Annual of social work, Vol. 14 No. 1, 2007.
Review article
THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ATTACHMENT THEORY FOR CONCEPTUALISING PUBLICH CHILD WELFARE
Marina Ajduković
Klaudija Kregar Orešković
Maja Laklija
Abstract
Although the attachment theory is considered to be one of the basic theoretical foundations in conceptualising public child welfare in most modern societies, its significance and impact in the conceptualisation practice in Croatia is still a minor one. The reasons for this can be found in the time and circumstances that Croatia was in at the time when this theory emerged and was realised in the practices of other countries, such as Great Britain and Sweden, and which were unfavourable for the advancement of public child welfare in our country.
However, today when we are faced with the demands for a reform of the social welfare system, including the child welfare system, the realisation that stem from the attachment theory are unavoidable part of the knowledge, further avoidance of which in practical and professional activity would be unethical, to say the least. Therefore this paper serves a double purpose. First, the paper presents recent research studies that result from the attachment theory, and which are significant for the public child welfare. It also analyses the repercussions of the results of these research studies on the conceptualisation of the public child welfare practice, from risk and family resources assessment, planning and implementing early interventions in the families at risk to planning of short-term and long-term placement of children separated from their families. The paper pays special attention to the repercussions that the attachment theory findings have on fostering and its development and improvement, regarding it as the best way of care for the children separated from their families. Finally, the paper offers a realistic outline of the professional work based on the acceptance of the attachment theory in case of parents deprived of the right to live with their children.
Keywords
attachment theory; public child welfare; safe and unsafe attachment; psychosocial work with the children and families; fostering
Hrčak ID:
11495
URI
Publication date:
1.4.2007.
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