The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of the relationship between participation in one community college EOPS & CARE program and participant sense of preparedness for self-sufficiency.

Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2004. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Very little attention has been paid in South Africa to the situations where grandmothers have become surrogate parents to their grandchildren and other vulnerable children who have been left destitute due to the HIV/Aids epidemic. These women, who are in great need of support are not directly factored into Aids-related policy and care strategies, even though they play a vital role in assuming the roles of surrogate parents to their grandchildren. Clearly elderly women are valuable resources and are both crucial and valuable for the role they play in the care of both Aids sufferers and Aids orphans. Grandmothers who assume such care-giving roles are not receiving specific and targeted support from government structures. Instead they only benefit peripherally from the legislation within the jurisdiction of Department of Social Development and the programs that are established by them. This study determined where government social and welfare polices can improve the quality of life of black female pensioners who are taking care of their orphaned grandchildren and other vulnerable children. Policy makers need to recognise that grandmothers are increasingly obliged to assume care-giving responsibilities for dying adult children and later for orphans, when their own physical and cognitive abilities may be declining. Instead of using their state pensions to enjoy their old age and spend their money on looking after their health, proper housing etc., black female pensioners are forced to assume additional responsibilities in looking after orphaned grandchildren and other vulnerable children who require food, clothing, proper housing, education etc. Such expenses imply that their pensions are not put to their intended uses. Due to their advanced age they find it increasingly difficult to earn income to support young children. Until now the South African government has done little to support older women who find themselves in such precarious circumstances and to recognise their invaluable contributions. Various recommendations are made in the report to improve this situation. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Baie min aandag is tot dusver nog in Suid-Afrika geskenk aan die omstandighede waar grootmoeders hulself bevind in die posisie van surrogaat ouer vir hul kleinkinders en ander kwesbare kinders wat haweloos gelaat is as gevolg van die HIVNigs epidemie. Hierdie vroue wat ondersteuning dringend nodig het, is nie regstreeks in berekening gebring by die verskeie Vigs beleide en ander versorginstrategiee en maatreels nie, al speel hulle 'n beslissende rol as surrogaat ouers vir hulle kleinkinders. Dit is duidelik dat bejaarde vroue 'n waardevolle hulpbron is en 'n onskatbare en onmisbare rol speel by die versorging van sowel Vigs Iyers as kinders wat weens Vigs ouerloos is. Grootmoeders wat hierdie versorgingsrolle aanvaar, ontvang geen spesifieke en doelgerigte ondersteuning van regeringstrukture nie. Instede daarvan trek hulle net voordeel uit wetgewing binne die jurisdiksie van Department van Openbare Welsyn en die programme wat daaruit mag voortvloei. Hierdie studie het vas gestel hoe die bestaande open bare en welsynsbeleide aangepas kan word om die lewenskwalitiet van swart vroulike pensioenarise wat vir hul ouerlose kleinkinders en ander kwesbare kinders sorg, te verbeter. Beleidmakers moet besef dat grootmoeders toenemend verplig word om om te sien na die versorging van hul eie sterwende volwasse kinders en mettertyd die versoging van dieselfde gestorwenes se kinders wat wees agtergelaat word. Hierdie toedrag van sake ontvou in 'n stadium wanneer hierdie vroue se eie fisiese krag en kognitiewe vaardighede waarskynlik reeds aan die afneem is. Instede daarvan dat hierdie vroue die staatspensioen gebruik om hul oudag te geniet en om te sien na hulle eie gesondheid, behoorlike behuising edm., is swart vroulike pensioenarisse verplig om hierdie beperkte fondse aan te wend vir die versorging, voeding, behuising en onderrig van hul ouerlose kleinkinders en ander kwesbare kinders. Sulke onkostes impliseer dat hul pensioen nie aangewend word vir die doel waarvoor dit ingestel is nie. Weens hul hoe ouderdom is dit vir hierdie vroue al hoe moeiliker om 'n inkomste te genereer om vir jong kinders te sorgo Tot nog toe het die Suid-Afrikaanse regering weinig gedoen om ouer vroue wat hulself in hierdie benarde omstandighede bevind, te ondersteun of om hul onskatbare bydrae te erken. Verskeie voorstelle word in hierdie verslag gemaak om die situasie te verbeter.

This study examined the perceptions held by former and current welfare-to-work participants of factors that contributed to the retention, persistence, attrition and/or completion of welfare-to-work training programs at a community college. Using the lived experiences and voices of former or current welfare-to-work participants and a qualitative research design, the researcher examined the following research questions: (a) What factors during the training impacted the movement of participants from welfare-to-work? (b) How did these factors enhance or serve as barriers to the movement of participants from welfare-to-work? This study was presented as a heuristic study of 12 former welfare participants who have transitioned or are currently transitioning from welfare to work. Using purposeful sampling, the researcher selected the participants for this study through self-identification or through nomination by program leaders and other program participants. Each of the 12 former welfare participants was interviewed about the situational, institutional, and dispositional aspects of their training. Demographic data were collected on each of the 12 participants for the purpose of a comparative analysis. Interviews of family members or friends of each of the participants validated the stories provided by the participant. Interviews with two administrators with direct responsibilities for some of the training programs for participants transitioning from welfare-to-work were also done to substantiate the stories of the participants. The findings of this study indicated three conclusions about the participants' perceptions of factors affecting their retention in welfare-to-work programs in a community college. / First, the participants' desires to break the cycles of generational welfare were evident in every aspect of the training from having a better life for their children to dealing with the embarrassment of receiving government assistance.Second, welfare-to-work training experiences were influenced by institutional factors such as instructional and institutional support or lack of support for education and career development, including mentoring. Third, personal factors such as family motivation and role models, religion, drive and determination, and the desire to make a difference shaped the participants' career training experiences and contributed to persistence and completion. / by Veronica Woodward Pino. / Vita. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2008. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2008. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-149). Also available on the Internet.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Missouri-Columbia, 2002. / Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 140-149). Also available on the Internet.

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In this study the resemblances in the preparatory work that was conducted before the introduction of the Social Welfare Act (socialtjänstlagen) in 1982 as well as before the current legislation that came into power in 2001 has been studied. The aim of this study has been to examine the similarities and differences in preparatory work originating from two contrasting time periods using the model for thematic analysis suggested by Braun & Clarke (2006). The theories that were utilized discuss power, principles of governing and distribution of responsibilities, neo-liberalism, street-level bureaucracy and stigma. An important theoretical component consists of Bacchi and Evelines (2010) “WPR-approach” which brings up how the problem is handled linguistically. The empirical findings spanned over three levels: government, municipality and individuals and demonstrate theoretical models of explanation for these. In the empirical material no solutions on a structural or individual level were presented, instead moral and personal responsibility was accentuated as the path out of poverty. This study showed that the individual is subjectified, stigmatised and renounced which make it even more difficult to break free from the terms of aid.

Individuals with a foreign background are particularly financially exposed group in society,who are more likely to receive financial assistance. This study investigates long-term welfarerecipients with a foreign background and their path to self-sufficiency from the perspective ofthe social workers. The study answers two main questions: Firstly, what factors contribute tolong-term acceptance of aid among individuals with a foreign background? Secondly, whatdoes social workers' work look like with long-term welfare recipients with a foreignbackground? The study is based on a qualitative methodological approach, through semi-structured interviews with five social workers from various municipalities within theStockholm area who work within their respective units for financial assistance. The empirical data have been processed with thematic analysis, and the presented results havebeen analyzed with the theoretical frameworks of capital theory and empowerment. Theresults of this study show that both individual- and structural factors can contribute toindividuals with a foreign background getting stuck as long-term welfare recipients. Some ofthe factors are, for example, lack of language skills, low education level, segregation, alimited social network and the demands of the labor market. The results also show that socialworkers' work with long-term welfare recipients who have foreign background is mainlyabout motivational work and finding new individual-strengthening ways to help the clientsbreak their dependence on benefits, where the work can be particularly challenging with thistarget group. In conclusion, this study has contributed to an enhanced understanding of along-term welfare recipients among individuals with a foreign background and how socialworkers work in relation to these clients. / Individer med utländsk bakgrund är en särskilt ekonomiskt utsatt grupp i samhället som istörre utsträckning blir aktuella för att erhålla ekonomiskt bistånd. Syftet med denna studie äratt undersöka långvariga biståndstagare med utländsk bakgrund och deras väg ut till egenförsörjning utifrån socialsekreterarnas perspektiv. Studien besvarar de två framtagnafrågeställningarna; Vilka faktorer bidrar till ett långvarigt biståndstagande hos individer medutländsk bakgrund? och Hur ser socialsekreterarnas arbete ut med långvariga biståndstagarehos individer med utländsk bakgrund? En kvalitativ metod är grunden för empirin i dennastudie genom semistrukurerade intervjuer med fem socialsekreterare som arbetar inomenheten för ekonomiskt bistånd i olika kommuner inom Stockholmsområdet.  Empirin har bearbetats med tematisk analys där det presenterade resultatet sedan haranalyserats med stöd av de två teoretiska utgångspunkterna kapitalteorin och empowerment.Denna studies resultat visar att både individuella och strukturella faktorer kan bidra till attindivider med utländsk bakgrund fastnar i ett långvarigt biståndstagande. Några av defaktorerna är exempelvis bristande språkkunskaper, låg utbildningsnivå, segregation,begränsat socialt nätverk och arbetsmarknadens krav. Dessutom visar resultaten attsocialsekreterarnas arbete med de långvariga biståndstagarna som har utländsk bakgrundfrämst handlar om motiverande arbete och hitta nya individstärkande vägar för att hjälpaklienterna att bryta sitt bidragsberoende, där arbetet kan vara särskilt utmanande med dennamålgrupp. Denna studie har därmed givit ökad kunskap om långvariga biståndstagare blandindivider med utländsk bakgrund och hur socialsekreterare arbetar i relation till dessaklienter.

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The purpose of this study was to investigate two underlying questions related to welfare reform and its impact on participants in the Cumberland Plateau Region: (1) What are the training and other noneducational needs of the participants in the VIEW program? and (2) What is the projected success of the impact of the training on the lives of the participants? The research study included 47 interviews with four distinct groups of individuals--VIEW participants, case managers, administrators, and trainers. Three focus group interviews were conducted with individuals who were participants in the VIEW program or professionals actively involved in the administration and implementation of the program. All the individuals interviewed in the study identified four difficulties to the successful implementation of the VIEW program: (1) the lack of economic development in the region, (2) the abbreviated time frame for the implementation of VIEW, (3) an excessive amount of paperwork, and (4) the lack of transportation. The participants cited the following difficulties: (1) child care, (2) inappropriate dress for interviews, (3) attitudes and busyness of case worker, (4) penalties associated with securing employment, and (5) limited opportunities for training. The training personnel identified three areas posing difficulties for participants: (1) motivation, (2) attitudes of the participants, and (3) leadership development. In summarizing the responses of all the individuals interviewed in this study, the two viable remedies emerged as options available to assist participants: (1) seeking additional help from family members or friends, and (2) taking the initiative to investigate other avenues of assistance outside the scope of the Departments of Social Services. The training component of the VIEW program was considered the most favorable among all the individuals interviewed in this study. The-proposed outcome of the training received for all participants in the VIEW program was the attainment of full-time or part-time employment. All the interviewees felt to varying degrees that the VIEW program would assist participants in securing employment. The administrators and case managers ultimately viewed the employment as the measure of success of the training. However, most of the participants were very unsure if they would secure employment in the Cumberland Plateau Region.