The study focused on the increase in maladaptation of foster care children resulted from the change of government policy. The government changed the policy concerning needy children to concentrateon foster care that initiated from the reform of child ...
The study focused on the increase in maladaptation of foster care children resulted from the change of government policy. The government changed the policy concerning needy children to concentrateon foster care that initiated from the reform of child welfare law in 2000 to foster care support center foundation and management in 17 cities in 2003.
The subjects in the study were 221 foster care children registered for foster care support center around Daegu and Gyeongbuk. The study examined correlationsbetween ego resiliency and school adaptation of foster care children. And it also investigated and analyzed the effects of personal characteristics, family characteristics and social characteristics of foster care children to ego resiliency. The analysis was based on health, school records, temperament and self-efficacy for personal characteristics, the characteristics of original family and foster family for family characteristics and social support for social characteristics. Results after the discussions are as followed.
First of all, because the school adaptation level for foster care children is relatively high, it can be concluded that the ego resiliency which children experience is not always negative. Relatively high levels of the temperament, self-efficacy, relationship with original family, relationship with foster family and social support showed that the experience is somewhat positive.
Second, school adaptation and ego resiliency of foster care children revealed positive correlationsso it can be said that higher ego resiliency leads to better school adaptation.
Third, the analysis of the difference in ego resiliency based on personal characteristics of foster care children showed high resilience in children with better school records, stable temperament, active and sociable personality, high self-efficacy.
Fourth, the analysis of the difference in ego resiliency based on family characteristics offoster care children showed that the relationship with birth parents in original family effects ego resiliency. Therelationship with foster parents (guardian) in current foster family was also shown to have significant effects on ego resiliency.
Fifth, the analysis of the difference in ego resiliency based on social characteristics of foster care children showed that the children with higher social support had high ego resiliency.
Sixth, with the regression analysis of personal, familial, social characteristics that effect ego resiliency, higher ego resiliency was shown when the foster care children had good relationship with foster parents, high self-efficacy, sociable personality, and social support. Social support was the biggest factor among them.
Seventh, ego resiliency partially mediates between temperament, self-efficacy, relationship with foster family, social support and school adaptation that has continuous effects.
Based on the results above, the means to improve temperament, self-efficacy, relationship with foster parents, social support that have a significant role in school adaptation for the improvement of ego resiliency are as followed.
First, it will be necessary for family support services and foster parent counseling in order to provide support from the foster home that the foster care child can emotionally and psychologically rely on for the stable and positive temperament of the child.
Second, it is essential to provide student counseling in the aspect of school welfare policyfor the improvement of peer relationship to improve self-efficacy of the child.
Third, counseling support service for the foster care child to improve self-efficacy and positive self awareness will be required.
Fourth, political support should be made to develop and apply programs of family therapy and counseling in order to reinforce the family relationship in the foster care family. It should also support the child's return to the original family and improvement of the environments in foster care home
Fifth, the intervention of mentoring programs based on foster care support center and local welfare centers to reinforce social support of foster care child is important. Roles of Local residents and school teachers would be crucial for it.
Sixth, the mutual cooperation between local community, foster home and the school is necessary to promote the ego resiliency of foster care children. Continuous exchange and networking between them would also be necessary to achieve the goal.
Seventh, developing ego resiliency improvement training program is needed for the adaptation in the school and society of the foster care children.