The purpose of this study is to explore the relationship of the foster child to his own family, and to examine the resulting effects upon the child's adjustment in foster care. The goal of the child welfare worker has changed in the past twenty-five years from the provision of food, clothing, and a roof over the head of the foster child, to an attempt to meet the emotional and psychological as well as physical needs of the child. These needs are likely to vary according to the degree of deprivation suffered by the child before placement. Regardless of the inadequacy of his parents, the child has to think well of them, so far as he is able, if he is also to think well of himself. He must resolve the trauma inevitably resulting from the separation from his parents before he can settle down in his foster home, and take on new ties. Against these concepts as background, the present study examines the circumstances of thirty-four, wards of the Children's Aid Society of Vancouver, B. C., beginning with the family situation at the time of the child's removal, and covering a significant period of foster care. Part of the methodology of the study is an attempt to assess the parents’ strengths and weaknesses including their capacity for parenthood. The children are reviewed twice: once at the time of their removal from their own homes, and again at a fixed date, when all the children had been in foster care for at least two years. The degree of contact with the natural parents is kept in the focus of the study throughout. The study concludes with an assessment of some of the ways in which the foster child can be helped to accept his past, and move on to the future free from hampering or neurotic ties. The implications relate to (a) the children, (b) the natural parents, (c) the foster parents. / Arts, Faculty of / Social Work, School of / Graduate

M.A. / The increased demand on resources and particular on water in South Africa is, inter alia, owing to the high population growth, urbanisation and concomitant industrial development. A decrease in water quality impairs the sustainable use of water, economic development and environmental health. Although water quality monitoring in the past focused mainly on the determination of the chemical and physical variables it is currently accepted as inadequate to determine the “health” of an aquatic ecosystem. This study does not concentrate on the impact of the chemical and physical variables on the ecosystem but rather determines the biological affect of treated underground mine water pumped into an aquatic ecosystem. The causes of water pollution can be point source in origin, for example, from water purification works and mines or it could also be from a diverse source such as stormwater, agricultural activities, seepage from various sources such as dumpsites, slimes dams and even from some geological formations. Mining, as one of the major job creators in South Africa, is also one of the major sources of pollution of aquatic systems. This is, in particular, relevant to worked out mines, older mines and marginal mines. The area of investigation is a portion of the Blesbokspruit Ramsar Site on the East Rand and, with its large bird specie diversity, appears to be a healthy system. This study shows that there is extensive debilitation of water quality in this portion of the Blesbokspruit which is further being impaired by the treated underground water pumped into the Blesbokspruit by the Grootvlei Mine. The purpose of this study was to determine the probable hazard of the polluted water of the Blesbokspruit for biota by making use of benthic faunal studies. Previous studies (Adendorff, 1997; Chutter, 1998 and Davies & Day, 1998) proved that the benthic fauna decrease with an increase in water pollution. The water quality of the Blesbokspruit in the test area was compared with the water quality standards for natural water set by the National Department of Water Affairs and Forestry as well as the water quality targets as set by Rand Water. The water quality of the test area was below standard when compared with both sets of standards. Biomonitoring also indicated that, because of the low counts of invertebrates, compared to the high counts of invertebrates in pristine aquatic systems, that this system is under pressure. This study indicates that the water quality of the Blesbokspruit Ramsar Site seriously impacts upon the benthic fauna and that the treated mine water from Grootvlei Mine, which is being pumped into the system, leaves this system stripped of all benthic fauna over an undetermined area. From this study it is also clear that managerial standards are urgently needed for water quality control and that water quality management should not only take the data of chemical water analysis into account but biological compounds should also be considered. The increased demand on resources and particular on water in South Africa is, inter alia, owing to the high population growth, urbanisation and concomitant industrial development. A decrease in water quality impairs the sustainable use of water, economic development and environmental health. Although water quality monitoring in the past focused mainly on the determination of the chemical and physical variables it is currently accepted as inadequate to determine the “health” of an aquatic ecosystem. This study does not concentrate on the impact of the chemical and physical variables on the ecosystem but rather determines the biological affect of treated underground mine water pumped into an aquatic ecosystem. The causes of water pollution can be point source in origin, for example, from water purification works and mines or it could also be from a diverse source such as stormwater, agricultural activities, seepage from various sources such as dumpsites, slimes dams and even from some geological formations. Mining, as one of the major job creators in South Africa, is also one of the major sources of pollution of aquatic systems. This is, in particular, relevant to worked out mines, older mines and marginal mines. The area of investigation is a portion of the Blesbokspruit Ramsar Site on the East Rand and, with its large bird specie diversity, appears to be a healthy system. This study shows that there is extensive debilitation of water quality in this portion of the Blesbokspruit which is further being impaired by the treated underground water pumped into the Blesbokspruit by the Grootvlei Mine. The purpose of this study was to determine the probable hazard of the polluted water of the Blesbokspruit for biota by making use of benthic faunal studies. Previous studies (Adendorff, 1997; Chutter, 1998 and Davies & Day, 1998) proved that the benthic fauna decrease with an increase in water pollution. The water quality of the Blesbokspruit in the test area was compared with the water quality standards for natural water set by the National Department of Water Affairs and Forestry as well as the water quality targets as set by Rand Water. The water quality of the test area was below standard when compared with both sets of standards. Biomonitoring also indicated that, because of the low counts of invertebrates, compared to the high counts of invertebrates in pristine aquatic systems, that this system is under pressure. This study indicates that the water quality of the Blesbokspruit Ramsar Site seriously impacts upon the benthic fauna and that the treated mine water from Grootvlei Mine, which is being pumped into the system, leaves this system stripped of all benthic fauna over an undetermined area. From this study it is also clear that managerial standards are urgently needed for water quality control and that water quality management should not only take the data of chemical water analysis into account but biological compounds should also be considered. / Mrs. H.F. Ellis

Die ondersoeker se belangstelling in pleegsorg het ontwikkel gedurende die drie jaar wat sy as sekretaresse van die Vereniging vir Kinderbeskerming in Kaapstad werksaam was. Hoewel die ondersoeker reeds die afgelope drie jaar in 'n ander werkkring staan, word die leemtes wat in pleegsorg bestaan, maar ook die waarde wat dit vir sorgbehoewende kinders kan he, gedurig onder haar aandag gebring. Die kroniese tekort aan geskikte pleegouers, die feit dat pleegkinders soms in pleeghuise geplaas word waar hulle onder omstandighede verkeer wat nie veel verskil van die waaruit hulle verwyder is nie en die steeds te groat aantal plasings wat misluk het die ondersoeker lnat besluit om vas te stel wie die pleegouers is wat hierdie belangrike diens lewer. Aangesien studies van verbruikersmenings van welsynsdienste in Suid-Afrika skaars is, en pleegouers word hier te lande nog dikwels as verbruikers eerder as verskaffers van welsynsdienste beskou het die ondersoeker aandag gegee aan pleegouers se menings oor die dienste wat hulle van welsynsorganisasies en maatskaplike werkers ontvang. Die ondersoek was beperk tot Kaapstad omdat die ondersoeker in voltydse betrekking beklee wat dit moeilik sou maak om buite Kaapstad te werk. Al drie die welsynsorganisasies wat blanke kinders in pleegsorg plaas is by die ondersoek betrek, eerstens om 'n volledige steekproef van pleegouers te kan maak en tweedens om vas te stel of daar enige opva.llende verskille in die beleid en werkswyse met betrekking tot pleegsorg tussen die drie verenigings bestaan.

The research problem in this thesis can be briefly stated as a study of a general population to test certain demographic variables, in particular those of income, age and education, which may or may not have a significant relationship to an expressed willingness to care for foster children; and to further examine whether certain special characteristics of a child, in particular those of increased age, physical handicap, minor emotional problems or mental retardation, further increase unwillingness to care for foster children. The sample was selected by a two- stage cluster sampling taken from the Southeast catchment area of metropolitan Portland, Oregon. From this sample of 787individuals, the survey was conducted by trained interviewers, using a questionnaire and personal interview. The data used in this research project were then extracted from the larger survey, and computed to determine the relationship of age, income and education to willingness to care for foster children. The data were extracted on the basis of the chosen variables of income, age and education and five questions relating specifically to willingness to care for foster children. As had been anticipated, the findings showed that the general population is not willing to care for foster children. However, certain significant findings were related to willingness to care for foster children. A significant relationship was found between income and willingness to care for foster children in that those respondents with incomes between $4,000-$20,000 expressed the most willingness to care for foster children while there was significant underrepresentation in both the highest and lowest income groupings to express a willingness to care for foster children with an almost lineal relationship of decreasing age with increasing willingness to care for foster children. There is no significant relationship, it was found, between education of the respondent and willingness to care for foster children. There is a lineal relationship of increasing willingness to care for foster children with increasing age of the foster child. Of those individuals expressing a willingness to care for foster children, there is no significant decrease in willingness because of physical disability, minor emotional problems or mental retardation. The results of this study have certain implication for recruitment and selection of foster parents. The findings indicate the need for further research to explore why more individuals in the population do not express a willingness to care for foster children, how such an interest can be encouraged and what criteria can be used in recruitment and selection.

Recruiting and retaining a sufficient number of foster homes to offer quality care of children is of prime importance in the delivery of Child Welfare services. There are an insufficient number of foster homes available for the appropriate placement of foster children in Multnomah County, Oregon according to the largest placement agency in Oregon, Children's Services Division. The Tri-County Foster Parent's Association signed a Purchase of Service Agreement with t he Oregon Children's Services Division to develop a recruitment program to obtain additional foster homes. In an effort to do this effectively, the Foster Parent Association asked Port land State University School of Social Work to do a descriptive analysis of the Multnomah County foster parent population. The Association wished to determine if there were measurable characteristics of certified foster parents which could. be used as indicators for recruitment e The purpose of the study was t o collect pertinent information, retrieve and analyze It, and report to the Foster Parent Association.

No description available.

published_or_final_version / Social Work / Master / Master of Social Work

No description available.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Texas at Arlington, 2009.