IMAGENS SOCIAIS SOBRE FAMÍLIAS COM FILHOS EM INSTITUIÇÃO DE ACOLHIMENTO

This study investigated the social images of families with children in residential care. The participants were 243 people, between 16 and 80 years old (M=35.50, SD=12.64), selected by convenience in different cities of Rio Grande do Sul. In this group, 67% of them already had or have contact with young vulnerable people. The questionnaire has 26 words of positive and negative valence, and the participant responds how each trait describes the investigated families. The results indicated that families with institutionalized children are described with predominantly negative features: unstructured, needy, affected by drugs, unprepared; especially for people who have or have had contact with this population. The importance of public policies for ongoing training of professionals who work directly with families in vulnerable situations is highlighted.