In this dissertation, I sought to understand foster parents’ perceptions of giftedness, how foster children’s strengths, gifts, and talents affect their experiences and those of their foster parents, and what resources and information foster parents have for supporting their foster children’s education and gifts. To understand these beliefs, I analyzed quantitative and qualitative survey data from 53 foster parents throughout the United States and analyzed interviews from 14 of those foster parents. Most foster parents surveyed perceived their foster children as a little or very different academically and in other ways than their peers not in foster care, and perceived they had different educational experiences than their peers, largely attributed to their lived experiences prior to entering and during foster care. Most participants felt their foster children’s abilities, strengths, and talents affected foster parents a little or very much. Interviewed and surveyed foster parents defined giftedness as including the following attributes: academic achievement, natural ability or innate talent, intelligence, domain-specific capabilities, performance or skills above average for their age or above their peers, unique approaches to learning, and motivation for learning. Interviewees also addressed non-academic forms of giftedness, socioemotional characteristics of children with gifts and talents, and noted that these students may have some difficulties in school. Foster parents explained the adaptations they have made to their parenting because of their foster children’s strengths, talents, and abilities, and highlighted the unique life experiences of foster children, which were not only hinderances but also could help them succeed academically and in life. Participants also expressed why they think foster children are not identified for gifted education programming. Foster parents had many needs related to their foster children’s education and strengths, talents, and abilities. They made recommendations to those who train new foster parents and provide ongoing training to current foster parents; to schools and teachers of foster children; and to new foster parents about how to best meet the needs of foster children and encourage their gifts and talents.

(in English) The aim of this diploma thesis is to map and analyse psychosocial consequences of over-indebtedness and to emphasize on importace komplex solution considering to all aspect. In the introduction of theoretical part are defined professional terms. The other chapters are focused on history of over-indebtedness, the issue of over-indebtedness in the Czech Republic and several other European countries, the providers and the types of financial products, the conditions under which the debt arises, causes of over- indebtedness, the development phase of the debt, insolvency and related legislation. The theoretical part is also focused on dept issue in social work, specifically on providers social services for over-indebtedness people and social services for over-indebtedness people. Followed by a chapter focused on prevention over-indebtedness and chaptes focused on psychosocial consequences. To achieve an aim was used the qualitative research method, specifically questionnaire of half-structured interviews technique. Followed by case reports of respondents, interpretation and analysis of data, discussion and suggestions and recommendations.

No description available.

The purpose of this qualitative study is to investigate and analyze how social workers experience the work Social Services' do with children in foster homes. This study aims to identify what the positive and negative aspects are from working with this group and to determine what changes can be made to improve the services for children of foster carers. The data that was collected from interviews with eight social workers were analyzed through thematic analysis as well as Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems theory. The analysis reveals that the work of Social Services' affects the children in foster homes on micro-, meso-, exo-, and macro-levels. Based on the reports from the social workers the results indicate that their social service offices include home-staying children in the investigation phases. The children are less included during the initial process and at the ending of placements. Most social workers expressed that working with home-staying children is crucial to reduce the risk of placement breakdowns. Additionally, they emphasized the need for more frequent work with this group. Based on the results, this study suggests several possible service improvements to address the needs of home-staying children. Despite policy gaps, some municipalities actively engage with home- staying children.

Problem statement Due to HIV and AIDS impacting on communities, devastating consequences have been predicted. The number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in need of care is escalating, causing social workers’ caseloads to become unmanageable. These OVC who lost their parents through death are suffering multiple losses due to being orphaned. The material, protection and affection needs have to be addressed in a holistic, eco-systematic, multidisciplinary team approach. In practice social workers tend to focus mainly on the material and protection needs of OVC due to high caseloads and staff turnover, neglecting their affection needs. Social workers need to work with foster parents and children in identifying potential risk factors that could lead to risk behaviour in foster children who have lost their parents through death. The researcher designed an assessment tool that could enable social workers in practice to do an effective risk assessment of OVC in foster care. Intervention could be planned accordingly by setting goals to address risk factors timeously in an attempt to prevent future problem behaviour in OVC placed in foster care. Aim To develop an assessment tool for social workers to identify risk behaviour in foster children who have experienced multiple losses such as the loss of one or both parents. Method A mixed methods design was used, specifically the sequential and explanatory design which involved collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data. These obtained data were then connected and integrated. Results It was proved that a Risk assessment tool helped social workers to identify risk factors in a team effort between social workers, foster parents and children. Meeting the psychosocial needs of OVC placed in foster care more effectively is important in order to prevent the development of negative behaviour. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Problem statement Due to HIV and AIDS impacting on communities, devastating consequences have been predicted. The number of orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in need of care is escalating, causing social workers’ caseloads to become unmanageable. These OVC who lost their parents through death are suffering multiple losses due to being orphaned. The material, protection and affection needs have to be addressed in a holistic, eco-systematic, multidisciplinary team approach. In practice social workers tend to focus mainly on the material and protection needs of OVC due to high caseloads and staff turnover, neglecting their affection needs. Social workers need to work with foster parents and children in identifying potential risk factors that could lead to risk behaviour in foster children who have lost their parents through death. The researcher designed an assessment tool that could enable social workers in practice to do an effective risk assessment of OVC in foster care. Intervention could be planned accordingly by setting goals to address risk factors timeously in an attempt to prevent future problem behaviour in OVC placed in foster care. Aim To develop an assessment tool for social workers to identify risk behaviour in foster children who have experienced multiple losses such as the loss of one or both parents. Method A mixed methods design was used, specifically the sequential and explanatory design which involved collecting and analysing both qualitative and quantitative data. These obtained data were then connected and integrated. Results It was proved that a Risk assessment tool helped social workers to identify risk factors in a team effort between social workers, foster parents and children. Meeting the psychosocial needs of OVC placed in foster care more effectively is important in order to prevent the development of negative behaviour. / PhD (Social Work), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

The thesis is devoted to the topic of preparatory courses for applicants for foster care. The aim of the thesis is to chart the course of professional preparation of future foster parents and replenish their subjective opinions. The theoretical part refers to the current legislative changes affecting the area of foster care in the Czech republic. It also deals with topics closely related to foster care, such as kinship care, contact with the biological parents or the identity of children in foster care. The following section is focused on the analysis of available training programs for foster parents, their specifics and the related methodological recommendations of Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs of the Czech Republic. Practical work was supported by DC Paprsek. By the form of semi-structured interviews with applicants for foster care was studied their subjective view of the importance and effectiveness of training courses.

In this study, the researchers explored child welfare workers’ perceptions on placement changes for youth in foster care and the impact these changes had on youths’ overall outcomes. Using a Post Positivist paradigm, qualitative research was completed using snowball-sampling procedures. The researchers conducted in-depth interviews with sixteen members from their personal networks of child welfare social workers that have direct contact with foster youth. The research participants included current child welfare social workers from two counties in Southern California. The study’s findings suggest that children’s behaviors and foster parents’ reactions to those behaviors impacted placement changes. Further, participants felt that these changes significantly impacted youths’ educational outcomes. Participants identified a variety of interventions they used to try to mitigate placement changes, some with more or less success. Finally, workers identified barriers within the child welfare system, including communications and compensation, that might have an impact on placement changes. Implications for social work practice, policy and research are discussed.

The US Bureau of the Census (1999) projected that by 2004, 14 million people in sub-Saharan Africa will develop full blown AIDS, making this region by far the largest disease burden in the world (World Health Organization, 2002). The United Nations AIDS Programme judged South Africa to have the leading number of people living with HIV/AIDS worldwide (World Health Organisation, 2002). To date there has been extensive research conducted on the socio-economic impacts of HIV/AIDS on families in Africa. However an area of investigation that has remained largely underreported is the inquiry into the psychological impacts of HIV/AIDS on elderly caregivers. In African families older women increasingly have to provide care to their adult children with AIDS and their orphaned grandchildren. However few research studies have assessed the experience of parental caregiving and its psychological impacts on these women. This qualitative research study hypothesised that the role of primary parental caregiver in fact causes a range of psychologically distressing states, which serve to compromise the psychological well-being of these caregivers. To investigate this hypothesis three Xhosa speaking women living in informal settlements in Grahamstown, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa were selected for the study. The women were interviewed by means of semi-structured interviews, which consisted of questions related to their caregiving experiences, their experiences of loss, their choice of coping strategies, the role of support networks and their experiences of foster care responsibilities. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using a grounded hermeneutic approach. The research results confirmed the working hypothesis. The research revealed that although it was considered culturally appropriate for older women to care for their children and grandchildren, their caregiver roles caused significant psychological distress. Their distress was related to: emotional and physical exhaustion, complicated grief reactions and ongoing emotional and physical upheaval related to foster care responsibilities. Based on the results, the research recommendations emphasised the need for continual awareness of the psychological implications of caregiving for older African women with the aim to preserve their capacity to function as the primary caring resource to families struck by HIV/AIDS.

Misdade wat gemik is teen kinders veroorsaak tans ‘n nasionale krisis wat geïllustreer word deur die feit dat daar ‘n toename in die mishandeling en verwaarlosing van kinders is. Al hoe meer kinders word ook wees gelaat na die afsterwe van hul biologiese ouers weens MIV/VIGS-verwante siektes. Dit bring mee dat daar ‘n geweldige toename in pleegsorgplasings in Suid-Afrika is. Welsynsorganisasies beskik egter nie oor ‘n resente opleidingsprogram wat daarop gemik is om voornemende pleegouers op pleegsorg voor te berei nie. Die doel van die studie het behels om ‘n opleidingsprogram vir voornemende pleegouers te ontwikkel, te implementeer en empiries te toets. Die doelwitte wat gestel is om die doel te bereik was om ‘n opleidingsprogram vir voornemende pleegouers te ontwikkel, die program by voornemende pleegouers te toets en om die impak van die program waar te neem deur die resultate van ‘n voor- en natoets te vergelyk. Die inhoud van die opleidingsprogram wat vir die studie ontwikkel is, is beskryf. Gevolglik is van beskrywende navorsing gebruik gemaak. Hierdie studie het berus op die volgende hipotese: Indien voornemende pleegouers hierdie opleidingsprogram deurloop het, sal die voornemende pleegouers se kennis rakende die omvang, wetlike implikasies, verwagtinge, motiewe, verantwoordelikhede en pligte ten opsigte van pleegsorg, en die profiel van die pleegkind verbeter. Die empiriese resultate van die studie het die hipotese as waar bewys.‘n Kwantitatiewe enkelstelselontwerp, is die benadering wat gevolg is. Data is ingesamel met behulp van ‘n vraelys wat tydens ‘n voor- en natoets benut is. Altesaam 53 respondente (ouer as 20 jaar) bestaande uit getroude pare en enkellopendes wat gedurende die tydperk Februarie tot Junie 2006, by die Ondersteuningsraad van Pretoria as voornemende pleegouers aangemeld het, is by die studie betrek. Die 53 respondente is in drie groepe ingedeel. Drie opleidingsessies met elk van die drie groepe is onderneem. Rothman en Thomas se model vir intervensienavorsing is benut om die opleidingsprogram vir voornemende pleegouers te ontwikkel. Die model bestaan uit ses fases, waarvan die eerste vyf fases in die studie benut is. Tydens die eerste fase is die probleem ontleed; in die tweede fase is teoretiese inligting versamel en deelnemers by die studie betrek; by die derde en vierde fases, is die opleidingsprogram tentatief ontwerp en getoets om leemtes te identifiseer. Daarna is die program volledig geïmplementeer en die impak daarvan empiries getoets. Die kwantitatiewe data (voor- en natoets) is met behulp van ‘n selfontwerpte vraelys ingesamel. Die vraelys is benut om inligting aangaande die respondente se kennis van pleegsorg te verkry. Individuele telefoniese onderhoude is een maand na afloop van die implementering van die program met die respondente gevoer om addisionele inligting te kry. Die resultate van die voor- en natoets het getoon dat die opleidingsprogram suksesvol was. Die respondente wat by die studie betrek is, het ‘n verbetering getoon ten opsigte van hul kennis van pleegsorg. Na die evaluering van die opleidingsprogram, is ‘n samevatting van die vernaamste bevindings, en gevolgtrekkings vir die ondersoek in geheel, aangebied. Aanbevelings is gemaak en is temas vir verdere navorsing geïdentifiseer. / Thesis (DPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted