This study was concerned with exploring the meaning birth relatives gave their experiences of counselling following the removal of their children from their care. An exploratory research question was formulated and addressed using a qualitative approach. The involvement of a service user as expert supervisor added an important element and certain validity to the design, analysis and findings. Interviews took place with five birth mothers who had received counselling from one birth relatives counselling service. Three master themes were constructed from the data: From feeling alone, judged and let down to feeling part of a special relationship; "The healing process"; and "My children are my world".

<p>Istraživanje prikazano ovim radom imalo je za cilj da opi&scaron;e mentalno zdravlje<br />dece na hraniteljstvu ranog &scaron;kolskog uzrasta i da sagleda kakvu ulogu u aktuelnom<br />stepenu njihovog psihosocijalnog funkcionisanja ima kvalitet brige koji im je pružen u<br />hraniteljskoj porodici. Kvaliteta staranja o detetu je konceptualizovan iz okvira teorije<br />afektivne vezanosti kao posvećenost hranitelja detetu na sme&scaron;taju i podrazumeva nivo<br />emocionalne investiranosti i motivisanosti hranitelja da sa detetom uspostavi emotivno<br />blizak, stabilan i trajan odnos.<br />U uzorak istraživanja je uključeno 82 dece na sme&scaron;taju u hraniteljskim<br />porodicama, uzrasta od 5 do 11 godina, koji su &scaron;tićenici Centra za socijalni rad Grada<br />Novog Sada i vi&scaron;e op&scaron;tinskih centara na teritoriji Vojvodine (Novi Bečej, Bačka<br />Topola, Mali Iđo&scaron; i Vrbas), bez ozbiljnijih smetnji u psihomotornom razvoju i koja u<br />aktuelnoj hraniteljskoj porodici borave najmanje dva meseca. U uzorku je podjednak<br />broj dečaka i devojčica, pri čemu dominiraju deca koja su na sme&scaron;taju u standardnim<br />(nesrodničkim) hraniteljskim porodicama (90.2 %), u odnosu na srodničke.<br />Podaci o mentalnom zdravlju dece su prikupljani uz pomoć dve skale za procenu<br />dečije psihopatologije koje su popunjavale hraniteljice: Liste provere dečijeg pona&scaron;anja<br />za decu od 6-18 godina (Child Behavior Checklist for ages 6-18, CBCL/6-18,<br />Achenbah &amp; Reskorla, 2001) i Liste za procenu dece u socijalnoj za&scaron;titi uzrasta od 4-11<br />godina (Assessment Checklist for Children for ages 4-11, ACC, Tarren-Sweeney,<br />2007). Podaci o mentalnom zdravlju su prikupljani i za kontrolni uzorak dece koja<br />odrastaju u biolo&scaron;kim porodicama, ujednačenom po broju, polnoj i uzrasnoj strukturi sa<br />uzorkom dece na hraniteljstvu, kao i u odnosu na pol roditelja koji pruža podatke<br />(majke). Za operacionalizovanje i procenjivanje kvaliteta staranja o detetu od strane<br />hranitelja je kori&scaron;ćen polustrukturirani intervju &ldquo;To je moje čedo&rdquo; (&ldquo;This Is My Baby&rdquo;<br />interview&rdquo;, TIMB, Bates &amp; Dozier, 1998) koji se sastoji od standardizovanih pitanja u<br />vezi hraniteljicinih osećanja prema detetu i njihovog međusobnog odnosa i daje uvid u<br />tri dimenzije: prihvatanja deteta na sme&scaron;taju kao svog (eng. acceptance), posvećenosti u<br />podsticanju njegovog rasta i razvoja bez emotivne &ldquo;zadr&scaron;ke&rdquo; (eng. commitment) i<br />svesnosti o uticaju uspostavljenog odnosa sa detetom na detetov emocionalni i socijalni<br />razvoj, aktuelno i u budućnosti (eng. awareness of influence).<br />Rezultati istraživanja ukazuju da deca na hraniteljstvu u poređenju sa svojim<br />vr&scaron;njacima koji odrastaju u biolo&scaron;kim porodicama, ispoljavaju značajno vi&scaron;e problema<br />mentalnog zdravlja, pri čemu prednjače problemi sa pažnjom, smetnje afektivne<br />vezanosti u vidu nediskriminativnog, pseudozrelog i nesigurnog pona&scaron;anja u<br />5<br />interpersonalnim relacijama, eksternalizujući problemi (agresivno pona&scaron;anje, kr&scaron;enje<br />pravila), abnormalni obrasci ishrane (čuvanje, skladi&scaron;tenje i krađa hrane) i<br />samopovređivanje. Mentalno zdravlje dece je determinisano nepovoljnim razvojnim<br />okolnostima koje prethode sme&scaron;taju ali i kvalitetom brige koja im je pružena u<br />hraniteljskoj porodici, pa se kod dece o kojima brinu hraniteljice visokog nivoa<br />prihvatanja i posvećenosti beleži manje emocionalnih problema, problema u pona&scaron;anju i<br />odnosu sa drugima. Rezultati ukazuju i na moderirajuće efekte kvaliteta staranja, u<br />smislu da je stepen prihvatanja i posvećenosti od strane hraniteljica posebno značajan za<br />decu koja su pre sme&scaron;taja u hraniteljsku porodicu imala visoko rizično iskustvo, čineći<br />ih znatno vulnerabilnijim u okolnostima niskog kvaliteta brige, kao &scaron;to i okolnosti<br />visokog kvaliteta staranja u ovoj grupi dece ostvaruju najintenzivniji protektivni i<br />kompenzatorni efekat.<br />Rezultati su diskutovani u svetlu teorije afektivne vezanosti, u smislu potvrde<br />kvaliteta staranja kao protektivnog činioca koji podstiče rezilijentnost dece i implikacija<br />relevantnih za praksu socijalnog rada u oblasti hraniteljstva.</p> / <p>The purpose of the research presented in this paper is to describe the mental<br />health of children in foster care at early school-age and to analyse the role that the<br />quality of care they receive in foster family plays in the current level of their<br />psychosocial functioning. The quality of child care has been conceptualized from the<br />framework of the attachment theory as the commitment of foster carers to the foster<br />children and it implies a level of emotional investment and motivation of the foster<br />carers to establish an emotionally close, stable and permanent relationship with the<br />child.<br />The research sample involved 82 foster children, aged 5 to 11, who are in the<br />care of the Centre for Social Work of the City of Novi Sad and several municipal<br />centres in the territory of Vojvodina (Novi Bečej, Bačka Topola, Mali Iđo&scaron; and Vrbas),<br />who are without serious difficulties in psychomotor development and who have been<br />with the current foster family for at least two months. The sample included the same<br />number of boys and girls, and the majority were children in standard (non-kinship)<br />foster families (90.2 %), as opposed to kinship foster families.<br />Information about the mental health of the children was collected using two<br />scales for the assessment of psychopathology in children, which were filled out by<br />foster mothers: Child Behaviour Checklist for ages 6-18 (CBCL/6-18, Achenbah &amp;<br />Reskorla, 2001) and Assessment Checklist for Children for ages 4-11 (ACC, Tarren-<br />Sweeney, 2007). Information about the mental health was also collected for the control<br />sample of children who live with biological families, identical in number, gender and<br />age structure with the sample of children in foster care, as well as in relation to the<br />gender of the parent providing the information (mother). In order to operationalize and<br />assess the quality of child care, the research used the semi structured interview &ldquo;This Is<br />My Baby&rdquo; (TIMB, Bates &amp; Dozier, 1998) which contains standardized questions in<br />relation to the foster mother&rsquo;s feelings towards the child and their mutual relationship<br />and it also provides insight into three dimensions: acceptance of foster child as her own,<br />commitment in encouraging their growth and development without emotional<br />&ldquo;reservations&rdquo; and the awareness of influence of the established relationship with the<br />child on the child&#39;s emotional and social development, now and in the future.<br />The results of the research indicate that the children in foster care, as compared<br />to their peers growing up with biological families, display significantly more mental<br />health problems, and the most frequent ones are attention problems, attachment related<br />difficulties in the form of indiscriminate, pseudo mature and insecure interpersonal<br />8<br />behaviours, externalising problems, aggressive and rule-breaking behaviour, eating<br />problems, food maintenance behaviour and self-injury. The mental health of the<br />children is determined by the unfavourable development circumstances prior to<br />placement in foster care, but also by the quality of care that they receive in foster<br />family, and so the children in the care of foster mothers with a high level of acceptance<br />and commitment display fewer emotional, behavioural and interpersonal problems. The<br />results also indicate the moderation effects of the quality of care, in the sense that the<br />level of acceptance and commitment by the foster mothers is of particular significance<br />for the children who had high-risk experience before they were placed in foster family,<br />which made them significantly more vulnerable in the circumstances of low-quality<br />care, just like the circumstances of high-quality care with this group of children<br />produced a more intensive protective and compensatory effect.<br />Results are discussed in the light of the attachment theory, in terms of<br />confirmation of the quality of care as a protective factor which encourages the resilience<br />of children, as well as the implications relevant to the social work practice in the field of<br />foster care.</p>

FOSTER CARE FOR A TEMPORARY PERIOD This thesis describes and critically judges the legal regulation, practice and purpose of foster care for a temporary period in the Czech Republic. Children temporarily or permanently deprived of their family environment or children, who cannot be left in such environment, are entitled to a special protection and assistance granted by the state in one of alternative care forms. The Czech Republic is criticized for a long time by the international organizations because of numbers of children placed in any type of institutional care. Consequently, the amendment of the Act N. 359/1999 Coll., on social and legal protection of children, has been approved in June 2006. This amendment has established a new legal institute called "the foster care for a temporary period". The function of this institute is to avoid a placement of children to an institutional care in the case, when the children can not stay in the original family because of whatever reason however there is a presumption of re-entry to that original family. Parents still have their parental responsibilities and still have right to keep in touch with their child. The thesis is composed of six chapters, which are subdivided into subchapters. Chapter One deals with the historical development of foster care. Chapter Two...

O presente trabalho dedica-se a explorar o funcionamento da medida protetiva de acolhimento institucional para crianças e adolescentes, desvelando as forças presentes nesse campo de trabalho, bem como os efeitos nas vidas sobre as quais age. A partir da compreensão de que tais equipamentos integram a chamada rede de Proteção Social Especial de Alta Complexidade da política de Assistência Social brasileira e são ancorados no discurso de cuidado e proteção, bem como na lógica da garantia de direitos, busca-se afirmar as potências, os desafios e as contradições presentes nessas instituições. Tais equipamentos carregam traços de uma história em que o trato à criança e ao adolescente é marcado por uma engrenagem precarizada e produtora de vidas adoecidas - vidas permeadas por sofrimento e que, simultaneamente, geram práticas protetivas e de cuidado. As vidas das quais falamos são das crianças e dos adolescentes acolhidos, de seus familiares ou mesmo dos profissionais presentes nos equipamentos em tela. Objetiva-se compreender, a partir do funcionamento dos serviços e das políticas em voga, quais os modos de vida têm sido engendrados nesses equipamentos. A experiência em Serviços de Acolhimento para Crianças e Adolescentes (Saica) foi disparadora das questões presentes nesta dissertação e permitiu acessar formas de analisar as relações familiares, as práticas cotidianas, as relações institucionais e seus jogos de poder, bem como os elementos presentes no trabalho com família e nas práticas de adoção. Três histórias foram escolhidas para dar a ver essas diferentes questões e fazem parte de uma escrita-narrativa tecida com elementos dessas histórias, discussões teóricas, dados quantitativos e reflexões. Os movimentos e as inflexões nas vidas acolhidas institucionalmente carregam facetas do emaranhado que de fato é um Saica e permitem articular essas vidas às suas condições de existência ressaltando os esforços para que as práticas cotidianas gerem proteção e cuidado / The present work is dedicated to exploring how the protective institutional foster care for children and teenagers measure works, revealing the forces present in this scope of work, as well as the effects on the lives upon which it acts. Considering the premise that such equipment is part of the so-called Special Social Protection Network of High Complexity of the Brazilian Social Assistence policy and are anchored in the discourse of care and protection, as well as in the logic of guaranteeing rights, it is affirmed the powers, challenges and contradictions present in these institutions. These institutions bear traces of a history in which the treatment of the child and adolescent is marked by a precarious process of life-sickness lives permeated by suffering and which, simultaneously, result in protective and care practices. The lives of which we speak are lives of the children and adolescents, lives of their family or even the professional presents in the concerned institutions. The objective is to understand, from the functioning of the services and policies in vogue, which modes of life have been engendered. The experience in Serviço de Acolhimento para Crianças e Adolescentes (Saica) incited the issues presents in this dissertation and allowed access to ways of analyzing family relationships, daily practices, institutional relationships and their power relations, as well as the elements present in the work with family and adoption practices. Three stories were chosen to show these different questions and are part of a writing-narrative woven with elements of these stories, theoretical discussions, quantitative data and some reflections. Movements and inflections in institutionally fostered lives carry facets of the tangle that in fact is a Saica and allow them to articulate these lives to their conditions of existence by emphasizing the efforts that day-to-day practices generate protection and care

Thesis (M.A. (Social Work)) --University of Limpopo, 2015 / Please refer to the document / University of Limpopo

This qualitative study examines the current barriers of services to transition age youth (TAY) who are newly emancipated from foster care. Data collection was derived from eight in depth interviews with local administrators within San Bernardino County with experience with youth and services within the TAY population. Study themes focused on how professionals suggested to engage TAY, tactics to instilling hope, highlighting successful services, and providing professional insight on working with the unique population. Present day research emphasizes the importance of the emotional capacity of TAY, which is a key theme within the present study. As current rates of homelessness, the dependency of government assistance programs, and mental health services increase for the TAY population, the need for improved services is apparent. Study results indicated five distinct themes pertaining to youth impediments and the need for foster system adjustments, and include: unmet mental health needs, available housing facilities, mistrust from the youth, the integration from Peer and Family Assistant’s, and systemic barriers.

<p>The main aim of this study was to explore lived experiences of unaccompanied foreign minors in South Africa from a social work perspective. An important goal was to also explore the lack of guidelines on how to assist these young people. This study was conducted in a Children&rsquo / s Shelter, which is situated in the North-Eastern outskirts of Polokwane, where a group of unaccompanied refugee children from Zimbabwe were living. This study was qualitative and explorative in nature. Non-probability sampling was used to select participants for the study. Ten children were selected, ranging from age 14 to 18 years. Semi-structured interviews with the children and a focus group discussion with five care workers were held. Thematic analysis was used. The findings of this study revealed that services by government social workers are limited compared to those from social workers employed with nongovernmental organisations. It is hoped that this study will assist government and other role players in planning, advocacy and policy development related to the issues affecting unaccompanied refugee children.</p>

The study of resiliency theory allows for an examination of successful processes people have relied on to overcome difficult situations. In this study, former youth in care who have demonstrated resilience through educational success as defined by enrollment in post-secondary educational programs, were interviewed to gain an understanding of the factors that contributed to their resilience. Nine former youth in care participated in this study. Analysis of the transcripts from the conversations resulted in several factors that the participants identified as promoting resilience. These included supportive relationships, self advocacy, externalization of perceived negative attitudes, a high value placed on education, and access to community support through Amandas Gift, a bursary program available to former youth in care.

The study of resiliency theory allows for an examination of successful processes people have relied on to overcome difficult situations. In this study, former youth in care who have demonstrated resilience through educational success as defined by enrollment in post-secondary educational programs, were interviewed to gain an understanding of the factors that contributed to their resilience. Nine former youth in care participated in this study. Analysis of the transcripts from the conversations resulted in several factors that the participants identified as promoting resilience. These included supportive relationships, self advocacy, externalization of perceived negative attitudes, a high value placed on education, and access to community support through Amandas Gift, a bursary program available to former youth in care.

The purpose of this study is to better understand, from a foster parent perspective, how the integration process of the foster child is carried out in the foster family. The purpose is to identify the challenges and success factors in the process. The study is based on a qualitative method. The data consist of interviews with six foster families. The study’s theoretical framework is mostly based on system theory and also on the theory of ambivalence. The results show that most of our families considered five factors to be important in order to facilitate the integration process. The foster family needs to bond with the foster child, let the foster child in into the family system, open up and be who they really are, respect each other and reserve time to be able to satisfy the needs of foster child. The results emphasize that the foster parents should treat the foster child in the same way as the biological child.  We have also been able to identify factors that may have an impact on integration, like the age of the foster child. Our results suggest that foster parents experience different varieties of ambivalence to both the foster child and the foster child's biological parents. Those children who have a poor relationship with their biological parents and are of relatively young age tend to be over-integrated in the foster family.