A large number of children find themselves in foster care situations in South Africa with placements that have to be monitored by social workers. This is a demanding task, given the nature of foster placements and the high caseloads of social workers responsible for monitoring of foster placements. Although a wealth of information on resource management is to be found in the prevailing literature, no comparative volume of information is to be found on foster care resources in child welfare in particular. A model for resource management in this field must still be developed. In view of this and considering the role occupied by the researcher in the Kerklike Maatskaplike Diens: Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa, it was decided to embark on a research project investigating the use of resources in the field of child welfare, specifically with foster care social workers. The aim of the study is to assess whether adequate resources are available. The availability and utilisation of resources in the field of child welfare is under-researched and a resource management system for this purpose should still be developed. The research results indicated that social workers monitoring foster care placements have high caseloads and that resources, even though they are utilised to a certain extent, are not always accessible or effective. The most important learning needs were related to organisational, community and professional resources that could be considered unrealistic, ineffective, inaccessible and not feasible in most circumstances. Further main challenges are a lack of resources and time, a lack of co-operation from the foster parents and the biological parents respectively and the shortage of foster care social workers in South Africa. / Thesis (MSW)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

A large number of children find themselves in foster care situations in South Africa with placements that have to be monitored by social workers. This is a demanding task, given the nature of foster placements and the high caseloads of social workers responsible for monitoring of foster placements. Although a wealth of information on resource management is to be found in the prevailing literature, no comparative volume of information is to be found on foster care resources in child welfare in particular. A model for resource management in this field must still be developed. In view of this and considering the role occupied by the researcher in the Kerklike Maatskaplike Diens: Bloemfontein, Free State, South Africa, it was decided to embark on a research project investigating the use of resources in the field of child welfare, specifically with foster care social workers. The aim of the study is to assess whether adequate resources are available. The availability and utilisation of resources in the field of child welfare is under-researched and a resource management system for this purpose should still be developed. The research results indicated that social workers monitoring foster care placements have high caseloads and that resources, even though they are utilised to a certain extent, are not always accessible or effective. The most important learning needs were related to organisational, community and professional resources that could be considered unrealistic, ineffective, inaccessible and not feasible in most circumstances. Further main challenges are a lack of resources and time, a lack of co-operation from the foster parents and the biological parents respectively and the shortage of foster care social workers in South Africa. / Thesis (MSW)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Foster care is currently a topic that arouses certain controversy in society, which often stems from ignorance of this type of alternative family care. In the diploma thesis, with the help of the analysis, the domestic system of substitute family care was comprehensively described with a focus on foster care. This system was subsequently compared with foreign systems. The work also deals with the identification of the main motivational factors that are essential for the performance of foster care. To find out important information about the motivational factors of foster care, the method of a questionnaire survey was used, which was conducted with foster parents and also with persons without experience with foster care. The questionnaire survey with foster parents showed that the main motivating factor for foster parents is selfless help for children in institutional care. The questionnaire survey with people without experience with foster care showed that their motivation for foster care would be stimulated by helping children in institutional care and efforts to provide family facilities for such children. Several responses from the questionnaire surveys were also compared. From this comparison came significant differences in motivational factors between foster parents and people without...

This work is focused on the evaluation and verification of the criteria of success foster care on the basis of their own experience. Affects the overall trend of the development of the child in the context of the family and the wider society. The key theme of this study is, above all, approach the importance and advantages of foster care, or clarify so much discussed questions of education of children in substitute family environment in terms of celospolečenského scale. To achieve the desired outcome here were used not only to their own knowledge and experience, which are processed in the individual kasuistikách, but also the conclusions of the expert examination of pedagogical-psychological counseling and specially-educational centre. The thesis has been processed on the basis of personal long- standing observation and study the behaviour of children in foster care, which are pursued and carried out directly in the family of the author thesis. Total of pattern 8 children, which over time have been adopted into the family of the author, and this was how the children of different sexes, different ethnic origin, different state of health and, not least, of the individual and the sibling group. For all of these children have been possible directly in practice to monitor their development and progress,...