Journal archive

Abstract: Various changes are taking place today in the sphere of protection of orphans and children left without parental care. These changes may be explained primarily by the social call for gaining and maintaining psychological and pedagogical well-being and development of children, which may be achieved by placing children in substitute families. It is the family, regardless of its form, that acts as a favourable environment for the development, integration and socialization of children, left without parental care, as recognized both by Russian and foreign society. It should be noted that certain periods are singled out in the development, establishment and strengthening of established forms of family placement of children left without parental care. The periods of development of substitute families meet the needs and correspond to the worldview of the society at a particular historical time, starting from the desire of society to extract most gifted children from shelters and prisons with the purpose of placing them in institutions favorable for their development, and finally creating substitute families (guardian, foster, adoptive, patronage). The article gives a historical and pedagogical description of the key assumptions of the origin, development and establishment of substitute families, presents different interpretations of the concept of "substitute family" and describes professional and non-professional substitute families.