Children’s satisfaction with institutional and foster care quality in Lithuania Dalija Snieškienė,Ilona Tamutienė Jadvyga Mikalauskaitė, VMU World Social Work Day - Cardiff event - Dignity and Worth of Peoples,

Greeting on World Social Work Day from Lithuania ‘Promoting the Dignity and Worth of Peoples’: –Upholding Human rights; –Respecting voices. Valuing diversity; –Respectful Communities. Sustainable future; –Freeing silent voices; –Social workers for human dignity;

Problem and goal Research showed that child care in a large institution negatively affects child development. Recognising this all progressive countries try to change the structure of substitute child care in the best interests of the child. The voices of children are a good instrument in evaluating their care quality in different forms of care in the developing country Lithuania.

Methodology of research 765 children participated: 342 from institutions and 424 from foster families. SPSS systematic sampling from all regions of Lithuania age from 7 – 18 from 25 municipalities of Lithuania in both rural areas and cities. Ethics: tripartite written agreements: child, family or institution and researcher. Measurement: questionnaire as requested by the administrator of the project, based on “Scottish child care standard and satisfaction” form. Specific to Lithuanian context questions about sneering and stigmatization were added. Data collected: January – April 2014

Structure of substitute child care in Lithuania (2013) Structure of substitute child care in Lithuania (2013) In family care – 5906 (58.21%)children in care; in 4628 families, of which 1400 – foster care; (10 – 17 year) In social families – 419 (4.13 %)of children in care; In institutions –3821 (37.66%) of children in care.

Place of children care in the research Non related family care NGO residential home Social family Related family care State/municipality residential home

Child care meanings by index in accordance with care form Name of index Form of care Mean Standard deviation MinMaxp Chronb ach alpha General child care quality index Institution85,4412, ,000 0,916 Family93,378,999 Carers’ ethics and empathy index Institution49,907, ,000 0,878 Family54,405,745 Children’s privacy security index Institution11,483, ,000 0,713 Family12,782,49 Count of administration to child attitude index* Institution Family 8,18 8,37 2,610 2, ,342 0,828

Children’s wishes, if they could choose other to live in foster family to be adopted to live in institution family institution to live with parents other to live in institution to be adopted to live in foster family to live with parents

Child’s experience of sneering by place of care neveralwaysoftenseldom family institution

If another child needed a substitute care place, I would suggest the place were I stay: neveralwaysoftenseldom family institution

Why do you not recommend your place of care to others? Institutional care : –Educators are not kind, defame, earwig children; –Other children drunk and smoking; –There is dangerous place; –They do not let see parents; –They are punishing us and sending to psychiatric hospitals; –Elders abuse us; –We do not get food in the schools; –There you can get emotional humiliation; –Situation is getting worse; –There is very bad to live, children sneering and nobody pays attention Family care I do not like that live to my grandmother not my family member; I would like to live only with my brothers and sisters; They are only my grandparents; My parents have a child now and they do not need any more; I would be envious if there would be a stranger child; I do not like another child to know, that I lived in a children’s home and start sneering; I am afraid that another child will abuse me and take my toys; I do not have a separate room and my brother abuses me; My carers sometimes are very angry; There is very little space, there are many of us My grandmother is very old

Different rooms in institutions

Thank you very much for your attention : ) You are welcome to ask questions or comment.