Search

This study reveals one aspect toward understanding development and features of the foster care support activities implemented by the National Foster Parent Association (NFPA) with an educational welfare approach. Using the NFPA's Journal, “Satooya-Dayori”, the development and features were considered by organizing the data of NFPA’s activity and analyzing modification of the activities with educational welfare approach. As the results of consideration, this study showed followings: 1) NFPA forms support activities with educational welfare approach by relating many activities (meetings, information provision, dissemination, and research, etc.), 2) the activities with educational welfare approach were classified by their features into three periods: from 1971 to 2001, from 2002 to 2011, and the periods after 2012, and 3) the features of the activities in each period can be categorized as those of “leading,” “sharing,” and “intermediary” types. This study provides an important foundation for exploring the potential significance of NFPA in supporting foster parents in the team-based fostering, is currently being promoted.

This paper describes the relationship between foster parent associations and policy maker in Japan through analysis how the foster care support system utilizes foster parent associations. This research investigates the law and regulations, the policy documents regarding foster care support, available from the establishment of the foster care system in 1947 to the present. This analysis reveals two findings. The first finding is that the policy maker tended to institutionalize foster care support by making systemic the foster parent training performed by the associations. In fact, the policy maker entrusted implement to foster care associations in order to utilize the associations’ practical knowledge and human resources. The second finding is that the scope of utilization of associations continues to expand institutionally. However, the use of association is contracting actually, because greater expertise for foster care support is required and ‘team parenting’ is promoted at present. Since this research mainly focused on the institutional aspect, the role played by foster parent associations in practical aspect requires further research.

This paper describes a museum/school model that addresses positively the potential for losing the substance of its educational programs. In recent years, although many schools have initiated collaborations with museums, they have been less successful in keeping these programs viable, thus compromising the collaborative efforts involved. By using past research on school/museum collaboration, this research analyzes 13 agendas which cause losing substance of school/museum collaborations, addresses which agendas can be solved in short-term. Moreover, this study interprets the solutions of these agendas, by focusing on the advanced case of Minokamo City Museum collaboration. The solutions suggested are as follows: 1) Post staff able to participate in the collaborations from the initiation to completion, 2) Require museum to state their contribution to the collaboration, 3) Establish an organization or system that enables the sharing of know-how between teachers and museum staff, and 4) Ensure that museum or municipality bear transportation expenses between museum and schools, or offer an alternative transportation method. Incorporating the four solutions suggested above, this case in Minokamo City offers a model for successful collaboration between museums and schools. This research shows that building a relationship of collaboration can address current concerns regarding both program improvement and sustainability of valuable educational programs.