The thesis deals with the experience of long-term foster parents and their opinions at the care of foster children. It looks at the impact of foster care on the psyche of children. The aim of this thesis is to determinate the effects of long-term foster care for children's mental and intellectual development. The theoretical part explains the difference between foster care and other types of care for children in need. It describes the historical development of foster care and it is legislative grounding in the legal system of the Czech Republic. The practical part contains interviews with long-term foster parents, two detailed studies of two selected children in foster care and also study of documentation regarding their mental health condition. All questions were answered and analyzed obtained data. The findings show, that long-term foster care is a quality institution with a positive impact on child development. These children easier overcome mental barriers and intellectual deprivation created in institutional care or in their biologicals families, which did not provide them quality environment.

Este trabalho objetivou discutir as interações entre serviços de acolhimento e famílias de crianças e adolescentes em medida de acolhimento por negligência. Está organizado em quatro capítulos e no formato de artigos. O Capítulo I consiste em uma introdução ao tema dos serviços de acolhimento para crianças e adolescentes no Brasil, os avanços ao longo dos anos e desafios atuais. Traz uma perspectiva geral e histórica sobre o tema infância e adolescência no Brasil relacionada à violência e as medidas protetivas associadas. O Capítulo II relata uma pesquisa qualitativa realizada à luz da Teoria Bioecológica do Desenvolvimento Humano, com base na inserção ecológica e com análise de dados pela Grounded Theory. Esta pesquisa foi realizada com duas famílias com crianças e adolescentes recolhidas em serviços de acolhimento de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Nesse capítulo está descrito todo o processo de pesquisa, desde a inserção nas instituições até a análise dos dados, integrando os resultados da pesquisa, as teorias, as leis e as discussões acerca do tema. O Capítulo III discute o acompanhamento das famílias das crianças e adolescentes em serviços de acolhimento dentro do Sistema de Garantia de Direitos de Crianças e Adolescentes no Brasil. Trata-se de uma revisão narrativa da legislação e literatura acerca do trabalho articulado com as famílias, embasada especialmente na legislação vigente, nas orientações técnicas dos diversos serviços e políticas públicas brasileiras e na experiência das pesquisadoras. É um capítulo teórico, mas com enfoque e objetivo de contribuir com a prática do acompanhamento das famílias. O Capítulo IV integra e sintetiza as discussões anteriores, de modo a apresentar algumas considerações acerca dos serviços de acolhimento, da interação entre família e instituição, assim como do acompanhamento familiar no Sistema de Garantia de Direitos. / This study aimed to discuss the interactions between foster care and families of children and adolescents in shelter for negligence. It is organized into four chapters. The First Chapter is a introduce about foster care in Brazil, the advances and current challenges. It show an overview and historical perspective about childhood and adolescence in Brazil, violence and protective measures. The Second Chapter report a qualitative research conducted from Bioecological Theory of Human Development, ecological insertion and data analysis by the Grounded Theory. This research was conducted with two families with children and adolescents in foster care in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. This chapter describes the research process, the analyze the data, integrating the results of the research, theories, laws and discussions about the subject. The Third Chapter discuss the the monitoring of families of children and adolescents in foster care into the Children's and Adolescents Rights Guarantee System in Brazil. This is a narrative review of the legislation and literature about the work with families, based in the current legislation, the technical guidance and Brazilian public policies. It’s a theoretical chapter, but the goal is contribute with the monitoring of families of children and adolescents in foster care. The Chapter IV integrates and summarizes previous discussions, in order to present some considerations about the care services, the interaction between family and institution, as well as family monitoring the Rights Guarantee System.

This research utilized Indigenous methodologies rooted in oral traditions, storytelling practices, and the Medicine Wheel teachings to examine how individuals, families, communities, social workers, and organizations can assist Indigenous youth who are aging-out of foster care and are transitioning into adulthood. The methods of inquiry included five one-on-one Story-Sharing Sessions with Indigenous adults who previously aged-out of care in British Columbia, and two Talking Circles comprised of ten Community Helpers including Elders, Mentors, Educators, and Foster Parents; and fifteen Delegated Aboriginal Agency Social Workers who worked directly and/or indirectly with Indigenous youth in and from foster care. This research was person-centered, strengths-based, and solutions-focused, and re-framed ‘aging-out of care’ terminology as ‘a transition into adulthood’ to honour the sacred life-cycle teachings of the Medicine Wheel. The core aim of this research was to aid in the development of a highly adaptive practical guide and theoretical framework for supporting Indigenous youth in and from care. / Graduate

Foster care youth face significant challenges to postsecondary educational success, especially while enrolled at four-year institutions. Foster care youth are absent of family support that their non-foster peers receive throughout the college experience. Without family support, foster care youth encounter greater challenges to persevere through college and reach graduation. Postsecondary education provides a fundamental opportunity for foster care youth to achieve positive life outcomes. Policy makers, social welfare agents and educators continue to advocate on behalf of foster care youth and have made it possible for them to attend college; however, lack of preparedness and support prevent foster care youth from staying in college. Skills necessary for college success are often gained in early stages of life. For many foster care youth it is in this early stage of life that they have been separated from biological family and placed in the foster care system. This research sought to answer the question: how does the family milieu influence postsecondary educational success for foster care youth? According to research, parents play a significant role in the accrual of educational, social and cultural skills needed for children to have success in later stages of life. Additionally, research supports that schooling becomes increasingly complex as life success becomes increasingly dependent on college success.

This study evaluated instruction and feedback on completion of data collection by licensed specialized Foster Parents caring for children with developmental disabilities and mental health issues. Instructions were delivered at the beginning of the intervention for three licensed specialized Foster Parents by providing them with a Foster Parent Handbook (FPH), and feedback was provided weekly based on the data collected by the Foster Parents. A multiple baseline design across participants was used to demonstrate the effects of instruction with frequent feedback, and an intervention fading phase was conducted by withdrawing the feedback component of the intervention several weeks following the intervention. The results showed an increase for each of the participants from 0% data completion in the baseline phase to 100% data completion in the intervention phase, with mean compliance of 92% during the fading phase. This study provides support for a packaged intervention for increasing data collection by Foster Parents that is less intensive than the traditional behavioral approaches to caregiver training.

xiv, 111 p. A print copy of this title is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Sleep studies have rarely explored individual differences in sleep disruption and associated outcomes at early ages. In two studies, this dissertation addresses both of these limitations using actigraphy, an activity-derived assessment of sleep, to increase understanding of negative impacts of sleep on early development. Study 1 investigated sleep disruption in foster children and sleep-related treatment outcomes of the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care for Preschoolers (MTFC-P) intervention program. Study 2 explored individual differences in the associations among sleep, children's behavior, and neurohormonal activity. Four groups of participants ages 3- to 7-years-old were included in both studies: (1) Regular foster care (RFC; n=15); (2) MTFC-P intervention (TFC; n= 17); (3) Low-income community (LIC; n= 18); and 4. Middle-income community (MIC; n=29). Results of Study 1 indicated greater sleep disruption in foster groups, as evidenced by longer sleep latencies and increased variability of sleep duration, in the TFC group than in community groups. There was also indication of a treatment effect as the TFC group slept longer than RFC and LIC groups and had earlier bedtimes, fell asleep earlier, and spent more time in bed than either community group. LIC children had marginally more active sleep than MIC children, indicating a possible role for socioeconomic status in sleep quality. In Study 2, correlational and causal modeling approaches were used to investigate associations among sleep disruption, problem behaviors, and diurnal cortisol. Influences of foster care placement, gender, and age were also examined as potential individual difference factors. Results of mixed linear autoregressive models indicated that children were more likely to display inattentive/hyperactive behaviors after shortened sleep durations. Furthermore, at lower sleep durations, differences among care groups and genders emerged as children in foster care and males were at heightened risk for inattentive/hyperactive behavior problems. No associations between sleep and disruptive problem behaviors were found and there were few associations with morning and evening cortisol values. Results of these studies are discussed in terms of the effectiveness of the MTFC-P program for addressing sleep problems in foster children. Additionally, clinical implications of the heightened likelihood of inattentive/hyperactive behavior problems after disrupted sleep in some children are discussed. / Adviser: Phil Fisher

xiv, 152 p. : ill. A print copy of this thesis is available through the UO Libraries. Search the library catalog for the location and call number. / Young children in foster care have been exposed to a variety of risks that are strongly linked to long-term deficits in functioning across multiple developmental domains. Some children, however, demonstrate more favorable outcomes and exhibit adaptation and the development of assets in spite of risks. The present study examined variables from early childhood during foster care which contributed to the development of favorable outcomes; specifically, emotion regulation and school adjustment in later childhood. Specifically, maltreatment history, placement history, parenting practices, family stress, developmental status, and attachment behaviors among a sample of young foster children were examined. Data were taken from an existing data set from the Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care-Preschool study implemented through the Oregon Social Learning Center. From the original n of 60 children in regular foster care, 34 remained in the sample during middle childhood assessments; this comprised the sample used for this study. In terms of predicting emotion regulation in middle childhood, lack of family stress and attention and executive function in early childhood revealed significant relationships. In regards to predicting school adjustment in middle childhood, sensorimotor function and history of neglect during early childhood revealed significant relationships. / Committee in charge: Kenneth Merrell, Chairperson, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Jeffrey Sprague, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Jane Squires, Member, Special Education and Clinical Sciences; Philip Fisher, Member, Psychology; Jennifer Ablow, Outside Member, Psychology

Este trabalho objetivou discutir as interações entre serviços de acolhimento e famílias de crianças e adolescentes em medida de acolhimento por negligência. Está organizado em quatro capítulos e no formato de artigos. O Capítulo I consiste em uma introdução ao tema dos serviços de acolhimento para crianças e adolescentes no Brasil, os avanços ao longo dos anos e desafios atuais. Traz uma perspectiva geral e histórica sobre o tema infância e adolescência no Brasil relacionada à violência e as medidas protetivas associadas. O Capítulo II relata uma pesquisa qualitativa realizada à luz da Teoria Bioecológica do Desenvolvimento Humano, com base na inserção ecológica e com análise de dados pela Grounded Theory. Esta pesquisa foi realizada com duas famílias com crianças e adolescentes recolhidas em serviços de acolhimento de Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. Nesse capítulo está descrito todo o processo de pesquisa, desde a inserção nas instituições até a análise dos dados, integrando os resultados da pesquisa, as teorias, as leis e as discussões acerca do tema. O Capítulo III discute o acompanhamento das famílias das crianças e adolescentes em serviços de acolhimento dentro do Sistema de Garantia de Direitos de Crianças e Adolescentes no Brasil. Trata-se de uma revisão narrativa da legislação e literatura acerca do trabalho articulado com as famílias, embasada especialmente na legislação vigente, nas orientações técnicas dos diversos serviços e políticas públicas brasileiras e na experiência das pesquisadoras. É um capítulo teórico, mas com enfoque e objetivo de contribuir com a prática do acompanhamento das famílias. O Capítulo IV integra e sintetiza as discussões anteriores, de modo a apresentar algumas considerações acerca dos serviços de acolhimento, da interação entre família e instituição, assim como do acompanhamento familiar no Sistema de Garantia de Direitos. / This study aimed to discuss the interactions between foster care and families of children and adolescents in shelter for negligence. It is organized into four chapters. The First Chapter is a introduce about foster care in Brazil, the advances and current challenges. It show an overview and historical perspective about childhood and adolescence in Brazil, violence and protective measures. The Second Chapter report a qualitative research conducted from Bioecological Theory of Human Development, ecological insertion and data analysis by the Grounded Theory. This research was conducted with two families with children and adolescents in foster care in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul. This chapter describes the research process, the analyze the data, integrating the results of the research, theories, laws and discussions about the subject. The Third Chapter discuss the the monitoring of families of children and adolescents in foster care into the Children's and Adolescents Rights Guarantee System in Brazil. This is a narrative review of the legislation and literature about the work with families, based in the current legislation, the technical guidance and Brazilian public policies. It’s a theoretical chapter, but the goal is contribute with the monitoring of families of children and adolescents in foster care. The Chapter IV integrates and summarizes previous discussions, in order to present some considerations about the care services, the interaction between family and institution, as well as family monitoring the Rights Guarantee System.

A presente dissertação teve como objetivo cartografar o campo de intervenção do Programa Família Acolhedora (PFA) do Rio de Janeiro, com o intuito de perceber máquinas da gestão das menoridades operadas por políticas públicas neste recorte, pelo PFA. Para tal, foram realizados grupos com as famílias de origem, famílias acolhedoras e crianças e adolescentes acolhidos, além de entrevistas com duas famílias de origem e diversos encontros e discussões com uma equipe técnica. A partir do referencial teórico da Análise Institucional francesa e do método cartográfico, a defesa da convivência familiar preconizada nos discursos que sustentam programas de acolhimento familiar foi posta em análise, evidenciando práticas-discursivas que naturalizam modelos de família e cuidado, operando certa gestão da infância que, em última análise, visa à neutralização de uma parcela da população tida como potencialmente perigosa através da inserção ou manutenção em unidades domésticas. A análise das tensões postas nas negociações travadas no cotidiano do Programa explicita o tensionamento da proteção que tutela, inerente à intervenção. A emergência de dinâmicas, como a gestão da solidariedade e da retórica da gratidão, permitiu analisar um campo de relações enunciativas e agenciamentos de posições que produzem os sujeitos em relação e agenciam possibilidades de negociação. Através da discussão do trabalho com grupos e da desmontagem de dois casos, discutimos experiências de famílias de origem e acolhedoras no Programa. Foi possível perceber como as famílias e as equipes técnicas se apropriam do Programa, apesar do caráter impositivo como prática disciplinar de governo, criando linhas de fuga e mantendo algum grau de autonomia, não se confirmando nem rebeldes, nem coitadas. / The present dissertation had the goal of charting the field of intervention of Rio de Janeiros Programa Família Acolhedora (PFA), in order to comprehend the tools of management of minorities operated by public policies in this case, the PFA. In order to do this, groups were conducted with families of origin, foster families and foster children and adolescents, and interviews with two families of origin and several meetings and discussions with technical staff. From the theoretical framework of the french Institutional Analysis and the cartographic method, the defense of family life advocated in speeches that support foster family programs was put under review, showing discursive-practices that naturalize models of family and care, operating certain childhood management that ultimately aims neutralizing a portion of the population considered as being potentially dangerous through the insertion or maintenance in households. The analysis of tensions placed on the negotiations held in the Programs quotidian explains the tension of the protection that tutorizes, which is inherent to the intervention. The emergence of dynamics, such as management of the solidarity and rhetoric of gratitude, allowed the analysis of a field of enunciative relationships and negotiation of positions that produce the subjects in relation and work the possibilities of negotiation. Through the discussion of the work with groups and the dismantling of two cases, we discuss experiences of families of origin and foster families in the Program. We could see how families and technical staff appropriate the Program to themselves, despite the impositive character as a government disciplinary practice, creating vanishing lines and maintaining some degree of autonomy, not affirming themselves as rebellious or pitiful.

Magister Artium (Social Work) - MA(SW) / The social welfare policy context changed dramatically from apartheid to post-apartheid in the South African transition to democracy. The new social developmental approach towards professional social work service delivery did not decrease the demand for foster care and thus the need for alternative child care placements continue to rise. Many children are still removed from their primary caregivers at a very young age and stay in foster care until they become adults. The goal of this research study was to explore , understand and describe the perceptions and experiences of adults regarding their lived experiences as foster children through the lens of Life Course Theory. Key objectives were to explore, understand and describe the foster care and childhood perceptions and experiences of participants through their journeys and transitions into adulthood; to explore, understand and describe how professional social work services are delivered in the field of foster care in the Overstrand Service Delivery Area and with these reflections, provide recommendations for improvements in foster care support services. In conducting this study, a qualitative single case design was implemented with the aim to contextualise the topic from a local, regional and social work perspective. A purposive sample of nine adult participants (four adult women and five adult men between the ages 25 and 35), across racial groups, i.e. young adults who entered alternative foster care as children, were used for the study. Data was collected in selected sub-areas of the Overstrand Municipal area, with a specific focus on the increasing foster care caseloads of registered non-profit child protection organisations (NPOs), particularly their satellite offices of Hermanus, Kleinmond, Gansbaai and the Stanford areas which form part of the Overberg region in the Western Cape. Data collection techniques consisted of document studies and semi-structured interviews, using a life-history approach for each individual partcipant. Data analysis was guided by the eight-step thematic analytical framework provided by Tesch. Findings concluded that social workers with the necessary resources generally need to respond in more appropriate ways to adequately prepare youth for the period of ‘transitioning’ out of foster care into independence and adulthood. The study documented evidence of how clients view the foster-care supervision services that were rendered. The study should thus guide and allow practitioner social workers to seriously review current social policies and practices regarding foster care. During the life course of ‘identity seeking’ individuals the struggles and challenges as told by the adult participants in this contextual study became better known and understood. As a practitioner and social work researcher, the researcher was also able to identify with the current practice dilemmas faced by designated child protection NPO organisations working under many constraints rendering foster-care services at local community and family level on behalf of the state. The research study should alert policy makers (including academic training instutitions), at local state and organizational levels, as well as individual social work professionals, of their constitutional, citizenship and ethical obligations to take cognisance, and great care of the significance of case file records that become historical evidence of the work and services rendered by professionals. The researcher is registered with the South African Council of Social Service Professions and is bound by the social work code of ethics which include research practice. Ethics considerations that were key to this study, e.g. obtaining informed consent, protecting the anonymity of the individual participants and participating organizations, and to ensure that both records and documents, and their identity and status are kept confidential.