Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Foster Care'
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1
De, Lona Martin Timothy. "Professionalising foster care." Thesis, University of Portsmouth, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.429779.
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Irizarry-Fonseca, Lesley Odette. "Foster care parents' perceptions of their foster care youth's self-efficacy beliefs." Diss., University of Iowa, 2011. https://ir.uiowa.edu/etd/2718.
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Every year, thousands of children end in foster care. It is estimated that approximately 24,000 foster youths age-out of the system each year. The improvement of outcomes of foster youths when they age-out of the system has been a concern among government agencies, policy makers, and advocates. Although research in the foster care area has studied the outcomes of foster youths when they age-out of the system, the role of the foster parents in improving these outcomes, especially in the area of career development, has not received the same attention. The purpose of this study was to explore the perception of foster parents of youths with and without disabilities about their foster youth's career self-efficacy beliefs. A total of 157 foster parents registered in the Iowa Foster and Adoptive Parents Association (IFAPA) and Nebraska Foster and Adoptive Parent Association (NFAPA) email databases responded to an online survey. The survey included a demographic questionnaire which presented questions about the extent of their role as foster parents and the Career Decision Making Self-Efficacy Scale - Short Form (CDMSE-SF) that measured the foster parents' perception of the career self-efficacy of their foster youth.
After conducting a MANOVA and ANOVA analyses, a highly perceived self-efficacy belief was found among the foster parents in general. However, when the group of foster parents who reported having a youth with disability and those who do not have a youth with disability were compared, the perceived career self-efficacy beliefs were higher among the foster parents of youths without disabilities. Additionally, the foster parents identified services and/or training they understand are important for them and the foster youth such as more orientation about disabilities, the parent's role in Individual Educational Plan (IPE) meetings, and the opportunity for the foster youth of having employment experience before they leave the foster care system. Considering the important role of the family in the career development of youths and the development of expectations, these findings are important not only to the rehabilitation counseling professionals, but to many individuals in the helping professions, educators, researchers, and policy makers.
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Cooper, Anna Katherine. "Foster carers' perceptions of planned respite care and the perceived psychosocial effects for foster children." Thesis, University of Canterbury. School of Health Sciences, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10092/9602.
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A qualitative study was carried out to explore foster carers’ perceptions of respite care and their perceptions of the psychosocial effects of this service for the children in their care. In order to achieve this aim an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach was utilised for data collection and analysis. This yielded six themes: carers’ perceptions being influenced by variants of the respite care environment, respite care being beneficial and necessary, concerns about agency provision of respite, factors carers attribute as contributing to its psychosocial effects on foster children, the observed psychosocial effects on foster children, and ways respite care could be improved. An additional finding was also reported, as foster carers’ views of fostering and their foster children appeared to be a modifying variable influencing carers’ perceptions of respite care. These findings illustrated that there are differential effects of respite for carers compared with foster children in some cases, resulting in a tension between meeting carers’ needs and the needs of the children in their care. Comparisons and corroboration of findings from existing literature is included in the discussion as well as the implications of these findings and future research directions.
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Little, Brittany. "Supporting LGBTQ youth in the foster care system| A grant proposal to develop a curriculum for foster care parents and foster care workers." Thesis, California State University, Long Beach, 2014. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=1527724.
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The purpose ofthis grant proposal is to fund the development of a curriculum to support the needs and strengths of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer/ questioning (LGBTQ) foster youth, identify a host agency and select a potential funding source. The proposal ultimately targets a host organization that can foster the development of the curriculum and effectively reach the secondary population which includes the foster care agencies. These agencies will ultimately train the foster care workers, foster care parents and other applicable stakeholders. A literature review details the history of LGBTQ youth in foster care, their risks and current interventions to support this population. A number of potential funding sources are identified, with the David Bohnette Foundation selected to approach. The proposal includes a needs assessment, implementation method, staffing, evaluation and budget narrative.
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Brofferio, Aja. "Reforming Foster Care in California." Scholarship @ Claremont, 2014. http://scholarship.claremont.edu/cmc_theses/863.
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The foster care system is responsible for taking care of society’s most vulnerable children and it is important that the system can be reformed as needed to meet the needs of these children. Institutional reform litigation is an ineffective method of improving the child welfare system and should no longer be relied upon. Although widely used institutional reform litigation is not efficient or effective in improving the foster care system. Litigation is unsuccessful in achieving reform because it does not embrace collaboration, cooperation, or communication but instead fosters a hostile environment in which the agencies under court mandate are expected to enact change. In 2006, two new organizations were established in California, the California Blue Ribbon Commission on Children in Foster Care and the California Child Welfare Council. Both of these organizations created recommendations for improving foster care. Unlike institutional reform litigation, these two organizations worked collaboratively with various agencies and government branches in order to come up with recommendations that were feasible. These two organizations provide a method of reform that is less myopic and more supportive, allowing for meaningful improvements within California’s foster care system.
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Mitchell, Nathaniel. "Perceptions of Failed Foster Care." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/6246.
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The purpose of this action research study was to investigate social workers' perceptions of the problems that prevent successful family reunifications after foster care. The study explored social workers' perceptions of barriers that prevent family reunifications in central Mississippi. Using Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory as the framework, the research question explored the problem from multiple levels of practice including family, individual, institutional, and community. The focus group approach aligned with the project goal by allowing participants opportunities to share experiences and perspectives regarding family reunifications. The study used a purposive sample of 10 participants who were practicing licensed social workers or certified mental health professionals in central Mississippi. Focus group responses were transcribed and coded by defining categories, assigning labels, and classifying relevant information using the comparative method. The key results of the study included that family reunification was impeded by the lack of training of child welfare social workers and limited resources to address psychosocial issues. The recommendations of the study included improving practice by engaging in mental health screening for foster children and families, promoting current knowledge and interventions by addressing psychosocial issues, and participating in program evaluation by targeting and strengthening policies. The impact of this study for positive social change includes understanding critical issues of family reunification after foster care stemming from lack of resources, unstable placements, and mental health issues.
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Lopez, Linda Ann. "Foster Care Workers' Roles in Developing Resiliency in Foster Children." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7403.
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Maltreated children are at risk for placement disruption, mental health and substance issues, delinquent behaviors, and poverty issues. When children in foster care experience these risks, they decrease the likelihood of leaving foster care successfully. Resiliency is a critical component in increasing positive outcomes for foster children despite these risk factors. The purpose of this action research was to understand the role foster care workers have in developing resiliency in foster children. The theory of attachment and resiliency provided the conceptual framework for the study. Two focus groups were used to collect data from 5 foster care social workers in southern Louisiana. Data were analyzed using thematic coding. Findings from the study showed 6 key themes: adapting and coping, safety needs, protective factors, behavior issues, preparing placement, and resources. The implications of these findings for social change include providing support for the importance of resiliency in the foster care system and increasing positive foster care experiences that lead to positive outcomes for those transitioning out of foster care.
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Carriere-Laboucane, Jeannine. ""Kinship care: A community alternative to foster care"." School of Native Human Services, 1997. http://142.51.24.159/dspace/handle/10219/470.
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I realized the importance of kinship connection and family preservation the first time I met one of my birth family members at age twelve. As an adopted child, I often felt I was living in a borrowed state of being. In someone else's family, borrowing someone else's name and culture. Meeting my birth family and recognizing my connection to the Metis community gave me a sense of belonging for the first time in my life.
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Time, Lumka. "The effect of foster care placement on children and foster families." Thesis, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, 2014. http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021151.
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Clearly very little is known about the dynamics within foster families and the effects of fostering on children. The intention of this study was to understand what happens in the lives of children during their period of placement in foster homes and it affected them and to explore and describe the experiences of the foster parent. It was learned that there is often a breakdown in the relationship between foster parents and the children they foster, particularly with regards to the gaining of trust, the socio economic status of the foster parents also played a part in the success of the placement. This research has found that substance abuse on the part of the children was prevalent leading to great tension within the households.
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Hemmings, Laura Toni. "Adolescents in foster care : exploring their involvement in foster placement success." Thesis, University of Birmingham, 2011. http://etheses.bham.ac.uk//id/eprint/1743/.
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Young people in foster care are at an increased risk of placement breakdown (Selwyn & Quinton, 2004; Ward & Skuse, 2001), which can have a significant effect on their psychological well-being (Oosterman, Schuengel, Wim Slot, Bullens, & Doreleijers, 2007). Research within this area has focused upon what causes placement breakdown to the detriment of identifying factors that may contribute to promoting placement success. This study uses a positive psychology approach to explore the variables that predict placement success for young people aged 12 to 18 growing up in foster care. Fifty-one young people consented to take part. The research focused specifically on their attachment relationship with foster carers and peers, their level of resilience, self-esteem and pro-social behaviours. Placement success was measured by achievement of health and well-being targets set out by the Every Child Matters outcome framework. A correlation analysis found that a significant positive relationship between a young person’s self-esteem and placement success. Relationships between other variables were observed and reported. Limitations of the study are discussed, together with recommendations for future research and clinical practice within the Looked After Child field.
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Copenhaguen, Mario David. "Impact of foster care on Hispanic/Latino foster mothers' marital relationship." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2003. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2283.
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Scott, Wendy. "An exploratory descriptive study of foster care and non-foster care adolescents' perceptions on self-esteem." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 2002. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/2044.
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This study examines perceptions on self-esteem of adolescents in foster care and non-foster care adolescents. The study was based on the premise that there is a statistical significant relationship between the perceptions on self-esteem of adolescents in foster care and non-foster care adolescents.
A case study analysis approach was used to analyze the data gathered using the SPSS program. Descriptive analysis and frequencies are presented as percentages, frequency distribution, the Mean, the Standard Deviation, Chi-square test, and the T-test was used with a p-value of .05 to determine significant relationships between variables.
The researcher found that the hypothesis was accepted and that there is a statistical significant relationship between the perceptions on self-esteem of adolescents in foster care and non-foster care adolescents.
The conclusions drawn from the findings suggest that there is a need for more research that will contribute to elevate the awareness for services needed among this population.
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Song, Minkyoung. "Termination of parental rights and adoption in foster care a foster care decision on child maltreatment." Saarbrücken VDM Verlag Dr. Müller, 2007. http://d-nb.info/985771186/04.
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Oldfield, Georgina F. "The adequacy of foster care allowances." Thesis, University of York, 1994. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.241079.
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Updike, Meghan. "Health Care for Hawaiian Foster Children." Diss., The University of Arizona, 2012. http://hdl.handle.net/10150/265365.
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Foster children represent a vulnerable pediatric population with complex health needs including both acute and chronic conditions that require comprehensive health care management. However, years of research has continually demonstrated a poor provision of health care services to this at risk population including gaps in preventative care and poor follow-up with specialty services. Current literature reveals that the health care management for foster children continues to be fragmented and subpar. Several health care delivery models, standards of care, and interventions have been recommended in an effort to improve the outcomes among foster children. However the perspective of foster parents, key caregivers, has been missing in current evidence. This investigation serves as a descriptive study utilizing grounded theory methodology to explore health care management from the Hawaii foster parent's perspective. The purpose of the investigation was two-fold: 1) to describe foster parents' experience obtaining health care for their foster children and 2) to elicit foster parents' opinions about whether or not a health education program designed for foster parents would be helpful. After completing seven individual interviews, which were analyzed using constant comparative analysis, 19 categories were developed describing the foster parent experience related to policy and services, social environment, physical environment, biology, and behavior. The concept of a medical home model was identified as unfeasible for Hawaii foster families, and large variations in health education preparation among foster parents was observed while a significant interest in further education on health-related topics was identified as a necessity. Implications for practice and recommendations for further research were also generated.
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Morris, Ashley L., Andrew Battista, Dilshod Achilov, and Rebecca L. Keeler. "Influences on Foster Care Reentry Rate." Digital Commons @ East Tennessee State University, 2014. https://dc.etsu.edu/honors/227.
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Influences on Foster Care Reentry Rate looked at demographic and socioeconomic characteristics in each state within the United States. Those characteristics were then studied to see how they related to foster care reentry rates. Then, a case study analysis was conducted on three states, Minnesota, North Carolina, and Tennessee, because of their similarity in demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and divergence in foster care reentry rates. The case analysis was an in depth pursuit of differences in each of the state's policies that may be a driving force of higher reentry rates.
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Kritzberger, Karen, and Dawn Peria. "Attachment of children in foster care." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1994. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/973.
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Englebert, Nicole. "Predictors of Post Foster Care Functioning: Assessing Emotional Intelligence in Foster Alumni." NSUWorks, 2014. http://nsuworks.nova.edu/cps_stuetd/93.
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This study examined factors predictive of post foster care outcomes, with a particular focus on Emotional Intelligence (EI). EI was conceptualized using Bar-On's mixed model approach. Central study questions examined whether EI offered incremental prediction of several meaningful outcomes, over and above other contextual and individual variables. Outcomes included educational attainment, income level, various domains of Quality of Life (QOL), and mental health functioning. Twenty one foster alumni participated in the study. Correlational and hierarchical regression analyses were performed. Predictor variables were organized into four blocks and entered using a hierarchical method in the following order: contextual foster care factors, transitional factors, general intelligence (IQ) and EI. Given the small sample size, relevant effect size estimates were used to interpret effects. Results of correlational analyses indicated that EI was meaningfully positively correlated with post-care educational attainment, income, personal growth, marital and extramarital relations, job characteristics and IQ. EI was inversely correlated with depression and anxiety. The results of hierarchical regression analyses indicated that EI was the most robust predictor of post foster care outcomes: including annual income, educational attainment, personal growth, job characteristics, extra-marital, marital and extended family relations, depression and anxiety over and above contextual foster care factors, transitional factors, and IQ. Given the study's small sample size, results are regarded as tentative and in need of subsequent replication. Despite relevant limitation, EI is considered an important construct worthy of further study in the foster care population.
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Boyd, Odette. "Medication Adherence for Foster Children from the Perspective of Foster Care Providers." ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/7122.
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In 2015, over 427,000 children were in foster care and the largest population were in California's system. Of those children, more than 9,400 were prescribed psychotropic medications. Increases of psychotropic medication use have led to investigations and findings of medication oversights in foster care. Medication oversights included medication nonadherence, which was linked to an increase of problematic behaviors in foster children. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to explore the issues of medication adherence for foster care providers who care for foster children of mild to chronic health concerns who were prescribed medications and experienced multiple placements. By utilizing the health belief model as a guide to formulate the research question and interview questions, an understanding of how the beliefs, attitudes, and behaviors of foster care providers were impacting proper medication adherence behaviors began to manifest. Data gathered through semistructured interviews of foster care providers were analyzed to code and identify themes. The results of this phenomenological study revealed the perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes of foster care providers related to medication adherence behaviors. Multiple barriers to medication adherence for foster children included systemic interferences, limited health information, limited knowledge regarding medications and medication side effects, and child refusal. These findings may be used to create educational trainings, inform policymakers, and develop regulations for medication use in foster care, which could bring about positive change by increasing the potential for better health outcomes for foster children.
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Diaz, Rodrigo. "The Experience of Foster Parents: What Keeps Foster Parents Motivated to Foster Long Term?" Antioch University / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=antioch1503013699534605.
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Abelson, Jolene. "Examining independent living skills in foster care youth." Online version, 2009. http://www.uwstout.edu/lib/thesis/2009/2009abelsonj.pdf.
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Miller, Roselynn E. "The Least of these a church-based curriculum designed to promote awareness, education and recruitment for foster care families /." Theological Research Exchange Network (TREN) Access this title online, 2005. http://www.tren.com.
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Harris, Emily. "Forming attachments in adoption and foster care." Thesis, University of Warwick, 2016. http://wrap.warwick.ac.uk/88059/.
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Developing trust and security with a new primary caregiver may be particularly difficult for children who have experienced trauma, separation and loss within their birth families and through the care system. However, the development of a secure attachment can protect against future psychosocial and emotional difficulties, prevalent in fostered and adopted children. It is important to better understand the influences upon, and experiences of, attachment relationships that develop within this context, in order to inform policy and practice in promoting attachment security within new families. Chapter one is a systematic review of the literature exploring the links between maternal sensitivity, mind-mindedness and attachment security in children who are adopted and fostered. Twelve studies were included in the review following database and manual searches. In line with studies in birth families, maternal sensitivity was shown to have a partial influence on attachment security. Stronger relationships were found in foster care and longitudinal adoption studies. The impact of mind-mindedness may be related to the developmental stage of the child. Methodological limitations are suggested to have limited the strength of findings, and are considered in addition to future research, policy and practice implications. Chapter two is an in-depth exploration of the lived experiences of seven mothers who adopted an older child, aged four to seven. The study focuses upon the experience within the first years after placement of developing mother-child relationships, using an Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis approach. Three overarching themes emerged from the data. These pertained to the sense of fragility experienced within relationships as a consequence of children_ïs rejection and challenging behaviours; mothers_ï commitment to their children; and the process of acceptance. Implications for future research, clinical practice and policy are discussed with particular regard to the need for increased support and training. Chapter three is a reflective account of experience during the research process. The reflexive process is explored, and parallels are drawn between the researcher and the participant ïs experience, and issues of reflexivity as a researcher and clinician. Attention is given to the process of developing acceptance across the journey of research.
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Munly, Kelly A. "Understanding Adult Foster Care Through Provider Experiences." Diss., Virginia Tech, 2015. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/73578.
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In this study, I explored Adult Foster Care (AFC) provider experiences. AFC is a small-setting option for community-based long-term care. This option varies considerably in accessibility and structure across states; due to the nature of the state's approach to AFC, this initial research effort focused on AFC provider experiences in North Carolina. As of 2013, there were 632 AFC facilities in North Carolina (NC DHHS, 2013). AFC homes in North Carolina are licensed by the state and allow service for 2-6 residents per home (Mollica et al., 2009). The approach to research was informed by literature on AFC, the disabilities context of AFC, and Child Foster Care (CFC). The theoretical framework guiding the study included theories of care and relational reciprocity; power, difference, and hierarchy; and intersectionality. I conducted semi-structured, guided interviews with 26 providers. As a context for grounded theory data analysis, I also relied on reflexive material stemming from my positionality as a care worker. Emergent codes related to issues of the providers' motivation for beginning work as an AFC provider; providers' personal and professional roles; perspectives on giving residents a choice; balancing "family" with business; reciprocity and how residents express their affection and care to providers; providers' values; and dialectics of power and care. Findings shed light on implications for state and organizational responsibility to the AFC system, and practice context for provider-resident relationships.Ph. D.
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Bozin, Marie A. "Delinquency, Foster Care Placement, Attachment, and Race." University of Akron / OhioLINK, 2008. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=akron1208802867.
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Preston, Randall. "Educating Youth in Foster Care: Educators’ Perspectives." ScholarWorks @ UVM, 2010. http://scholarworks.uvm.edu/graddis/186.
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This dissertation explores the education of foster care children through the perspectives of classroom teachers. Numerous studies have found that foster youth experience depressed educational outcomes relative to their peers. A meta-analysis of such studies reported depressed educational outcomes in terms of standardized test scores, grade averages, retention rates, and suspension and expulsion rates (Scherr, 2007). Foster care is most often associated with maltreatment, which in turn has been linked to depressed educational outcomes (Runyan, 1985) and to insecure attachment (Howe, 1999). Attachment theory, which emphasizes the impact of relationships in early childhood on future relationships, informed this study. Purposeful sampling was used to identify classroom teachers in a rural Vermont high school that serves a large number of foster youth relative to its size. Participants were selected based on their high degree of experience with and perceived success in supporting students in foster care. In interviews, teachers were asked to describe distinguishing characteristics of foster youth as well as their relationships with peers and adults while at school. Teachers described several characteristics of foster youth, including the perceived impact of trauma on foster youth‟s ability to attend to school and school related tasks. Teachers also characterized intense relationships between foster youth and their peers, and between foster youth and adults at school. Participants also identified several strategies they believed to be effective in supporting this population, each of which emphasized the development of caring relationships between teachers and foster youth. Teachers shared concerns about the impact of frequent placement changes on the educational experiences of foster youth. Interviewees also noted that their support of foster youth was hampered by insufficient information about changes in students‟ status. Intersections between the characteristics of foster youth and selected literature on attachment theory and traumatic stress are explored in the interpretation of the findings. Finally, this study utilizes a feminist ethic of care to contextualize relationships between foster youth in schools and effective teacher strategies.
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Espinoza, Rosalba, and Sarah Lopez Ramirez. "The attachment of children in foster care." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2002. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2115.
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The purpose of the study was to examine the association between foster care children and the behaviors they exhibit particularly in attachment outcomes. The study was also an informative tool that addressed the impact of children with attachment issues currently in the foster care system. Examining the relationship between the two variables may be able to help parents and their children, by providing future resources necessary to both parties in case separation and loss occurs.
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Andrade, Laura, and Daniela A. Salinas. "Extended Foster Care: The General Population's Perspective." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2015. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/182.
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The following is a quantitative study, with a convenience sample of 117 adults, ranging in age from 18-73, to gather information about the public’s perspective towards extended foster care (EFC) and emerging adulthood. Topics varied from when foster youth should emancipate to when emerging adult children should move out of their parents’ homes. There is very little literature regarding the topic of EFC, which could impact the sustainability of this program as its objective is to help emerging adults transition more successfully into adulthood and out of the child welfare system. An online survey was created through Qualtrics with 25 questions. The link to the survey was distributed through text message and the social media website, Facebook. The results showed that the participants appear to believe that foster youth should stop receiving services at the age of 18 and emancipate out of care at the age of 21while also suggesting that emerging adults, not in foster care, should be self-sufficient and moved out of their parents’ home by the age of 23. These views could be due to the lack of awareness of the general population regarding the reality of the impact abuse, neglect, and life in the child welfare system can have on a developing child. Furthermore, the implication for the future of EFC is that foster youth may need continued assistance until the age of 23, perhaps in the form of housing vouchers as opposed to financial assistance.
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Arteaga, Elisa. "Permanency Planning for Youth in Foster Care." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/692.
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Despite the efforts to shorten the time youth spend in foster care, every year about 37, 362 youths emancipate from the foster care system without reaching permanency. Permanency for foster youth has not received adequate attention from the child welfare community due to the belief that youths are unadoptable. Using a qualitative approach, this study will explore the social workers’ perceptions related to permanency planning for youth with behavior problems and/or juvenile involvement in foster care and analyze the influence of the social workers’ perception on permanency planning for these youths.
This research study found that social workers considered the mental health of youths as most important in considering placement and permanency options. They believe that reunifying the youths with their families of origin was the optimal permanency outcome. However, when this option was not available, they felt that placing the youths with extended family members or family friends under legal guardianship was a good permanency outcome. This study also found that most of the participants limited the youths’ permanency options to only those known family members or friends already named by the parents; they did not consider reinstating reunification services to the parents, reaching out to incarcerated parents, searching for maternal and paternal extended family, or searching for lost siblings. Implications for social work research and practice are discussed.
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Lee-Jones, Lora. "Foster care and social work services from the perspective of the foster child." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/3825.
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Valdez, Karla. "FOSTER PARENT SATISFACTION WITH THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM AND THEIR INTENTIONS TO DECERTIFICATION." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2019. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/813.
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Foster home placement has been gradually decreasing and this study focused on foster parents’ support system and the reasons leading to decertification. Specifically, this study aimed to find out how foster parents felt about the foster agency and other child protective services agencies. This study targeted the foster care system within an agency located in Riverside, California.
The research method used in the study was post positivism, which was a paradigm that allowed flexibility within the study, using qualitative data-gathering methods such as face-to-face interviews in the foster homes. Nine foster parents participated in the study. The results of the study showed that foster parents in the study were satisfied with the agency, but wanted more praise from the social workers and agency. The study also found that the majority of the participants had difficulties with county social workers and therapists. A recommendation for the agency is to bridge the communication gap among other child protective services agencies, agency social workers, and foster parents and continuously put forth efforts to inform the foster parents of foster care changes. Another recommendation is that the agency hold foster parent appreciation events to demonstrate to the foster parents how much they are valued and appreciated.
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Simula, Kelebogile. "Developing an evidence-based foster mother screening tool for cluster foster care in the Western Cape, South Africa." Master's thesis, University of Cape Town, 2016. http://hdl.handle.net/11427/23712.
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Within the formal child welfare system in South Africa, foster care is considered the preferred form of alternative care for children removed from their biological families and who are unavailable for adoption. This reflects the belief that the family is ideal environment best suited for optimal child survival and development. Although many South African children have benefitted from court-ordered foster care in the last two decades, however ineffective screening, training and preparation of foster carers have posed challenges to meeting the needs of children in need of alternative care. Utilizing general systems and attachment theories, the purpose of this study was to explore perceptions about developing an evidence-based tool for the screening of eligible foster mothers of children in cluster-foster care in South Africa. The study employed a qualitative research approach to data collection and analysis. A semistructured interview schedule was used to explore the perspectives of 12 social workers and four foster mothers about context-specific criteria for screening foster mothers within the clusterfoster care system in South Africa. Results indicate that a reliable and valid tool for screening eligible mothers in cluster foster care settings in South Africa should include a standardized assessment of parenting skills and psychological wellbeing of potential foster mothers in addition to the normative sociodemographic background assessments. Emotional and financial support were also shown to be crucial in ensuring the retention of foster mothers within the context of high attrition rates of foster parents in South Africa. The findings of this study underscore the importance of using an evidence-based screening tool to recruit potential foster mothers in South Africa and the need to assess the psychosocial wellbeing of potential foster mothers in addition to background checks.
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Peck, Irja Carol. "Elementary school teachers' perceptions of the foster care system and the children in its care : a project based upon an independent investigation /." View online, 2008. http://hdl.handle.net/10090/5920.
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Hankins, Jamila T. "A study of the impact foster care policies have on permanency outcomes for children in Georgia's private foster care." DigitalCommons@Robert W. Woodruff Library, Atlanta University Center, 2012. http://digitalcommons.auctr.edu/dissertations/636.
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Permanency for children in care is defined as having a lasting family relationship that is safe and meant to last a lifetime. Child advocates recognize that permanency should be the goal for all children in foster care, but this belief was not actualized for many children who entered and remained in the system until adulthood. This study explored the impact of foster care policies on permanency outcomes for children in one private foster care agency in Georgia, Neighbor To Family. A Mixed Methods Triangulation Design, inclusive of both qualitative and quantitative measures was used to carry out the study. The research questions addressed include the following: Is there a statistically significant relationship between permanency rates of Group 1 and Group 2 and is there a statistically significant relationship between the length of stay rates of Group 1 and Group 2? The chi-square test of association was used to examine the association between permanency outcomes in Groups 1 and 2 and length of stay rates in Groups 1 and 2. The results did not yield a statically significant relationship between thlength of stay and permanency variables. However, further statistical testing of permanency and age variables within Group 1 resulted in a significant relationship at the p
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Manthosi, Frans Lesetja. "Kinship foster care – perceptions and experiences of grandparents regarding fostering their teenage offspring." University of the Western Cape, 2020. http://hdl.handle.net/11394/7977.
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Magister Artium (Child and Family Studies) - MA(CFS)Kinship foster care in South Africa, whereby orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC) are being cared for by their biological relatives, is increasing. The significant increase in kinship foster care has a strong correlation to the high rates of HIV/AIDS-related deaths, resulting in a high prevalence of children who are vulnerable and orphaned. Social workers are mandated to seek alternative care placements for such OVC, prioritising kinship care as opposed to foster care with non-biological families. However, such kinship foster care, in which children are likely to be placed in the care of their grandparents, as common practice in South Africa, is not without challenges relating to family dynamics, especially when foster children become teenagers.
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Alatorre, Erika Yolanda, and Angelica Lemus. "Foster caregivers' opinions on the causes of multiple placements among foster children." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2005. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/2915.
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The purpose of the study was to gather data that could help minimize the number of placements that foster children often experience. The results of this study are intended to help California child welfare agencies and other foster care agencies develop additional policies that support the development of stable foster care placements for dependent children.
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Rajan, Singhi. "Factors that guide toward the emancipation of foster care youth." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2007. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/3200.
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The purpose of the study was to examine the guiding factors that help foster youth emancipate successfully. The goal was to examine five areas: housing, education, identifying role models, social skills and effectiveness of Independent Living Program (ILP) services.
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Lepierrot, Pauline. "Silent Voices - Attachment Formation in Twelve Foster-Reared Mothers and Their Children." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5019.
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Adults who were reared in foster care are at greater risk for attachment disturbances than those not raised in foster care, due in part to the negative impact of parental separation. It is important to study the attachment behaviors of foster-reared mothers because large numbers of their children enter foster care. This study was conducted to understand the childhood attachment experiences of foster-reared adults. The research questions addressed the ways in which mothers raised in a foster-care environment perceived and described their experiences of forming relationships as children with their foster mothers, as well as of forming relationships with their own children. This study used a qualitative methodological approach guided by phenomenological inquiry. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 12 participants. Phenomenological analysis was used to code, analyze, and interpret the interview data. Results were organized into 2 major themes: mother-like attributes and intense fear of loss. Additionally, 4 subthemes emerged: unconditional love of the foster mother for her foster child, continued contact with the foster mother, fear of losing the ability to protect a firstborn child, and fear of the permanent loss of custody of a firstborn child. Further, the research findings revealed 3 important lived experiences that were less related to the research questions: affectionless psychopathy, maternal deprivation, and preoccupied or dismissive parenting styles. The social implications of the study include increased awareness of intergenerational patterns related to foster care and of the need for positive change to assist at-risk foster reared parents.
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Lamswood, Sarah Louise. "Foster placement breakdown : what can we learn from foster carers' stories and how successful is Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care." Thesis, University of Hull, 2015. http://hydra.hull.ac.uk/resources/hull:13232.
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This thesis portfolio comprises of three parts: a systematic literature review, an empirical study and a set of appendixes. Part one is a systematic literature review examining a specific type of therapeutic foster care, Multidimensional Treatment Foster Care. An introduction to the challenges children with complex emotional and behavioural difficulties face in the juvenile justice system and in looked after care is outlined; including a rationale for the use of MTFC. This paper provides a critical review of the current literature on MTFC within defined inclusion criteria. The main findings are presented along with recommendations for future research. Part two is an empirical study of foster-carers experiences of placement that has broken down recently. The paper introduces the difficulties facing children and carers as a result of foster placements break down. Due to the lack of research directly conducted with foster-carers a narrative approach was applied to interviews of a placement breakdown with foster carers. The paper reports the analysis of foster carers stories in order to identify potential intervention points which may assist social workers to assist foster carers who feel their placement may be at risk of breaking down. The clinical and research implications are discussed. Part three is a complete set of appendixes of parts one and two. This includes the forms provided to foster-carers by the researcher, analyses, an epistemological statement of the empirical piece and a reflective discussion of the research process.
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Silvestrini, Mary, and Erika Rosa Volz. "Foster parent retention: A study of the Orange County Social Services Foster Care Program." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 1995. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd-project/1063.
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Huizar, Cynthia, and Judy Andrea Lawrence. "FORMER FOSTER YOUTH PERSPECTIVES ON STRENGTHS AND NEEDED SERVICES OF THE FOSTER CARE SYSTEM." CSUSB ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.lib.csusb.edu/etd/651.
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This study examined former foster youth’s perceptions of the skills and services they received while they were in the foster care system. More specifically the efficacy of these services, and what services and skills they believed would have been helpful to assist them in their transition into independent living. A qualitative design was used, and semi-structured face-to-face and telephone interviews were conducted with ten former foster youth who aged out of foster care at age eighteen through twenty-one. Two males and eight females from diverse backgrounds participated in this study. Participants were recruited through availability and snowball sampling at community agencies, college campuses, and the community.
This study found that participants experienced a difficult time transitioning from foster care to independent living, felt unprepared after leaving foster care, needing additional services, and expressed wanting to have received more in depth financial management skills. This study recommends providing additional independent living skills, social support, and participation in the Independent Living Program as part of foster youth’s case plan when preparing to transition out of foster care into independent living.
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Christ, Kaaren R. "Children with problematic sexual behaviour in long term foster care : a review of attachment difficulties within care giving relationships and placement instability." Thesis, McGill University, 2006. http://digitool.Library.McGill.CA:80/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=99560.
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The purpose of this theoretical study was to examine factors associated with the development of attachment relationships for children in long term foster care who Overt demonstrating problematic sexual behaviour. Due to the dearth in available research on this topic, it was necessary to draw from studies in three distinct areas (1) Attachment, (2) Childhood Sexuality, and (3) Placement Stability. In total, the present study examines 13 studies drawn from these three areas, and includes 11 quantitative and 2 mixed method studies.These studies were chosen for their attention to the middle age child in foster care who was demonstrating problematic sexual behaviour. Due to the lack of attachment studies on fostered middle age children, two infant studies were included with the rationale that middle age children and foster parents engage in a similar attachment process and infant studies would provide direction and context for future studies with older children. In the area of childhood sexuality, clinical samples were also included as they contained large numbers of children who had experienced sexual abuse or who had contact with child protection agencies even if they did not reside in foster care.
Studies were examined along dimensions of sample, methods and findings. The results of this inquiry are then discussed, weaving together the three areas of study to answer two research questions: Is there a relationship between problematic childhood sexual behaviour and the development of a successful attachment relationship with a foster parent? And secondly, is there a particular foster parent attachment profile that promotes attachment security with children who are in care?
Studies reviewed support the hypothesis that problematic childhood sexual behaviour presents challenges to foster parents significant enough to seriously impair the development of a secure attachment and that the foster parent's attachment state of mind will be an important factor in success. Results of the analysis of these questions contribute to an emerging hypothesis that the human sexual system may be intricately woven together with the attachment system, making an attachment analysis of problematic sexual behaviour in children particular relevant. A concluding discussion examines clinical issues which may be targets of intervention and the necessity of future research in this area is proposed.
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Lau, Hang-chi Frederick. "Working with parents having children in foster care /." [Hong Kong : University of Hong Kong], 1993. http://sunzi.lib.hku.hk/hkuto/record.jsp?B13744586.
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Gardner, Joey. "Understanding Social Workers' Knowledge of Foster Care Drift." ScholarWorks, 2018. https://scholarworks.waldenu.edu/dissertations/5706.
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Foster care drift is the extended stay in foster care without attaining family reunification or permanency with another placement. When foster care youth experience foster care drift, they face the possibility of aging out of the foster care system. Interventions and policies have been implemented to aid family service workers during the process of permanency planning; however, a great number of foster care youth remain in care. This study explored the perceptions of social work professionals regarding foster care drift regarding issues and challenges that social workers engaged in foster care placement face regarding foster care drift. The ecological system theory provided the foundation for understanding the connection of social workers and the external systems surrounding them. An action research design was used to carry out this study. A focus group with family service workers in the southeastern region of the United States was conducted. Seven participants discussed foster care drift and developed possible solutions. Key findings from the study show 3 main themes: ineffective communication, unproductive parent education classes, and unhelpful allocation of agency funding. Possible solutions to decrease foster care drift include improving communication among workers and other agencies, improving parent education courses to include an independent living skills component, and allocating monetary resources to develop programs specific for foster care youth and their families. The findings of this study might effect social change by supporting a shift in focus of foster care services from out-of-home interventions to preventative services to promote family stability.
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Yang, Dong. "Destination After Entering Foster Care: Road Toward Stability." Digital Archive @ GSU, 2012. http://digitalarchive.gsu.edu/math_theses/120.
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The duration of children stay in a temporary foster care system needs to be minimal in order to ensure a stable and successful life. However, a time-consuming procedure of investigations is usually taken to decide whether they can reunite with their birth parents. Moreover, if the child fails to reunite with their family, another discharge decision needs to be assessed, leading to even longer time without a normal life. Based on the data from Adoption and Foster Care Analysis and Reporting System (AFCARS), this thesis derives a prediction model to discriminate the children with a tendency of unsuccessful reunification from the rest. An alternative discharge option can therefore be prepared concurrently for the foster youth with high non-reunification probability. The model is obtained by logistic regression and evaluated with receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.
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Lau, Hang-chi Frederick, and 劉恆志. "Working with parents having children in foster care." Thesis, The University of Hong Kong (Pokfulam, Hong Kong), 1993. http://hub.hku.hk/bib/B31249462.
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Sellick, Clive. "Towards a mixed economy of foster care provision." Thesis, University of East Anglia, 2006. http://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.436509.
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De, Jager Este. "Foster care of AIDS orphans : social workers' perspectives." Thesis, Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/6500.
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Thesis (M Social Work (Social Work))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The goal of this study is to shed some light on the needs of children orphaned by AIDS as well as on the training and support that their foster parents will need, in order to provide guidelines for equipping foster parents to care for AIDS orphans. The motivation for this study was the rapid spread of HIV/AIDS in the South Africa and the one million South African AIDS orphans left in its wake. Most of these children end up in substitute homes, and many of them in foster care. Researchers agree that AIDS orphans have special needs because of the circumstances surrounding their parents’ death. Foster parents will therefore need to be prepared to meet these needs. It is an internationally documented fact that foster parents have a need for training and support to meet the demands of foster care, and having an AIDS orphan as a foster child will increase, and focus this need. The study was also motivated by the current shortages and challenges in the foster care system in South Africa which makes it difficult for social workers to effectively train and support foster parents, and aims to contribute towards overcoming some of these problems so that foster parents can be properly prepared to see to the well-being of the AIDS orphans in their care. The research was done based on a literature study, which firstly made use of the Ecological Systems Perspective to explore the effects of parental death by AIDS on their children. Subsequently an overview of foster care within the South African context is given, with emphasis on foster care in general, foster care within the challenging South African context and foster care of AIDS orphans. The last part of the literature review discusses foster parent cell groups as a means of training and supporting the foster parents of AIDS orphans for the parenting process. The empirical investigation of the study investigated to what extent, and in what ways, social workers are training and supporting foster parents to care for AIDS orphans. This investigation confirmed some of the findings of the literature study, namely that AIDS orphans have needs that differ from those of other foster children and that social workers are too overburdened to be able to give the foster parents of these orphans the needed training and support. In light of the findings derived from the literature study and empirical research, conclusions and recommendations are made concerning the phenomena under investigation. The recommendations focus on guidelines that can be used by social workers to train and support the foster parents of AIDS orphans. The recommendations centre on the utilisation of resource-friendly methods to train and support foster parents; bringing structure into the foster care process and on social workers having to use research for guidance.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die doel van hierdie studie is om lig te werp op die behoeftes van kinders wat deur VIGS wees gelaat is, sowel as op die opleiding en ondersteuning wat hul pleegouers nodig het, ten einde riglyne te verskaf vir die toerus van pleegouers om na VIGS-weeskinders om te sien. Die studie is gemotiveer deur die vinnige verspreiding van MIV/VIGS in Suid- Afrika en die een miljoen VIGS-weeskinders wat agtergelaat is. Die meeste van hierdie kinders word in plaasvervangende huise ingeneem, waarvan baie pleegsorgplasings is. Navorsers stem saam dat VIGS-weeskinders spesiale behoeftes het as gevolg van die omstandighede wat met hul ouers se dood gepaard gaan. Pleegouers sal dus voorberei moet word om in hierdie behoeftes te voorsien. Internasionale studies bewys dat pleegouers self ‘n behoefte aan opleiding en ondersteuning het om aan die vereistes van pleegsorg te voldoen. Hierdie behoefte verdiep en word meer gefokus vir ‘n pleegouer wat ‘n VIGS-weeskind in pleegsorg neem. Die studie is ook gemotiveer deur die huidige tekortkominge en uitdagings inherent aan die pleegsorgstelsel in Suid-Afrika wat dit vir maatskaplike werkers moeilik maak om pleegouers genoegsaam op te lei en te ondersteun. Die studie het dus ten doel gehad om ‘n bydrae te lewer tot die oorkoming van sommige van hierdie probleme sodat pleegouers voorbereid kan wees om na die welsyn van hierdie weeskinders in hulle sorg om te sien. Die navorsing is gebaseer op ‘n verreikende literatuurstudie. Die literatuurstudie het eerstens gefokus op die gebruik van die Ekologiese Sisteemperspektief om die effek van ouers se afsterwe weens MIV/VIGS op kinders te ondersoek. Daarna is ‘n oorsig gegee van pleegsorg binne die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks. Klem is geplaas op pleegsorg in die algemeen, pleegsorg binne die uitdagende Suid-Afrikaanse konteks, en pleegsorg spesifiek met VIGS-weeskinders. Die laaste deel van die literatuuroorsig bespreek die moontlikheid om pleegouer-selgroepe te benut om pleegouers die nodige opleiding en ondersteuning te gee vir die proses van ouerskap. Die empiriese studie ondersoek ook in watter mate en op watter manier, maatskaplike werkers besig is om die pleegouers van VIGS-weeskinders op te lei en te ondersteun. Hierdie ondersoek bevestig sommige van die bevindinge van die literatuurstudie; spesifiek dat VIGS-weeskinders unieke behoeftes het en dat maatskaplike werkers te oorlaai is om die pleegouers van hierdie weeskinders die nodige opleiding en ondersteuning te bied. In die lig van die bevindinge van die literatuurstudie en empiriese navorsing is gevolgtrekkings en aanbevelings gemaak. Die aanbevelings het primêr gepoog om riglyne te verskaf wat deur maatskaplike werkers gebruik kan word om pleegouers op te lei en te ondersteun. Die aanbevelings het gesentreer rondom die gebruik van hulpbronvriendelike maniere om pleegouers op te lei en te ondersteun; die strukturering van die pleegsorgproses en die noodsaaklikheid vir maatskaplike werkers om daadwerklik van navorsing gebruik te maak vir leiding.
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Bottone, Margaret. "Efficacy of Foster Care in the United States." Thesis, Southern Connecticut State University, 2018. http://pqdtopen.proquest.com/#viewpdf?dispub=10809623.
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Foster care efficacy in the United States is examined in an analytical review of the literature. The question researched was whether or not the foster care placement system in the United States is conducive to the developmental needs of children with high risk factors. Participants included populations of children in foster care, foster parents, and children who had matured out of foster care, throughout the United States. The relating topics of the data analysis within the literature review are: developmental theory, stability, outcomes, continuing education, and foster parent training. Research suggests that many children in foster care, or children who are entering foster care settings, are diagnosed with a psychiatric illness. Support and emotional stability within a foster home for children was shown to have a significant correlation as to if there would be positive future outcomes. The KEEP program, (Keeping Foster Parents Trained and Supported), was found to be effective in correlation with not how often it is used, but with how well the caregiver understands how to implement the intervention. Further research into the impact of continuing training of foster parents after initial licensing, and the impact foster homes lacking in foster parent support pertaining to schoolwork, extracurricular activities and long-term educational goals , is suggested.
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Davis, Kelly. "Perspectives of Professionals on Treatment Foster Care Success." Case Western Reserve University School of Graduate Studies / OhioLINK, 2017. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=case1473246208184445.
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