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Adoption courses. Foster Parents Virtual School

Training program for persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family

Author: Kopylova Natalya Nikolaevna, teacher-psychologist, MKOU orphanage "Swallow's Nest", pos. Novovostochny
Description: the program is designed to train people who want to become substitute parents for children and orphans who find themselves without parental care for any reason. The program is designed for 14 lessons and plus an exam at the end of the course. Those who pass the exam successfully are issued a Certificate of completion of the School.
Program goal: assistance in the safe placement of orphans and children left without parental care in foster families.
Tasks:


Foster Parent School

The program "School of Foster Parents" contributes to the safe placement of orphans and children left without parental care in foster families.
The program is intended:
- for families raising one or more minor children and wishing to raise a child (including blood relatives);
- for complete families that do not have biological children and wish to take a child to raise;
-for single-parent families with the potential opportunity and desire to accept a child for upbringing in a foster family.
This material can be used by a teacher-psychologist, educator, social pedagogue.

Explanatory note

To date, one of the priority forms of placement of orphans and children left without parental care is the family form. The family is the most favorable environment for the development of a healthy personality, as it has serious advantages in the socialization of a child (teenager), introducing him to the basic universal values, moral and cultural standards of behavior.
An analysis of statistical data shows that there has been a significant increase in the number of people who want to become substitute parents, but usually people who want to take a child from an orphanage do not know the developmental features of children left without parental care. This leads to mistakes that are painful for both children and parents. Training according to a specially designed program makes it possible to inform candidates for adoptive parents about the possible difficulties of adoption, guardianship and to reconsider their decision to become substitute parents.
At present, in order to fully socialize orphans and children left without parental care, the state creates conditions for their family life. The priority direction of state support for such children is their placement in foster families. In this regard, the Federal Law of September 1, 2012 No. 351-F3 came into force in our country, which provides for the introduction of mandatory training for persons wishing to adopt a child into their family.
Therefore, the question of what is the peculiarity of the upbringing of orphans in the family, what is the difference between the upbringing of native children and children adopted for upbringing, where “sharp corners” in upbringing can arise and how can they be avoided, becomes relevant.
The adaptation of a child in a foster family is a process that is not without contradictions and problems. Violation of the mental health of children, hyperactivity, hysteria, depressive states - all this makes it difficult to communicate with the child, his education at school.
A foster parent, guardian is not always ready to respond correctly to such manifestations, sometimes he himself often provokes problems, using the wrong educational approaches to children.
The problems of raising foster children have different origins:
- psychological - difficulties in establishing constructive relationships between the child and adult family members, the child and blood children of the adoptive parent, which leads to painful interpersonal conflicts;
- pedagogical - the absence of an appropriate upbringing tactics in the adoptive parent, the prevalence of excessive guardianship, condoning hyperprotection, or the presence of a contradictory approach to upbringing on the part of different family members, and so on, which complicates the process of rehabilitation of the child.
The origins of psychological, pedagogical reasons that complicate the life of a foster, guardian family lie both in certain qualities of foster parents / guardians, and in the shortcomings of the work of specialists from specialized institutions in their preparation for a new role.
Analyzing all these reasons, it should be noted that there is a need to develop a program to improve the skills of adoptive parents and guardians.
In fact, the school of foster parents is certainly a useful thing. According to the leaders of the Moscow SPR, which have been working for almost 10 years, about a quarter of students at the exit schools decide that they do not need foster parenting. And this is a very good result – in the course of just one year there are many hundreds of children's destinies that could be crippled by the return from the family to the orphanage.
In addition, immersed in the topic for the duration of their studies, SPS graduates often find in themselves the resources to take into the family not only a blue-eyed, problem-free baby, but also an older and more complicated child, which, of course, is also very good. Moreover, those parents who approached the issue seriously underwent training voluntarily, although no one forced them. And although this did not guarantee an absolutely cloudless period of adaptation, through which almost all newly-made foster parents and their children go through, they were at least prepared for very specific difficulties that overtook the family in the first months after the appearance of a foster child.

The program is implemented in four stages: diagnostic, training, analytical and final.
The purpose of the diagnostic stage of work is to study the degree of awareness by the group members of the motives and expectations that underlie the decision to adopt a child into the family. Diagnostic work is being carried out to identify the psychological characteristics of persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family; on the study of marital, intra-family relations; attitudes towards raising children.
The purpose of the training phase of work is training, informing, which is both preventive and educational in nature. Candidates for foster parents are given popular scientific psychological, pedagogical and medical knowledge about the developmental features of orphans and children left without parental care.
At the analytical stage of the program, the study of the main changes that have occurred with candidates for a foster family after completing the course of the program is carried out.
At the final stage, a final certification is carried out in the form of testing in order to identify the level of theoretical knowledge mastered by candidates.
The training program for persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family consists of three blocks and includes 15 lessons with a total duration of 63 hours.
1. "Legal block"
2. "Psychological and pedagogical block"
3. "Medical block"
Forms of work:
- group, individual, remote;
Forms of conducting classes:
- lectures, mini-lectures;
- seminars-trainings;
-"brainstorm";
-role-playing game;
-discussion;
-practical work.
Classes are taught by a teacher-psychologist. If necessary, depending on the subject of the classes, full-time employees and specialists from other institutions are involved.
Based on the results of the training, students of the School of Adoptive Parents who have successfully passed the final certification are issued a Certificate of course completion.
The group is formed from candidates for substitute parents of no more than 10 people. The duration of the lessons is at least 3 hours.
Implementation period: 7 weeks.

Purpose and objectives of the program
The purpose of the program is to promote the safe placement of orphans and children left without parental care in foster families.
The main tasks are:
- to help Candidates for foster families understand their motives, personal capabilities and psychological readiness to receive a child left without parental care;
- to form in the students of the School the basics of legal knowledge, the features of the psychological, pedagogical and physiological development of children and adolescents;
- prepare students for solving possible social and psychological problems that arise in the process of a child entering a family, and develop ways to overcome them;
- to give the knowledge necessary for the successful mutual adaptation of the family and the child;
- provide emotional support to foster families.

Syllabus

1. Introduction to the training course for persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family
(hereinafter referred to as the training course)
2. The content and objectives of the training program for persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care (hereinafter referred to as the program)
3. The problem of choosing a family and a child. developmental needs of the child. Competences (values, knowledge and skills) for his upbringing and the concept of the motivation of persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care for upbringing in their family
4.Features of the development of the child
5. Child abuse and its consequences for child development
6.Features of a child left without parental care
7. The idea of ​​the family as a developing system. The role of the family in meeting the developmental needs of the child
8.Adaptation of the child in the family
9. "Difficult" behavior of the child, skills to manage the "difficult" behavior of the child
10. Providing a safe environment for the child
11.Features of sexual education of the child
12. Parental and professional roles of adoptive parents, foster, guardian family (hereinafter referred to as the foster family) and its further interaction with guardianship and guardianship authorities
13. Fundamentals of the legislation of the Russian Federation on the placement of orphans and children left without parental care for upbringing in families
14. Summing up the results of mastering the course of the program and final recommendations for accepting a child into a family
15.Final certification

Program Topics

Topic 1. Introduction to the training course for persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family.
Reasons why children are left without parental care. The contingent of children in organizations for orphans and children left without parental care.
General characteristics of the family forms of placement of children left without parental care established by the family legislation of the Russian Federation. Their differences and features.
Placement of children left without parental care for family upbringing. The rights and obligations of specialists of the guardianship and guardianship authority, regional and federal operators of the state data bank on children left without parental care, organizations entrusted with the authority to select and train persons who wish to adopt a child left without parental care into their family.
The process and stages of preparation of persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family.
Social guarantees and benefits for orphans and children left without parental care, provided in accordance with federal and regional legislation.
Hygienic requirements for child care and catering requirements.
Medical aspects of child care depending on the age, health and development of the child.
Services provided by an organization that, in cooperation with guardianship and guardianship authorities, provides medical, social and psychological and pedagogical support for foster families after the placement of a child.
Basic requirements for living conditions, organization of life and residence of the child in the family, for the care of a child in a foster family. Fundamentals of safe parenting.
Organization of control over the upbringing of a child in a foster family.
A structured interview on the topic “Readiness of the family to accept a child left without parental care” is conducted at the end of topic 1 at the request of candidates for foster parents.

Topic 2. Content and goals of the program
Content and goals of the program.
The concept of educational-psychological training.
Techniques used in the process of conducting educational and psychological training.
Peculiarities and procedure for passing training and examining persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care who are mastering the training course (hereinafter referred to as training participants) and their family members.
The content of educational and psychological training.
Rules for the work of training participants in a group.
Acquaintance of the participants of the training.
Expectations and fears of the participants of the training.

Topic 3. The problem of choosing a family and a child. developmental needs of the child.
Competences (values, knowledge, skills) for his upbringing and the concept of the motivation of persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care for upbringing in their family
The problem of selecting a family and a child (feelings of persons wishing to take into their family a child left without parental care, and children left without parental care, in the process of waiting for the placement and selection of a family).
The procedure for identifying a child left without parental care, placing him in an organization for orphans and children left without parental care, and getting to know a potential foster family.
Child development needs (safety, health, education, mental development, attachment, emotional development, identity, stable relationships in a foster family, social adaptation - the assimilation of social norms and rules of behavior, social roles, communication with peers and adults, self-care skills - sanitary and hygienic and household skills) and understanding by persons wishing to adopt a child without parental care into their family of the need to provide for them.

Assessment of persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family, their ability to provide for the developmental needs of the child, taking into account the living conditions of the family (remoteness from the infrastructure of services to the population, material and living conditions, employment, income) and the characteristics of the family system.
Competences of persons wishing to take into their family a child left without parental care, in raising a child. The need for candidates for foster parents to assess their competencies. Search for ways to form and compensate for missing competencies.
Knowledge and skills necessary for persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family.

Topic 4. Features of the development of the child
The mental development of the child in accordance with the age periodization of the development of children.
The concept of the social situation of the child's development, the leading type of activity, age-related neoplasms, crisis periods of the child's development. The main areas of child development (physical, emotional, intellectual, social, sexual development), their relationship.
General characteristics of the main age periods of a child's development (infancy, early age, preschool age, primary school age, adolescence, youth).
The role of psychological needs in personal development: attachment, security, identity.
Respect for the individual, cultural and ethnic characteristics of the child.

Topic 5. Child abuse and its consequences for the development of the child
Types of abuse (neglect of the child, physical, psychological and sexual abuse) and their consequences for the physical, emotional, intellectual, social and sexual development of the child.
Mosaic development. The concepts of "mental retardation" and "mental retardation", their difference.
The victim-aggressor dichotomy. The concept of post-traumatic stress disorder syndrome. "Fragmentation" as a specificity of post-traumatic consciousness.
Family as the main source of psychological well-being of a child with special developmental needs.
An assessment by a person wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into his family of his ability to raise a child who has experienced abuse.

Topic 6. Features of the development of a child left without parental care
The need for attachment, identity as the basis for the successful development of the child. The role of parents and blood relatives in a child's life and overcoming stereotypes of thinking associated with the perception of their place in a child's life.
Causes, manifestations and consequences of emotional deprivation in a child left without parental care. Consequences of deprivation of attachment and identity needs in a child left without parental care.
Types of "disturbed attachment" (the concepts of "negative (neurotic) attachment", "ambivalent attachment", "avoidant attachment", "disorganized attachment").
The concepts of "grief" and "loss" in the life of a child left without parental care. Psychological features and stages of the child's experience of grief associated with the loss of a family (shock, shock and distrust, denial, stage of anger and confusion, depression, acceptance).

Topic 7. The concept of the family as a developing system. The role of the family in meeting the developmental needs of the child
The study of the topic is carried out in various forms: educational and psychological training, preparation of homework, filling out questionnaires, as well as individual and family counseling for persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care in their family, together with their family members.
Features of communication and interaction in the family: family boundaries, emotional closeness, family hierarchy and family roles, family rules.
Parental attitude to the child and its influence on the formation of the personality and character of the child.
Family interaction patterns.
The stability of family relations of persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family, and the possibility of their development.
Discussion with persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care for upbringing in their family, the distribution of roles in the family.
Stress factors and family ways of responding to stressful situations.
Social ties of the family of a person who wants to take into his family a child left without parental care. Support system and family resources.
The current personal and family situation of persons wishing to adopt a child without parental care into their family and its potential impact on the placement of a child in a family.
Family way of life: family lifestyle, family traditions. Family and individual ways of making decisions.
The experience of raising relatives and adopted, guarded children in the family of a person who wants to take a child left without parental care into his family.
Understanding by all family members of a person who wants to take a child left without parental care into his family, the problems of his family, his capabilities and resources, strengths and weaknesses.
The role of cooperation of family members wishing to take into their family a child left without parental care in the process of learning how to raise a child.

Topic 8. Adaptation of a child in a foster family
General characteristics of personal problems and crises that adoptive parents, guardians, foster parents experience in connection with the appearance of an adopted, ward, foster child in the family.
Features of the expectations of foster families. Fears, anxieties and disappointments of adults in different periods of adaptation. Preparing relatives for the birth of a child.
Typical mistakes of upbringing in a foster family. Problems of development in the perception of the actions of a native and adopted, guarded, adopted child. Differences in the management of the behavior of a child who grew up in a family and a child placed in a foster family. The problem of differences in the interpretation of parental instructions by adopted, ward, adopted and natural children.
Techniques to help overcome emerging difficulties, alleviate stress and relieve anxiety. Resolving conflicts and overcoming "difficult" behavior of children. Emotional self-regulation techniques.
Stages of the adaptation period. Features of the adaptation process for a child in the first year of his residence in a substitute family. Feelings and experiences of a child coming to the family. Ways to overcome the difficulties of adaptation.
The tasks of the foster family in the process of adaptation of the family and the child (redistribution of roles, taking into account the individual characteristics of the child, familiarizing the child with the rules and traditions of the foster family, organizing everyday life, education, recreation, health care, contact with relatives and peers).
The need to maintain the secrecy of adoption. Its real and imaginary advantages and difficulties.
Possible consequences of keeping (not keeping) the secrecy of adoption. How to tell a child that he is adopted.
Changing the family system after the child is placed in the family and the child passes through the age stages of development. Predicting such changes.
The concept of the “Book of a Child’s Life” methodology and its compilation by guardians (trustees), foster parents, adoptive parents (a technique that allows a child to restore the main stages of his life from birth to the present, accept the loss of his family, realize his place in a new family). The role of specialists in assisting foster parents in compiling the Child's Book of Life.

Topic 9. "Difficult" behavior of the child, skills to manage the "difficult" behavior of the child
Forms of "difficult" behavior of the child: theft, lies, aggression, begging, vagrancy, avoidance of close relationships, ambivalent behavior, adequate behavior (alcohol, drugs, strong substances). Their causes and ways to deal with them.
methods of raising a child. The effectiveness and acceptability of the child's punishment. Criteria for evaluating methods of raising a child.
Formation of moral standards in the child. The reasons for the child's assimilation of ethnic values ​​and social norms. Understanding by adoptive parents how the child develops the ability to ethically evaluate his behavior and what may be limiting factors.
Understanding by foster parents how their own experience affects their attitude towards children with "difficult" behavior, awareness of their weaknesses, understanding how specialists can help in solving problems of "difficult" behavior.

Topic 10. Providing a safe environment for the child. Child Health
Creation of safe conditions for raising a child in the home and outside the family environment, depending on his age characteristics and life experience (upbringing in an institution for orphans and children left without parental care, neglect in the parents' family, vagrancy).
Ways to safely behave a child in situations that carry the risk of abuse. Prevention of the risks of child abuse in the foster family.
Child health and healthy lifestyle.

Topic 11. Features of sexual education of a foster child
Age patterns and features of the psychosexual development of the child, understanding the difference in the manifestations of normal childhood sexuality and sexualized behavior.
Psychosexual development as one of the aspects of ontogenetic development of a child. Formation of gender identity in a child.
Gender-role orientation and gender awareness. Methods and techniques of sex education in the family.
Sex education in the family. The role of peers, parents, teachers, and the media in shaping a child's sexual identity. Motivation and moral side of sexual efficiency in adolescence.
Protecting a child from sexual abuse.

Topic 12. Parental and professional roles of the foster family and its further interaction with guardianship and guardianship authorities
Parental and professional functions of a foster family.
Formation of motivation for cooperation of substitute parents with the accompanying organization.
The attitude of the foster family to the parents and blood relatives of the child and their interaction.
Scheme of interaction between participants in the placement of children in a family (parents and blood relatives - guardianship and guardianship authorities - foster families).

Topic 13
The legal status of orphans and children left without parental care.
Legal grounds for the placement of orphans and children left without parental care for family upbringing.
Forms of family arrangement: adoption, guardianship (guardianship). Forms of guardianship (compensated and gratuitous). Differences between forms of family structure.
Requirements imposed by the legislation of the Russian Federation on persons wishing to adopt a child without parental care into a family, depending on the form of family arrangement.
The list of documents submitted by persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care for upbringing in their family in order to obtain an opinion on the possibility of a citizen to be an adoptive parent, guardian (custodian) or foster parent, depending on the form of family arrangement. The procedure and features of the preparation of documents by candidates for substitute parents.
Rights and obligations of candidates for foster parents.
The procedure for the transfer of children left without parental care for upbringing in families.
Search and selection of a child for placement in a family. The procedure for interaction with the guardianship and guardianship authorities, the regional data bank on orphans and children left without parental care, the federal data bank on children left without parental care, institutions for orphans, the duties of the administration of such an institution. The possibility of an independent medical examination of the child.
The procedure for registration by the guardianship and guardianship authority and the institution for orphans and children left without parental care, documents for a child transferred for upbringing to families of citizens, depending on the form of family arrangement.
Paid and non-paid types of guardianship: foster and guardian families, their differences. The rights of a guardian (custodian), a foster parent, the procedure for concluding an agreement. Financial support of the foster and guardian families, benefits.
The procedure for the adoption of a child by the court. Preparation and submission of applications to the court. Adoption mystery. The possibility and consequences of changing the child's last name, first name, patronymic, date and place of birth.
List of documents transferred to a substitute family by an institution for orphans and children left without parental care, a guardianship and guardianship authority.
Documents of the child and the procedure for their registration (re-registration) by the adoptive parent, guardian (custodian), foster parent after the entry into force of the decision to transfer the child to a family for upbringing.
Protection of the personal and property rights of the child.
The procedure for exercising control over the living conditions and upbringing of a child in a foster family. The procedure for the submission by guardians (custodians), foster parents of an annual report on the storage, use of the property of a minor ward and management of such property.
Obligations and rights of citizens, guardianship and guardianship authorities in the process of interaction in monitoring, providing assistance and controlling the upbringing of a child transferred to a family for upbringing.
Legal consequences of adoption, guardianship (guardianship) - property and personal non-property rights and obligations of adoptive parents, guardians (trustees).
Changing the rights and obligations of parents, children, other relatives when adopting a child, transferring him under guardianship (guardianship), including paid forms.
Measures of social support for foster families and children brought up in them, established by federal legislation and the legislation of the Kemerovo region. Payments made for the maintenance of a child transferred to a family for upbringing, depending on the form of family placement.
Responsibility of guardians (custodians), adoptive parents, adoptive parents.
Consequences of cancellation of adoption, guardianship and guardianship.
The procedure for appealing decisions of guardianship and guardianship authorities, federal courts of general jurisdiction.

Topic 14
Discussion of the results of mastering the training course for persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family, doing homework, questionnaires, reading materials issued during the course.
Evaluation of the degree of mastering the training course for persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care into their family.
Joint development of the final conclusion on the readiness of persons wishing to adopt a child left without parental care for upbringing in their family, to accept a child for upbringing.

Expected results.

Candidates for adoptive parents who have successfully completed the program, upon completion of the course, should have a clear understanding of:
- on the system for protecting the rights of children, forms of placement of a child for upbringing in a family, interaction between an organization for the preparation of foster families, an accompanying organization and a foster family in the process of preparing and after the adoption of a child in a family, financial assistance to foster families;
- on the responsibility for the life and health of the child, his upbringing and development, which candidates for foster parents take upon themselves in connection with the admission of a child left without parental care into their family;
- about a child left without parental care, the needs of his normal development, the basics of caring for him;
- on the rules for the safe upbringing of foster children, depending on the age of the child, his life experience, the needs of his development, ensuring his safety, both at home and outside the home - on the street, in public places;
-about his family as a developing system, which also adapts to the reception of the child;
- about educational competencies (values, knowledge and skills) necessary for a foster parent;
- about the order of contacts of the child with parents and relatives.
Candidates for foster parents who have successfully completed the program should know:
- their rights and obligations as adoptive parents, both in relation to the child and in relation to the accompanying organization;
- patterns of development of the child in different age periods;
- the importance of meeting the child's need for identity and emotional attachments as fundamental to his normal development;
- causes, manifestations and consequences of emotional deprivation;
- about the influence of the child's past experience: deprivation, abuse, neglect of the child's needs, separation from the family on the psychophysical development and behavior of the child;
-stages and features of grief, the possibility of helping the child at different stages of grief;
- features of the period of adaptation of the child in a foster family;
- about the influence of their own experience of adoptive parents on their attitude to the "difficult" behavior of children;
- sanitary and hygienic rules and norms for raising children in the family;
- ways of forming the child's social and everyday skills, depending on his age, life experience and developmental characteristics;
-age patterns and features of the child's psychosexual development, methods and techniques of sex education in the family.
Candidates for foster parents who have successfully completed the program should be able to:
- use the acquired knowledge to analyze their own educational competencies, to realize and evaluate their readiness, resources and limitations, both personal and family, to accept a child left without parental care into their family and raise him;
- to see the possibilities of compensation, formation and improvement of their educational competencies in raising a foster child;
- consider the "difficult" behavior of the child in the context of the environment and his past traumatic experience;
- choose ways to respond to the "difficult" behavior of the child, depending on the characteristics of his development, life experience and the current situation;
- to realize the nature of their feelings about the "difficult" behavior of the child;
- be ready to provide support to a child experiencing grief and loss;
- to prevent the risk of child abuse in their family;
- assess the possible risk to the life, health and psychological well-being of the child and create a safe living environment that excludes domestic injuries;
- overcome stereotypes of thinking associated with the perception of the place of parents and blood relatives in the life of a child;
- predict a change in one's own family system after the arrival of a child left without parental care in the family;
-understand the links between the developmental needs of a child left without parental care and the possibilities of his family;
- evaluate the educational resource of your family;
- be ready to cooperate with other family members in the process of raising a child;
- navigate the system of professional assistance and support for children left without parental care and foster parents;
- take care of the health of the child;
- observe the confidentiality of the child;
-understand the difference in the manifestations of normal childhood sexuality and sexualized behavior.

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"School of foster parents" [Text]: Program / comp. N.N. Kopylova, - Novo-Vostochny: Publishing House of MKOU orphanage "Swallow's Nest" // 2015
Technical editor N.N. Kopylova
The original layout was prepared on a computer complex
MKOU Orphanage "Swallow's Nest"

In 2012, the School of Adoptive Parents became a mandatory step through which everyone who decides to have a child must pass. After graduation, a certificate of completion of compulsory training is issued according to the form established by the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. Often, future parents believe that they are ready for the appearance of a child in the family and they do not need additional knowledge. But practice shows that employees of such institutions help to look at things differently. The purpose of the school of adoptive parents is to prepare parents for future adoption, to give the basic knowledge necessary to create a strong family.

Who is the School for?

The Foster Parent School is a competency course for host parents and is aimed at Russian citizens permanently residing in Russia.

In accordance with Article 127 of the Family Code of the Russian Federation, persons who have not been trained in the manner prescribed by law cannot be adoptive parents, with the exception of close relatives of the child, as well as persons who are or were adoptive parents and in respect of whom the adoption was not canceled.

Simply put, close relatives of the child or those who are already can do without a certificate of completion of the training course.

Sequence of learning

For the convenience of students, education at the Foster Parent School is divided into courses, each of which has fixed hours (their number may vary depending on the school program).

The first course is aimed at beginners. Future guardians and adoptive parents do not yet have the necessary documents. At this stage, the task of specialists is to help prepare for the reception of a child in a family.

The second course is for those who have already collected a package of documents and are looking for a child. Or the child has already been found and is going through the stage of adaptation in the family. Much of the work takes place in interaction with psychologists.

The third course is intended for those who have already passed the stage of adaptation. At this time, issues of maintaining the secrecy of adoption, family relations, the relationship of the child to blood relatives and the surrounding society are touched upon.

What can you learn at the School of Adoptive Parents

The Adoptive Parent School covers four main aspects of adoption. Legal (social and legal), medical, psychological, pedagogical and social. The legal course tells about the structure and interaction of executive authorities involved in the process of family placement of children. Future parents will learn about the material and non-material rights and obligations of a foster family, about the requirements imposed by law on candidates. Lawyers also help in the collection and execution of all necessary documents. The medical course includes lectures on the provision of first aid to children, correctable and non-correctable diagnoses, the system for establishing a diagnosis, and methods for diagnosing children in institutions.

The psychological and pedagogical part of the training course includes an individual interview with parents, a review of the developmental psychology of children and a discussion of the concept of a family system - family psychology, stages of development, crises, functions and dysfunctions. The social course covers the issues of adaptation of the child in society. Psychologists advise parents throughout the training.

How to start a course

It is impossible to say that there are established requirements for each school of foster parents. In some cities and towns, these institutions are free, in others you have to pay. There are also no universal programs for preparing future parents. As mentioned above, education is compulsory; without a certificate, the package of documents for the adoption of a child will be incomplete. Therefore, the first thing parents have to do is to find the nearest school for training. To do this, you can contact the social welfare authorities. Employees, as interested parties, will definitely tell you where they teach for parents and when you can start learning. As a rule, lectures and seminars are held throughout the month. The staff of the school of foster parents will tell you about the number of hours of training. Be prepared for lectures to start a month or two after you apply. At the moment there is a correspondence form of education. You can listen to the necessary material at the webinar, via the Internet. But tests and tests will still need to be taken personally.

Need to. But the school of foster parents is a theoretical base. The practice will begin after when a new family member appears in your family. Often, after training, adoptive parents decide that they are not ready for such a serious step. Others, on the contrary, dispel myths and prejudices for themselves and become even more confident in their decision. Experts advise taking classes with the utmost seriousness. Without knowledge of the basic rules, the difficult task of raising a child cannot be solved.

Elena Kononova

The school of foster parents is a relatively new phenomenon. But these programs have already helped a considerable number of children and parents to find each other and create new families. What happens in the classes, who attends them, what fears do future parents have and under what conditions can a child be taken into the family? This was told to Ekaterina Khlomova by Tatyana Markova, a teacher-psychologist of the District authorized organization for accompanying orphans and children left without parental care.

What is a foster parent school?

These are classes in which potential parents are prepared to take a child into the family. The presenters talk about the psychology of an orphan child, about how he will get used to a new family, about the legal aspects of admission. Parents not only listen to lectures, but also discuss topics that concern them, act out situations given by the presenters, watch video stories, participate in brainstorming sessions, and talk with course graduates. As you can see, the main focus is on the interaction between presenters and participants. An equally important part of the preparation is individual consultations with specialists.

Who comes to these classes?

These are not only young couples who, for example, due to medical reasons, cannot have children. This includes successful parents of any age who are raising or have already raised their own children. And adoptive parents who have not taken such courses, but believe that they would be useful to them. Starting from September 2012, schooling for adoptive parents will be mandatory for all those wishing to adopt a child into the family.

Is an adopted child legally equal to one's own?

There are several forms: the most, let's say, “easy” form is the guest mode, which allows you to take a child on weekends, holidays and vacations. The rest of the time he lives in an institution. The most “difficult” form (and the most preferable for the child) is adoption. This means that the child is accepted into the family and raised as their own. “Intermediate” forms of family life arrangement are guardianship (guardianship), foster family, patronage - here the child is essentially a “state”, but lives and is brought up in a family. Differences only in the status of the adoptive parent.

Have you ever discouraged parents from taking a child?

In the classroom, they don’t persuade and dissuade, because this is work with a conscious choice of people. Our goal as specialists is to tell potential parents as fully as possible about what they can expect after the child enters the family. The courses explain how to behave and where to go if necessary.

And yet, are there cases when it is objectively not worth taking a child?

The motives of potential parents are very different: to be needed, not to be left alone, to help the child, to realize unspent parental potential. For example, a woman's child dies, and after a short time, not yet burnt out on her own, she wants to take a foster child of the same age and gender. In this case, he will be responsible not only for himself, but also for the one in whose place he, as it were, stood. And the child, most likely, will not pull it. Mom, comparing an adopted child with her own, is likely to make a choice not in favor of the first (“I thought he would be like this, but he behaves like this”). Then he has every chance of becoming a "scapegoat". In such situations, it is better to postpone the reception of the child.

Apparently, not everyone who went through school decides to take a child?

If a parent at some point says that he is not ready to take a child into foster care, this does not mean his weakness. It only means that he is not ready now (not at all, but at the moment). It happens that group members in our classes get rid of the illusions and stereotypes they came with, some life circumstances appear, and people can change their minds.

What fears do future parents have? How do you work with them?

Fears mainly relate to the fact that the child will inherit some negative traits of blood parents. We discuss them, clarify them, and this reduces the anxiety of potential parents.

How often do dads come?

In order for a child to get used to a new family, it is necessary that it be flexible enough and that family members be ready for change. Therefore, the participation of both parents would be ideal. I am glad that now men are more often involved in the process of raising children (including adopted ones). Of course, they are skeptical about what is happening, but in the process of work, I see that many people's position is changing. Women are easier to "flow in" because they tend to be more anxious, and the courses are a good opportunity to clarify their concerns and reduce anxiety.

What are the ways to check whether the candidate is ready to take the child?

There are no special moves, we do not carry out manipulations with the unconscious of the participants. The work is focused on the awareness and pronunciation of the main points related to the reception of the child. It is important that people get rid of illusions and stereotypes. Otherwise, there is a high risk of a return, which often occurs due to unjustified expectations.

Can parents who have already adopted a child contact you?

Russian and foreign experience shows that it is important not only to train candidates, but also to accompany ready-made families. Participants can always come to us for long-term support or receive one-time consultations.

You can get information and referral to study at the nearest Foster Parent School at the Guardianship and Guardianship Authority at the place of residence.

The need to train future adoptive parents is evidenced not only by Russian, but also by world experience. Recently, the school of foster parents (SPR) has become mandatory, teachers and psychologists consider this measure not only justified, but also the most correct.

The first thing to start with for those who want to take care of a child is to understand themselves, the reasons for such a decision and realistically assess their capabilities. Especially if applicants want to raise a disabled child who needs special attention and care.

Who and why should be trained in the school of foster parents?

SPR are organized by the state for candidates who wish to take a minor to be brought up in a family. The course certificate is included in the list of mandatory documents for adoptive parents.

The SPR helps foster families to unite, reduces the likelihood of a child returning to an orphanage. Secondary failures are very dangerous for kids, because they cause irreparable harm to their psyche. It is better to postpone the adoption of a child in a new family than to refuse him in the future.

The legislation obliges persons planning to become a foster father or mother to take courses, except for:

  • who have gone through the adoption procedure or the PDS before;
  • relatives of the child (grandparents, brother, sister).

Experts recommend that all parents-to-be study, even if they are not required by law to do so. Adopting a child into a family comes with many challenges. To cope with them and not return the baby to the orphanage, you need to have knowledge that will help you establish contact, smooth out the period of adaptation.

It is in the PDS that future parents will be able to objectively assess their strengths and decide whether they will be able to cope with all the difficulties, which will be many. In practice, many applicants are eliminated at this stage.

Persons who cannot be admitted to training

In practice and according to the law, children will not be given up for upbringing in such families. That is why "problem" groups of listeners are cut off at the initial stage.

How to choose a school for foster parents?

You can get acquainted with the list of PDS on the website of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation by selecting your region. Points to consider when choosing a school for foster parents:

  • school experience;
  • teacher qualifications;
  • form of teaching (full-time, part-time, remote, weekend schools);
  • the time of the classes and their duration;
  • testimonials from people who have been trained.

If future parents want to adopt a child with special needs in physical or mental development, it is better for them to undergo training at the institution in which such children are kept. Teachers will be able to tell what diagnoses their wards have, what are the features of care and upbringing.

Some children require special treatment (up to the establishment of a certain speed of conversation, the constant repetition of words, etc.), for which the adoptive father and mother must be prepared.

The program for the passage of the SPS and the features of the learning process

The PDS program is approved at the federal level and is the same for all regions of the country. Each school can independently decide in what volume and form the material will be submitted, however, course topics are approved by the Ministry of Education and cannot be changed.

Educational institutions are not entitled to demand payment for courses. There are exceptions when additional programs are introduced, in which case paid education is allowed.

The duration of training varies - from 1.5 to 2 months, the number of hours - from 30 to 80. Usually classes are held 2 times a week, incl. on weekends.

The main areas of study at the SPR:

  • medical aspects, child care;
  • legal issues;
  • child psychology, upbringing and education;
  • practical exercises with a psychologist.

Most of the lessons are practical. The psychologist helps potential parents understand the role of the family in their lives, how to cope with the difficulties of adaptation, establish contact with the baby, and understand common situations. The most difficult thing for candidates is to help the child cope with the consequences of the emotional trauma that was inflicted on him before entering the orphanage. The psychologist focuses on this during practical exercises.

Some schools invite experienced adoptive parents who talk about how they went through their journey, how they solved difficult issues. This practice gives very good results. A positive example and real stories inspire applicants or, conversely, give ground for reflection.

The form of the educational process is chosen by the school independently. Despite the admissibility of distance and part-time education, not all schools have the technical ability to conduct them. The most common face-to-face training of adoptive parents.

All data of future parents who wish to attend courses are confidential and cannot be disclosed. At the end of the course, students are required to pass certification and, upon successful completion, receive a certificate of completion of the course.

school certificate

Only organizations certified for this type of activity have the right to issue a certificate of passing the PDS. The document has no expiration date, i.e. Having passed the PDS and received a certificate, it can be used in the future an unlimited number of times. If the program has changed during this time, applicants may take additional classes at the same school or receive a new certificate.

What knowledge can be obtained from the results of training in the SPS?

Teachers strive to ensure that students can get the necessary knowledge in the SDS:

  • awareness of their own motives for adoption, why a person decided to take an adopted child into his family;
  • adequate assessment of one's strengths and resources, understanding of all risks and difficulties;
  • general information about the upbringing of children, especially adopted children and those with developmental disabilities.

Many listeners do not fully realize what real difficulties will arise when a child adapts to a new family and establishes contact with him. In the courses, teachers and psychologists help to “take off the rose-colored glasses” and evaluate their opportunities for raising a non-native child, help them understand how to cope with the difficulties that arise.

It is important for members of a full family to discuss the moments of replacing each other in difficult periods. The parent should be able to relax, recover psychologically, and receive the moral support of a partner.

The main skills that should emerge as a result of visiting the SPR are the ability to ask for help in a difficult situation and the realization that there is still much to be learned. The help of a psychologist or teacher may be required quite often, especially at the first stage.

Can I get certified in another region or country?

Citizens of another state have the right to receive training at their place of permanent residence. The same applies to Russians who permanently live abroad. Foreign-style certificates are accepted by domestic guardianship authorities.

If the applicant for the adoption of a child lives in another region, he has the right to take courses at the SPR at his place of residence. At the same time, he can study in any region of the Russian Federation for free. The certificate that the student will receive after successful attestation will be valid throughout the Russian Federation.

What should I do if the guardianship authorities unlawfully demand to pass the SPR?

If the guardianship authorities unlawfully require you to re-pass the SPR or renew a certificate issued in another region, applicants should apply for adoption in the prescribed manner. Such actions of the public service are associated with a lack of understanding of the requirements of the law and unwillingness to take responsibility.

If the specialist refuses to accept the package of documents, you should send it through the office, by registered mail, or ask for an official refusal with explanations. In most cases, guardianship service specialists explain the legality of their decision, referring to regulations, without bringing the situation to the point of complaining about their actions to the prosecutor's office.