Possibilities for Improving and Developing the Foster Care Training System in the Republic of Srpska – Comparative Analysis of Training Programs with Neighborhood Countries

Andrea Puhalić, Andrea Rakanović Radonjić

Abstract


Foster care training programs are an integral part of the process of acquiring foster family status and an important link in ensuring the quality implementation of foster care. The paper presents a comparative analysis of three foster care training programs in the country and the region (Regulation on Foster Care of the Republic of Srpska, Regulation on Foster Care of the Republic of Serbia and Regulation on Foster Care of the Republic of Croatia). The focus is on determining the characteristics of the existing Foster Care Training Program in the Republic of Srpska in relation to the regulations from the two neighboring countries and international standards and guidelines, with the aim of identifying elements of the program in which improvement is possible. The theoretical basis of the research is the attachment theory. The results show that areas for improvement can be identified in relation to: the duration of the program, continuity of education and supervisory support, program participants, training of training leaders, and the recording system. Based on the findings, the paper recommends: introducing continuous education and mandatory supervision for care, expanding training to the entire foster family, special preparation of educators, establishing measurable outcomes by thematic units, and modernizing the recording and monitoring process.


Keywords


foster care; training program; education; contemporary approaches and models; attachment theory

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.51558/1121

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