The master’s thesis, designed as a case study, examines a project of temporary accommodation for Ukrainian children without primary caregivers in Slovenia from the perspective of staff members. The theoretical part outlines the developmental characteristics of children without parental care and the psychological aspects of institutional care. The empirical part applies qualitative thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke) to semi-structured interviews with six staff members (aged 24–67; employed in the project for ≥ 1 year) and diary entries. The analysis yielded three thematic clusters: (1) children’s development and progress, (2) experiences of distress and adaptation, and (3) staff members’ roles and experiences. Findings indicate that a structured, supportive, and tailored environment fosters improvements in children’s emotional regulation, behavior, communication, and social skills. Staff members described a range of effective approaches (clear boundaries, emotional co-regulation, small group settings, school/kindergarten integration) and reported both personal and professional growth, despite experiencing high workloads. The study also identified lasting effects of trauma and systemic challenges (staff stability, training). Limitations include the small and homogeneous sample, the absence of a control group, and a relatively short observation period, restricting the generalizability of results. Nevertheless, the thesis provides the first in-depth insight into the Slovenian context of such accommodation and offers practice-oriented recommendations (structure, supervision, stable staffing).
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