Contacts between Children Considered Neglected and Their Parents after Placement Outside Their Own Family in Czech Republic.

OBJECTIVES: The main research objective is to determine how parents interpret the setup, support, and evaluation of regular face-to-face contacts with their child following placement in substitute care on the grounds of neglect. THEORETICAL BASE: The theoretical background is constituted by the findings on the importance of children's need for contact with their own parents and neglect as a social construct. METHODS: The qualitative research consisted of in-depth interviews with actual parents selected using purposive criterion sampling. Data were processed using Grounded Theory analytic procedures. OUTCOMES: Research findings indicate that parents perceive setup and support of contact as a complicated and lengthy process that, particularly in the child's adjustment phase, threatens parents' mutual right to parenting and the children's right to their care. SOCIAL WORK IMPLICATIONS: The research results provide social workers with suggestions for the quality setup, evaluation, and support of contact between children and their biological parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]