Needs analysis for a parental guidance program for biological family: Spain's current situation

Abstract

One of the current characteristics of child protection in Spain is the priority that we try to give to the socio-educative action with the biological family when the measure of kinship foster care is applied to achieve family reunification. In this paper the results related to the biological family, the risk and protection factors and its needs of socio-educative support are presented. They are the result of two5 consecutive studies carried out by the GRISIJ6 in which the educative needs with regard to Kinship foster care are analysed. The research compiles the information of 145 professionals of child protection in the Spanish territory distributed in 20 discussion groups. The qualitative results have been analysed by means of the content analysis technique. The results show the factors that can be favourable in a process of reunification of the child and of support. To highlight: a) the quality and frequency of visits and meetings; b) the quality of the relationship between the foster family and the biological family; c) the relationship between the biological family and the fostered child - affective bonds -: d) the reunification factors - involvement in the parental role and in motivation; e) the socio-educative support and the official and non-official resources, and f) the biological families' guidance needs..