Preparing individuals to leave the institutional care from the perspective of the directors of the children's homes

Abstract

There are two models of alternative family care in the Czech Republic – foster care is the most suitable when the child grows up in a substitute family. Children who cannot be placed in families are placed in a substitute institutional care, the function of which in the Czech Republic is fulfilled by children’s homes intended for children aged 3 to 18 years. The aim of the research is to map the conditions and procedures for preparing children to leave children’s homes from the point of view of the directors of these establishments. The basic research sample consisted of 131 directors of state-run children’s homes; the selection sample included 98 directors. A questionnaire was constructed and in order to ensure a high degree of reliability of the research tool and validity of the results obtained, it was triangulated by several independent experts. The main finding based on the responses of the directors of children’s homes is the fact that preparing children for leaving institutional care is a very challenging process with uncertain success. This process is not systematically treated by the state, and significant responsibility is transferred to children’s homes and their staff. Selected children’s homes have their own strategy for preparing children for independence and their successful integration in society; others consider it a continuous process in the context of regular childhood education. Many children’s homes use cooperation with selected non-profit organizations to focus systematically on children leaving these establishments.