Further training of GIMK programme

For foster parents (guardians), carers on call, adoptive parents, the staff members of the Community Foster Home.

The Further training for carers on call, foster parents (guardians), adoptive parents and the individuals who work with children in the Community Foster Home. The main idea of this programme: encouraging continuous development and learning as well as sharing of common experiences among individuals in order to meet the needs of the children who are looked after, children in foster care (children under guardianship) or adopted children by giving as much attention to quality as possible. This programme aims to help individuals overcome difficulties and to support them.

The Further training programme consists of nine parts. Individuals are not obliged to attend all of the further training sessions. The individuals certificated by the Service organise the groups of the further training in a way which best suits the wishes and needs of the participants.

The parts of the further training:

Perception and evaluation of self-esteem.

Formation of self-esteem and perception of behavioural significance.

Encouraging positive behaviour.

Encouraging responsibility for oneself.

Responding to challenges.

Issues of sex education.

Helping children who have allegedly suffered sexual abuse.

Maintaining relations between the child and his or her family.

The effects of custody and adoption on the family.

The following topics are examined during the Further training:

Part I. PERCEPTION AND EVALUATION OF SELF-ESTEEM

The objectives of learning:

1.    To enhance the participants' understanding of self-awareness and the feeling of self-esteem.

2.    To discuss the factors influencing the child's feeling of self-esteem.

3.    To deepen the knowledge of the participants why the children who require custody (care) in foster family tend to have a low sense of self-esteem.

4.    To present the conditions that are necessary for the formation of the child‘s self-esteem.

5.    To develop the participants‘ competences to evaluate the child's feeling of self-esteem.

Part II. FORMATION OF SELF-ESTEEM AND PERCEPTION OF BEHAVIOURAL SIGNIFICANCE

The objectives of learning:

1.    To discuss the necessary conditions for strengthening the child's self-esteem.

2.    To analyse the participants‘ resources necessary for ensuring four conditions for strengthening child‘s self-esteem.

3.    To discuss the significance of behaviour of children.

4.    To reveal the needs that motivate or trigger behaviour.

5.    To explain interconnections between the needs, conditions of self-esteem, self-awareness.

Part III. ENCOURAGING POSITIVE BEHAVIOUR

The objectives of learning:

1.   To define the term “discipline”.

2.   To encourage the use of proper methods of upbringing by maintaining a positive behaviour of the child.

3.   To evaluate the strengths and needs of knowledge, skills and personal qualities required for implementing effective disciplining.

4.   To describe how such the elements as commendations, awards, encouragements, ignoring are used to encourage a positive behaviour.

5.   To understand the influence of various factors on the choice of disciplinary method.

6.   To explain how to righteously use ignoring.

Part IV. ENCOURAGING RESPONSIBILITY FOR ONESELF

The objectives of learning:

1.    To describe various discipline techniques.

2.    To understand the relationship between satisfaction of the child's needs and behaviour.

3.    To describe the relationship between determination of expectations and promotion of self-control.

4.    To determine the methods for responding to uncontrolled behaviour of the child.

5.    To identify specific ways of changing the environment to promote self-control.

6.    To demonstrate how a statement “I (me)” should be used when interacting with children and adolescents.

7.    To show the natural and logical consequences of certain situations.

8.    To make substantive recommendations on how to use breaks.

Part V. RESPONDING TO CHALLENGES

The objectives of learning:

1. To consolidate knowledge about the use of the methods of positive behaviour promotion.

2. To consolidate knowledge about the use of the methods that promote self-control.

3. To apply effective disciplines in case of severe behaviour of the child.

4. To be able to associate the child's feelings with his or her behaviour.

5. To make it possible to demonstrate the knowledge and skills of effective upbringing by encouraging a positive behaviour of children and responding to an inappropriate behaviour of children.

6.  To be able to find the most appropriate way of dealing with problematic situation.

Part VI. ISSUES OF SEX EDUCATION

The objectives of learning:

1. To describe how the attitude and values of foster parent (guardians) related to sex life influence his or her ability to respond to the sexual development of the child in foster care (child under guardianship).

2.  To describe a normal development of sexual behaviour of pre-school child, latent child and adolescent.

3.  To list three features that describe the differences between a normal sexual behaviour of children and adolescents and symptomatic sexual behaviour by providing the examples of the latter behaviour which is typical among the children of various ages.

4.  In order to facilitate the development of regular sexual values, attitude and behaviour to describe behaviour that is shown as an example to the children in foster care (children under guardianship).

5. To provide a logical explanation and two methods that can be used by foster parents (guardians) when talking with the children about sexuality, privacy and personal rights related to gender issues.

Part VII. HELPING CHILDREN WHO HAVE ALLEGEDLY SUFFERED SEXUAL ABUSE

1. Identification of sexual abuse (session 1);

2. Response of problems related to sexual abuse (session 2).

When introducing this topic it is very important to know a content of the sixth part “Issues of sex education”. It is advisable that the managers have experience in delivering workshops of the said topic. The topic of this part is emotionally hard. Both managers should know their own feelings, attitude and values concerning the said topic. They should help foster parents (guardians) to manage their strong feelings towards the children and the people who hurt them. The foster parent (guardian) or adoptive parent who introduces this topic must have experience in fostering (caretaking) the children who suffered sexual abuse. It would be also desirable that the managers have practical knowledge about psychotherapeutic paternity and experiences related to the dynamics of sexual abuse and the means used.

VIII dalis. MAINTAINING RELATIONS BETWEEN THE CHILD AND HIS OR HER FAMILY

Three sessions of part eight are aimed at helping foster parents (guardians) to perceive the importance of the relations between the child and his or her biological family, to deepen their skills and competences in support of the relations between the child and his or her family, to familiarise the participants with the ways to share the role of paternity and to help the biological parents.

1. Respect for and support of the relations between the child and his or her natural family (session 1). The first session is intended to discuss about how to come to terms with the differences between the children, their biological families or the families of foster parents (guardians), how to show respect for the child‘s culture, traditions and the things that are common to him or her. The session is also intended to discuss the methods of helping the children to settle the conflicts of affection and loyalty, and the problems related to the siblings, parents, relatives and friends of the child in custody.

2. Support of the meetings of the child and his or her biological family (session 2). During the second session the greatest degree of attention is focused on the relations between the child and his or her family as well as the importance and ways of maintaining such relations. The goals of the meetings of or other interaction between the child and the biological family also the place, frequency and duration of the meetings are discussed. The participants learn how to prepare the child for the meeting with the biological family, to support him or her during the meeting and afterwards, and how to maintain other contacts with the biological family of the child.

3. Partnership in sharing parental responsibilities (session 3). The third session is intended to discuss the concept of parental partners. After the participants are presented with the steps of establishment of partnership they learn about the skills that are necessary to implement the said concept. The ways to share the parental role and to help the biological families are discussed.

Part IX. THE EFFECTS OF CUSTODY AND ADOPTION ON THE FAMILY

The objectives of learning:

1. To describe three main areas where custody (care) or adoption of a child has an effect on the family.

2. To learn how custody (care) and adoption of a child can affect the relations in the family and how to reduce stress that can arise from the fact that the child has joined the family.

3. To explain how to strengthen and maintain the marital relations, the parent-child relations and the relations between siblings in own family when raising the child in own family that is treated as foster family (child under guardianship) or the adopted child.

4. To describe five steps that will help to cope with the influence of custody (care) and adoption on the functioning of the family.

5. To describe the ways to strengthen and maintain marital relations and the relations between the parents and the children when the family fosters (takes care for) a child.

6. To explain the influence of custody (care) and adoption on the family relations with the extended family, friends and community