No / The development in Bradford, England, of specific training materials for parents from Muslim communities of Pakistani origin caring for children with autistic spectrum conditions is outlined, with particular emphasis on challenges arising from non-scientific ‘religious’ explanations for children's conditions and from parents feelings of obligation to ensure that children meet religious requirements. Relevant literature is reviewed and parents’ responses to materials reported and discussed. It is suggested that such parents will benefit from opportunities to explore cultural ideas about causality with each other and with informed and non-judgmental professionals and to share concerns around matters such as washing and prayer.

This study investigated foster parents' reasons for deciding to continue their careers as foster parents. The participants were obtained from Koinonia Foster Homes, San Bernardino office. In addition, an effort was made to determine what unmet needs foster parents had that had those needs been addressed by the agency might have encouraged them to continue fostering children.

The purpose of this study was to examine the training and support services that were available to foster parents licensed with San Bernardino County, Department of Children's Services. San Bernardino county is responsible for approximately 510 licensed foster homes.

This study proposed to explore several factors that promote foster parent satisfaction in order to preserve quality foster homes to serve the 532,000 displaced children currently in the child welfare system. A sample of 52 foster parents were surveyed to determine overall satisfaction with their foster care experience at Children's Way Foster Family Agency in San Bernardino, California. It was hypothesized that the higher the level of foster parent satisfaction, the higher rates of retention. A modified version of an existing instrument titled "Foster Parent Satisfaction Survey" was utilized in this study.

Thesis (MEdPsych)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This study was undertaken to explore the challenges that foster parents experience when a child with Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) is placed in their care. Given the intensive care and various support needs, the question is whether foster parents are equipped to care for these children. This is an exploratory study that also explores the current service delivery relationship between foster parents and social workers. This study posed two research questions, namely what the challenges are that foster parents of children with FAS face and what their experiences with social support are. The sample population for the qualitative case study was two foster parents with children with FAS. Data was gathered through semi-structured interviews. The following themes were identified in the study: initiation as foster carers, motives for foster care, recruitment and training of foster care parents and services to foster parents. The findings of the study suggest that, in addition to financial support, foster parents express the need for emotional support, training on how to foster children with FAS as well as knowledge about the disability. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie studie is onderneem om ondersoek in te stel na die uitdagings wat pleegouers ervaar wanneer ʼn kind met Fetale Alkohol Spektrum Versteuring (FASV) in hulle sorg geplaas word. Die vraag is of pleegouers opgewasse is om hierdie kinders te versorg, gegewe die intensiewe versorging en diverse ondersteuningsbehoeftes wat hulle benodig. Die verkennende studie ondersoek ook die huidige diensleweringverhouding tussen pleegouers en maatskaplike werkers. Die studie is gerig deur twee navorsingsvrae, naamlik watter uitdagings pleegouers met FAS kinders beleef en watter ervaringe pleegouers ten opsigte van maatskaplike ondersteuning beleef. Die steekproef populasie vir die kwalitatiewe gevallestudie was twee pleegouers van kinders met FAS. Data is deurmiddel van semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude versamel. Die volgende temas is geïdentifiseer: aanvang van pleegsorg, die redes vir pleegsorg, werwing en opleiding van pleegouers en dienslewering aan pleegouers. Die bevindinge van die studie dui daarop dat behalwe finansiële ondersteuning pleegouers ook ʼn behoefte aan emosionele ondersteuning, opleiding oor hoe om kinders met FAS te vesorg en kundigheid oor die gestremdheid benodig.

Thesis (M Social WOrk (Social Work)--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / This research provides an overview of foster care and investigates the support and training of foster parents as well as the issues foster parents need to manage on a regular basis. The basic premise for this research is the importance of social workers becoming aware of the issues foster parents manage on a regular basis as well as the support and training needs of foster parents. It is important for foster parents to receive support as well as social workers and family care organisations to develop and implement appropriate training programmes for foster parents on an ongoing basis. Fostering affects and requires the involvement of the entire foster family as well as relevant role players and professionals. It is therefore necessary to consider the foster parents and foster family as part of the larger fostering arena, and not to be supported and trained in isolation. The nature of the foster placement will inevitably influence the development of the foster child, meeting the needs of the foster child as well as the effect that the placement has on the foster family. The purpose of this research is to broaden the theoretical knowledge of professionals working with foster parents, and specifically social workers and family care organisations, in identifying foster parent’s training and support needs. This research report includes an investigation of the issues foster parents and foster families manage on a regular basis as well as the nature of and benefits of support and training for foster parents. Knowledge of these issues foster parents manage while fostering will increase the awareness and the ability of the social worker or other professionals to provide training and support to the relevant foster parents.

Thesis (M Social Work (Social Work))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The goal of this study is to shed some light on the needs of children orphaned by AIDS as well as on the training and support that their foster parents will need, in order to provide guidelines for equipping foster parents to care for AIDS orphans. The motivation for this study was the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in the South Africa and the one million South African AIDS orphans left in its wake. Most of these children end up in substitute homes, and many of them in foster care. Researchers agree that AIDS orphans have special needs because of the circumstances surrounding their parents’ death. Foster parents will therefore need to be prepared to meet these needs. It is an internationally documented fact that foster parents have a need for training and support to meet the demands of foster care, and having an AIDS orphan as a foster child will increase, and focus this need. The study was also motivated by the current shortages and challenges in the foster care system in South Africa which makes it difficult for social workers to effectively train and support foster parents, and aims to contribute towards overcoming some of these problems so that foster parents can be properly prepared to see to the well-being of the AIDS orphans in their care. The research was done based on a literature study, which firstly made use of the Ecological Systems Perspective to explore the effects of parental death by AIDS on their children. Subsequently an overview of foster care within the South African context is given, with emphasis on foster care in general, foster care within the challenging South African context and foster care of AIDS orphans. The last part of the literature review discusses foster parent cell groups as a means of training and supporting the foster parents of AIDS orphans for the parenting process. The empirical investigation of the study investigated to what extent, and in what ways, social workers are training and supporting foster parents to care for AIDS orphans. This investigation confirmed some of the findings of the literature study, namely that AIDS orphans have needs that differ from those of other foster children and that social workers are too overburdened to be able to give the foster parents of these orphans the needed training and support. In light of the findings derived from the literature study and empirical research, conclusions and recommendations are made concerning the phenomena under investigation. The recommendations focus on guidelines that can be used by social workers to train and support the foster parents of AIDS orphans. The recommendations centre on the utilisation of resource-friendly methods to train and support foster parents; bringing structure into the foster care process and on social workers having to use research for guidance. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om lig te werp op die behoeftes van kinders wat deur VIGS wees gelaat is, sowel as op die opleiding en ondersteuning wat hul pleegouers nodig het, ten einde riglyne te verskaf vir die toerus van pleegouers om na VIGS-weeskinders om te sien. Die studie is gemotiveer deur die vinnige verspreiding van MIV/VIGS in Suid- Afrika en die een miljoen VIGS-weeskinders wat agtergelaat is. Die meeste van hierdie kinders word in plaasvervangende huise ingeneem, waarvan baie pleegsorgplasings is. Navorsers stem saam dat VIGS-weeskinders spesiale behoeftes het as gevolg van die omstandighede wat met hul ouers se dood gepaard gaan. Pleegouers sal dus voorberei moet word om in hierdie behoeftes te voorsien. Internasionale studies bewys dat pleegouers self ‘n behoefte aan opleiding en ondersteuning het om aan die vereistes van pleegsorg te voldoen. Hierdie behoefte verdiep en word meer gefokus vir ‘n pleegouer wat ‘n VIGS-weeskind in pleegsorg neem. Die studie is ook gemotiveer deur die huidige tekortkominge en uitdagings inherent aan die pleegsorgstelsel in Suid-Afrika wat dit vir maatskaplike werkers moeilik maak om pleegouers genoegsaam op te lei en te ondersteun. Die studie het dus ten doel gehad om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot die oorkoming van sommige van hierdie probleme sodat pleegouers voorbereid kan wees om na die welsyn van hierdie weeskinders in hulle sorg om te sien. Die navorsing is gebaseer op ‘n verreikende literatuurstudie. Die literatuurstudie het eerstens gefokus op die gebruik van die Ekologiese Sisteemperspektief om die effek van ouers se afsterwe weens MIV/VIGS op kinders te ondersoek. Daarna is ‘n oorsig gegee van pleegsorg binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Klem is geplaas op pleegsorg in die algemeen, pleegsorg binne die uitdagende Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, en pleegsorg spesifiek met VIGS-weeskinders. Die laaste deel van die literatuuroorsig bespreek die moontlikheid om pleegouer-selgroepe te benut om pleegouers die nodige opleiding en ondersteuning te gee vir die proses van ouerskap. Die empiriese studie ondersoek ook in watter mate en op watter manier, maatskaplike werkers besig is om die pleegouers van VIGS-weeskinders op te lei en te ondersteun. Hierdie ondersoek bevestig sommige van die bevindinge van die literatuurstudie; spesifiek dat VIGS-weeskinders unieke behoeftes het en dat maatskaplike werkers te oorlaai is om die pleegouers van hierdie weeskinders die nodige opleiding en ondersteuning te bied. In die lig van die bevindinge van die literatuurstudie en empiriese navorsing is gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak. Die aanbevelings het primêr gepoog om riglyne te verskaf wat deur maatskaplike werkers gebruik kan word om pleegouers op te lei en te ondersteun. Die aanbevelings het gesentreer rondom die gebruik van hulpbronvriendelike maniere om pleegouers op te lei en te ondersteun; die strukturering van die pleegsorgproses en die noodsaaklikheid vir maatskaplike werkers om daadwerklik van navorsing gebruik te maak vir leiding.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:44:04Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2243.pdf: 1965679 bytes, checksum: d70ff100f8395566ceb6b3e247c366f2 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-11 / Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity/Impulsitivity Disorder (ADHD) children frequently show problems in the social interaction what results in social, emotional and academic impairment. Programs developed to teach educative social skills to parents of ADHD children can contribute to the change of this behavior pattern. The proposal of this study was to evaluate the effects of a training in Educative Social Skills program for parents of ADHD children, focusing both on its internal and external validity. The sample was composed by 16 mothers of children diagnosed with ADHD, randomly assigned into two groups: Experimental Group (EG) and Control Group (CG). For the selection of the sample, in addition to the diagnosis of ADHD, the children must be between 7 and 12 years old, be attending to the elementary school and be under medication specific for ADHD. The study involved five phases: selection of the sample, pre-intervention assessment, intervention, post-intervention evaluation and follow-up. In the phases pre, post-intervention and follow-up, the assessment of the mother s social skills repertory was done through the use of self-report instruments (IHS-Del-Prette) and the Educative Social Skills through questionnaire and video filming. The children social skills repertoire was assessed by the mothers, the teachers and the children themselves through SSRS-BR in the three phases of the program. The program was composed by 31 group sessions and 12 individual sessions. The results were analyzed in relation to the frequency of the total and factorial scores (IHS-Del-Prette e SSRS-BR), and the scores for the filming and the questionnaire. For all the measures in the different moments the data were computed by the Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS, version 16.0) and analyzed statistically (Mann-Whitney - independent samples and Wilcoxon - related samples). The results show that the program was effective in promoting significant changes for the mothers of the EG, mainly, for those skills which were the target of the intervention. The generalization of these skills, for the familiar context, favored meaningful changes in the social behaviors, behavior problems and academic competency of the children showed external validity. The differences between the two groups, experimental and control, showed impact over the mothers and the children behaviors, indicating its internal validity. / Crianças com Transtorno de Déficit de Atenção e Hiperatividade/Impulsividade (TDAH) frequentemente apresentam problemas nas interações sociais que acarretam prejuízos sociais, emocionais e acadêmicos. Programas para ensinar habilidades sociais educativas a pais de crianças com TDAH podem contribuir na alteração desse padrão de comportamento. A proposta desse estudo foi avaliar os efeitos de um programa de Treinamento de Habilidades Sociais Educativas (THSE) junto a pais de crianças com TDAH, focalizando tanto a sua validade interna como a externa. A amostra foi composta por 16 mães de crianças com diagnóstico de TDAH, que foram designadas aleatoriamente em dois grupos: Grupo Experimental (GE) e Grupo Controle (GC). Para a seleção da amostra, além do diagnóstico de TDAH, as crianças deveriam ter entre 7 e 12 anos, estar cursando o ensino fundamental e fazendo uso de medicação específica para o TDAH. O estudo envolveu cinco fases: seleção da amostra, avaliação pré-intervenção, intervenção, avaliação pós-intervenção e seguimento. Nas fases de pré, pós-intervenção e seguimento, a avaliação do repertório de habilidades sociais das mães foi realizada por meio de instrumentos de autorrelato (IHS-Del-Prette) e as habilidades sociais educativas por meio de questionário e videogravação. O repertório de habilidades sociais das crianças foi avaliado pelas mães, pelos professores e pelas próprias crianças por meio do SSRS-BR nas três fases do programa. O programa constou de 31 sessões em grupo e 12 sessões individuais. Os resultados foram analisados em relação à frequência dos escores total e fatoriais (IHS-Del-Prette e SSRS-BR) e da pontuação no questionário e nas filmagens. Para todas as medidas, nos diferentes momentos, os dados foram computados pelo Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS, versão 16.0) e analisados estatisticamente (Mann-Whitney para amostras independentes e Wilcoxon para amostras relacionadas). Os resultados mostraram que o programa foi efetivo em promover mudanças significativas para as mães do GE, principalmente naquelas habilidades que foram alvo da intervenção. A generalização dessas habilidades, para o contexto familiar, favoreceu mudanças significativas nos comportamentos sociais, problemas de comportamento e competência acadêmica das crianças, demonstrando validade externa. As diferenças entre os grupos, experimental e de controle, mostraram impacto sobre o comportamento das mães e das crianças, indicando sua validade interna.

Made available in DSpace on 2016-06-02T19:46:07Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 2318.pdf: 3557390 bytes, checksum: d82bccd21068c2e57fe54a2127820103 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-02-19 / Universidade Federal de Sao Carlos / Parental involvement can be crucial for children s academic success; however, parents often don t have appropriate repertoire to deal with scholar difficulties or to promote autonomous and effective study behaviors in their children. The purpose of this study is to develop and evaluate an intervention program with children s guardians, particularly of those children with a history of low school performance. Participated in the research three guardians of children (two mothers and one grandfather), indicated by teachers as having learning difficulties, which were submitted to the Teaching Program, and also the teachers and the children, who studied at a municipal elementary school in a small town of the state of São Paulo. Initially, information was collected in order to determine the starting repertoire of the apprentices in the teaching program, through interviews with the children, their parents and teachers. The Teaching Program consisted of eight meetings in which was presented information and examples of aspects that promote the behavior of studying at home, in addition to several exercises for evaluation of performance and homework proposals regarding the themes discussed in the program. The parents received an instructional material to help with the explanation of teaching units and suggested activities. Due to holidays in the end of the school year, the intervention meetings were interrupted after the fourth session, but resumed in 60 days. On resumption, the parents were re-interviewed and responded to questions of true or false, concerning the units discussed up to that moment. Teachers, who had finished the school year, were also submitted to an interview. After the completion of the Teaching Program, information was collected as measures of post-test through interviews with parents, children and teachers of the new school year. In addition to the interview, the parents answered a questionnaire of satisfaction about the Teaching Program and a general simulation exercise. A follow-up interview was conducted six months after the post-test, again with the parents, teachers and children, and the parents also went through a new simulation for performance verification. The results show that the program enables the identification of changes in the repertoire of the parents in dealing with the children s study and/or the daily routine of interaction in the family environment, especially for one of the three participants in the period between the pre and post-test. Little evidence of maintenance of these changes was observed in the follow-up interviews. Some indication of improvement in the behavior of study and school performance of children, even minor, could also be identified in the teachers report. The discussion highlights the variables that may be important to understand these results and to advance in the creation of strategies for development, implementation and evaluation of Teaching Programs that are effective for teaching parents to promote appropriate study behaviors in children in order to promote appropriate study repertoires, as well as overcome and prevent school failure. / O envolvimento dos pais pode ser determinante para o sucesso escolar de seus filhos; contudo, muito frequentemente os pais não possuem repertórios apropriados para lidar com dificuldades escolares ou promoverem comportamentos de estudo autônomos e eficazes em suas crianças. O presente estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver e avaliar um programa de intervenção junto a responsáveis de crianças, particularmente aquelas que apresentem história de baixo rendimento escolar. Participaram da investigação, três responsáveis (duas mães e um avô) de crianças, indicadas por professoras como apresentando dificuldades de aprendizagem, que foram submetidos ao programa de ensino, além das professoras e as crianças, que estudavam em uma escola municipal de ensino fundamental de uma cidade de pequeno porte do interior de São Paulo. Inicialmente foram coletadas informações para conhecer o repertório de entrada dos aprendizes do programa de ensino, por meio de entrevistas com os responsáveis, crianças e professores. O programa de ensino consistiu de oito encontros, nos quais foram apresentadas informações e exemplos de aspectos favorecedores do comportamento de estudar em casa, além de serem realizados exercícios diversos para avaliação de desempenho e proposição de tarefas de casa referente a temas abordados. Os responsáveis receberam uma apostila que ajudava na discussão das unidades de ensino e atividades propostas. Devido às férias escolares do final do ano letivo, os encontros da intervenção foram interrompidos após a quarta sessão, sendo retomado em 60 dias. Na retomada, os responsáveis foram novamente entrevistados e responderam a perguntas de verdadeiro ou falso, referente às unidades discutidas até aquele momento. Os professores, que haviam encerrado o ano letivo, também se submeteram a uma entrevista. Após a finalização do programa de ensino, foram coletadas informações como medidas de pós-teste, por meio de entrevistas com responsáveis, crianças e as professoras do novo ano letivo. Além da entrevista, os responsáveis responderam ainda a um questionário de satisfação do programa de ensino e a um exercício de simulação geral. Uma entrevista de seguimento também foi realizada seis meses após a realização do pós-teste, novamente com os responsáveis, professores e crianças, sendo que os primeiros também responderam a uma nova simulação para verificação do desempenho. Os resultados demonstram que o programa possibilitou identificar algumas mudanças no repertório dos responsáveis ao lidar com o estudo de crianças e/ou na rotina diária de interação no ambiente familiar, principalmente para um dos três participantes, no período entre o pré e o pós-teste. Poucos indícios de manutenção dessas mudanças foram observados nas entrevistas de seguimento do estudo. Algumas indicações de melhorias no comportamento de estudo e rendimento escolar das crianças, ainda que pouco significativas, também puderam ser identificadas no relato dos professores. São discutidas algumas variáveis que podem ser importantes para compreender estes resultados e para avançar na criação de estratégias para elaboração, implementação e avaliação de programas de ensino que sejam eficazes para ensinar pais a promoverem comportamentos de estudos adequados em crianças, a fim de promover repertórios de estudo apropriados, bem como superar e prevenir o fracasso escolar.

The findings of this study offer agencies useful ways to develop social relationships with foster parents and to implement useful and accessible training opportunities. Strengthening what works well frees agencies to promote these areas to recruit new parents and simultaneously maintain quality foster homes.