The main purpose of this study was to explore the needs of caregivers of abandoned children in the Waterberg District (Modimolle area), Limpopo Province. The objectives of the study were to investigate caregiving and abandoned children in South Africa through literature study and consultation with experts, to gather empirical data on the needs of caregivers of abandoned children and finally to make recommendations regarding the needs of caregivers of abandoned children to the Department of Health and Social Development for intervention programs in the Waterberg District of the Limpopo Province. The study was guided by a research question which was formulated as follows: What are the needs of caregivers of abandoned children? The qualitative research approach was used since the researcher aimed to explore the personal experience with regard to the needs of caregivers of abandoned children. The findings will be utilized to make practical recommendations for intervention programmes to the Department of Health and Social Development in the Waterberg District. The population for this study composed of caregivers of abandoned children in the Waterberg District, Modimolle area. Semi structured interviews was conducted with (10) caregivers. Data was analysed using the following steps: collecting and recording, managing, reading and memoing, describing, classifying, interpreting and visualizing. Finally conclusions were drawn and recommendations outlined for intervention programs to the Department of Health and Social Development. / Dissertation (MSD (Play Therapy))--University of Pretoria, 2008. / Social Work and Criminology / unrestricted

En av de vanligaste insatserna inom den sociala barnavården är familjehemsplaceringar av barn. Det är kommunen som har det övergripande ansvaret för placeringen. Det är vidare samhällets ansvar att enligt lag se till att den unga kommer ifrån en otrygg, bristfällig tillvaro och får god vård i familjehemmet. Socialnämnden beslutar om vården som antingen sker frivilligt med stöd av Socialtjänstlagen, eller med tvång med stöd av Lagen med särskilda bestämmelser om vård av unga. Syftet med uppsatsen är att förklara vad begreppet rättssäkerhet innebär, både utifrån en allmän definition och mer specifikt vid socialnämndens utredning och beslut om familjehemsplacering av barn och unga. Mitt intresse ligger i att undersöka vad barn och unga har för rättssäkerhet vid en sådan situation, jag koncentrerar mig dock på processen innan och fram till beslutet av en eventuell familjehemsplacering. Utifrån studiens syfte har jag använt mig av en kvalitativ metod i form av semistrukturerade intervjuer, för att få en djupare förståelse av intervjupersonernas personliga upplevelser. Jag har intervjuat tre socialsekreterare som arbetar med barn- och ungdomsutredningar i Skåne. Resultatet och analysen beskriver intervjupersonernas egna upplevelser av vad rättssäkerhet betyder för dem i förhållande till deras arbetsuppgifter. Resultatet visade bland annat att kunskap om de lagar som ligger till grund för utredning och beslut är en viktig del för att kunna utföra ett rättssäkert arbete. / One of the most common interventions in social services for children is a foster home placement. The municipality has overall responsibility for the placement. Furthermore, it is society's responsibility to legally ensure that the young are coming from an insecure, inadequate existence and given good care in the family home. Social Welfare Committee decides on the care, which is either voluntary under the Social Services Act, or enforced under the law of special provisions for the care of young people. The purpose of this paper is to explain what the term rule of law means, both from a general definition and more specifically at the social welfare committee and decisions on foster placement of children and young people. My interest lies in examining what children and young people have for legal certainty in this situation, I concentrate however on the process before and until the decision of a potential foster home placement. Based on the study's purpose, I used a qualitative approach in the form of semi-structured interviews, to gain a deeper understanding of the interviewees' personal experiences. I have interviewed three social workers that work with children and youth investigations in Skåne. The results and analysis describes the interviewees' own experiences of what rule of law means to them in relation to their duties. The results showed that knowledge of the laws that form the basis for investigation and decision is an important component in order to perform a proper safe work.

<p>Syftet med vår studie var att få en inblick i hur familjehemsföräldrar ser på sitt uppdrag utifrån följande frågeställningar:</p><ul><li>Vilka motiv och förväntningar finns till att vilja bli familjehem?</li><li>Hur har uppdraget som familjehem påverkat relationerna i familjen?</li><li>Har familjehemmen avlastning eller behov av det?</li><li>Vilken syn har familjehemmen på handledning?</li><li>Hur resonerar familjehemmen kring den ekonomiska ersättningen?</li></ul><p>Studien genomfördes med utgångspunkt i kvalitativa intervjuer, där vi tillsammans intervjuade 9 olika familjehem knutna till Kristianstads kommun. I 7 av intervjuerna medverkade båda familjehemsföräldrarna, i 2 intervjuer medverkade den ena familjehemsföräldern; sammanlagt 16 respondenter.</p><p>Intervjuerna transkriberades, analyserades och presenterades sedan på två olika sätt. Utifrån meningskategorisering presenterades resultatet dels i idealtyper samt tematiskt utifrån citat.</p><p>Familjehemsföräldrarna i vår studie har en samsyn som par i hur de ser på sitt uppdrag, och att de arbetar väl tillsammans. I vår studie fann vi 5 olika idealtyper, som illustrerar hur de ser på olika frågor. Många av familjehemmen ansåg att uppdraget som familjehem hade blivit ett sätt att leva, en livsstil. Det fanns även familjehem som såg uppdraget som en profession, där de placerade barnen samtidigt var en del i familjen. Familjehemmen i vår studie hade åtagit sig uppdraget som familjehem med anledning av personlig erfarenhet och kontakt med andra familjehem i sin närhet. Familjehemmen var överens om att behovet av handledning var störst i början av ett uppdrag. Synen på avlastning skilde sig åt mellan familjehemmen. Familjehemmen såg det som en självklarhet att få ekonomisk ersättning för sitt uppdrag.</p> / <p>The purpose of our study was to investigate how foster-parents regard their task based on the following:</p><ul><li>Which motives and expectations do foster-parents have to become a foster-home?</li><li>How does the task as foster-home influence the relations of the family?</li><li>Do the foster-homes have any need of alleviance from their task? </li><li>Do the foster-homes have any need of guidance in their task?</li><li>How do foster-parents think regarding the financial part of their task?</li></ul><p>The study was carried out from the basis of qualitative interviews, in which we together interviewed 9 different foster-homes connected to the council of Kristianstad. In 7 of the interviews, both foster-parents participated, in 2 interviews one of the foster-parents participated; in total 16 responders. The interviews were transcribed, analysed and thereafter presented in two different ways. From coding categories, the result was presented both in idealtypes and thematically from quotes.</p><p>The foster-parents in our study appear to have a common view as couples in how they regard their task, and that they work well together. In our study we found 5 different idealtypes, who illustrate how they regard various issues. The foster-homes felt that their task had become a way of living, a life style. There were also foster-homes that viewed their task as a profession, where the placed children at the same time were a part of the family.</p><p>The foster-homes in our study had taken on the task as foster-home because of personal experiences and contact with other foster-homes in their vicinity. Regarding their view of guidance, the foster-parents agreed that they were in need of guidance mostly in the beginning of a task. The opinions are somewhat varied among foster-parents, regarding alliviance. The foster-parents think that the financial part of their task comes natural.</p>

Syftet med vår studie var att få en inblick i hur familjehemsföräldrar ser på sitt uppdrag utifrån följande frågeställningar: Vilka motiv och förväntningar finns till att vilja bli familjehem? Hur har uppdraget som familjehem påverkat relationerna i familjen? Har familjehemmen avlastning eller behov av det? Vilken syn har familjehemmen på handledning? Hur resonerar familjehemmen kring den ekonomiska ersättningen? Studien genomfördes med utgångspunkt i kvalitativa intervjuer, där vi tillsammans intervjuade 9 olika familjehem knutna till Kristianstads kommun. I 7 av intervjuerna medverkade båda familjehemsföräldrarna, i 2 intervjuer medverkade den ena familjehemsföräldern; sammanlagt 16 respondenter. Intervjuerna transkriberades, analyserades och presenterades sedan på två olika sätt. Utifrån meningskategorisering presenterades resultatet dels i idealtyper samt tematiskt utifrån citat. Familjehemsföräldrarna i vår studie har en samsyn som par i hur de ser på sitt uppdrag, och att de arbetar väl tillsammans. I vår studie fann vi 5 olika idealtyper, som illustrerar hur de ser på olika frågor. Många av familjehemmen ansåg att uppdraget som familjehem hade blivit ett sätt att leva, en livsstil. Det fanns även familjehem som såg uppdraget som en profession, där de placerade barnen samtidigt var en del i familjen. Familjehemmen i vår studie hade åtagit sig uppdraget som familjehem med anledning av personlig erfarenhet och kontakt med andra familjehem i sin närhet. Familjehemmen var överens om att behovet av handledning var störst i början av ett uppdrag. Synen på avlastning skilde sig åt mellan familjehemmen. Familjehemmen såg det som en självklarhet att få ekonomisk ersättning för sitt uppdrag. / The purpose of our study was to investigate how foster-parents regard their task based on the following: Which motives and expectations do foster-parents have to become a foster-home? How does the task as foster-home influence the relations of the family? Do the foster-homes have any need of alleviance from their task? Do the foster-homes have any need of guidance in their task? How do foster-parents think regarding the financial part of their task? The study was carried out from the basis of qualitative interviews, in which we together interviewed 9 different foster-homes connected to the council of Kristianstad. In 7 of the interviews, both foster-parents participated, in 2 interviews one of the foster-parents participated; in total 16 responders. The interviews were transcribed, analysed and thereafter presented in two different ways. From coding categories, the result was presented both in idealtypes and thematically from quotes. The foster-parents in our study appear to have a common view as couples in how they regard their task, and that they work well together. In our study we found 5 different idealtypes, who illustrate how they regard various issues. The foster-homes felt that their task had become a way of living, a life style. There were also foster-homes that viewed their task as a profession, where the placed children at the same time were a part of the family. The foster-homes in our study had taken on the task as foster-home because of personal experiences and contact with other foster-homes in their vicinity. Regarding their view of guidance, the foster-parents agreed that they were in need of guidance mostly in the beginning of a task. The opinions are somewhat varied among foster-parents, regarding alliviance. The foster-parents think that the financial part of their task comes natural.

The purpose of this essay is to investigate and analyze how specifically appointed social workers – barnsekreterare work within the foster care with foster placed children and their network and how specifically appointed social workers specifically work with the best interest of the child in their daily work and in relation to attachment theory within foster placement for children and how they prioritize the attachment between children, foster parents and biological parents throughout foster placements. For this essay there will be documented research of the topic and earlier studies, together with the theory done on attachments theory. This essay will also include the point of view of the best interests of the child throughout the text.  Three semi-structured interviews are going to be held with three different specifically appointed social workers within one big city in Sweden. Sixteen open questions are going to be asked which are divided in between the work social workers do with biological parents versus foster parents. The result will then be documented, consisting of quotes from the social workers, a summary of their answers. With the documentation, an analysis will continuously be made with the purpose of finding similarities and differences between the earlier studies made and the answers of each social worker.  From the gathered information and the analysis of the empirical material the conclusion was made that the specifically appointed social workers work very thoroughly with upholding the law stated rights of every individual within the child’s network, but due to the variety of errands and cases it is a constant moral dilemma for most social workers. The importance of the attachment however is something that is never forgotten but modified to best suit the child’s needs within the foster home.

In research, the transition from foster care to adult life has been pointed out as a significant and problematic period in young people´s lives. However, we know less about how this transition is handled professionally. Through qualitative interviews, this study examines social worker´s views and experiences of this transition process. The research questions focus on what needs social workers see in young people´s transition, how they describe their own work, and what strategies and tools that may promote the transition. The results are analyzed using the following theoretical concepts – discretion, emotional support, informative support,instrumental support and evaluative support. The study shows that young people need long-term relationships, certain practical skills and each type of support. Work with the transition is based on these needs. Here, social workers have an exploratory and coordination role thatconsists of many tasks. While they describe some specific strategies and tools, the results show that there are difficulties within this work. The roles of foster carers and social workers in young people´s transition to adulthood are discussed.

In the experience of being a play therapist and social worker, the researcher became aware of the breakdown of adolescent foster placements. Although there are many causal factors of adolescent foster care breakdown, it was the treatment and sustaining of these placements that the researcher was interested in. The utilization of dyadic brief Gestalt play therapy aims to support the relationship between the carer and adolescent in order to sustain and stabilize the foster placement. The empirical study includes data collection and analysis. The data was gathered through observations and field notes from unstructured interviews, in this case the dyadic therapeutic process with the adolescent and carer. The data was then analyzed, and eleven outcomes were discussed: the building of a therapeutic relationship, the process of dialogue, the gaining of awareness, contact, resistance, the internal working model, polarities, working in the here and now, the utilization of Gestalt experiments and Gestalt play therapeutic techniques. In addition, the implications of the brief Gestalt therapeutic model were identified. These themes are discussed fully in the final chapter encompassing conclusions and recommendations.This study found that it was possible to work effectively with the adolescent and carer in a dyadic brief Gestalt therapeutic way utilizing play therapy techniques. Recommendations regarding the conclusions were made in relation to the outcomes of this study. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Play therapy)

In the experience of being a play therapist and social worker, the researcher became aware of the breakdown of adolescent foster placements. Although there are many causal factors of adolescent foster care breakdown, it was the treatment and sustaining of these placements that the researcher was interested in. The utilization of dyadic brief Gestalt play therapy aims to support the relationship between the carer and adolescent in order to sustain and stabilize the foster placement. The empirical study includes data collection and analysis. The data was gathered through observations and field notes from unstructured interviews, in this case the dyadic therapeutic process with the adolescent and carer. The data was then analyzed, and eleven outcomes were discussed: the building of a therapeutic relationship, the process of dialogue, the gaining of awareness, contact, resistance, the internal working model, polarities, working in the here and now, the utilization of Gestalt experiments and Gestalt play therapeutic techniques. In addition, the implications of the brief Gestalt therapeutic model were identified. These themes are discussed fully in the final chapter encompassing conclusions and recommendations.This study found that it was possible to work effectively with the adolescent and carer in a dyadic brief Gestalt therapeutic way utilizing play therapy techniques. Recommendations regarding the conclusions were made in relation to the outcomes of this study. / Social Work / M.Diac. (Play therapy)