Childhood in foster care institutions in Central Pomerania between 1945 and 1975

Abstract

The study provides an overview of the situation of children, victims of the war nightmare, who found themselves in foster care institutions in Central Pomerania after the end of the Second World War. The post-war period of development of these institutions was very diverse. It was associated with the social, political, administrative and economic changes that were taking place in Poland at the time. In the difficult conditions of life in the Recovered Territories, care activities for abandoned children were carried out by childcare and educational institutions, health care, daycare, and aid institutions of different natures. The aim of the study is to show the theoretical assumptions and practical contexts concerning the child and childhood in the space of foster care institutions in Central Pomerania in the years 1945–1975 and the transformations taking place in these institutions, which had an impact on the quality of childhood of the pupils/foster children.The main research problem of this study is contained in the question: How did the areas of childhood (economic, social-emotional, learning, preparation for independent living) change in foster care institutions in Central Pomerania in the context of the State’s welfare policy between 1945 and 1975?Verifying the research assumption was mainly done using archival document analysis and interviews. The study fills a gap in the regional literature in this scope and provides a basis for further in-depth research.