For almost 100 years, the Settlement Home for Children has provided an anchor of stability in the uncertain lives of hundreds of abused and neglected Texas children and young adults. The child welfare organization has evolved to fit the needs of the Central Texas community, transforming programs or overhauling its system of care when legal or social changes in child welfare called for reform. Advocates and state officials have lauded the Home as a model of innovation in statewide foster care services. Today, however, this century-old establishment faces an uncertain future as the state implements its long-awaited Texas Foster Care Redesign. Some Settlement Home staff said the redesign could change the entire structure and operation of their programs. It will cut state funding to child placement agencies. Redesign eliminates the list of criteria used to place children in appropriate care, and could change how – and to whom – the Home provides care. The privatization of the entire foster care system is the foundation of redesign and will alter the Home's relationship with the state, potentially forcing the Home to close down as a child placement agency. / text

For almost 100 years, the Settlement Home for Children has provided an anchor of stability in the uncertain lives of hundreds of abused and neglected Texas children and young adults. The child welfare organization has evolved to fit the needs of the Central Texas community, transforming programs or overhauling its system of care when legal or social changes in child welfare called for reform. Advocates and state officials have lauded the Home as a model of innovation in statewide foster care services. Today, however, this century-old establishment faces an uncertain future as the state implements its long-awaited Texas Foster Care Redesign. Some Settlement Home staff said the redesign could change the entire structure and operation of their programs. It will cut state funding to child placement agencies. Redesign eliminates the list of criteria used to place children in appropriate care, and could change how – and to whom – the Home provides care. The privatization of the entire foster care system is the foundation of redesign and will alter the Home's relationship with the state, potentially forcing the Home to close down as a child placement agency. / text

For almost 100 years, the Settlement Home for Children has provided an anchor of stability in the uncertain lives of hundreds of abused and neglected Texas children and young adults. The child welfare organization has evolved to fit the needs of the Central Texas community, transforming programs or overhauling its system of care when legal or social changes in child welfare called for reform. Advocates and state officials have lauded the Home as a model of innovation in statewide foster care services. Today, however, this century-old establishment faces an uncertain future as the state implements its long-awaited Texas Foster Care Redesign. Some Settlement Home staff said the redesign could change the entire structure and operation of their programs. It will cut state funding to child placement agencies. Redesign eliminates the list of criteria used to place children in appropriate care, and could change how – and to whom – the Home provides care. The privatization of the entire foster care system is the foundation of redesign and will alter the Home's relationship with the state, potentially forcing the Home to close down as a child placement agency. / text

The present study had an overarching objective of seeking information to better understand the service needs of children entering foster care who are universally enrolled into behavioral health services at the time of their home removal. The first specific aim was to examine how various case attributes (i.e., aspects of a child’s background, personal and familial characteristics, and CPS involvement) related to behavioral health needs at entry, represented by global functioning ratings and service intensity scores. A second specific aim was to explore the existence of natural groupings of foster youth to examine if meaningful groupings occur in relation to demographic and risk and factors. Finally, this study sought to evaluate service needs of subgroups of foster children who are typically under-referred for services. Data were collected from records of 327 school-age youth who were automatically enrolled into treatment from one community-based outpatient behavioral health provider at the time of home removal. The results of this study showed that the average school-age child entering foster care is performing in the at-risk range of global functioning (mean CGAS score of 69.23) and requires at least short-term behavioral health intervention services and/or recovery monitoring (mean CASII Composite Score of 13.1). With respect to severity of impaired functioning, the results indicated that racial background, medical history, speech problems, school grade level (e.g., <1 year, K-3,...9-12), psychological stability, and reasons for removal significantly contributed to scores of global functioning. With regard to the intensity of service needs, the findings suggested gender, historical involvement with child welfare services, foster placement, simultaneous removal of all children, history of sexualized behaviors, and global functioning predicted level of care composite scores. Subgroups of foster youth that are typically under-referred and/or under-utilize services (i.e., preschool age children, children who did not experience physical or sexual abuse, and ethnic minorities) generally did not differ in terms of functionality or service intensity ratings from their counterpart groups; the only exception being that Caucasian/Non-Hispanic youth demonstrated lower average ratings on global functioning than children who identify with other racial backgrounds. The data showed inadequate fit for examining latent classes among youth entering foster care.

Most of studies have revealed that children entering foster care have various mental health problems and need help of mental health care professionals. Unfortunately, many authors notice that psychological help rendered for foster children lack organization, for mental health care professionals giving services for foster children are forced to use methods, which empirically are tested among adults or among children having specific mental health disorders or to use methods without empirical proof. Thus issue concerning effective psychotherapeutic methods for foster children remains especially relevant. The aim of the study is to assess the potential of Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) improving psychosocial functioning of adolescents in foster care and factors related to better outcome of the SFBT. Research group consisted of 228 adolescents living in foster care homes (12-18 years old). 47 adolescents participated in SFBT group, 47 adolescents from the rest of the group were selected for control group. Research methods: 1) three methods for evaluation of psychosocial functioning; 2) five methods for evaluation of intervention outcomes. Research consisted of three stages: 1) evaluation of the psychosocial functioning of adolescents living in foster care; 2) intervention for treatment group; 3) evaluation of the changes in psychosocial functioning after the period of 6 weeks since first evaluation. Research results demonstrated that SFBT is an effective method for... [to full text] / Tyrimai rodo, kad į valstybės globą patenka psichikos sveikatos sunkumų turintys vaikai, kuriems būtina įvairių psichikos sveikatos priežiūros specialistų pagalba. Vis tik pastebima, kad psichologinė pagalba globojamiems vaikams ne tik Lietuvoje, bet ir užsienyje dažniausia teikiama nesistemingai, taikant metodus, kurių efektyvumas patvirtintas kitose amžiaus, socialinio statuso ar problemų grupėse, tad specifinių psichologinės pagalbos metodų, efektyviai veikiančių būtent globojamų vaikų grupėje, klausimas išlieka itin aktualus. Pagrindinis šio tyrimo tikslas – nustatyti Į sprendimus sutelkto trumpalaikio konsultavimo (SSTK) galimybes, skatinant geresnį globojamų paauglių psichologinį-socialinį funkcionavimą ir problemų sprendimą, bei veiksnius, susijusius su geresniais konsultavimo rezultatais. Tyrime dalyvavo 228 paaugliai (12-18 m.), gyvenantys vaikų globos namuose. 47 iš jų buvo konsultuoti, taikant SSTK modelį, 47 – sudarė kontrolinę grupę. Tyrime taikyti metodai: 1) trys psichologinio-socialinio funkcionavimo vertinimo metodai, 2) penki poveikio efektyvumo vertinimo metodai. Tyrimo planą sudarė trys etapai: 1) vaikų globos namuose gyvenančių paauglių psichologinio-socialinio funkcionavimo tyrimas; 2) poveikio vykdymas; 3) vaikų globos namuose gyvenančių paauglių psichologinio-socialinio funkcionavimo pokyčių, praėjus šešioms savaitėms po pirmojo įvertinimo, tyrimas. Tyrimo rezultatai parodė, kad SSTK yra efektyvus vaikų globos namuose gyvenančių paauglių problemoms... [toliau žr. visą tekstą]

Studien har syftat till att få en förståelse för familjehemsföräldrars perspektiv på anknytning och vad de menar att det finns för svårigheter och möjligheter gällande anknytning för barn som placeras i familjehem. Studien berör även hur relationen mellan barn och familjehemsförälder förändras över tid och hur samspel mellan barn och familjehemsföräldrar, barn och de biologiska föräldrarna och barnets tidigare erfarenheter kan påverka anknytningen. Studien är kvalitativ och bygger på intervjuer med sex familjehemsföräldrar. Bowlbys anknytningsteori har använts för att analysera det empiriska materialet och studien har en hermeneutiskt ansats. Familjehemsföräldrarnas upplevelser tolkas som att barn kan skapa en trygg anknytning till dem och att de kan utgöra en trygg bas för placerade barn. Familjehemsföräldrarna menar att en trygg anknytning rör både yngre och äldre barn. Samspelet mellan familjehemsföräldrar, barn och de biologiska föräldrarna påverkar anknytningen och ibland uppstår situationer som är svåra att förhålla sig till för såväl familjehemsförälder, barn som de biologiska föräldrarna. Av familjehemsföräldrarnas resonemang framkommer att såväl barn som familjehemsförälder kan drabbas av separationsångest, vilket i sin tur påverkar anknytningens kvalitet. Barnets bakgrund och tidigare erfarenheter påverkar den anknytning som barnet skapar till sin familjehemsförälder. De uppföljningar som görs enligt socialtjänstlagen (SFS 2001:453), där socialnämnden minst var sjätte månad ska överväga om vården ska fortgå, menar familjehemsföräldrarna skapar svårigheter att knyta an till barnen fullt ut. Uppföljningarna skapar en oro för att separeras för både familjehemsföräldrar och de placerade barnen. / The aim of the study is to gain an understanding of foster parent's perspective on attachment and which opportunities and difficulties there is with the attachment for children in foster care. The study is also describes the way the relationship between the child and foster parent changes over time and how interaction between children and foster parents, child and the biological parents and the child's past experiences can influence the attachment. The study has a qualitative method and is based on interviews with six foster parents. Bowlby's attachment theory has been used to analyze the empirical material and the study has a hermeneutic approach. Foster parent’s experiences give us an understanding that children can create a secure attachment to them and that they can provide a safe base for the children. Foster parents believe that the secure attachment is the same for both younger and older children. The interaction between foster parents, child and the biological parent’s affects the attachment and sometimes situations arise that are difficult to relate to for foster parent, child and birth parents. It is found that children as well as the foster parents can suffer from separation anxiety, which can affect the quality of the attachment. The child’s background and past experiences affect the attachment that the child creates to the foster parent. The study also shows that the follow-ups that are induced by the Social Services Act (SFS 2001:453), every six months for the social services committee to consider whether the treatment should be continued, create difficulties for foster parents to fully attach to the child. It creates a fear of separation for both the foster parents and the children.

This thesis investigates the relationship between foster care placement settings and discharges. Placement settings are where foster children live: foster homes, group homes, etc. There may be one or several placements for any individual child. In the interest of stability, federal funding to states depends in part on low numbers of placement moves. Federal reviews, however, do not consider whether the placement settings resemble permanent family life (foster homes compared to congregate care) or the direction of placement moves. Competing risks regression was used to analyze time to discharge data of foster children in Georgia. Discharges (competing risks) were compared based on the number and the direction of placement moves. Children with movement patterns that favored placements similar to permanent family life were found to have higher probabilities of discharges to safe permanence. This thesis promotes “proximity to permanence” as an important, but often overlooked, consideration in foster care placements.

Pastaraisiais metais tapatumas apibrėžiamas kaip dinamiška save apibrėžianti sistema, besiformuojanti santykiuose, kurios pagrindas yra emocijos. O tapatumo formavimasis – tai intrapsichinių pasikeitimų paauglystėje visuma – atsiskyrimo ir individuacijos procesas, patyrimų integracija bei ego tęstinumo įtvirtinimas. Todėl siekiant suprasti, kaip sunkumai artimuose santykiuose susiję su tapatumo išgyvenimu paauglystėje, buvo atliktas kokybinis tyrimas, naudojant biografinio pasakojimo interpretacinį metodą. Metodika. Tyrime dalyvavo šeši (3 merginos ir 3 vaikinai) 15-16 metų paaugliai, gyvenantys globos namuose. Naudoti metodai: biografinio pasakojimo interpretacinis metodas, dokumentų analizė ir trauminių įvykių anketa. Rezultatai. Tyrimo rezultatų turinio interpretacinė analizė atskleidė tris tapatumo išgyvenimo tipus: tapatumo išgyvenimas pagrįstas vidiniu konfliktu: konfrontacija su siekiant įrodyt savo vertę; tapatumo išgyvenimas pagrįstas idealizacija ir nuvertinimu: fantazijos ir svajonės – kaip būdas atlaikyti realybę ir tapatumo išgyvenimas pagrįstas fragmentacija: izoliuotas subjektyvumas. Šiame darbe keliamos hipotezės, kad skirtingi biografinio pasakojimo tipai atskleidžia skirtingą tapatumo formavimosi paauglystėje dinamiką. Taip pat patvirtinama artimų ir ilgalaikių santykių svarba tapatumo išgyvenimo ir trauminio patyrimo įveikos procese. / Nowadays identity is defined as rooted in emotion, emerging in relationship and developing as dynamic, self-organizing system. And identity formation is a intrapsychic changes during adolescence: separation individuation process, experience integration and establishment of ego continuity. It is necessary to use new methods for identity evaluation in order to understand it’s development in relational context. Qualitative research: biographical narrative interpretative analysis, was made to understand identity formation in adolescence who live in foster care. Method: six, 15-16 years old teenagers (3 girls, 3 boys) participated in research. Biographical narrative interpretative method was used to collect and interpret data, additional methods: document analysis and traumatic events questionnaire. Results: data analysis revealed three types of identity experience: identity experience based on inner conflict: fight as way to survive; identity experience based on idealization and devaluation: fantasy– the way which helps to deal with reality and identity experience based on fragmentation: isolated subjectivity. It is hypothesized that different types of told life stories are connected with different dynamic of identity experience in adolescence. It is confirmed importance of close and long lasting relationship in a process of coping with traumatic experience.

Pastaraisiais metais tapatumas apibrėžiamas kaip dinamiška save apibrėžianti sistema, besiformuojanti santykiuose, kurios pagrindas yra emocijos. O tapatumo formavimasis – tai intrapsichinių pasikeitimų paauglystėje visuma – atsiskyrimo ir individuacijos procesas, patyrimų integracija bei ego tęstinumo įtvirtinimas. Todėl siekiant suprasti, kaip sunkumai artimuose santykiuose susiję su tapatumo išgyvenimu paauglystėje, buvo atliktas kokybinis tyrimas, naudojant biografinio pasakojimo interpretacinį metodą. Metodika. Tyrime dalyvavo šeši (3 merginos ir 3 vaikinai) 15-16 metų paaugliai, gyvenantys globos namuose. Naudoti metodai: biografinio pasakojimo interpretacinis metodas, dokumentų analizė ir trauminių įvykių anketa. Rezultatai. Tyrimo rezultatų turinio interpretacinė analizė atskleidė tris tapatumo išgyvenimo tipus: tapatumo išgyvenimas pagrįstas vidiniu konfliktu: konfrontacija su siekiant įrodyt savo vertę; tapatumo išgyvenimas pagrįstas idealizacija ir nuvertinimu: fantazijos ir svajonės – kaip būdas atlaikyti realybę ir tapatumo išgyvenimas pagrįstas fragmentacija: izoliuotas subjektyvumas. Šiame darbe keliamos hipotezės, kad skirtingi biografinio pasakojimo tipai atskleidžia skirtingą tapatumo formavimosi paauglystėje dinamiką. Taip pat patvirtinama artimų ir ilgalaikių santykių svarba tapatumo išgyvenimo ir trauminio patyrimo įveikos procese. / Nowadays identity is defined as rooted in emotion, emerging in relationship and developing as dynamic, self-organizing system. And identity formation is a intrapsychic changes during adolescence: separation individuation process, experience integration and establishment of ego continuity. It is necessary to use new methods for identity evaluation in order to understand it’s development in relational context. Qualitative research: biographical narrative interpretative analysis, was made to understand identity formation in adolescence who live in foster care. Method: six, 15-16 years old teenagers (3 girls, 3 boys) participated in research. Biographical narrative interpretative method was used to collect and interpret data, additional methods: document analysis and traumatic events questionnaire. Results: data analysis revealed three types of identity experience: identity experience based on inner conflict: fight as way to survive; identity experience based on idealization and devaluation: fantasy– the way which helps to deal with reality and identity experience based on fragmentation: isolated subjectivity. It is hypothesized that different types of told life stories are connected with different dynamic of identity experience in adolescence. It is confirmed importance of close and long lasting relationship in a process of coping with traumatic experience.

The objective of the present study was to explore the experiences of New Zealand non-relative foster carers fostering children with attachment difficulties (indicative of disorders of non-attachment). This objective was achieved using a detailed Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (Smith et al., 2009). Analysis revealed five themes evident in carer accounts: expectations versus reality; satisfactions and strains of fostering children with attachment difficulties; attachment relationships and the benefits of information; the impact of others on the caring experience; and negative expectations and future concerns. Overall, these themes suggest that fostering children with attachment difficulties is a complex and challenging experience which significantly impacts carers and their families. While lack of public understanding and public judgement compound the difficulty of the experience, receiving information about fostering and attachment difficulties appears to alleviate it. The five identified themes and their relation to the existing literature are explored in detail in this thesis. Implications for social policy and practice are discussed, and potential future research directions are outlined.