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CHILDREN WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDSACCOMODATED IN FOSTER FAMILIES IN THEREPUBLIC OF MACEDONIA
Authors: Natasha STANOJKOVSKA-TRAJKOVSKA
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The Macedonian Law of Social Protection provides assistance for children without parents and parental care through non-institutional care by offering accommodation in foster families, whether it is for children belonging to the wider population or for children with special educational needs. When it comes to children with special educational needs, we would not be able to base the research only on individual monitoring, but inevitably extract information directly from the caregivers and the centres for social work. That is why the subject of this master thesis is children with special educational needs placed in foster families in the Republic of Macedonia and the foster families as well. The master thesis is presented in 156 pages. It consists of five parts: theoretical foundations, research methodology, results of the research and discussion, conclusions and proposed measures. In the proceedings, the used literature is listed and at the very end the articles are given.
The first part of the thesis, named “theoretical base,” is an overview of several groups of issues. The research problem is defined, a definition of the term “persons with disabilities” is given as well the attention to each group separately. Furthermore, on a theoretical basis, the development of protection and rehabilitation is illustrated, primarily in regards to institutional care, with an emphasis on the process of deinstitutionalization and the development of non-institutional protection in Macedonia. As a result of these two processes, foster families have emerged whom are given special attention in this research. At the very end of this section experiences of other countries are presented, mainly neighbouring ones.
The research section presents the methodology and defines the subject, goals, objectives, hypothesis, variables, methods, techniques and instruments, population and sample, statistical data processing and organization and the course of the research. The sample was composed of representatives from teams who work directly on the process of accommodation in foster families in the centres for social work in Kochani, Kriva Palanka, Skopje, Prilep, Krushevo, Makedonski Brod, Ohrid, Veles, as well as foster families from these communities. Respondents are 18 experts from the above centres for social work with different profiles of expertise (social workers, pedagogues and psychologists). Seventy-one care providers are surveyed who gave information on 107 children with special educational needs placed in foster families.
The main goal of this research is to analyze the current state of this form of care, the development of a network of foster families for children with special educational needs in the territory of Macedonia. The opportunities for the development and improvement of foster care should receive recognition and facilitate greater use, improving the quality of life for children under its protection.
The data was collected using questionnaires designed for professionals from centres for social work and caregivers belonging to foster families who accommodate children with special educational needs. Meetings with the professionals and caregivers were recorded as well as their comments regarding the issues that answer the question in the hypotheses. The interviews also helped to better display the state of accommodations for children with special educational needs in foster families’ homes. The most relevant comments are given in the part presenting the results. The collected data is grouped and presented in tables. The situation of caregiving for children with special educational needs in the Republic of Macedonia is presented descriptively and accompanied by frequent responses to the questionnaires.
The third part presents the results of the research, with extensive commentary dominated by tables and graphs. This section shows the general data about the respondents. In the proceeding, views of the experts from the centres for social work in the included municipalities, as well as the views of the foster families were presented. This section is an analysis of the results of the foster families and the children accommodated in these families, and a positive relation toward children and an interest to accept more children is discovered. Remarks are given to some of the centres for social work, criticising their low level of interest in the children and the recommendation for more attention to the needs of the children.
In the fourth part of the thesis, verification of the hypotheses and conclusions are made.
Based on this proposal measures are offered. There are no reservations that the accommodation of children with special educational needs in foster care is a far better form of childcare compared to institutional care and therefore it needs to develop further. This form of protection is welcomed by both professionals from the centres for social work and foster caregivers. The centres for social work suggest the need for including a special educator, being an expert most competent to work in teams accommodating the children with special educational needs, as well as fulfilling the requirements for developing materials and organizing better training. In the entire territory of the Republic of Macedonia, it is necessary to organize a campaign to inform the population on the procedure of placement for this group of children in foster care institutions. The dissemination of information can be achieved through public discussions and information via media, in order for the wider public to realize how they can contribute in developing a network of foster families throughout the state. The largest percentage of current foster families have low educational and socio-economic statuses, so it is necessary to raise public awareness and to activate those with higher levels of educations and material wealth to accommodate children without parents and parental care. A large percentage of children with special educational needs who are not covered by treatment show the need for opening more day care centres. Currently, municipalities exist where the day care centres operate at full capacity and admission of new children is not allowed, but there are children whether in foster families or biological families who need to be accepted in these day care centres.