La importancia de las visitas en el acogimiento familiar

Se trata de una conferencia dentro de una Jornada.Uno de los principales fines del acogimiento familiar es que los niños no pierdan las relaciones con su familia biológica cuando éstas sean beneficiosas para los niños. Las principales funciones que se atribuyen a las visitas son: a) mantener los vínculos afectivos de los niños con sus familias biológicas; b) dar continuidad a la historia de los niños y al desarrollo de su identidad; y c) crear una relación de confianza y colaboración entre acogedores y familia biológica. Además, las visitas contribuyen a fundamentar las decisiones de los técnicos respecto a la evolución del acogimiento y a la posibilidad de retorno con la familia biológica. No obstante, numerosas investigaciones que analizan las visitas consideran que no existe una respuesta clara sobre si estos contactos son beneficiosos. El Grupo de Investigación sobre Acogimiento y Adopción de la Universidad de Málaga ha analizado las visitas de los niños acogidos con sus familias biológicas, así como las relaciones afectivas de los niños con sus padres y con sus acogedores. Los resultados ponen de relieve la necesidad de diseñar un proyecto de intervención con protocolos de actuación dirigidos a cada uno de los participantes: niños, familias biológicas, familias acogedoras y técnicos.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The voice of birth families to improve visits in foster care

In foster care, contact visits with birth families play an important role in relation to the child’s wellbeing, and they may impact on placement outcomes. However, the views of birth parents with respect to such visits have largely been unexplored. This research is part of a project financed by the regional government of Andalusia (SEJ-7106) regarding contact visits in foster care. This study aims to give voice to parents and gather their views about contact visits, including how they might be improved. Participants were 23 birth families who had contact visits with 35 children in non-kinship foster care. Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted in order to explore two key aspects: the parents’ opinions regarding the contact visits and the main areas they felt needed improving. The interviews were transcribed and the transcripts were examined using an inductive method of open coding to identify themes among participants’ responses. The main themes to emerge concerned their general view of contact visits and the organization of visits. The paper discusses the study’s implications of the findings for practice.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Analysis of professionals and family foster care on advantages and difficulties of visits between foster children and their biological families

Contact between a foster child and birth parents play an important role in relation to the foster child’s wellbeing. The main aim of this study is to give voice to social workers and foster families about contact visits. This research is part of a project financed by the regional government of Andalusia (Spain) (SEJ-7106) regarding contact visits in foster care. Two focus groups were organized, one with 8 social workers from four foster care agencies and another with 8 foster carers (4 were recruited through the Association of Foster Families in Andalusia and 4 through fostering agencies). Access to foster care agencies and foster families was obtained through the official Andalusian Child Protective Services (SPM). The focal groups were audio-recorded. Transcripts (of the two focus groups gave rise to primary documents for the hermeneutic unit under study. All this information was exported from an Excel database to the ATLAS.ti v7.0 software. The transcripts were examined using an inductive method of open coding in order to identify themes among participants’ responses. Results show that both groups agreed on the utility of visits to maintain the children’s attachment to their birth family, to bring a greater sense of continuity to the children’s life story, to enhance the psychological wellbeing of the foster children and to know the real situation of their birth family. In relation to the difficulties remarked in the course of the visits, one of the issues mentioned by both groups refers to a lack in the coordination among the social workers, the SPM and the foster families involved. The other issue brings together several complaints to the SPM, such as the fact of not providing information about taking decisions regarding the future of the child; the lack of support and preparation of the foster carers, the children and the birth families about visits; as well as the shortage of social workers and economic aids provided by the SPM. The conclusions of this study highlight the need to improve contact visits by developing intervention strategies targeted at all those involved (foster children, family foster care, birth family and social workers). These findings have important implications for practice.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Features of non-kinship foster care children with birth family contact in Andalusia

The aim of the presentation is to describe the personal features of non-kinship foster care children who have visits with their birth family in Málaga, Granada and Jaén (provinces of Andalusia, Spain). This study was funded by the research project Application of a psychoeducational intervention program to improve visits between foster children and their biological families (Reference EDU2016 77094-P). SPSS v.21.0 was used to carry out the descriptive and frequency analysis of socio-demographic information collected by the Child File Summary Form designed for this study. There are 212 non-kinship foster care children who have visits with their birth family. Their mean age is 8.09 years old (SD= 4.73). The more frequent types of foster care are both long-term and short-term placement (30.7%, respectively), followed by specialized long-term foster care (20.3%), urgency placement (10.8%) and specialized short-term foster care (7.5%). The period of time they have been into the Child Protection System is on average 4.08 years (SD= 3.88) and into the current placement is on average 2.53 (SD= 2.95). Thus, 44.8% of foster children were in residential care and 30.2% were in previous foster care. The latter could have been with the current foster care family. Also, 41.0% of foster children were placed at least with one sibling. It is important to know the features of foster children in order to apply the main principle of “the best interests of the child” to the whole decision-making process about the child’s protection and welfare. In our project, these decisions concern foster care placement and birth family contact to maintain and strengthen family affective bonds and child’s identity formation. Our findings contribute to develop: (a) initiatives to improve children’s well-being; (b) support and social resources required by families; and (c) socio-educative tools for the social workers.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Features of birth families with foster children in Andalusia

The aim of the presentation is to describe the personal features of biological families whose children are in non-kinship foster care and with whom they have face-to-face contact in Málaga, Granada and Jaén (provinces of Andalusia, Spain). This study was funded by the research project Application of a psychoeducational intervention program to improve visits between foster children and their biological families (Reference EDU2016 77094-P). SPSS v.21.0 was used to carry out the descriptive and frequency analysis of socio-demographic information collected by the Child File Summary Form designed for this study. The results show the difficulties experienced by birth families to deal with the responsibility of parenthood. There is a high percentage of unemployment (54.5% mothers, 46.4% fathers), and a low level of education (61.7% uneducated mothers, 68.8% uneducated fathers). Furthermore, it is necessary to consider their diverse personal problems which undermine their competences to bring up and educate their children: substance abuse, mental health issues, mental disability and prison. Finally, the lack of relation between Social Services and birth families is highlighted. Knowing the circumstances of families at psychosocial risk permits to develop social policies that match with their specific necessities, by providing them the support and resources required, in line with Recommendation Rec(2006)19 of the Committee of Ministers to member states. Moreover, children and families’ rights have to be respected, such as their right to have contact to maintain and strengthen their affective bonds as part of their identity. These findings will contribute to design: (a) family intervention programs which allow parents to acquire the necessary parental skills; (b) support and educational tools for the social workers; and (c) projects to contribute to children’s well-being.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Números mapuches en el currículo de la lengua mapuzugun en la educación básica chilena

Este artículo da cuenta de uno de los aspectos tratados en nuestra investigación en desarrollo sobre la Matemática del pueblo Mapuche en Chile, específicamente, la aritmética Mapuche. Con el objetivo de analizar las prácticas matemáticas implícitas en el Programa de Estudio de Lengua Mapunzugun, contemplamos la descripción morfosintáctica y el análisis de la estructura morfo-matemática, de los números en castellano y mapunzugun. Nuestro análisis se centra en los conflictos semióticos que supone un aprendizaje descontextualizado que no considera el conocimiento matemático de origen del estudiante mapuche presente en sus prácticas matemáticas cotidianas. Los principales resultados dan cuenta de la existencia de la aritmética mapuche reconocida por la institucionalidad y las potencialidades educativas de la numeración en mapunzugun. Concluimos este estudio con una reflexión crítica sobre el complejo escenario del proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje de la matemática escolar en contexto mapuche, la que evidencia la necesidad de articular dos saberes matemáticos que confluyen en el aula de matemática en los primeros niveles de la educación obligatoria. Al mismo tiempo, planteamos preguntas abiertas a futuras investigaciones desde la didáctica de las matemáticas, que requieren herramientas teóricas que permitan diseñar propuestas didácticas para una adecuada articulación entre la matemática escolar y la matemática mapuche

Propuestas de las familias acogedoras para mejorar las visitas entre los acogidos y sus familias biológicas

El objetivo general de este estudio es mejorar el funcionamiento de las visitas que mantienen los niños acogidos con su familia biológica. Para ello se pretende conocer, a través de un Grupo Focal, la opinión de las familias acogedoras. Los participantes en el Grupo Focal fueron 8 familias acogedoras de diferentes asociaciones de acogimiento familiar en Andalucía (España). Este estudio forma parte de un proyecto de investigación (SEJ-7106) sobre las visitas que mantienen los niños acogidos con su familia biológica. Se obtuvo la autorización por escrito del Servicio de Protección de Menores (SPM), las Asociaciones, y las familias acogedoras para participar en el grupo focal y grabar las sesiones. Para analizar los datos se transcribió la grabación del Grupo Focal y la información fue exportada al programa ATLAS.ti v7.0 software. Se utilizó un método inductivo de código abierto para identificar las respuestas de cada participante. Los resultados mostraron los aspectos positivos, las dificultades, y las propuestas para mejorar el funcionamiento de las visitas. Las conclusiones señalan los siguientes aspectos de mejora: ofrecer mayor información, preparación y apoyo a los niños, la familia biológica y la familia acogedora, mayor colaboración entre la familia biológica y la acogedora, mejorar el lugar donde se realizan las visitas, diversificar el tipo de contactos, adaptar la frecuencia y duración de las visitas a cada caso, tener en cuenta el deseo del niño al establecer las visitas, tener más personal y mayor financiación, y adaptar más las visitas a las necesidades específicas de cada niño.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Foster care profiles: A guide to identifying at-risk placements

Research on foster care shows a growing interest in knowing what factors exert influence on success or failure of the placements. Several studies have analysed the variables that influence the outcome of family foster care. The main variables addressed by these studies were behaviour problems and impulsivity/inattention in foster children, warmth/communication, parenting style, and level of burden in the foster parents. This study aimed to determine whether distinct profiles can be identified among foster placements with common characteristics, and also sought to define a predictive function for the success or failure of foster care. Participants included foster children and their respective foster families. The sample comprised 104 non-kinship foster children in long-term foster care (56 boys and 48 girls) whose mean age at the time of data collection was 11 years. These children were being fostered in 86 families, corresponding to 71 foster fathers and 86 foster mothers. Access to foster families and information about the foster placements was authorized and provided by the Child Protection Agency in Andalusia (Spain). A quantitative methodology was used during both the collection and the data analysis. A k-means cluster analysis identified three clusters, corresponding to high-, moderate-, and low-risk placements. The variables that formed part of these clusters were behaviour problems and impulsivity/inattention in foster children, level of burden in the foster parents, an authoritarian parenting style, and criticism/rejection by the foster parents. A discriminant analysis confirmed the differences between the three clusters and enabled us to create a function for classifying cases in each group. These results can be used to identify at-risk placements and may help to avoid situations that could undermine the foster child’s development. The findings could also be useful in terms of assessing the suitability of foster families, as well for identifying their training needs.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Programa de preparación de las familias biológicas y acogedoras para mejorar la calidad de las visitas

Tras la trayectoria del grupo de investigación en acogimiento familiar, se pone de manifiesto la necesidad de mejorar la calidad de las visitas entre los niños en acogimiento con familia ajena y su familia biológica. En concreto, se pretende diseñar y aplicar un programa de intervención psicoeducativa de preparación y apoyo dirigido a las familias biológicas y las familias acogedoras. Este trabajo forma parte de un Proyecto de Excelencia I+D (EDU2016 77094-P), financiado por el Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, titulado "Aplicación de un programa de intervención psicoeducativa para mejorar las visitas entre los niños acogidos y sus familias biológicas". Los participantes en el estudio son: a) las familias biológicas que mantienen contactos con los niños que se encuentran en acogimiento con familia ajena; b) las familias acogedoras de dichos menores, y c) los técnicos responsables de la supervisión de las visitas. Se realizará un diseño pretest-intervención-postest y la intervención se desarrollará en 7 sesiones de forma consecutiva, con la periodicidad que establezca el régimen de contactos de cada familia. Esta intervención consiste en una propuesta sistemática y organizada que establece de forma secuencial los principales contenidos a tratar en la preparación de las visitas. Algunas de las temáticas a abordar con las familias biológicas son aprender a transmitir mensajes adecuados a los niños, proponer los tipos de regalos y juguetes que pueden llevar a las visitas, entrenarles en habilidades específicas de comunicación, entre otras. En el caso de las familias acogedoras se pretende mostrar la importancia de preparar al niño acogido para las visitas con su familia biológica, comprender y ayudar a los niños acogidos a expresar las emociones que les producen los contactos con sus familiares, analizar las posibles dificultades que puedan provocar las visitas en el desarrollo de la vida familiar de los acogedores, etc