Development of social skills of children in permanent care

Abstract

Rapid societal changes demand effective adaptation and social functioning. Social skills are crucial for navigating interactions, achieving success, and meeting social needs. For children in care, developing these skills is vital for their inclusion and independence. Research shows that children in institutional care often lack social skills, hindering their inclusion, well-being, and autonomy. This project aims to reveal the socio-educational prerequisites for the development of social skills in children in different forms of permanent care, including family care, foster family care and community care homes. Objectives: 1. To identify the specificities of children's social skills development in community children’s care homes based on the experiences of professionals working with children in care. 2. To reveal the development of children's social skills in guardianship (care) in a family on the experience of foster carers. 3. To reveal the development of children's social skills in guardianship (care) in a foster family on the experience of foster carers. 4. To highlight the development of children's social skills in community children’s care homes based on the experience of children. 5. To reveal the development of children's social skills in guardianship (care) in the family based on the experience of children. 6. To reveal the development of children's social skills in guardianship (care) in a foster family based on the experience of children. The project will utilize qualitative research methods, including semi-structured interviews with foster carers and professionals, and semi-structured interviews with children guardianship (care) in a family and with children in guardianship (care) in a foster family and focus group with children in community children’s care homes. Data will be analysed using content analysis.