| Abstract [eng] |
Taking a child out of his biological family causes strong feelings, sometimes even psychological trauma, the child is going through an existential crisis. Improper parent’s lifestyle, addictions, lack of social skills, lack of family harmony, violence leaves a mark on the child's life, which, if not timely and properly provided with assistance, can affect the entire life of a child. The child, in his adulthood, can repeat their parents' mistakes or suffer even more complicated problems. Therefore, it is important to identify the child’s problems, try to discover the causes and provide coordinated complex support, bringing together specialists from various fields and actively cooperate with them. It is especially important to analyze what support is provided to children living in an on-call foster family, the possibilities of providing it, possible obstacles. It is also important to examine inter-institutional cooperation and to uncover the obstacles and successes of the professional activities of foster care coordinators. After revealing and analyzing everything, there is an opportunity to see the strengths of the child support and areas for improvement. This can help increase the effectiveness of support provided by foster care coordinators. The research object of this work is the experience of foster care coordinators in providing complex support for a child living in an on-call foster family. The aim of the research is to reveal the experience of foster care coordinators in providing complex support for a child living in an on-call foster family. The tasks of the research: 1. To analyze the reform of child care in Lithuania in a theoretical and practical context; 2. To reveal the provision of complex support to a child surviving a crisis in the context of systems and existential crisis theory; 3. To investigate the experience of foster care coordinators in providing complex support to a child living in an on-call foster family. The research methodology is based on systems and humanistic - existential theories. Systems theory helps social workers understand a wide range of social problems, from family problems, child abuse, community dysfunction to problems that directly affect individuals: anxiety, low self-esteem, and interpersonal difficulties. This theory is important in the research because it provides the social worker (foster care coordinator) with competence, a more comprehensive assessment of phenomena, and the right decisions. The child system cannot be understood only by analyzing its individual elements, because their interaction creates a new quality when the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. Humanistic-existential attitudes analyze the existence of man, the existence of being, his place and role in the world. The provisions of humanistic-existential theories help the social worker (foster care coordinator) to understand the needs and uniqueness of each person, to create an appropriate emotional sphere, not to judge and not to evaluate a person's behavior, only in this way can effective help be provided. The purpose of the social worker (care coordinator) is to help the child implement his or her rights and freedoms, to reveal his or her potential powers and opportunities. The study was conducted by interviewing 7 foster care coordinators who coordinate support to on-call caregivers. A qualitative semi-structured interview method was chosen for the study. The interview questionnaire consists of five blocks of questions: 1. Information about the respondents; 2. The child and his biological family; 3. Children's reaction to accommodation in an on-call foster family, adaptation in it; 4. Provision of complex support for children living in an on-call foster family; 5. Cooperation with specialists of other institutions in providing complex support to a child living in an on-call foster family. The blocks of questions consist of open questions (17 questions in total), which aim to reveal the research topic, respondents's opinion, standpoint, attitudes. The data obtained during the interviews were processed by descriptive and content analysis methods. The study showed that the provision of complex support to a child living in an on-call foster family is vital. Usually, children accommodated in an on-call foster family are on the verge of various crises, complicated traumas, having physical and emotional health problems, pedagogically abandoned, without appropriate social skills, and so on. In such cases, it is important to provide complex support provided by specialists from different institutions. Complex support – complex services - coordinated provision of educational assistance, social support, health care services to children. For this support to be effective, it is necessary to have a harmonious cooperation between these specialists and to move towards the common goal - the well-being of the child. The participants of the study named what support is usually provided to a child deprived of parental care. The contribution of the on-call foster caregiver in providing support to the child, the child's reaction to the accommodation in the on-call foster family and a relief he/she won’t be accommodated at the care facility confirm the significance and importance of the child care reform. The study revealed the professional obstacles experienced by foster care coordinators, which usually manifest themselves as high bureaucracy, lack of necessary services, incompetence of specialists and limited professional opportunities. Study participants see professional success in the child's change, in providing the necessary help, and in the child's return to the biological family. |
