There has been minimal Australian research focussed on the management and leadership aspects of directors' work in centre-based child care to date. In Australia, practices in early education have been largely drawn from studies in other cultural contexts, particularly research undertaken in the United States. It is timely that Australian research should inform its social policy about quality child care programs. The focus of this research was on the nature and characteristics of effective management and leadership practices in centre-based child care. Research (Jorde Bloom, 1992b; Morgan, 2000; Poster & Neugebauer, 2000; Rodd, 1994) indicates that quality of child care programs is influenced mostly by the leadership that the centre director can provide to staff within the centre. The conceptual framework adopted in this study views leadership from a Social Systems framework. Central to a Social Systems framework is the notion that organisations do not exist in isolation rather, leadership and management in these settings are embedded in a broader social context. A Social Systems Model has received little attention in contemporary research on child care in Australia, and this study aims to build a framework for future studies in this area. The aim was to investigate leadership and management in child care in social, legislative and economic context. The findings seek to inform researchers, policy makers and practitioners. Eight directors were purposively selected from community-based and privately based centres in urban and rural areas, and from accredited centres in South East Queensland. The selection of varying locations allowed the researcher to gain a broader perspective of the directors' daily lives, as different contextual and environmental conditions were anticipated to influence management and leadership within the child care centres. Within this study, case studies of directors of child care centres were developed through interviews with the directors. The interview methodology focussed on exploratory semi-structured, open-ended questions in relation to management and leadership in centre-based child care. Directors were interviewed on two occasions within a three month period. In the current context of the delivery of child care services in a market driven climate, the language of business and organisational theory has entered the lexicon of the early childhood field (Press, 1999). The findings indicate that the director of a child care centre needs to have training and experience in business management and leadership to enhance their competencies for management of centres in today's competitive environment. Growth in child care franchises is significantly changing and truly developing a "child care industry" (Murdoch, 2004). Also, consideration needs to be given to increasing accountability in child care service delivery, and how to better support directors in their role as advocates in the broader early childhood field. Further, families in specific communities have varying needs and early childhood programs should reflect the needs of the local community. Leadership models within child care centres should encompass the micro and macro influences on the operation of centres. Literature suggests that early childhood centres provide an opportune place to support families in a variety of ways through integrating support services to address the underlying social and policy factors that affect young children and their families (Commonwealth of Australia, 2003; Corter, 2001).

In my thesis, I focused on the importance and possibilities of cooperation educational care centers and family. The result of my work is the evaluation of the cooperation between educational care center and families and to identify the limits of this cooperation. Marginally I also gained insight into the family cooperation with non-profit organizations, which are an important part of helping children with behavioral disorders. The theoretical part consists of three major entities that play a vital role in the area of behavioral disorders in children. Firstly, children with behavioral disorders are the first entity. In the first part I have tried thus shed light on the developmental aspects of adolescence and to identify the typical manifestations of this age. Also, I didn´t forget to identify specific behavioral disorders of children. The parents of these children are equally important because they take a primary role in education. I defined characteristic, basic aspects and functions of the family with these children and I described the classic characters of the family in modern times. And last but not least, I have dealt with a center of educational care - which is involved in the prevention of behavioral disturbance. This section will be interesting especially for those who don´t know this institution and have no awareness of its work. The empirical part presents the results of qualitative research, within which we addressed five employees educational care center in Domažlice and thirty parents of children with behavioral disorders. The interview provided me valuable information and insight into the issue with their particular experience with the boarding stay of their child in SVP Domažlice. I wanted to emphasize the importance of cooperation through the choice of this topic and thanks to this job I can say that I have reaffirmed this fact. The results of research will make available to SVP Domažlice, thanks to which research could be carried out.

The main subject of the thesis “Communication mix of day-care centre“ is a proposition of a communication mix for the starting civic association JOHANKA. The first part focuses on the necessary theoretical data. The second part presents a philosophy of the day-care centre, market analysis, customer, competitors and SWOT analysis. The communication mix is proposed on the basis of the analyses and it will be effective for the day-care centre for gaining awareness in the market with the lowest cost possible.

Abstract The early childhood education given in day care centres affects the everyday life of many children and families in Finnish society. According to the statistics of STAKES (1999), the number of children in day care centres began to increase in the mid-1990s, exceeding 140,000 in 1997. The implementation of early childhood education and the quality of day care centres as growing environments have a significant impact on the growth and development of children. Although research on early childhood education has increased over the past few years, actual work research has been scant. The importance of research on early childhood work has been highlighted by the recent major changes in early childhood education and the educational system, the establishment of early childhood education as an academic line of study and the pre-school reform. Due to these changes, the current state of early childhood education and the needs to develop it have been under debate. This doctoral thesis focuses on the early childhood work done in day care centres, aiming to provide a theoretical and methodological framework for the analysis of early childhood education, and to analyze the practical work done in day care centres. The theoretical and methodological frame of reference is based on Erving Goffman's (1974) frame analysis, which provides the conceptual tools for analyzing the regularity of everyday life in day care centres on the one hand and the complexity, versatility, and change on the other. The empirical data were obtained by observations and interviews carried out in nine day care centres in the Province of Oulu in the spring 1997. The goal of the data analysis was to identify the frames that organize the work of day care staff and to analyze the dynamics of frames in the everyday life of day care centres. According to the findings, early childhood educators approached their work through five different frames. Within the educational frame the meaning of early childhood work was to support and promote learning. When early childhood educators interpreted their working situations through the caring frame, they maintained the well-being and emotional security of the actors in the day care context. Within the managing frame the meaning of early childhood work was to avoid chaos and maintain order. The practical frame defined early childhood work as organizing people, physical environment and time. The personal frame introduced into early childhood education various perspectives from the workers' private lives. For example, early childhood education was influenced by the worker's life history, acute life situation, and parenthood. These frames and the exchange, overlap and modification of the frames provided the logic of the organization and variability of everyday life in day care centres. Within these frames, the actors had multiple roles and identities. The theoretical, methodological and practical findings of the study can be utilized in the pre- and in-service training of early childhood educators. Based on these findings, day care workers and working communities can also evaluate and develop their own work. The report will also allow the parents of day care children, the decision-makers and other stakeholders to get acquainted with the everyday life of day care. / Tiivistelmä Päiväkodeissa toteutettava varhaiskasvatustyö vaikuttaa suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa monien lasten ja lapsiperheiden arkielämään. Stakesin (1999) tilastojen mukaan päiväkodeissa olevien lasten lukumäärä on ollut nousussa 1990-luvun puolivälin jälkeen, ja vuonna 1997 päiväkodeissa hoidettiin jo yli 140 000 suomalaislasta. Lasten kasvun ja kehityksen näkökulmasta on merkityksellistä se, miten varhaiskasvatustyö toteutuu, ja minkälaisen kasvuympäristön päiväkoti muodostaa. Vaikka varhaiskasvatusta koskeva tutkimustoiminta on viime vuosikymmeninä lisääntynyt, varsinainen työntutkimus on ollut varsin vähäistä. Suomalaisessa yhteiskunnassa varhaiskasvatustyön tutkimuksen ajankohtaisuutta korostavat viime vuosina varhaiskasvatukseen ja kasvatusjärjestelmään kohdistuneet merkittävät muutokset, varhaiskasvatuksen koulutuksen vakinaistuminen yliopistoissa sekä esiopetusuudistus. Näistä johtuen sekä päiväkodeissa että varhaiskasvatuksen koulutusyksiköissä on väistämättä jouduttu pohtimaan varhaiskasvatustyön tämänhetkistä tilaa ja sen kehittämistarpeita. Käsillä oleva väitöskirjahanke kohdentuu päiväkodeissa tehtävään varhaiskasvatustyöhön, ja sillä on varhaiskasvatustyön teoreettiseen ja menetelmälliseen jäsentämiseen sekä käytännön päiväkotityön erittelyyn tähtääviä tavoitteita. Tutkimuksen teoreettinen ja metodologinen viitekehys rakentuu Erving Goffmanin (1974) kehysanalyyttisen näkökulman pohjalle, joka tarjoaa tutkimukselle käsitteelliset välineet päiväkodin arkielämän järjestyneisyyden sekä toisaalta sen epäyhtenäisyyden ja vaihtelun tarkasteluun. Tutkimuksen empiirinen aineisto koostuu havainnointi- ja haastatteluaineistosta, joka kerättiin yhdeksässä Oulun läänin alueella sijaitsevassa päiväkodissa keväällä 1997. Aineistoanalyysin kautta pyrittiin löytämään päiväkodin työntekijöiden työtä jäsentäviä kehyksiä, työtä koskevia vakiintuneita ajattelu- ja toimintatapoja, sekä analysoimaan kehysten dynamiikkaa päiväkodin arkipäivässä. Tutkimus osoitti varhaiskasvattajien tulkitsevan työtään viiden erilaisen kehyksen kautta. Opetuksellisen kehyksen puitteissa varhaiskasvatustyön merkitys määrittyi oppimisen tukemisena ja edistämisenä. Hoivakehyksessä keskeistä oli päiväkodin toimijoiden hyvinvoinnin ja emotionaalisen turvallisuuden ylläpitäminen. Tulkitessaan työtään hallinnan kehyksen kautta varhaiskasvattajat suuntautuivat kaaoksen karttamiseen ja järjestyksen ylläpitämiseen. Käytännöllisen kehyksen puitteissa varhaiskasvatustyön merkitys määrittyi ihmisten, fyysisen ympäristön sekä ajan organisoimisena. Persoonallisen kehyksen kautta varhaiskasvatustyöhön tuli mukaan työntekijöiden yksityiseen elämänpiiriin liittyviä näkökulmia. Esimerkiksi työntekijöiden elämänhistoria, akuutti elämäntilanne tai oma vanhemmuus määrittivät joissakin tilanteissa varhaiskasvatustyötä. Näistä kehyksistä sekä kehysten vaihdoksista, päällekkäisyyksistä ja muunnoksista rakentui päiväkodin arkielämän jäsentyneisyyden ja toisaalta myös sen monimuotoisuuden logiikka. Kehysten puitteissa rakentuivat myös päiväkodin toimijoiden roolit ja identiteetit monimuotoisiksi. Tutkimuksen tuloksena rakentuneita teoreettisia, menetelmällisiä ja päiväkodin käytännön työhön liittyviä näkökulmia voidaan hyödyntää eri tavoin esimerkiksi varhaiskasvattajien perus- ja täydennyskoulutuksessa. Myös päiväkodin työntekijät ja työyhteisöt voivat tutkimuksen pohjalta arvioida ja kehittää omaa työtään. Tutkimus mahdollistaa myös päiväkotilasten vanhempien, päättäjien sekä muiden tahojen perehtymisen päiväkodin arkielämään.

Bakgrund: Amningen i dagens samhälle har minskat. Ett bra stöd från barnmorskor och distriktssköterskor kan främja amningen. Stöd behövs även till de mammor som inte kan eller som inte vill amma. Syfte: Syftet med studien var att undersöka distriktssköterskors erfarenheter av att erbjuda professionellt stöd vid amning. Metod: Kvalitativ metod med induktiv ansats användes i studien. Intervjuerna analyserades enligt kvalitativ innehållsanalys. Sex distriktssköterskor som arbetar på BVC deltog i studien. Resultat: Analysen resulterade i tre kategorier; Kontinuitet i stöd och information, Individanpassat stöd och Förutsättningar för att ge stöd. Dessa resulterade i sju underkategorier; Amning från BB till hemmet, Hembesök av distriktssköterska, Broschyrer och Amningshjälpen, Kulturella skillnader, Val och begränsningar vid amning, Att kunna ta sig tid och Fortbildning och egenansvar. I resultatet framkom att det finns behov av mer utbildning om amning för att kunna ge bra stöd. Konklusion: Det är viktigt att mammor får stöd om amning redan från personalen på BB. Distriktssköterskan på BVC träffar sedan familjen regelbundet och fortsätter ge stöd efter deras önskemål. Det är viktigt att distriktssköterskorna ger ett bra stöd även till kvinnor som inte kan eller som inte vill amma. / Background: In society today there’s a reduce of breastfeeding. A good support from midwives and district nurse’s can promote breastfeeding. Support is important even for mothers who can’t or have decided that they don’t want to breastfeed. Aim: District nurse’s experiences of offering professional support to women about breastfeeding. Method: Qualitative method with inductive approach. The interviews were analyzed according to qualitative content analysis. Six district nurse’s working in the child health care centre participated in the study. Results: The analysis resulted in three categories; Continuity of support and information, Individually adapted support and Conditions to give support. These resulted in seven subcategories; Breastfeeding from BB to home, Homevisit from distric nurse, Brochures and Amningshjälpen, Cultural differences, Choises and limitations about breastfeeding, Being able to give time and Continuing education and self-responsibility. The result shows that there is a need for more education about breastfeeding. Conclusion: It’s important for mothers to get support about breastfeeding already on BB. Then the district nurse at the child health care centre meets the family regularly and keep giving support after theirs wishes. It’s important for district nurse’s to give a good support both to women who can’t or have decided not to breastfeed.

Bakalauro darbe tiriamas rizikos grupės paauglių požiūris į dienos centre teikiamas socioedukacines paslaugas. Rizikos grupės paauglių užimtumo problema išlieka viena svarbiausių. Paauglių užimtumo stoka turi ryškios įtakos nusikalstamumui. Rizikos grupės paaugliai auga neturtingose šeimose, yra mažai kontroliuojami, jie neturi turiningo užimtumo ir didelę laiko dalį praleidžia delinkventiniu elgesiu pasižyminčių draugų kompanijose. Nesudarant tinkamų sąlygų paauglio laisvalaikio leidimui ir papildomam ugdymui, sutrinka asmenybės vystymasis ir vidinė darna. Buvo atliekamas kokybinis tyrimas, kokybinio tyrimo respondentais pasirinkti 8 paaugliai, noriai lankantys „Vilties šviesa“ vaikų dienos centrą Biržuose, siekiant išsiaiškinti socialinės rizikos paauglių požiūrį į dienos centre teikiamas socioedukacines paslaugas. Tyrime dalyvavo 3 berniukai ir 5 mergaitės. Jų amžius nuo 12 iki 14 metų. Kokybiniu tyrimu nustatyta, kad dienos centre teikiamos socioedukacinės paslaugos socialinės rizikos paaugliams patenkina jų poreikius. Jie gali žaisti, vykti į išvykas, naudotis internetu, turiningai leisti laisvalaikį, paruošti namų darbus. Patenkinami jų socialiniai poreikiai: jiems organizuojamas maitinimas, jie gali išsimaudyti ir išsiskalbti drabužius. Pastebėti pokyčiai, pradėjus lankyti dienos centrą: respondentai pradėjo pasitikėti savimi ir aplinkiniais, išmoko bendrauti, padidėjo jų socialinis atsparumas, pagerėjo santykiai šeimoje. Pastebėta, kad pagerėjo jų elgesys ir... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / In bachelor work was studied a risk adolescents attitude to socioeducational facilities, given to them in day care centre. Employment of risk group teen’s – one of the most important problems. The lack of teen’s employment, have strong impact on crime. Risk group adolescents are growing in poor families, there is a lack of control, they do not have eventful employment, they most of the time spent with friends, who have delinquent behavior. Without the adequate facilities for the adolescent's leisure time and additional education, the development of personality and internal consistency is disordered. Accomplished the qualitative study, survey respondents – eight teenagers, willingly attending day care center “Vilties šviesa” in Biržai. The objective was to examine attitudes of adolescents to the day care center socioeducational facilities. The study included 3 boys and 5 girls. Their age – from 12 to 14. The analysis of data of gualitative research discovered, that socioeducational facilities, given by adolescents at social risk, satisfies their needs. They may play, they can go sigtseeing, can use the Internet, they can purposefully spend their leisure time, prepare their homework.Their social needs are met: is organized feeding for them, they can take a shower and wash the clothes. The observed changes, after attending Day Care Centre: increased respondents' self-esteem and confidence, improved communication, increased their social resistance, relationships in their... [to full text]

The purpose of this study is to examine some after-school teachers’ perceptions about the outdoor stay at the after-school care centre in the schoolyard and in the leisure- environment. Five semi-structured interviews were conducted with the after-school teachers at five after-school care centres in the Stockholm area. In the theoretical part presents the leisure- governance and ongoing research on outdoor learning, research on the school playground and kindergarten local environment affects children in their development and learning, and after-school teachers’ professional identity. The theoretical foundation is based on the phenomenographic approach. The questions are: • What is outdoor education according to the after-school teachers? • According to after-school teachers, what educational opportunities are provided by the schoolyard and the local environment? • How do the after-school teachers use the schoolyard and local environment? The result shows that outdoor education can be a knowledge invigorating complement to the indoor teaching and a way for the after-school centre to supplement the compulsory schoolday. The play outdoors can help to increase children's social development, creativity and imagination. The after-school teachers used the schoolyard and local environment for various purposes which may be due to different circumstances, knowledge and experience to carry out educational activities outdoors. But it may also depend on whether the after-school teacher focuses on the regular school day or in the afternoon at the after-school care centre. / Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka några fritidspedagogers uppfattningar om fritidshemmets utomhusvistelse på skolgården och i närmiljön. Studien avgränsas till fem fritidshem i Stockholmregionen.  Denna studie utgår från tre frågeställningar. Dessa är:  • Vad är utomhuspedagogik enligt fritidspedagogerna? • Vilka förutsättningar ger skolgården och närmiljön enligt fritidspedagogerna? • Hur använder fritidspedagogerna skolgården och närmiljön? I det teoretiska avsnittet redogörs för fritidshemmets styrformer och aktuell forskning som berör utomhuspedagogik, forskning, hur skolgården och fritidshemmet närmiljö påverkar barnens utveckling, lärande samt fritidspedagogens yrkesidentitet. Den teoretiska grunden utgår från den fenomenografiska ansatsen. Resultatet visar att utomhuspedagogik kan vara ett kunskapsstärkande komplement till inomhusundervisningen och ett sätt för fritidshemmet att komplettera skolan. Leken utomhus kan bidra till att öka barnens sociala utveckling, kreativitet och fantasi. Fritidspedagogerna använde skolgården och närmiljön för olika ändamål som kan bero på olika förutsättningar, kunskaper och erfarenheter av att utföra pedagogisk verksamhet utomhus. Men det kan även bero på om fritidspedagogen lägger fokus på den ordinarie skoldagen eller på eftermiddagarna på fritidshemmet.

The thesis focuses on care of clients with Alzheimer's, including the burden of family members and possible options of using services of a day care and a week care centre. The theoretical part of the thesis deals with Alzheimer's disease together with nursing care, health care system in the Czech Republic and possibility to use services of day care and week care centres. In the empirical part of the thesis the method of qualitative research was used. A non standardized interview was applied as a method of questioning. The results of the qualitative research clearly show that the care for clients with Alzheimer's dementia represents a major burden for family members who care for the ill and in connection with the care provided they have to tackle following problems. They have to cope with the gradual deterioration of memory of the ill, which is associated with occasional forgetfulness, disorientation, wandering around. Another problem is to handle in an acceptable way the change of behaviour of their loved ones who often attack them both verbally and physically. Family members help patients with feeding, emptying, hygiene and grooming. They must solve the difficulties with activation of patients including memory exercises, they watch whether the patients swallow the medication. The conclusions of the thesis show that family members have to deal with many above mentioned problems when providing care for their loved ones. They themselves are tired and exhausted due to the care they provide, which is related to the incidents of their own health problems. They neglect themselves and their families, it is difficult for them to coordinate the care with their job and often come to work sleepy. For these reasons they would like to use services of day care and week care centres. It eases them of the burden of care, which they see as a benefit. The research revealed the expected services of the day care centre including expected nursing care. The research results were presented to the management of the Aftercare Hospital in Humpolec as it had planned to open a day care centre for patients with Alzheimer's dementia. Furthermore, the results served as a basis for the seminar for potential applicants, who would like to work in the centre. Based on information obtained in the course of writing of the thesis, a draft of the brochure was created which would serve as information material for family members of clients with Alzheimer's including the patients themselves.

This paper examines the plight of the incarcerated mentally ill. After a consideration of the historical factors which have contributed to the current philosophy and pattern of services throughout North America, and specifically in British Columbia, the paper reports on a qualitative study using participant observation, informal and formal interviews, and Strauss' Constant Comparative Methods which was undertaken to identify the needs of the mentally ill individuals who are serving a term of imprisonment in the Health Care Centre of the Lower Mainland Regional Correctional Centre. Altogether there were eighteen formal participants. They included six mentally ill offenders, six correctional personnel, and six health care professionals. A critical analysis of the major findings -alienation, lack of organizational commitment, and the incongruencies between our social policies and practices - provided the basis for program recommendations. The challenge lies in the building of a vision that values humane treatment for the marginal members of our society. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

The study was carried out at the Mogale Child and Youth Care Centre (MCYCC) a privately run institution by Bosasa Operations in partnership with the Gauteng Provincial Departments of Social Development and Health and Social Welfare Department. The facility caters for boys in conflict with law aged 14–18 years, who have been legally placed in the facility as a place of safety by court order. It is expected that the findings and recommendations from this study will be useful in improving the food service standards for such institutions. At the time of this study there were 200 adolescents, 137 were awaiting trial, 55 on the diversion programmes and 8 were serving court sentence at the centre. The cross sectional study evaluated the food service offered at the MCYCC to establish the nutritional adequacy of the food served. Both qualitative and quantitative research methods were used to collect and analyse data. Out of the 200, 144 answered the customer satisfaction questionnaire and 167 took the BMI test. Observations were done in the kitchen to determine the compliance level to the food and safety regulations. The analytical results of the responses from the self-administered questionnaire on the customer service satisfaction generated by the SAS software revealed reliable results. The probability, (p-value) from the Chi-square (χ2) test showed that there was a significant difference in response the parameters tested including the overall satisfaction. Body Mass Index (BMI) calculations established different anthropometric patterns of which 1.3% adolescents were found to be obese, 28.2% were overweight, 57% had normal weight while 13.5% were found to be underweight. The Foodfinder 3 software used to evaluate the nutrient composition in a 2-week cycle menu revealed that in most cases both the macronutrients and micronutrients in the menus exceeded the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for the adolescent boys. Food safety and hygiene standards results showed that the unit is compliant with the required standards as it scored 86%; it was colour coded Silver and rated as very good. All the parameters evaluated scored above average percentage rating the customer satisfaction level for the services offered at the MCYCC are as good. Both underweight and overweight adolescents exist among the adolescents at the centre. The weights from the sample food plates exceeded the RDA of the adolescent boys. The centre’s compliance to health and safety regulations was rated as very good. The authorities in the Gauteng Provincial Departments of Social Development and Health and Social Welfare and Bosasa operation management should make use of this evident information to further improve the food service standards for other such institutions. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / gm2015 / School of Health Systems and Public Health (SHSPH) / MSc / Unrestricted