scholarly journals The Development of Independent Life Skills of the Children and Teenagers from Foster Home: Achievements, Challenges, Solutions

Pedagogika ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 110 (2) ◽  
pp. 103-114
Author(s):  
Kristina Samašonok
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Educational System ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Foster Home ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
Foster Homes ◽  
Independent Life

Contemporary society is concerned about successful functioning of its members and their effective participation in social interrelations therefore the adaptation of children living in foster homes is perceived as a relevant social issue. In the context of developing democratic ideas increasing attention is being paid towards the problem of adaptive behavior and its development in children without parental care. It is influenced by important social, political, value and legal changes having occurred in the last several decades in Lithuania in a context of which the attitude towards children without parental care, their social status, foster care and development is also changing. While adopting more laws and resolutions on the issues of child’s foster care, development and healthcare there appear more possibilities to solve a lot of relevant questions in child foster care and training institutions. In the context of democracy increasing attention is paid towards social integration of children living in foster institutions, their involvement and participation into social life. The goals and objectives of Lithuanian educational system reflect the intention to prepare a person for life, who is able to analyze reality individually or with other people, also adequately deal with the problems, plan the future and successfully adapt to the constantly changing, dynamic society. These objectives allow to discover a variety of aspects of the organization of educational activities in foster homes. The problematic issue arises while preparing foster home pupils for independent living: Are the educational system and conditions at foster homes sufficient and adequate in process of preparation for independent life? The article actualizes the educational significance of preparing teenagers for independent life. Interviews with foster home staff evaluate the current situation of foster homes, disclose the education system, work achievements (strengths), discuss the developmental problems and identify deficiencies of preparation for independent living in foster homes. The aim – to assess the preparation of foster home pupils for independent living within the context of foster homes, revealing the positive and improvable aspects of the foster home educator’s point of view. Analyzing the features of foster home preparation for independent living in care institutions, the study involved 17 foster home staff, based on their opinion about their personal work experiences and points of view. In order to understand home educational activities, to review the pupils’ preparation for independent living opportunities, educational reality, to find out and identify problems, provide opportunities for improving the situation, the interview method was used. Instant analysis revealed that home care workers initiated a variety of activities: encourage children to solve problems, analyze situations and make decisions. It is also practiced by demonstration of adult example, analyzing the situation and promoting the search for solutions. Workshops are organized, situations and educational environment is created in which the pupils are encouraged to act independently, provide practical training skills that enable learners to try themselves in different activities (household work, cooking, etc.). However, according to the assessment of the current situation in foster homes, it is clear that there are not optimal functions performed by the formation of practical skills and preparing for independent living of children without parental care. Interviews revealed that foster homes lack „real practices“ when most children are able to buy food, count the money, pay for services, cook, and independence is developed mostly by the potential circumstances.  Comments on the survey suggest that the lack of practical activities, funding and real-world examples in foster homes prevent realization of the set goals, implement ideas for youngsters to prepare for independent living, to acquire domestic skills and do not create conditions for independent personal development (learning). Discussing the opportunities for improvement of foster home preparation for independent living, almost unanimously expressed material financial base and the improvement of household demand. Foster home staff believes that the conditions under which pupils can cook themselves face with the real everyday life, keep their own budgets, learn, acquire new knowledge or skills may be one of the most successful assumptions for training (learning) to live independently when they came out foster homes.

scholarly journals The Experiences of Social Workers while Preparing Children for Independent Living in the Community Foster Care Homes

Pedagogika ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 158-174 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vida Gudžinskienė ◽  
Rita Raudeliūnaitė ◽  
Rokas Uscila
Keyword(s):  
Content Analysis ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Parental Care ◽  
Social Workers ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Qualitative Content Analysis ◽  
Institutional Care ◽  
Care Homes ◽  
The Family ◽  
Independent Life

The order of the Minister Social Security and Labour of December 18, 2013 adopted The Action Plan for the Transition from Institutional Care to the Family and Community Based Services to the Children with Disabilities and the Children who Have Lost Parental Care for 2014–2020. The purpose of the transition of residential institutions for children from institutional care to family and community-based provision of the services to the children, who have lost parental care, is to ensure a harmonious environment and conditions to the children, who have lost parental care, to grow in the family or household of guardians or adoptive parents and receive assistance in the community. It is important for a child to grow in a family environment which stimulates children’s independence, full and complete participation in the community and social inclusion. When restructuring children’s care homes, it is foreseen to create new and expand the existing community services which are alternative to institutional care: communal children’s care homes of up to 8 children when they are given residence in flats, houses. One of the priorities of the restructuring of children care is to prepare a child for an independent life. While the process of restructuring is underway' no studies', which analyze the improvement of the preparation of children, who reside in the community foster care homes, have been conducted. Therefore, it is relevant to conduct studies on the improvement of the development of independent life skills of children in the context of the restructuring of care homes. The purpose of the study is to reveal the experiences of social workers while educating children for independent living in the community foster care homes. The study questions: 1) What independent living skills children lack while living in the community foster care homes? 2) What difficulties are encountered by social workers while developing the independence of the children of the community foster care homes? 3) How social workers overcome arising difficulties? Qualitative research type was chosen for the study. In the study, the method of a semi-structured interview, which enables to come close to the understanding of human experiences, designation of meanings, the definition of meanings and the construction (explanation) of reality, was used. The obtained data were analyzed by the content analysis method. Qualitative content analysis was carried out in accordance with the inductive, study data based and categories composed logic. According to J. W. Creswell (2009), content analysis is a technique which, having examined the specificities of the text, allows, objectively and systematically, draw reliable conclusions. The qualitative content analysis was performed regarding the following sequence (Creswell, 2009): repeated reading of the content of transcript interview texts, distinction of meaning elements in the text analysed, grouping of the distinguished meaning elements into categories and sub-categories, integration of the categories/sub-categories into the context of the phenomenon analysed and description of their analysis. Criteria-based sample was used in the study. The informants were chosen according to the following criteria: 1) social workers who have a degree in social work, 2) social workers who work in the community foster care homes for children. The study was conducted in the September-October of 2016 in the community foster care homes for children. 10 social workers participated in the study. The study revealed that while preparing the children of the community foster care homes for independent living social workers experience the difficulties in (self-) developing domestic skills (food cooking, shopping, paying bills), social skills (communication and cooperation, organizational) and personal skills (the lack of adequate self-evaluation, self-control skills and self-confidence skills). Social workers, who work in the community foster care homes for children, develop independence skills in children by using verbal methods (individual and group conversations), assigning individual and group practical tasks, drawing on the team of the community foster care homes for children and cooperating with the specialists of other institutions. Social workers hope that the restructuring of institutional care and the changes related to it like creation of domestic environment and the possibilities for household management create better prerequisites for the preparation of children for independent living.

scholarly journals Evaluation of Serum Vitamin D Levels in Foster's Children Care Center

2019 ◽  
Vol 1 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Mohamadreza Amiri
Keyword(s):  
Vitamin D ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Vitamin D Deficiency ◽  
Biologically Active ◽  
Foster Home ◽  
Foster Homes ◽  
Vitamin D Levels ◽  
The World ◽  
25 Hydroxy Vitamin D ◽  
Physical Neglect

Vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin, is now recognized not only for its importance in promoting bone health in children and adults, but also for its other health benefits, including reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as autoimmune diseases, common cancer, and cardiovascular diseases. Ultraviolet radiation of the sun with wavelengths of 290-310 nm penetrates into the skin and converts 7-dehydrocholesterol to previtamin D3, which quickly transforms to vitamin D3. Vitamin D (D represents either D2 or D3) made in the skin or ingested through diet is biologically inert and requires two successive hydroxylations first in the liver on carbon 25 to form 25-hydroxyvitamin D 25(OH)D and then in the kidney for a hydroxylation on carbon 1 to form the biologically active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D) 1, 2, 14, 19. The concentration of the produced 25-hydroxy vitamin D in blood circulation is 1,000 times more than 1,25-dihydroxy vitamin D 4, and it is regarded as a standard indicator of vitamin D status in humans 3. 25-hydroxy vitamin D half-life is about 2-3 weeks and it is regulated by calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and serum parathyroid hormone (PTH) to some extent. 25-hydroxy vitamin D content also reflects the amount of vitamin D produced in the skin after exposure to sunlight or received through food intake 5, 6. Guidelines for vitamin D insufficiency/deficiency defined by serum 25(OH)D concentrations have been published from many countries and regions all over the world 7, 8, 9, 10, 11. Vitamin D deficiency is a pandemic problem. According to global estimations, more than one billion people around the world suffer from vitamin D deficiency. Among Iranian population, the incidence of vitamin D deficiency varies from 2.5 to 98.5% based on geographic area 12, 13. Various factors may give rise to vitamin D deficiency, including skin pigments, low levels of vitamin D in diet (insufficient fish oil and egg yolk intake), malnutrition, genetic factors, exclusive breast feeding, vitamin D deficiency of mother during pregnancy, prematurity, chronic use of drugs (e.g., anticonvulsants, aluminum-containing anti-acids, rifampcin, isoniazid, antifungal drugs, antiviral drugs, and glucocorticoids), winter and obesity 1, 13. Cultural habits, the need for full body coverage during outdoor activities and the lack of sunlight programs are the risk factors for low vitamin D levels in women 15, 16, 17. Children enter foster care due to early childhood adverse experiences such as poor prenatal and infant health care, food insecurity, chronic stress, and the effects of abuse and neglect. As a result, they are at higher risk for poor physical, psychological, neuroendocrine and neurocognitive outcomes compared to others. Foster children are at risk for growth and nutritional deficiencies due to their poor nutritional environment prior to placement in foster care. Insufficient caloric intake results in growth deficiencies. Evidence showed that the risk of stunting and underweight is high in this population 18. The risk of developing hypovitaminosis D was significantly higher in children living in foster homes. One reason is that they are at higher risk of child abuse, emotional deprivation and physical neglect than children living with their families. Moreover, these children most likely do not spend much time outdoors and they lack adequate sun exposure. Another reason is that as children grow up in institutional care, they shift from a diet of vitamin D–fortified formula milk to cooked food, which may not be fortified with vitamin D 1. Iranian government has made some efforts to apply efficient interventions to reduce the prevalence of vitamin D deficiency, and the country’s healthcare system should be managed through accurate planning. Yet, in this country, studies on vitamin D deficiency in children living in foster homes are very limited, and given that timely diagnosis and treatment of this deficiency is vital, this research is conducted in Ali Asghar foster home in Mashhad, Iran.

scholarly journals Challenges and Opportunities Experienced by Young Adults Transitioning Out of Informal Kinship-Based Foster Care in Bikita District, Zimbabwe

2019 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-91 ◽  
Author(s):  
Charles Dziro
Keyword(s):  
Young Adults ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Young People ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Formal Education ◽  
Challenges And Opportunities ◽  
Transition Into Adulthood ◽  
Independent Life ◽  
Depth Interviews ◽  
And Training

The desire to understand young adults’ transition into adulthood from informal kinship-based foster care has been growing. This article examines the challenges encountered by, and the opportunities available to, young adults as they transition from informal kinship-based foster care to independent living in the Bikita District of Zimbabwe. In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 young people who had left care and key informants. Data were analyzed using a thematic framework. Key findings included the young adults’ need for proper preparation in formal education, health, social welfare, and employment to ward off the challenges they face before they leave informal kinship-based foster care. The opportunities available to the young adults included cultural identity, social capital, and training in independent life skills within their kinship group. Recommendations are made for better preparation and support to young people transitioning out of informal kinship-based care in Zimbabwe.

Theoretical and practical aspects of a professional ethics of teaching

Human Affairs ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Marta Gluchmanová
Keyword(s):  
Educational System ◽  
Professional Ethics ◽  
Current Situation ◽  
Practical Implementation ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Theoretical Knowledge ◽  
Moral Practice ◽  
The Everyday ◽  
Everyday Work ◽  
Ethics Of Teaching

AbstractThe author of the paper deals with teachers’ professional ethics and the current theoretical and practical implementation. She stresses the need for an ethics of teaching to be included in the theoretical and practical training of future teachers. She discusses ethics theories by Slovak and other authors and demonstrates the extent to which they are applied in practice. The author considers that an ethics of teaching should be a tool of the professional and moral practice of each teacher. The current situation in the Slovak educational system is rather unfavourable, and there is often a contradiction between the theoretical knowledge and its practical implementation in the everyday work of the teacher.

scholarly journals Foster Care Independent Living Services: Youth Perspectives

2008 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-108 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher G. Petr
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Foster Care ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
The United States ◽  
Independent Living Programs ◽  
Foster Youths ◽  
The Life Course ◽  
Successful Adults ◽  
Independent Living Services

Emerging adulthood is a phase in the life course recently identified by developmental theorists. For youth in foster care, recent federal legislation in the United States has engendered new programs, typically called independent living programs, to help them become successful adults. This qualitative study reports the findings of interviews with a diverse sample of 27 current and former foster youths in a Midwestern state, focusing on the quantity and quality of independent living services received. The youths reported hopeful expectations and plans for their futures, widespread support for postcustody benefit programs, mixed opinions about the utilization and effectiveness of existing independent living programs, significant educational delays associated with frequent placements while in out-of-home custody, and strong attachments to families of origin.

scholarly journals A young adult with nonverbal low-functioning Autism: A case review of readiness for independent living

2020 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 162-177
Author(s):  
Zuxin Josie Oh ◽  
Guo Hui Xie
Keyword(s):  
Daily Living ◽  
Independent Living ◽  
Daily Living Skills ◽  
Short Paper ◽  
Case Review ◽  
Male Adult ◽  
Percentile Rank ◽  
Independent Life ◽  
Low Functioning ◽  
Living Skills

This is a case review of a male adult, GO, with nonverbal low functioning autism in his twenties. Previous psycho-educational assessment indicated that GO had a nonverbal IQ (NVIQ) of 73 within the borderline range, an adaptive behavior composite score at the extremely low percentile rank, and poor executive functioning (EF) capability with majority of the EF components falling in the performance range from borderline problem to problematic range. His family has expressed their concern if GO would be able to take care of himself when they are too old or no longer around to care for him. This short paper is an attempt to review all the previous assessment results and to find out if GO could be helped to improve in his daily living skills in order to lead a more independent life in the future.

scholarly journals PEDAGOGICAL STIMULATION OF EDUCATIONAL ACTIVITY AS A FUNCTION OF A MODERN UNIVERSITY TEACHER

2020 ◽  
pp. 98-104
Author(s):  
Екатерина Александровна Лихачева
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Educational Process ◽  
Subject Position ◽  
Educational Activity ◽  
Practical Training ◽  
Educational Activities ◽  
Self Development ◽  
Sufficient Degree ◽  
The University ◽  
Stimulation Of

Обосновывается важность педагогического стимулирования учебной деятельности студентов, что обусловлено тенденциями современного высшего образования. Несмотря на достаточную степень разработанности вопросов педагогического стимулирования и активизации учебной деятельности, применительно к высшей школе данная проблема не находит комплексного решения. В деятельности преподавателя стимулирующая функция занимает особое место. Изучение опыта передовых ученых и анализ результатов собственной педагогической деятельности позволили предложить комплексный подход к педагогическому стимулированию учебной деятельности студента вуза: применение соответствующих методов и технологий обучения, реализация стимулирующих действий и системы педагогических стимулов. Определены стимулирующие действия преподавателя и применяемые им педагогические стимулы на каждом этапе практического занятия в вузе. Все это будет способствовать становлению субъектной позиции студентов, формированию у них положительного эмоционально-ценностного отношения к процессу обучения, повышению качества образования, выступит фактором развития способности к саморазвитию и самообразованию. The article substantiates the importance of pedagogical stimulation educational activities of students, which is due to the trends of modern higher education, namely the idea of continuing education. Despite the sufficient degree of development of issues of pedagogical stimulation and activation of educational activities, this problem does not find a comprehensive solution in relation to higher education. In the activity of a teacher, in addition to the implementation of educational, educational, and developmental functions, a special place is occupied by a stimulating function. This is evidenced by the theoretical analysis of the works of classics of Russian pedagogy. The study of the experiences of scientists and analysis of own pedagogical activity allowed us to offer a comprehensive approach to the pedagogical stimulation of educational activity of student: application of enabling methods and technologies of training, the implementation of stimulating activities and educational incentives. The article defines the stimulating actions of the teacher at each stage of practical training at the University (introductory, main, final) and the pedagogical incentives used by them. Stimulating actions of the teacher encourage productive joint educational process of students and teachers. Comprehensive stimulation of educational activities will contribute to the formation of the subject position of students, the formation of a positive emotional and value attitude to the learning process, improve the quality of education, and act as a factor in the development of the ability to self-development and self-education.

Foster Care for Child Maltreatment: Impact on Delinquent Behavior

PEDIATRICS ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 562-568
Author(s):  
Desmond K. Runyan ◽  
Carolyn L. Gould
Keyword(s):  
Foster Care ◽  
Child Maltreatment ◽  
Foster Children ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Child Victims ◽  
Foster Home ◽  
Historical Cohort ◽  
Children In Foster Care ◽  
Cohort Differences ◽  
The Impact

Previous reports of child maltreatment Sequelae have not systematically examined the effects of societal intervention. A historical cohort study has been undertaken to examine the impact of one intervention, foster care, on the subsequent development of juvenile delinquency among child victims. One hundred fourteen foster children, aged 11 to 18 years, in foster care for three or more years, and who were in foster care as a result of maltreatment were studied. A comparison cohort was composed of 106 victims of maltreatment who were left in their family home; these children were similar to the children in foster care with regard to age, race, sex, and year of diagnosis. Cohort differences in maternal education, type of abuse, history of prior maltreatment, sex, and race were controlled in the analysis. Foster children committed 0.050 crimes per person-year after age 11 years; home care children committed 0.059 crimes per person-year after age 11 years (P > .2). Foster children were more likely to have committed criminal assault. Among foster children, increased number of foster home placements correlated with increased number of delinquency convictions. Overall, there appears to be no support for the idea that foster care is responsible for a significant portion of later problems encountered by victims of maltreatment.

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