Intervention in Contexts of Child Care and Adoption

Code:

PEDH11

Acronym:

ICAA

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
CNAEF	Psychology

Instance: 2022/2023 - 2S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Psychology
Course/CS Responsible:	Master Degree in Psychology

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MPSIC	18	Plano de Estudos 2021	1	-	6	54	162

Teaching language

Suitable for English-speaking students

Objectives

At the end of this UC students should know:

1. The characteristics of the contexts of child care and adoption present in the Portuguese system of promotion and protection, family foster care, residential care, specialized care, adoption;
2. Theoretical models and the empirical research that validates the intervention in contexts of child care and adoption;
3. Evidence-based or evidence-informed programs of intervention in child care contexts, namely in terms of decision making and definition of life projects; preparing and monitoring transitions, promoting development, well-being and psychological adjustment of children and young people, responding to the specific needs of children in care; qualification of practices in child protection;
4. Evidence based or evidence informed programs of intervention in adoption, aimed for adoptees, adopters, prospective adopters and qualification of professional practices. 

Learning outcomes and competences

At the end of this course, students should be able to
1. Act in the system of promotion of the rights and child protection, knowing how to theoretically base this action;
2. Apply and validate the application of specific intervention programs for acting in protection contexts
3. Coordinate their work with other professionals from other disciplines who also work in the welfares and child protection system;
4. Have a trauma-informed approach underlying their intervention.

Working method

Presencial

Program

1. The bioecological model revisited: Micro, meso, exo, macro and chrono child protection systems 2. Attachment, trauma and resilience. Impact of early adversity on the development of children who navigate the protection system 3. Decision making and definition of life projects. Risk /danger assessment instruments 4. Family foster care: characteristics and needs. Preparation/qualification programs for foster carers. Intervention with the fostered child and the adult carers. The child’s birth family 5. Residential Care (RC): Characteristics and needs. Standards and quality assessment systems in RC. RC intervention programs: life history, transitions. Professional practices guided by the child's rights. Therapeutic and specialized RC 6. Adoption: Specific needs of adoptees and adopters. Adoptive parenting preparation/qualification programs. Specific adoption challenges

Mandatory literature

Brodzinsky, D.M. & Palacios, J. ; Psychological issues in adoption: Research and practice, Praeger, 205. ISBN: 9780275979706
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
G. Hann & C. Fertleman; The Child Protection Practice Manual, Oxford University Press, 2016. ISBN: 978–0–19–870770–7
Jill Duerr Berrick; The impossible imperative: Navigating the competing principles of Child Protection, Oxford University Press, 2018. ISBN: 978-0-19-067814-2
Schofield, G., & Beek, Mary; Attachment handbook for foster care and adoption, BAAF, 2013. ISBN: 978-1-903699-96-6

Comments from the literature

Other compulsory readings will be suggested throughout the classes of articles from indexed scientific journals

Teaching methods and learning activities

Teaching methods are different depending on the type of the course. Theoretical courses use the expository method. Practical classes include the performance of experiential activities by the students, whether analyzing and experimenting intervention tools, whether training in a simulation situation or role play of an intervention strategy, or through viewing films to analyze critical behaviors .

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

designation	Weight (%)
Participação presencial	25,00
Exame	75,00
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	28,00
Apresentação/discussão de um trabalho científico	30,00
Total:	162,00

Eligibility for exams

Compulsory, according to the Regulation of the principles to be observed in the evaluation of the FPCEUP students

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

Calculation formula of final grade

The evaluation includes a final exam of knowledge acquisition (75%) and is distributed throughout the semester evaluated through the class participation (25%), which include the performance of short presentations to complement the teacher's theoretical presentation.