Comparison of the In-service Training Requirements and the Level of Satisfaction of Care Personnel in Children's Homes

Adults assume an important role in the care and education of children. Although the family is considered as the most suitable environment for raising children, various social and economic factors may require or force children to live apart from their families. In this context; this study aimed to determine the in-service training requirements with respect to children’ nutrition, food safety, children's diseases and disease prevention of the care personnel assigned at Children's Homes affiliated with the Provincial Directorates of the Ministry of Family and Social Policies, and to compare these requirements with their post-training level of satisfaction. The study was performed with the participation of 43 care personnel working for the Provincial Directorate of Social Services in the Manisa Province of Turkey. The obtained data were then evaluated using content analysis. Twenty six (60.5%) of the care personnel were between the ages of 25-30, while 38 (88.4%) were secondary school graduates in the area of child development. All of the participants expressed that the program was able to meet their training requirements. During the study, it was determined that the care personnel had various training requirements, and that detailed knowledge regarding these needs was very important for the effective planning of the content and duration of their in-service training.