從四個案例探討發展遲緩或障礙兒童的母親與外籍照顧者之角色分工及生態文化觀點的處遇服務

The Division of Labor between the Mothers and Their Employed Foreign Caregivers on Caring the Children with Developmental Delay or Disabilities and the Intervention of Ecocultural Approach

10.29728/JCSW.200506.0001

吳秀照(Shiou-Chao Wu)

發展遲緩 ； 發展遲緩或障礙兒童 ； 早期療育 ； 外籍監護工 ； 生態文化觀點 ； developmental delay ； children with developmental delay or disabilities ； early intervention ； foreign caregivers ； ecocultural approach

當代社會工作學刊

5期（2005 / 06 / 01）

1 - 46

繁體中文

近年來，早期療育機構發現發展遲緩或障礙兒童在家庭中的照顧與療育工作由來自不同文化與國籍背景的照顧者負責或參與的比例正逐年增加，其中有部分家庭是引進外籍監護工來因應兒童的照顧需求。實務機構人員觀察到不同種族與文化背景的外籍監護工作為孩童的主要照顧者，對部分孩子的療育效果有待關注與探討。但外籍監護工參與發展遲緩或障礙兒童的照顧角色，由於通常被視為是在雇主（尤其是女性雇主）監督之下的「工作執行」在早期療育服務中極少將外籍監護工在家庭中的角色及與兒童的互動影響納入整體家庭處遇服務的分析對象。本文主張外籍監護工作為兒童主要照顧者，在早期療育強調以「家庭為本位」的處遇服務之下，應被納入家庭系統中的角色與資源網絡分析及服務對象。本研究透過質性研究的深度訪談，主要接觸四位女性雇主，藉由四個案例檢視這些家庭僱用外籍監護工的原因、外籍監護工與女性雇主的角色分工、這些家庭在照顧發展遲緩或障礙兒童時面臨的困境及特殊需求等。藉由女性雇主與外籍監護工的角色分工探討，希望理解兩個跨國女性為兒童所構築的「家」的情境脈絡及他們的特殊經驗與需求。研究結果顯示僱用外籍監護工係起因於這些家庭的多重需求，外籍監護工替代照顧勞務及家務，使女性雇主得以減輕照顧壓力並加入勞動市場工作，改善家庭經濟及家人關係；然而，女性雇主仍時時面臨未能全心照顧兒童的心理衝突。外籍監護工所面臨的長期照顧壓力亦需被關照；男性家人對孩子的療育參與是早療服務必須努力的面向。本研究並運用生態文化理論的觀點，探討家中有外籍照顧者參與發展遲緩或障礙兒童的照顧工作時，生態文化評量（ecocultural assessment）可協助實務工作者瞭解發展遲緩或障礙兒童家庭系統與資源狀況。本文最後提出，在臺灣朝向多元社會發展的過程中中，社會工作實務回應這些特殊家庭需求之建議。

In recent years, a growing number of foreign caregivers have been employed by Taiwan's families in caring the children with developmental delay or disabilities. Some professionals in social service agencies have noticed this phenomenon and argued that the effects of early intervention on these children needed to be closely examined as the children with developmental delay or disabilities being cared by caregivers with different nationalities and cultural backgrounds. Since the main idea of early intervention emphasizes ”family-centered” treatment in helping children's development, it is important for social work professionals to understand the family contexts that are formed by the members with diverse cultural backgrounds, as well as to analyze the socio-economic settings that are demonstrated by the division of labor among members in these families. In this way, we can better understand the special experiences and needs of these families.This research intended to explore the following questions: 1. Why these families employed foreign caregivers and what their special experiences on caring the children with developmental delay or disabilities? 2. What kind of division of labor between the mothers and the employed foreign caregivers? 3. What are the major problems and needs that perceived by these families? The method of In-depth interviews was adopted to collect data from the mothers (employers).In terms of hiring foreign caregivers, the result showed that it was generated by the multiple needs of these families. Foreign caregivers substituted the roles of mothers by doing full -time caring and family chores. With the assistance of foreign caregivers, the relations among family members were improved, these mothers gained the opportunities to re-enter the labor market, and the pressure from long-term caring was reduced. However, the psychological conflict still existed in the minds of these mothers for not caring their children full-time. The caring pressure transferred to foreign caregivers and affected the qualities of caring should be noticed by the professionals as well. The participation of fathers in the early intervention also needed to put more efforts. Finally, this paper discussed the application of ”ecocultural approach” in analyzing and helping the families which employed foreign caregivers to execute the functions of caring the children with developmental delay or disabilities.

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