Thesis (MPhil) -- AUT University, 2007. / Includes bibliographical references. Also held in print (x, 225 leaves ; 30 cm.) in City Campus Theses Collection (T 362.7330993 SHI)

The purpose of this thesis is to make an exploratory study of the basic and immediate psychosocial factors which may intensify the concern which some adolescent foster children show about the natural parents from which they were permanently separated at an early age. The study includes : 1. A brief description of bow the child's concern may be intensified (a) by broad social factors which vary according to the cultural definition of the importance to the child of being reared by "biological" parents (b) by the problems of adolescence in this culture's family life. 2. A description of the intensifying factors derived from a review of relevant literature in the fields of social work, social psychology and psychiatry. 3. An identification and description of the factors in the cases of seven adolescent foster children who, according to two experienced social workers, showed Intense concern about their unknown natural parents. The review of the literature provided a tentative frame of reference for use in exploring the case records. Some factors which were described seemed related to the foster child's early developmental years, others seemed more related to the particular psychosocial problems of adolescence. Suggestions for further research and social work diagnosis were drawn from the study. The concern of the adolescent foster child about his unknown natural parents seems related to his own particular life experiences. Careful study of the individual child should be made before the matter of telling the child about the parents is approached by the social worker. Further orientation of foster parents with regard to this problem seems indicated. Special treatment for certain children with pathological life experiences of which their concern about parents seems to be symptomatic is also suggested. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

The purpose of the present study is an assessment of the personal and social adjustment of older foster children and the extent to which the present foster home program in rural British Columbia has facilitated meeting these personal and social needs. The group examined, thirty-one in number, were all adolescents in the care of the superintendent of child welfare for British Columbia who reached eighteen years during this year, and who were, or had recently been, legal wards of the Superintendent placed in foster homes throughout the province. The analysis undertaken involved compilation, of available factual data on the family background, including cultural and racial factors, marital status of the parents and reasons for the breakdown of the child’s natural family. The placement experience of the children themselves includes examination of the ages of the children at the time they entered foster care, the number of foster home placements each child underwent, the intelligence, educational and employment as well as health factors. Against this factual picture of the group as a whole, assessment of personal and social maturity on three levels was made against four descriptive criteria of adjustment. The latter included (a) the adolescent's feelings of his own worth and value as a person, (b) the ways in which he was able to handle the realities of his immediate environment, (c) his capacity to withstand the frustrations of his daily living, and finally, (d) the capacity which he evidenced in forming relationships with those around him. The findings of the study indicate foster home care was a meaningful and constructive experience for a majority of the adolescents studies, all of whom had strong feelings of inferiority and lack of personal worth at the time they entered foster care. It was also found that often these feelings persisted into latter adolescence and hampered their growth toward responsible adulthood. A lack of successful adjustment was observed in a minority of cases, expecially for children admitted in early adolescence as a result of delinquent behaviour. The study adds further point to the need for extensive research on the effectiveness of foster care in meeting the needs of foster children of all ages. Comparison with a related study conducted by A.L. Langdale in 1951, suggests similar findings in the meaning which a foster care experience holds for the older adolescent, and the necessity of an intensive exploration of ways in which the minority who have not benefitted by foster care may be assisted to a more positive personal and social adjustment in adult life. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

This is the first study of the adjustment of adolescent children placed in foster homes in the rural community in British Columbia. As the writer is familiar with Kamloops district, this area is used to show an average rural community in British Columbia. The services given children by the Social Welfare Branch have been described as well as the development of present child welfare services. In the children studied, some of the fifty-two have now been discharged from care, while others are still in foster homes. Twelve illustrations have been selected to show the problems the adolescent has in adjustment in a foster home, as well as the problems the social workers may have in giving service. There are both failures and successes in the adjustment of the children studied. There is evidence that further evaluation of the present services to adolescent children in foster care is needed. There seems to be a need as well to review the type of care most suited to this age group. Children who have been in care for a long period before they have reached the transition from childhood to adulthood seem to adjust easier. However, there appears to be need to re-evaluate these placements periodically, as there is evidence that problems often arise during this time. The child who comes into care either just before the period of transition or during it, is the one who most often shows that he cannot relate to adults. There is real necessity for further study of this group of children. Although there are definite problems in the adjustment of the adolescent, it is gratifying to note that the number of replacements in the rural community is small. It is speculated that the frequency with which a child is moved is much less than in urban centres. In conclusion, it is felt that there is a need for review of services given this age group by district offices. This study only touches on the multitude of problems involved in foster placement of adolescent boys and girls. It is hoped that the study may act as an incentive to others interested in this problem to evaluate further the adjustment of this age group in foster homes and the present program in operation. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

In this study an attempt is made to examine what might be considered a self-evident premise, namely, that the ultimate quality of the casework achieved in foster home placement work (or in any other area of social work) is related in a very real way to the extent to which basic social work philosophy and concepts, along with good casework method and techniques are put into practice by the social workers doing the job. To an extent, this study was undertaken in an attempt to assess whether or not there is validity to the impression which sometimes is gained that, with the recent increase in the demand for social services, a lack may develop in workers' appreciation of the fundamental concepts of the profession because of the many pressures involved in "getting the job done." Through detailed analysis of thirty-two placement cases an effort is made in this thesis to demonstrate the practicality of "idealistic" social work philosophy and concepts and the essential need for these being as clearly understood and as well utilized as the casework method and techniques employed in the performance of a day to day social work job. The information recorded in the thirty-two cases studied was read with an appreciation of the limitations of such subjective material but on the basis of the material available it was found that the records revealed that in general the workers handling the cases studied seemed to have a reasonable degree of understanding of most of the basic philosophy and concepts of their profession. The area of general weakness observed in the small group of cases examined, was in the use of those principles which involve diagnostic understanding and skill. The study also revealed some evidence of lacks in inter-agency relationships in the cases analyzed and seemed to indicate some need for better coordination of agency programmes.e Throughout the piece of evaluative analysis which was attempted in this thesis, the need for child placement work being founded on a secure base of knowledge, understanding and application of the fundamental professional philosophy and concepts along with competent training and developed skill in sound casework method and techniques was demonstrated. Based on this foundation, it seemed that the permanency and security desired in long term foster home placements could be achieved. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

This study examines the services rendered by a committee composed of representatives of the Saint Paul case work agencies. These agencies were formed in 1941 to coordinate the placement of children outside their own homes, and to safeguard their welfare. The study has three purposes: first, to preserve in available form historical information about the development of ' Screened Intake' in the City of Saint Paul; second, to review the purposes and functions of the Committee; and third, to evaluate the extent to which it integrated and implemented the complementary principles of human rights and human needs of the family cases which were presented to the Committee for 'Screening.' Material was collected from a manual of minutes as recorded by the Screened Intake Committee from before its inauguration in 1941 to 1948; by personal interviews with the Executive Director of the Family Service of Saint Paul and chairman of the Screened Intake Committee; and from others active on this Committee. Fifty individual cases were read. These were summaries prepared by case workers for presentation to the Committee. Spot checks were made of formal case records. From an appraisal of this work, it is evident that many worthwhile changes in the social welfare programme for children were accomplished. The Committee was responsible for a considerable decrease in the total number of children being cared for outside their own homes - both for the State of Minnesota and more particularly for the City of Saint Paul. It was also responsible for eliminating the precipitate foster home placement of children. It clearly defined responsibilities between the social agencies concerned, and was an assurance to the community that the welfare of both parents and children would be protected by social agencies during the placement period. Although the study indicated that the social case work agencies in Saint Paul continued to be somewhat unaware of the emotional components of the family situations, in general the Screened Intake Committee performed valuable work and the principles it has established deserve continuous consideration in the future. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

This is one of the first complete follow-up studies made in Vancouver of the progress of a sample group of foster children, all of whom at the date of the survey had reached the age of twenty-one. The development of each of the cases is traced chronologically from the time the child first entered a foster home, or was known to the Children’s Aid Society. Although the research material is mainly confined to the Children's Aid Society case records the principles of foster home placement which are illuminated may be regarded as applicable to the general field of child welfare. Current enquiries, including some interviews, are incorporated in the study to supplement the material of the case records. The development history for each person (men and women) is analyzed according to family background, health, education, employment, behaviour and personality factors. The Wetzel grid is employed to make more comparable the varied health data. The qualitative material is also converted to more quantitative measurement by ratings assigned to each of the above-mentioned five-fold classifications. The totalled numerical ratings give a composite (1951) evaluation which is compared with a preliminary rating, the result of a previous survey of social adjustment (or maladjustment) in 1948. The results of the study indicate, broadly, that former foster children become part of the lower-middle class in the population strata. The extent of their emotional maturity Influences considerably the level of formal education which they attain, and it, in turn, determines the type of employment they obtain. The outcome of the placement efforts Includes both successes and failures, but the majority of former foster children appear to make a successful adjustment in society. It is evident, however, that the ability of foster children to become successful in life depends upon how well they take root in a foster home and assimilate the principles of satisfactory living. The failures are clearly traceable to the influences of poor living standards at an early age. The failures also reveal the deficiencies of child welfare practice, and the reasons why better results are not being attained for the time and money expended. Pressure of work and lack of adequate resources are among the reasons for the failure to obtain a better yield of successful citizens from children who need foster homes in early life. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

Thesis (Psy. D.)--Wheaton College, 2005. / Abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 193-198).