Predictors of foster father’s engagement in foster family homes

Research background: Foster fatherhood is undoubtedly a specific kind of fatherhood, since the man, often being a husband and father to his biological offspring, makes the decision to play the role of a foster father, the performance of which requires a high level of engagement in the realization of caring-rearing as well as compensatory activities, which – in turn – call for constant raising of the competences of working with an orphaned child.Research aim: To learn about the factors which condition the level of involvement of foster fathers in the realization of parenting activity in family-run children’s homes in both the global and partial dimensions.Research method: In the study, the method of diagnostic survey and that of assessment were applied.Obtained results: The analyses proved that the level of engagement of foster fathers in the realization of parenting activity in family-run children’s homes is to a large extent conditioned by foster fathers’ personality factors; to a smaller degree it is influenced by sociodemographic factors or those which are based in the system of social welfare.Conclusions: The specific nature of tasks set for a family-run children’s home demands that foster fathers should engage in the realization of parenting activity to the highest possible degree. It is thus not only important for men to be prepared to play the role of a foster father, but it is also vital to constantly support them in this role.

Corps de femmes et maisons d’enfants dans Enfants du diable de Liliana Lazăr

Women Bodies and Children’s Homes in Liliana Lazar’s Enfants du diable [The Devil’s Children]. Many contemporary Romanian writers who chose French as a literary language seem to share a common interest in revisiting through fiction Romania’s relatively recent communist past, thus exposing the dysfunctionalities of the ‘multilaterally developed socialist society’ during the last years of Nicolae Ceaușescu’s dictatorship. In her novel, Enfants du diable (2016), Liliana Lazar’s merit is to emphasize the abusive nature of the Romanian totalitarian regime by exploring a topic which is normally less taken into account by post-communist Romanian fiction, namely the private body of women transformed into a public, even political body after the implementation of the Anti-abortion Decree 770/1966. Our aim is to examine the way in which Lazar’s book deals with this topic and its social and personal consequences, as well as its denunciation of a less evident form of the communist carceral system, namely the institutionalization of orphaned children. Keywords: communism, totalitarian regime, women’s body, orphanage, carceral system, Liliana Lazar, Nicolae Ceaușescu

Psychological Distress, Burden of Care, and the Role of Coping Strategies Among Childminders in Residential Children’s Homes

This study aimed to identify the prevalence of psychological distress and its association with sociodemographic characteristics, burden of care, and the coping strategies used by childminders in residential homes. A total of 151 childminders (median age = 39; 64.7% female) participated in the study. The prevalence of psychological distress was 59.4%, and 74.0% recorded mild to moderate burden. Multivariate analyses showed that caregiver burden (adjusted beta = 0.464, P = .01), lesser application of problem-focused coping (adjusted beta = −0.292, P = .012), lower salary (adjusted beta = −0.196, P = .040), and lower educational qualification (adjusted beta = −0.212, P = .038) predicted higher psychological distress. Regular screening of psychological distress and burden of care is recommended among this population.

ORGANIZATION OF PSYCHOLOGICAL SUPPORT FOR CONVICTED WOMEN HAVING CHILDREN IN CHILDREN'S HOUSES AT CORRECTIVE INSTITUTIONS (ON THE MATERIAL OF PKU IK-15 OF THE FPS OF RUSSIA AT THE SAMARA REGION)

Статья посвящена рассмотрению сущности и содержания психологического сопровождения осужденных женщин, имеющих детей в возрасте до трех лет в домах ребенка при исправительных учреждениях. Авторами статьи обосновывается актуальность психологического сопровождения осужденных женщин-матерей как одного из видов психологической помощи, направленного на качественные изменения в специфике их отношения к своей материнской роли, социальную адаптацию и ресоциализацию личности осужденной женщины в условиях исправительного учреждения и после освобождения. Характеризуются основные проблемы, возникающих в отношениях матери с ребенком при выполнении материнских функций. Рассматривается общая структура психологического сопровождения осужденных женщин, включающая в себя непрерывное отслеживание динамики личности женщин посредством психологической диагностики, осуществление психологической профилактики негативных изменений в пенитенциарной среде, а также психологическую коррекцию отношения указанной категории осужденных к своей материнской роли. На примере ФКУ ИК-15 УФСИН России по Самарской области раскрываются особенности реализации модели совместного проживания осужденных женщин с детьми как необходимого условия для достижения эмоционального единства и устойчивой психологической связи матери и ребенка, способствующего формированию здоровой привязанности к малышу, являющейся залогом его нормального психического развития и личностного благополучия. Раскрываются психотерапевтические направления, используемые в работе с осужденными женщинами, имеющими детей в домах ребенка при исправительных учреждениях, рассматривается структура программы их психологического сопровождении, а также анализ результатов ее реализации. Содержатся выводы и рекомендации по организации психологического сопровождения указанной категории осужденных. The article is devoted to the consideration of the essence and content of psychological support for convicted women with children under the age of three in children's homes in correctional institutions. The authors of the article substantiate the relevance of psychological support for convicted women mothers, as one of the types of psychological assistance aimed at qualitative changes in the specifics of their attitude to their maternal role, social adaptation and resocialization of the personality of a convicted woman, both in a correctional institution and after release. The main problems arising in the relationship between a mother and a child during the performance of maternal functions are characterized. The general structure of psychological support for convicted women is considered, which includes continuous tracking of the dynamics of the personality of women through psychological diagnostics, the implementation of psychological prevention of negative changes in the penitentiary environment, as well as psychological correction of the attitude of this category of convicts to their maternal role. Using the example of PKU IK-15 of the Federal Penitentiary Service of Russia in the Samara Region, the peculiarities of the implementation of the model of cohabitation of convicted women with children as a necessary condition for achieving emotional unity and stable psychological connection between mother and child, contributing to the formation of healthy attachment to the baby, which is the key to his normal mental development and personal well-being. The article reveals the psychotherapeutic directions used in work with convicted women with children in children's homes at correctional institutions, the structure of the program of their psychological support, as well as the analysis of the results of its implementation. Contains conclusions and recommendations on the organization of psychological support for this category of convicts.

Teaching from a Distance—Math Lessons during COVID-19 in Germany and Spain

In 2020, Germany and Spain experienced lockdowns of their school systems. This resulted in a new challenge for learners and teachers: lessons moved from the classroom to the children’s homes. Therefore, teachers had to set rules, implement procedures and make didactical–methodical decisions regarding how to handle this new situation. In this paper, we focus on the roles of mathematics teachers in Germany and Spain. The article first describes how mathematics lessons were conducted using distance learning. Second, problems encountered throughout this process were examined. Third, teachers drew conclusions from their mathematics teaching experiences during distance learning. To address these research interests, a questionnaire was answered by N = 248 teachers (N1 = 171 German teachers; N2 = 77 Spanish teachers). Resulting from a mixed methods approach, differences between the countries can be observed, e.g., German teachers conducted more lessons asynchronously. In contrast, Spanish teachers used synchronous teaching more frequently, but still regard the lack of personal contact as a main challenge. Finally, for both countries, the digitization of mathematics lessons seems to have been normalized by the pandemic.

Use of the concept of positive prevention in care and educational work in children’s homes

The aim of this article is to show the possibility of using the assumptions of positive prevention and the model of multidimensional positive prevention in care and education in children’s homes. The article draws attention to the impact which the quality of care and education has on whether the children’s transition to independent living outside the facility is successful. Taking into account the specific nature of risk factors occurring in the lives of children in care, the article proposes to modify the traditional understanding of the preventive function of a children’s home. The proposed modification consists in organizing care and education in a way which focuses not only on reducing risk factors, but also on seeking, supporting and most importantly developing protective factors in the life of every child in care, with particular attention to the process of acquiring life skills. Moreover, the article describes theoretical and empirical assumptions of the multidimensional positive prevention model. This model relies on a logotheoretical concept of existence and opens up new perspectives for care and education, drawing particular attention to the multidimensionality of existence and the significance of sense-making values in encouraging an individual to be active. In teaching practice, it comes down to creating prevention programmes which are based on supporting and developing protective factors in relation to all dimensions of the children’s existence (biological, social, subjective and noetical), it demonstrates the way of putting this model into pedagogical practice, presenting the structure of the prophylactic programme ,,Support for multidimensional development of youth”.

Silencing touch and touching silence? Understanding the complex links between touch and silence in residential child care settings

Touch and silence are neglected across most disciplines, including within child-specific academic literature, and their interconnections have not been studied before. This article focuses on touch/silence convergences in residential childcare in England, drawing from two qualitative studies. We reveal the fluidity, multidimensionality and intersectionality of touch and silence, illuminating the labyrinthine ways they frequently coalesce in children’s homes, often assuming ambiguous forms and meanings. We therefore offer new understandings of these concepts, as multifaceted, entwined, temporal and malleable.