Closer to children and families : benefits and costs of improvements to children's residential care in Slovakia
Hargašová, Lucia (2019) Closer to children and families : benefits and costs of improvements to children's residential care in Slovakia. Scottish Journal of Residential Child Care, 18 (2). ISSN 1478-1840
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Abstract
The purpose of the paper is to describe the transformation of the Slovak residential care system over the last two to three decades. The goal is to analyse the benefits and costs of the most important changes in light of the political, theoretical and ideological shifts. The residential care system for children in Slovakia has improved significantly in many respects. Children's homes have been transformed from large facilities into smaller units; and children under the age of six can only be placed in foster families or family care. Children's rights have been implemented through care policies, and there has been gradual recognition of the need to address the difficulties faced by birth families. Many decisions in policy and practice have been underpinned by a pro-family orientation and concepts such as attachment theory. Nonetheless, the process of pursuing better quality care and of building a system that meets international quality criteria has been followed by collateral shifts. Re-education, diagnostic and specialist facilities have not been the primary focus. The labelling of children in care as problematic and a derogatory discourse about Roma children has persisted to a significant extent. With the facilities no longer being under the direct control of the state administration and the education and health ministries, some of their psychological and pedagogical experience and knowledge has been lost.
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Item type: Article ID code: 84463 Dates: DateEvent4 June 2019PublishedSubjects: Social Sciences > Social pathology. Social and public welfare > Social service. Social work. Charity organization and practice Department: Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HaSS) > Social Work and Social Policy > Centre for Excellence for Children's Care and Protection (CELCIS) Depositing user: Pure Administrator Date deposited: 01 Mar 2023 10:33 Last modified: 19 Dec 2024 01:32 Related URLs: URI: https://strathprints.strath.ac.uk/id/eprint/84463