Peculiarities of professional self-determination of children living in substituting families

Today an important area of research is the professional orientation of schoolchildren. The choice of a professional career is the first step of the process of professional self-identity also affects the future way of life. Committing professional choice occupy an important place not only professional knowledge and skills of the child, but the presence of a specific personal preparedness professional maturity, manifested in the ability to take into account the specific characteristics of its situation of professional choice. The main characteristics of professional maturity are the autonomy, awareness and correlation of the information with its own characteristics, the ability to make decisions, plan; positive emotional attitude to the need to make choices and take decisions. Gradually, throughout the school period, the child expands its knowledge about the world of professions and about the work of people who receive knowledge with a view to their application in future work. In the case of children from foster families in the process of professional self-determination is significantly complicated and is due to the presence of two major groups of factors. The first group includes factors caused by the deprivation of the child of maternal care in the past, until the stay in a substitute family. The second group includes factors due to the organization of activity of children-orphans and children left without parental care during their stay in the institution prior to the adoption of the child in replacing family. Both groups of factors contribute to the distinctive features of the process of professional self-determination of children from foster families, the main ones are the difficulty in understanding the role of labour for the individual and society, the lack of interest in the professions of family members, psychological and communication difficulties while participating in employment and educational activities related to career choice, difficulties with awareness and self-assessment of their professional abilities. This article describes the components of readiness for professional self-determination of children living in foster families, offers a means of formation of readiness to professional self-determination taking into account the listed features.