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

Thesis (M. Ed.)--University of Canterbury, 2007. / Typescript (photocopy). "February 2007." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 88-89). Also available via the World Wide Web.

This study investigated foster parents' reasons for deciding to continue their careers as foster parents. The participants were obtained from Koinonia Foster Homes, San Bernardino office. In addition, an effort was made to determine what unmet needs foster parents had that had those needs been addressed by the agency might have encouraged them to continue fostering children.

This study proposed to explore several factors that promote foster parent satisfaction in order to preserve quality foster homes to serve the 532,000 displaced children currently in the child welfare system. A sample of 52 foster parents were surveyed to determine overall satisfaction with their foster care experience at Children's Way Foster Family Agency in San Bernardino, California. It was hypothesized that the higher the level of foster parent satisfaction, the higher rates of retention. A modified version of an existing instrument titled "Foster Parent Satisfaction Survey" was utilized in this study.

Typescript (photocopy). / Digitized by Kansas Correctional Industries

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Acadia University, 2001. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 123-131). Also available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

Thesis (Ed. D.)--Illinois State University, 1992. / Title from title page screen, viewed February 1, 2006. Dissertation Committee: Paula Smith (chair), Kenneth Strand, Thomas Caldwell, Miryam Assaf-Keller, Alan Repp. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 74-86) and abstract. Also available in print.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2007. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 142 p. Vita. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 95-115).

No description available.

M.A. (Social Work) / The purpose of this study was to integrate existing scientific knowledge into a parent-training programme for adoptive parents. The viability of such a programme was investigated in the light of the viewpoint of many authors that the increasing responsibility of parenthood creates an increasing need for parent-training programmes. The purpose of this study was formulated as follows: i) to broaden the insight and knowledge of adoptive parents with regard to specific matters pertaining to adoption; ii) to support adoptive parents in their child-rearing task by stimulating the development of more insigt into the developmental phases, with special emphasis on those factors pertaining to the development of the self-image and identity formation, as well as the genealogy, of the adoptive child; iii) through the application of insight and knowledge gained through the programme, to assist their adoptive children in the development of a positive self-image and identity; iv) - to enhance a positive self-image of the parent; - to enhance the parent-child relationship; and - to aim at better family relationships as a result of the above, through enhancing satisfactory and effective role fulfillment of the parent; v) to enhance primary prevention in the hope that the emotional and social maladaptation of the adoptive child may be avoided. In order to fulfill these purposes, a conceptual framework was developed to generate questions and formulate hypotheses. The Resiarch Development and Utilization model of Edwin Thomas was utilized as research design for the development of the programme. In the third phase of Thomas' model i.e. the evaluation phase, provision is made for the utilization of evaluative research methodology for the evaluation of the relevant social technology. Thomas' model further provides for the utilization of experimental and quasi-experimental designs for the evaluation of social technology. In additioh, this researcher used programme evaluation as experimental design, as well as an exploratory-formulative or hypotheses-developmental design. Three correlation hypotheses were formulated predicting the relationship between the parent-training programme for adoptive parents (the independent variable) and the role...