthened. It summarizes the need to raise and apply biological children's right to participation in a family home placement. The results show that the question is important to get answered and need to be investigated further. Further research is needed to examine biological children's experience of participation and its significance.

Ce travail se compose de deux études principales : La première étude est destinée à valider une version française de l’échelle d’évaluation des qualités d’attachement adulte (MAQ ; Carver, 1997). La deuxième étude est destinée à évaluer les qualités d’attachement chez les jeunes adultes antérieurement placés en famille d’accueil et de les mettre en perspective avec la perception qu’ils ont du soutien parental reçu dans le cadre familial de substitution (famille d’accueil ou assistante familiale). Les résultats de la première étude montrent que l’échelle de MAQ-Fr présente des niveaux adéquats de cohérence interne, de stabilité temporelle et d’une bonne validité du construit. Nous pouvons considérer qu’elle constitue donc un bon outil d’évaluation des qualités d'attachement auprès d’une population d’adultes français. Les résultats de la deuxième étude montrent que les jeunes accueillis avaient été marqués par leur expérience de placement. Leurs types d'attachement à l'âge adulte ont été influencés dans une certaine mesure par leurs expériences individuelles en famille d'accueil. Ces types d'attachement sont liés à la fois au soutien parental de substitution et aux conditions dans lesquelles se sont effectuées le /ou les placements. Les types d'attachement insécure influencent l'évolution relationnelle des adultes anciens placés en famille d'accueil. Ils ont alors développé des « modèles internes opérants » provoquant des défenses qui renforcent en fait les angoisses et la méfiance déjà présentes du fait des traumatismes relationnels précoces. Cette étude fournit à la fois des indices positifs comme quoi les enfants placés subissent des souffrances liées à leurs difficultés d’attachement et que celles-ci peuvent se trouver modifiées en bien ou en mal selon la sensibilité des milieux d’accueil à ces difficultés d’attachement. Les résultats obtenus mettent en lumière l'importance de s'intéresser au placement en famille d'accueil et aux relations entre les jeunes placés et les parents d'accueil, celles-ci étant des facteurs susceptibles d'influencer dans une forme de sécurisation l’attachement à l'âge adulte tout en renforçant l’autonomisation et les capacités de mentalisation. / This work is composed of two main studies: The first study intended to validate a French version of the of the measure of adult attachment qualities (MAQ; Carver, 1997). The second study is designed to assess the attachment qualities of young adults previously placed in foster care and put them in perspective with the perception they have of parental support received in foster care. The results of the first study show that the MAQ-Fr scale has adequate levels of internal consistency, temporal stability, and good construct validity. We can consider that it is therefore a good tool for assessing the qualities of attachment to a French adult population. The results of the second study show that the participants have been affected by their foster care experience. Their relationship styles indicate that their attachment style in adulthood has been influenced to some extent by their individual experiences in foster care. These types of attachment are related both to foster parental support and the conditions in which the placement (s) was made. Insecure attachment patterns influence the relational evolution of adults who have been in foster care. They then developed "working internal models" hat provoke defenses that actually reinforce the anxieties and mistrust already present due to early relationship traumas. This study provides both positive indications that the children placed suffer pain related to their attachment difficulties and that these can be modified in good or bad according to the sensitivity of the host environments to these difficulties of 'attachment. The final results highlight the importance of foster care placement and relationships between young in foster care and their foster parents, as these factors are likely to influence attachment in adulthood in a form of securing while reinforcing empowerment and mentalizing abilities.

Ungefär 20 000 barn är familjehemsplacerade i Sverige. Att bli placerad i ett familjehem och ryckas upp samt separeras från sin hemmiljö kan påverka ett barns anknytningsmönster. Teorin om anknytning påvisar vikten av att barn skapar sig trygga anknytningsmönster vilket leder till ökade möjligheter för fortsatt god utveckling. Den här studien har haft som syfte att få en fördjupad förståelse för hur socialsekreterare beskriver anknytning i förhållande till familjehemsplacerade barn mellan 0-3 år. Med stöd av en fenomenologisk studie har semistrukturerade intervjuer genomförts för att få en djupare förståelse av socialsekreterares syn på anknytning och hur kunskapen om den tillämpas vid familjehemsplaceringar. Studien har påvisat att olika definitioner används, olika förhållningssätt tillämpas och att anknytning som begrepp inte tydligt praktiseras vid familjehemsplaceringar. Slutsatsen med studien är att anknytningen är viktig, speciellt i förhållande till familjehemsplaceringar. Det krävs fortfarande mer forskning och kunskap inom anknytningsteorin i förhållande till familjehemsplaceringar då kunskaperna om teorin kan vara bristande. / Approximately 20 000 children are placed in foster homes in Sweden. Being placed in a foster home and separated from their biological family and environment can affect a child's attachment pattern. The attachment theory demonstrates the importance of secure attachment patterns in children leading to increased opportunities for a healthy development. The purpose of this study is to achieve a deeper understanding of how the social secretary views attachment in relation to children between 0-3 years old placed in foster homes. In order to achieve a deeper understanding of how the social secretary views attachment, and how this knowledge is being applied when placing a child in foster care, I have made a phenomenological study using semi-structured interview. The study has shown that the social secretary's view of attachment varies and the term attachment is not being routinely practiced when placing a child in a foster home. The conclusion of the study is that the attachment theory is important especially when placing a child in foster home.

The diploma thesis discusses the impact of foster care on biological children of foster parents from the perspective of foster parents, biological children of foster parents and experts in their work with the issue of foster care encounter. Aim of this work is to propose options for social work with biological children of applicants for foster care in the way they are not negatively affected. Key words: foster care, biological children of foster parents, accompanying foster families, preparing for foster care

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The topic of the diploma thesis is the issue of foster care performed by the relatives of the child from the point of view of social and legal protection workers of children (OSPOD) and foster parents on the basis of the theory of line workers. The work deals with the confrontation of kinship and professional (mediated by the state) foster care, their positives and negatives, both from the perspective of OSPOD professionals who perform this activity directly and from the perspective of foster parents who are related to children and professional foster parents. The aim of the diploma thesis is to find out whether there is a different approach to kinship and professional foster care both in terms of legal grounding and in terms of the practical side of this institute. The work focuses on finding out the needs of foster parents in the performance of foster care and also the needs of workers involved in the implementation of foster care, both in terms of assessing foster care tools, entrusting the child to foster care, implementation of foster care and eventual termination of this care and their possible differences in professional and family care. At the same time, I focus on the reserves in foster care, both related and professional, but also on barriers to the performance of foster care and its...

Many children live in foster homes because their biological parents cannot take care of the child's needs. Previous studies have shown that children placed in foster homes have major risks of mental illness. This study examines how children in adulthood talk about their mental health while growing up in foster care and have a relationship with their biologicalparents. The data was collected through five autobiographies with theirown experiences of living in family homes and having a relationship with their biological parents at this time. The mental health of foster carechildren is affected by their foster care parents approach and attitude towards the children's needs. The better adaptation to the child's needs thebetter mental health the child could get. The majority of children from the autobiographies also stated that the relationship with their biological parents was positive for their wellbeing. Consequences in the relationshipto the biological parents were to make it easier to keep contact with otherfamily members and increase the child's understanding of their placementin foster homes. Placements in foster homes can help the child’s development, although the majority of children were stigmatized and bullied at school.

Thesis (M.Dev. (Development Planning and Management)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The foster care backlog has been a challenge in the National Department of Social Development for some years which resulted in the lapsing of foster care grants and thousands of children left without legal and statutory protection. Due to this, civil society took the Department of Social Development to court as this challenge impacted negatively on the family functioning of foster families as they lost access to social grants. The Department of Social Development was ordered by the South Gauteng High Court to come up with an extensive legal solution by the end of December 2014 but, to date, the foster care backlog is still piling up and foster families‟ standard of life is threatened. The social workers who are mandated by the Children‟s Act to conduct the statutory process and place children in foster care are inundated by the high foster care backlog. The aim of the research study was to explore the challenges social workers face in relation to managing foster care backlog cases at the Department of Social Development in the Polokwane Municipality area, Limpopo Province. The research study was based on a qualitative research method whereby a small sample of 21 foster care social workers from three service points (Aganang Cluster, Polokwane East and Polokwane West) were interviewed. The researcher used face to face semi-structured interviews to collect primary data from the participants. The findings from the study affirmed that there were indeed challenges in managing the foster care backlog. Lack of support and training, together with inequitable distribution of cases, are the most dominant challenges identified by the participants. In order for the provincial Department of Social Development to reduce the high caseload and for the clients to continue receiving the best service, the research study recommends that the vacant post be filled as soon as possible. Furthermore, training on legislation dealing with children including the Children‟s Act is also recommended for social workers. The researcher is of the opinion that the findings and the recommendations of the study may add value in managing foster care backlog in the Polokwane Municipality area and Limpopo Province as a whole, if they can be considered and applied.

This study examined factors predictive of post foster care outcomes, with a particular focus on Emotional Intelligence (EI). EI was conceptualized using Bar-On's mixed model approach. Central study questions examined whether EI offered incremental prediction of several meaningful outcomes, over and above other contextual and individual variables. Outcomes included educational attainment, income level, various domains of Quality of Life (QOL), and mental health functioning. Twenty one foster alumni participated in the study. Correlational and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. Predictor variables were organized into four blocks and entered using a hierarchical method in the following order: contextual foster care factors, transitional factors, general intelligence (IQ) and EI. Given the small sample size, relevant effect size estimates were used to interpret effects. Results of correlational analyses indicated that EI was meaningfully positively correlated with post-care educational attainment, income, personal growth, marital and extramarital relations, job characteristics and IQ. EI was inversely correlated with depression and anxiety. The results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that EI was the most robust predictor of post foster care outcomes: including annual income, educational attainment, personal growth, job characteristics, extra-marital, marital and extended family relations, depression and anxiety over and above contextual foster care factors, transitional factors, and IQ. Given the study's small sample size, results are regarded as tentative and in need of subsequent replication. Despite relevant limitation, EI is considered an important construct worthy of further study in the foster care population.

Many homeless youth come from foster homes, group homes, and other forms of substitute care. For young people in the child welfare system, elopement represents a major problem as it places them at risk for a number of troubling outcomes. Three studies were undertaken examining elopement among young people living in substitute care in Canada and the United States. The first study explored strengths and needs in a sample of 5,011 children and youth housed in a variety of substitute care settings including foster homes, group homes, residential treatment centres, emergency shelters, and juvenile justice facilities. Results indicated that needs, but not strengths, predicted running among children, while both needs and strengths predicted running among adolescents. Problems with school attendance, substance abuse, and delinquency also predicted running among both children and adolescents, with the exception of young children, for whom substance abuse was not a significant predictor. The second study explored the relationship between trauma, strengths, and elopement in a sample of 2,296 adolescents living in substitute care. Sexual abuse, physical abuse, school violence, and traumatic grief/separation were found to predict elopement. In addition, family violence and community violence predicted running among younger but not older adolescents. Educational strengths predicted a lower risk of running away for all adolescents, while well-being and relationship permanence predicted a lower risk of running among younger and older adolescents, respectively. The impact of strengths on the relationship between trauma and elopement was evaluated, with results suggesting that elopement was not predicted by an interaction between strengths and trauma. The third study was qualitative in nature and explored the perspectives of youth who had run away from substitute care at least once in their lifetime. Youth provided information about their experiences as well as suggestions designed to reduce the prevalence of running away among youth in substitute care. Findings for all three studies were discussed in relation to the literature with implications for research and prevention.