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Professional paper

EXPERTS’ PERCEPTION OF FATHERS IN IMPLEMENTATION OF SUPERVISION OF PARENTAL CARE

Branka Sladović Franz orcid id orcid.org/0000-0002-3091-022X ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law, Department of Social Work, Zagreb, Croatia
Vanja Branica orcid id orcid.org/0000-0001-5184-6645 ; University of Zagreb, Faculty of Law, Department of Social Work, Zagreb, Croatia


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Abstract

Optimal development of a child requires an active role and participation of a mother and a father in the parental care, thus benefiting the child. The literature on child-rearing and care increasingly emphasises the importance of a child’s attachment to both parents. Greater attention is also paid to fathers and their role in the family life and the so-called “involved” fathers sharing activities and responsibilities with mothers for the child’s benefit. But, when referring to children whose development in a family is threatened, social welfare is still very much focused on mothers and their obligations in child care. Therefore, the documentation referring to 16 families that were included in the measure of Supervision over parental care is analysed in order to gain insight in the way the experts in Croatia perceive fathers and what they expect from them during the measure’s implementation. It has been concluded that experts describe fathers’ advantages and risk factors in the following categories: personal characteristics and behaviour, relationship to children, cooperation in supervision implementation. Work plans and programmes usually provide descriptions of parents’ obligations without specifying the roles of fathers and mothers. If specific tasks for fathers are named, they refer to alcohol abstinence, greater involvement in the parental role and improving personal organization skills. Obtained results indicate the need for discussion and improving practice of social care for children with reference to the wide range of roles and possibilities for fathers, estimating their risk factors and advantages and their involvement in interventions.

Keywords

experts' perception; fathers; supervision of parental care

Hrčak ID:

52511

URI

https://hrcak.srce.hr/52511

Publication date:

10.5.2010.

Article data in other languages: croatian

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