Acolhimento familiar

: conhecimentos e perceções

Abstract

In September 2015, the Portuguese Law on the Protection of Children and Young People in Danger, assumed a preference of foster family care over residential care, especially in children up to the age of 6, removed from parental custody. This legislative change inspired the present study, whose objective was to understand the knowledge and perceptions of the general public about family foster care. Family Foster Care Perceptions Questionnaire was administered to 270 participants, aged between 19 and 65 years old. The main results show little knowledge of the participants about the reality of foster care and a predominance of perceptions of positive effects in relation to risks associated with family foster care. Motivations that primarily benefit the child are identified as main motivations to foster, whereas barriers are related to professional reasons. Participants are mostly available to host a child.

Date of Award	17 Jul 2017
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Mariana Negrão (Supervisor)