Out-of-home Care and Adoption

Code:

MTP12

Acronym:

AA

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Psychology

Instance: 2021/2022 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Web Page:	http://https://sigarra.up.pt/fpceup/pt/ucurr_geral.ficha_uc_view?pv_ocorrencia_id=407593
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Psychology Themes

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MTP	7	Official Curricular Structure	1	-	6	54	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

This CU aims to prepare students for intervention in out-of-home care and adoption.

Students should be able to:

1. Understand the law for the protection of children and youth in danger, and specially the measures for placement out of  family (foster and residential care) and adoption;

2. Understand the impact of historical and cultural factors on the protection system and acknowledge the ethical guidelines for intervention in the area; 

3. Be familiar with the main theoretical models and the results of recent empirical research, both national and international, about family foster and residential care and adoption;

4. Identify indicators of quality of child care both in institutional and family contexts;

5. Acknowledge positive evidence based practices with children and youngsters in care

6. Intervene in the different moments of the adoption process, from the evaluation of competences and adoptive parenting preparation of prospective adopters to the attendance and specialized intervention after child placement and post-adoption.

7. Understand the specificities of the developmental process and the typical life story of the adoptable children, identify the children’s needs and characteristics and to intervene in the adoption process, from the preparation for adoption to the placement within the family in relation to the specific needs which may arise  in the adoptee’s developmental process.   

Learning outcomes and competences

The learning outcomes of this CU should be:

- Mastery of the Portuguese law for the protection of children and youngsters at risk and ethical requirements.

- Mastery of theoretical models and recent research results related to adoption, foster, and residential care, both national and international.

- Mastery of intervention skills in the child protection field, namely, in the decision-making process, adoption, foster and residential care.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. The Portuguese Law for protection of children and youngsters at risk. Law nº 147/99 and subsequent revisions. Decision-making process in Child Protetion. Defining permanency plans.

1. Out-of-family placement measures: family foster and residential care. Institutional analysis of residential care placements. Portuguese statistics. Historical overview and future prospects. Quality of residential care. Quality considered as the appropriateness between care centre services and children’s needs and characteristics. Intervention models and good practices. Trauma-informed residential care

1. Research review of residential care experiences and its impact on the development and wellbeing of children and youth in care. Risk and protection factors.  Research results on professional practices and policy making.

1. Adoption research review. Adoption as “natural experience” allowing for the study of atypical developmental pathways and as “successful natural intervention” allowing for developmental recovery.

1. Life span of the adoptive family – identification of needs and developmental tasks. Developmental specificities of the adoptee: developmental recovery; attachment to the adoptive parents; identity formation; emotional and social (in)competence.

1. Adoptive parenting: parenting commonalities and adoption specificities. Communication within the family about adoption and the child’s past – research review. Intervention on communication within and out of the family about adoption and the past. Theoretical models and strategies of intervention within the family, school and other life contexts of the adoptee.

1. Transition to filiation by adoption. Characteristics and needs of the child to be adopted. The child’s preparation for adoption. Theoretical models and intervention programmes.

1. Psychological intervention throughout the adoption process: forms and context.

Mandatory literature

Brodzinsky, D.M. & Palacios, J. ; Psychological issues in adoption: Research and practice., Westport: Praeger, 2005
Pösö, T., Skivenes, M., & Thoburn, J. ; Adoption from Care. International Perspectives on Children’s Rights, Family Preservation and State Intervention, Bristol University Press, 2021. ISBN: 978- 1- 4473- 5103- 0
Brodzinsky David M. 340; The^psychology of adoption. ISBN: 0-19-504892-X
Amoros, P.M. & Palacios, J. ; Acogimiento familiar, Madrid: Alianza Editorial, 2004
Del Valle, J. & Fuertes, J. ; El Acogimiento residencial en la protección a la infancia, Piramide, 2000
G. Hann & C. Fertleman; The Child Protection Practice Manual, Oxford University Press, 2016. ISBN: 78–0–19–870770–7
Mccall, R., Van Ijzendoorn, M. Juffer. F., Groark, C. & Groza, V. ; Children without permanent parents: Research, practice, and policy .Monographs of the SRCD, 76 (4)., 2011
Wrobel, G.M. & Neil, E.; International advances in adoption research for practice. , Wiley-Blackwell, 2009
LOIZAGA, FELIX LATORRE ; ADOPCION HOY: NUEVOS DESAFIOS, NUEVAS ESTRATEGIAS, MENSAJERO, 2010. ISBN: 9788427131422

Teaching methods and learning activities

Teaching methodologies include:

- lectures

- In class debates on specific topics as well as reflective projects on research review  

- Hands-on activities in which students acquire specifics skills to intervene in adoption and residential care contexts

- Observation of professional practices  in the field.

keywords

Social sciences > Psychological sciences > Psychology

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Exame	60,00
Participação presencial	10,00
Trabalho escrito	30,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

designation	Time (hours)
Estudo autónomo	50,00
Frequência das aulas	54,00
Trabalho de campo	30,00
Trabalho escrito	28,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Compulsory according to FPCEUP rules available at

 http://sigarra.up.pt/fpceup/LEGISLACAO_GERAL.ver_legislacao?p_nr=245.

Calculation formula of final grade

 Evaluation includes final exam (60%), in class participation (10%) and presentation of writen report (30%).

The in-class participation is evaluated through specific in-class work. 

Classification improvement

Improvement of result only by means of final exam (ponderation 60%).