| Abstract [eng] |
The work carries out the theoretical analysis of the early support for a child and his/her family based on the inter-institutional cooperation and the analysis of documents regulating the early support for Lithuanian Child and Family. The aim of the research is to assess the inter-institutional cooperation in providing the early support for a child and a family. Methodology and methods of the study was based on the perspective of child within a family and family oriented support, and the qualitative method of the descriptive analysis of the content of documents and interviews has been applied. This has helped to reveal the situation and opportunities of the inter-institutional cooperation providing the early support for a child and a family. In order to answer the main objectives of the study, the analysis of documents has been carried out as well as individual interviews with the responsible staff members, professionals and family representatives. The study involved three groups of respondents: representatives of sub-districts (N = 4), parents with children who have special educational needs due to multi-disorders (N = 8) and specialists (N = 2) − N = 14 in total. The main findings of the empirical study: 1. The analysis of scientific sources and legal documents shows that more and more attention is given to perceive a child’s situation and to organize assistance taking into account a child’s environment and available resources. A variety of health care, social security and educational institution services provided to children and their parents have to ensure the access to the necessary support. The early support for a child and a family should be provided according to the child’s immediate environment and their interactions with important people. However, the study shows that at the rural areas the early support is not enough provided, the families miss information, consultation, assistance, support specialists and institutions near to home, services of transfer to educational institutions. 2. The results of the study showed that parents having children in early and pre-school age who need comprehensive assistance cooperate with a variety of institutions that try to give needed help and support to a child and his/her family. The parents feel to be responsible for the meeting their child’s needs but they lack the knowledge of how to do it. There is also a lack of information where and who could support their child. According to participants of the study, information can be found on the Internet but for some problems to solve such as arising from children’s behavior is important specialists’ help. Families do not focus on the need of help for themselves at all. 3. According to specialists participating in the study, municipalities of districts have the inferior possibility to provide the early support to children and their families then in urban areas. In those sub-districts where the posts for an inter-institutional cooperation coordinator is established there is the possibility to collaborate with different institutions such as medical one, pre-school educational institutions, child rights protection services, department for social support and education, sub-districts, and provide integrated services for children from their birth to the beginning of compulsory education and their parents. The areas where such coordinator is not available there is a lack of information about families and their needs, families have difficulties to find the necessary information to get help for their child. Some parents themselves experience social difficulties, so they also need a help. |
