Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wyoming, 2009. / Title from PDF title page (viewed on Apr. 15, 2010). Includes bibliographical references (p. 42-45).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1990. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.

Thesis (M.P.H.)--University of Michigan, 1946.

Thesis (M.Sc.). / Written for the School of Dietetics and Human Nutrition. Title from title page of PDF (viewed 2009/06/25). Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Michigan, 1990. / eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1996. / Includes special study report entitled : Implication of children's experience on spatial design. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

The adoption of children in care who are legally referred to as “looked after”, (Children Act 1989, s22, HMSO, 1989) usually by local authorities is a key national Government objective (DfE, 2016a) where rehabilitation with the birth family is not viable. The desire to place more "looked after" children for adoption with greater speed is not new. It became increasingly apparent after the election of the New Labour Government in 1997 due to concerns about drift and delay in planning for children in care (DoH, 2000a) leading to poorer outcomes. This led to a series of measures aimed at increasing the use and speed of adoption. Eventually this resulted in the introduction of the Adoption and Children Act 2002 (HMSO, 2002) that also for the first time in English law recognised that the welfare of the child is of paramount concern when considering adoption. There is an abundance of published literature that considers the topic of adoption. However, there is a dearth of studies that have comprehensively considered the journey that adopters undertake to become parents. This practice based study was conducted by a researcher who is a senior academic manager and an active social work practitioner with extensive professional experience of adoption. A unique aspect of the study is the longitudinal mixed methods approach used to gather data in real time from a sample of adopters. The three part study tracks the journeys of the sample of adopters from when their application to adopt had been accepted by an adoption agency until after children were placed. The study was supported by five adoption agencies based in England. The data was collected over a period of two years from the adopters who described their experiences and perceptions of their journeys in real time. The information from the adopters is triangulated with data from adoption professionals from the agencies that supported the study. The professionals discussed their approaches to the adoption process, as well as their own experiences of working with adopters. The longitudinal nature of the study enables an analysis of how and why adopters’ experiences and perceptions changed over time. The research considered the changing power dynamics between adopters and professionals during the different stages of the journey to adopt. Furthermore, the long-term impact of professional interactions with adopters during the adoption process are discussed.

M.A. (Social Work) / Please refer to full text to view abstract

D.Cur. / Hospitalisation can be very traumatic for children – and this is especially true for the child admitted to a haematology-oncology unit. These children are subjected to an environment which they do not understand, nor have any control over, they are faced with many unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells and they have to undergo frightening and often painful procedures. In South Africa, there are no associations responsible for monitoring the environment that children are subjected to in hospital; neither does any Child Life Specialists, Hospital Play Therapists or scientifically based programs exist that can ensure that the psychosocial needs of children in hospital are met. The purpose of this study was to develop and describe a model for the facilitation of support for children through the mobilisation of resources according to their needs in a haematology-oncology unit in the private healthcare sector of South Africa. The following research questions were asked: • What are the needs of children in a haematology-oncology unit? • What are the resources that can be mobilised so that the needs of these children can be met? • How can support be facilitated for children in a haematology-oncology unit? During this study a theory generating, sequential explanatory (consisting of a quantitative field study followed by qualitative model development), explorative, descriptive as well as contextual research design was used. A model was developed according to the method of theory generation as explained by Chinn and Kramer (1995:77-102) and involved the following steps: Concept analysis (which includes concept identification as well as concept definition and –classification); description of the links and relationships between the concepts and a description and evaluation of the model. It became evident that children in a haematology-oncology unit are robbed of all feelings of control and choice in the situation, resulting in a sense of powerlessness. For this reason, the focus point of the model was changed to include the empowerment of children in a haematology-oncology unit as the main focus of the model. The final model aims at the facilitation of support in order to empower children in a haematology-oncology unit in the private healthcare sector of South Africa.

This thesis is primarily a review of specific aspects of a residential treatment centre for emotionally disturbed children recently established by the Winnipeg Children's Home. The review covers only the first three years of operation of this centre and is not intended as a technical evaluation of the service offered by this new social agency. Rather, an attempt has been made to compare the facilities of the Winnipeg Children's Home with those of similar residential treatment centres in the United States. The specific aspects chosen for closer scrutiny are: (1) The Age and Sex Groups served, (2) Housing, (3) Personnel, (4) Diagnostic Study and Intake Procedure and (5) Treatment Programme. As a basis of comparison a descriptive study of twelve residential treatment centres in the United States has been used. Five of these have been selected for closer study because they more closely resemble the agency being reviewed. Case studies, annual reports and other pertinent material from the files of the Winnipeg Children's Home has been used, coupled with the writer's first-hand experience as a member of the staff of this agency. Because residential treatment centres for emotionally disturbed children are a new tool in child welfare, an historical background of foster care for children has been included. The question of qualified personnel to serve in a residential treatment centre has been of paramount importance in each centre studied. This pertains not only to social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists but also to house-parents who are key people in each project. To date, insufficient attention has been given to the training of house-parents; that is a matter which might well come within the scope of schools of social work. Further, in relation to the question of personnel, this thesis attempts to highlight the fact that in all communities, the best qualified social workers should be used in the area of family and child welfare. The study of twelve centres used as criteria in this thesis makes evident the shortage of psychiatric time so necessary to the successful operation of a residential treatment centre. This is true of the Winnipeg community. The administration of the Winnipeg Children's Home demonstrated early in the life of this new project that financial costs of this service are, of necessity, high. This fact was confirmed by the study of twelve centres used as criteria. If a project such as that undertaken by the Winnipeg Children's Home is to be successful, the need has to be accepted by and made the responsibility of the total community. Finally, but of considerable importance to all communities is the tendency to invest funds in lavish buildings which can be useless without adequate staff. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate