Nina Rosa do Amaral Costa

Tornar-se pai e mãe em um processo de adoção tardia

A new culture of adoption emerges in Brazil, which searches a family for a child, instead of a child for a family. This proposal holds new family, maternity and paternity projects. In it, new meanings are attributed to being father and mother, distinct from the traditional consanguinity model. Late adoptions are clearly inserted in this context. To understand the processes of building adoptive motherhood and fatherhood in those circumstances, it is important to investigate the meanings produced while becoming father/mother. This paper focuses on the discursive production of a couple when interviewed at home, during the late adoption process of two sisters (4 and 5y.o.). The meanings produced in the conversation are presented, on answering the question on how it was to be father or mother at that moment. The analysis points towards the specificities of becoming father/mother during late adoption, the difficult and fragile construction of bonds and the need for post-adoptive support.

Acolhimento familiar: uma alternativa de proteção para crianças e adolescentes

O acolhimento de criancas e adolescentes que vivenciam violacao de direitos tem sido discutido no âmbito do desenvolvimento de politicas publicas e no meio academico. Tais discussoes visam elaborar diretrizes que garantam o direito a convivencia familiar e comunitaria e evidenciam um campo em reordenamento. Este artigo contextualiza o acolhimento familiar no cenario nacional, considerando-o como uma medida de protecao possivel para criancas e adolescentes em situacao de vulnerabilidade. Discute-se tambem o reflexo de algumas perspectivas teoricas que abordam as relacoes de vinculo afetivo em situacoes de acolhimento. Argumenta-se que ao fomentar uma nova cultura de acolhimento sao necessarias mudancas nas concepcoes de infância e juventude, nas significacoes de vinculacao afetiva e nas politicas de assistencia a infância e juventude.

Acolhimento de crianças e adolescentes em situações de abandono, violência e rupturas

Childhood protection is undergoing several changes. Our study aimed to outline the complex network of meanings which includes adoption as well as institutional and family foster care, by combining theory, research and practice. We investigated various contexts and protagonists: judicial system, foster institutions, birth parents, foster and adoptive parents, and families and their children. Diverse data collection procedures were used: socio-demographic investigations, case-studies, follow-ups, interviews, analysis of foster institutions and legal court documents. Results pointed to “invisibility” of birth family, frequent child (re)abuse, failures in the network of protection, meanings of “healthy family” and role of attachment concepts. Implications for social policies and social practices are discussed.

Acolhimento familiar: caracterização de um programa

This paper aims to describe the main actors involved in a Foster Care program and its processes. The program had done 314 fosterings from 1998 to 2007. During this period, most foster children were boys (51,7%), afrodescendants (55,3%), aged up to 6 years old (58,7%). Foster families were formed by couples (70, 4%), with other children (84,1%); aged from 30 to 49 years old; good education level; autonomous professions; diversified incomes and solidarity motivation to foster. No registered information about the biological families was found. The principal reason referred to for fostering was negligence (33,7%). The child remained in foster care from 1 to 6 months in 46,65% cases. Regarding the outcome of the fostering process, 34,2% children were adopted and 33,8% were reintegrated into their families. Describing a program helps to redefine practices and to discuss measures of intervention for the area.Este artigo objetiva caracterizar os principais atores envolvidos em um programa de Acolhimento Familiar e os acolhimentos realizados. Esse programa efetuou 314 acolhimentos entre 1998 e 2007. Neste periodo, a maioria dos acolhidos eram meninos (51,7%), afrodescendentes (55,3%), de ate seis anos (58,7%). As familias acolhedoras eram constituidas por casais (70,4%), com filhos (84,1%); faixa etaria entre 30 e 49 anos; bom nivel de escolarizacao; profissoes autonomas; rendas diversificadas e motivacoes solidarias para acolher. Com relacao as familias de origem nao foram encontradas informacoes. Como principal causa dos acolhimentos foi citada a negligencia (33,7%). Sua duracao foi de um a seis meses em 46,65% dos casos. Quanto aos encaminhamentos pos-acolhimento, 34,2% das criancas foram adotadas e 33,8%, reintegradas as suas familias. Caracterizar um programa oferece subsidios para a redefinicao de praticas e auxilia na formulacao de acoes de intervencao em situacoes complexas como o acolhimento familiar.

Approaching Adoption and Foster Care in Brazil

ABSTRACT Adoption and foster care have recently undergone various changes in Brazil. Nonetheless, there is a lack of official research data on children who have been adopted or have been living in foster families or institutions. In this paper, after a brief account of the historical aspects of adoption and foster care in Brazil, we focus our discussion on two major points: (1) the difficulties in promoting a “new culture of adoption,” which would develop in “the childs best interest,” and (2) the meanings and prejudices related to late adoption that increase the number of children who remain for many years in institutions.

Foster care: program characterization

This paper aims to describe the main actors involved in a Foster Care program and its processes. The program had done 314 fosterings from 1998 to 2007. During this period, most foster children were boys (51,7%), afrodescendants (55,3%), aged up to 6 years old (58,7%). Foster families were formed by couples (70, 4%), with other children (84,1%); aged from 30 to 49 years old; good education level; autonomous professions; diversified incomes and solidarity motivation to foster. No registered information about the biological families was found. The principal reason referred to for fostering was negligence (33,7%). The child remained in foster care from 1 to 6 months in 46,65% cases. Regarding the outcome of the fostering process, 34,2% children were adopted and 33,8% were reintegrated into their families. Describing a program helps to redefine practices and to discuss measures of intervention for the area.Este artigo objetiva caracterizar os principais atores envolvidos em um programa de Acolhimento Familiar e os acolhimentos realizados. Esse programa efetuou 314 acolhimentos entre 1998 e 2007. Neste periodo, a maioria dos acolhidos eram meninos (51,7%), afrodescendentes (55,3%), de ate seis anos (58,7%). As familias acolhedoras eram constituidas por casais (70,4%), com filhos (84,1%); faixa etaria entre 30 e 49 anos; bom nivel de escolarizacao; profissoes autonomas; rendas diversificadas e motivacoes solidarias para acolher. Com relacao as familias de origem nao foram encontradas informacoes. Como principal causa dos acolhimentos foi citada a negligencia (33,7%). Sua duracao foi de um a seis meses em 46,65% dos casos. Quanto aos encaminhamentos pos-acolhimento, 34,2% das criancas foram adotadas e 33,8%, reintegradas as suas familias. Caracterizar um programa oferece subsidios para a redefinicao de praticas e auxilia na formulacao de acoes de intervencao em situacoes complexas como o acolhimento familiar.

Acogimiento familiar: caracterización de un programa

This paper aims to describe the main actors involved in a Foster Care program and its processes. The program had done 314 fosterings from 1998 to 2007. During this period, most foster children were boys (51,7%), afrodescendants (55,3%), aged up to 6 years old (58,7%). Foster families were formed by couples (70, 4%), with other children (84,1%); aged from 30 to 49 years old; good education level; autonomous professions; diversified incomes and solidarity motivation to foster. No registered information about the biological families was found. The principal reason referred to for fostering was negligence (33,7%). The child remained in foster care from 1 to 6 months in 46,65% cases. Regarding the outcome of the fostering process, 34,2% children were adopted and 33,8% were reintegrated into their families. Describing a program helps to redefine practices and to discuss measures of intervention for the area.Este artigo objetiva caracterizar os principais atores envolvidos em um programa de Acolhimento Familiar e os acolhimentos realizados. Esse programa efetuou 314 acolhimentos entre 1998 e 2007. Neste periodo, a maioria dos acolhidos eram meninos (51,7%), afrodescendentes (55,3%), de ate seis anos (58,7%). As familias acolhedoras eram constituidas por casais (70,4%), com filhos (84,1%); faixa etaria entre 30 e 49 anos; bom nivel de escolarizacao; profissoes autonomas; rendas diversificadas e motivacoes solidarias para acolher. Com relacao as familias de origem nao foram encontradas informacoes. Como principal causa dos acolhimentos foi citada a negligencia (33,7%). Sua duracao foi de um a seis meses em 46,65% dos casos. Quanto aos encaminhamentos pos-acolhimento, 34,2% das criancas foram adotadas e 33,8%, reintegradas as suas familias. Caracterizar um programa oferece subsidios para a redefinicao de praticas e auxilia na formulacao de acoes de intervencao em situacoes complexas como o acolhimento familiar.