Acompanhamento do crescimento e desenvolvimento da criança: a participação das mães da área rural

The accompaniment of growth and development is the central thrust of child care in primary health care in order to contribute to the reduction of infant morbidity and mortality and promote healthy development. Despite its importance, the family health unit located in rural Parazinhocounty experiences the problem of frequent absences of children to follow-up consultations. Thus, this study aims to analyze the participation of mothers in the accompaniment of growth and development of children in the Family Health Strategy. This is an exploratory, descriptive study with a qualitative approach with the method action research, developed with mothers who are part of the monitoring of the growth and development of children in the rural area of the municipality of Parazinho/RN from May to October 2014. Data collection was performed using the focus group techniques, participant observation and individual interviews. Data were analyzed using thematic analysis of categorization. The study was approved by the Research Ethics Committee, under the opinion embodied 617,559 and CAAE 28598014.7.0000.5537. In step situation analysis, were conducted two focus groups, attended by a total of 14 mothers of different rural locations. From the speeches, one realizes that they have a satisfactory understanding of the monitoring of the growth and development of the childwas a learning moment. The nurse was mentioned as key professional that actionof accompaniment. The main reason that mothers to abandon consultations is access to health services, due to the distance from their homes to the basic unit, the shortage of public transport for the movement of users and delay between the service and the back home. As a strategy to try to tackle these problems, at the suggestion of their mothers was created Monitoring of Growth and Development Itinerant, where the FHS team moved to rural locations, performing activities related to children's health. Mothers who participated in the action approved the initiative as improving access and care of health needs, despite indicate dissatisfaction as the poor infrastructure and little privacy in consultations. Therefore, it is concluded that, despite the difficulties encountered often for lack of management support and involvement of some professionals, the monitoring of growth and development itinerant proved to be an important tool in solving the problem of access to services oriented to the health of child, in addition to functioning as a space for the realization of health education, becoming, since then, an activity inherent in family health team schedule.

Humanização do atendimento à criança na atenção básica: visão dos profissionais

Objetivou-se compreender a humanização do atendimento à criança na Atenção Básica na visão dos profissionais. Estudo qualitativo, realizado em uma Unidade de Saúde da Família de Natal-RN, Brasil. Dezesseis profissionais responderam a um formulário contendo questões referentes ao atendimento à criança, à humanização e às práticas realizadas para humanizar o atendimento. Os dados foram categorizados por temas e analisados a partir dos princípios da Política Nacional de Humanização. Para os profissionais, humanizar o atendimento envolve acolher, escutar, aconselhar sobre o que está sendo realizado com a criança, valorizar a família, e tornar o sujeito ativo no atendimento, mesmo que de forma incipiente. A maioria dos profissionais descreveu atendimento que valorizava parte dos princípios da política de humanização, mesmo com dificuldades para implementá-los na rotina. Requer, portanto, estímulos e atualização dos profissionais para uma postura autocrítica sobre o atendimento

Vivendo e aprendendo no ambiente hospitalar: Percepções de crianças sobre a doença

This study focuses on the child within the hospital environment. Its purpose is to describe children s perceptions of their illness and time in hospital and to identify their main hardships during treatment. This study has a qualitative nature and is theoretically and methodologically supported by the creative and sensitive method developed by Cabral (1998), studies by Piaget, Vygotsky and Wallon on child development, and studies conducted by Pinto (2005), Collet (2004), Chiattone (2003), Silva (2002), Lima et.al (1999) on in-patient children. For this study, 13 children between the ages of 7 and 12 at a public hospital institution specialized in child care in the city of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, were interviewed. As a criterion for taking part in this study the children would have to have been in hospital for over three days and be fully capable of physically and emotionally interacting with the researcher at the time the interview took place. Analysis drew on the study of the empirical material made up of interviews and a field diary where notes had been entered for the children s reactions, expressions and gestures. Results show that there is some understanding, on the part of these children, of their illness, with their parents as the main informants. They accept being in hospital because they need treatment, but they realize that life becomes different especially on account of the constraints resulting from the illness and the hospital itself. The main hardships during treatment are: lack of recreational activities in the evenings and on the weekends within the hospital environment; absence of family members, especially brothers and sisters; and lack of explanation on the part of health professionals regarding some procedures as these are being carried out. Our conclusion is that children perceive illness and the hospital environment as something that changes the rhythm of their lives bringing on them perturbations, fears and anxieties. Hence, we suggest that professionals working with in-patient children should be especially prepared to deal with these children and their parents, aiming at bringing down fears and anguishes, clear their doubts and, in addition, advise the parents in respect of their children s treatment while in hospital and after hospital discharge. The hospital environment should also be cheerful and colorful and have a toy room under the coordination of persons especially prepared for that purpose

O processo de trabalho e a composição técnica do trabalho do enfermeiro no cuidado à saúde da criança em unidades de saúde da familia

With the trajectory that the problems related to child health are taking in our society, particularly with regard to infant mortality, beyond the process of decentralization of health and the implementation of the Family Health Strategy in the cities, where it has increased considerably performance of nursing staff in Primary Health Care, they can be considered essential factors for reflections on the care of nurse dispenses the health of these children. In order to check how it is organized the working process of the nurse in caring for these children in USFs as well as the difficulties found in the dynamics of this work, this research aimed to analyze the work processes of nurses in care Child Health in USFs, with emphasis on technologies used in producing care. This is a research exploratory and descriptive with qualitative approach, based on the theoretical reference in about Work Process and Composition Technique of Work. The data were collected through semi-structured interviews of 11 nurses who, at the moment, perform their functions for more than 01 year at USF. The guiding questions were based at theoretical reference. To analyze the results, was used the referential of content analysis, and was refer to thematic analysis. In situations that were involved closed questions of the interview, was used the aid of SPSS 15.0 program for Windows. The results indicated that the process of nurse work in health care of children, focuses on the preventive character, whose focus of the actions are healthy children, following the routines and protocols established by the Ministry of Health with a view to maintaining health them. When analyzing the data through theoretical references of Composition Technique of Work found that the core technologies of daily tasks of the nurse are directed for the use of technology soft-hard and hard, and the reason established between the Dead Working and Alive Working, there is prevalence of the first against the second in the production of this care. These situations contribute to the explanation of the emergence problems related to adhesion of mothers / caregivers to monitoring the CD, due to character prescriptive and normalizer of actions. The results also suggested the presence of "vanishing lines" in the make of nurses, confirming the self-governance of health professionals in daily work. These "vanishing lines" express the own execution of the Work Live in action, guided by the use of soft technologies, however, was not characterized as a process of technology transition. So, to get a better resolution to the problems related to child health, the nurse has reorganize your work process by focusing on the execution of work live in action.

Atenção à saúde da pessoa idosa na estratégia saúde da família no município de Santo Antônio/RN: um estudo de caso

According to demographic estimates, by the year 2025 Brazil will be the sixth country in the world in number of elderly. For this reason, it is a purpose of public policies to help people to reach that age being healthier. The current health care model of health surveillance through the Family Health Strategy (EFS, in portuguese) is configured as a gateway into the care of the elderly in the Unified Health System (SUS, in portuguese). It is also an area of development of practices to promote health, prevention and control of chronic nondegenerative diseases. The aim of this study was to analyze the health care of the elderly provided by ESF professionals for the achievement of a full care. The study is descriptive case study with a quantitative approach, performed in the city of Santo Antônio/RN. The population included all health professionals, who are FHS members of the city that agreed to participate of the survey, a total of 80 professionals. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire, having mostly closed questions and divided into two parts: one containing sociodemographic information of health professionals and vocational training and the other, the activities carried on by the professionals in senior care, being analyzed from a database tabulated in a spreadsheet and discussed according to the descriptive statistics in tables, graphs and charts using frequencies, medians and values of central tendency. It was verified a predominance of professionals who finished highschool, mostly female, aged from 30 to 34 years old, with training completed in the last 10 years, without being graduated in the field of geriatrics or gerontology and mostly without training in gerontology. Family members and caregivers were the components of the social support network most identified by the professionals (66.3%).The elderly access to the Family Health Basic Unit was considered by83.8% of professionals as the most important factor that interferes in the activities of health care of the elderly. Considering the inclusion of the family in care: 98.8% of professionals consider the family as one of the goals of care, but 82.5% assist the family to know their role and participate in the care of the elderly, emphasizing that no professional makes use of tools for evaluating the functionality of the family. Regarding the actions taken to assist the elderly, 91.25% have home visits program to the elderly, 88.75% use the host program; 77.5% know the habits of life, cultural, ethical and religious values of the elderly, their families and their community ;51.25% complement the activities through intersectoral actions, 50%participate in groups of living with the elderly; 33.75% keeps track and maintain updated the health information of the elderly; 11.25% of the professionals perform the Single Therapy Planning (PTS, in portuguese) and few implement the actions to promote health according to PTS; there is a deficit in the number of professional categories in the identification and monitoring of the frail older people in their households. It is concluded that the health care of the elderly developed by ESF professionals differs among the professional categories. It was identified weaknesses in the promotion of an active and healthy aging and also in the establishment of an integrated and full care of the elderly. It is recommended the adoption of permanent educational activities by the City Management, initially for ESF professionals in the the perspective of the guidelines of the National Policy of Health Care for the Elderly and later to the other professionals that are part of the health care network of the elderly, at all levels of care in the city for the development of strategies and practices that promote the improvement of the quality of healthcare for the elderly, expecting concrete and effective results in terms of promoting health within Brazilian reality

Práticas populares de cuidado à criança: o saber/fazer de cuidadoras

Popular practices correspond to the resources used by households, lay people and popular therapists, whose perception of knowledge is constructed in the everyday. In this context, the sick child can become vulnerable to be dependent on a family caregiver, who often decide to employ popular practices. Thus, the child care should be shared between carer and health professional. However, they know little about the resources that the family uses to detect a grievance in infant. Therefore, the present research aimed to analyse the use of popular practices by caregivers of children with zero to five years old. We conducted an exploratory and descriptive study with a qualitative approach, together with 15 caregivers of children who were treated at the Joint Unit Felipe Shrimp, located in Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. To select the participants, they should be age and above 18 years; be caregivers of children up to five years of age; and reside in the area ascribed the Joint Unit Felipe Shrimp. The data collection took place between September and October 2013, through in depth interview. This step was preceded by the approval of the Health Department of the city of Natal; the direction of the Joint Unit Felipe Shrimp; as well as, the Committee on Ethics in Research from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte with Certificate of Presentation and Consideration Ethics, No 15467013.8.0000.5537. Furthermore, the interviewees formally authorized their participation in the research by signing the consent form. The data were treated according to the technique of content analysis in the form of thematic analysis according to Bardin. This process, four categories emerged: "Types of popular practices used in the care of the child"; "Source of information of popular practices"; "Results obtained with popular practices"; "Factors that hinder the adoption of common practices." The results showed the use of popular practices by caregivers in the case of illness to children such as the homemade preparations with medicinal plants and folk healers. The family environment was referenced as the main learning space and spread of popular practices, which are influenced by cultural relations present in this context. As to the results obtained with popular features, the caregivers said to be satisfactory, and this triggers a feeling of confidence and acceptability of such measures. It is concluded that the use of popular practices in child care persists in everyday most of the participants, despite the hegemony of allopathic therapy. The caregivers stated that such practices are effective and easy to obtain, being secured in context by popular culture. In addition, health professionals, especially nurses, were seldom mentioned by the caregivers as to the information concerning popular resources used by them, which suggests the weakness in dialogic process of negotiating practices between both of them

Vivências do pai/ acompanhante no processo da hospitalização do filho

The presence of the man with the hospitalized child is still insignificant and the relationships established in hospitals culminate in several situations that can to influence his experience. The study aimed to analyze the experiences of the parent / caregiver during the hospitalization of their child. In intention to develop the research, it was conducted an exploratory and descriptive qualitative research approach, developed with 11 fathers who accompanied sick childen at the Paediatric Hospital in metropolitan area of Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil. As inclusion criteria men should be aged 18 years; have favorable emotional conditions to answer the questions are be accompanying his child aged between one to five years old in clinical or surgical. Data collection occurred in March and April 2014, using an interview script. This step prior to the approval of the Health Department of state of Rio Grande do Norte, approved by Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Committee on Ethics in Research by Certificate of Presentation and Ethics Consideration No. 22821513.1.0000.5537. The data treatment occurred following the content analysis method in thematic modality proposed by Bardin. According to statements the following categories emerged: "The presence of the father in the hospitalization of a child" and "Responsibilities and parental attitudes the hospitalization of a child”, which were analyzed and discussed based on the literature on the family in the hospitalization of the child and considerations about the care of the child. It was founded that the respondents the experienced institutionalization son were inserted in a context of active participation of tasks and sharing responsibilities. Thus it was considered in the study the need of enforcing rights of the father as a family entity in practice of them child care instead of social and gender issues that are still strongly rooted in contemporary society. Given this, it is necessary that the nursing staff consider the various situations faced by man during infant hospitalization with the first fruits of this approach to the care of the son process minimizing the sequelae stemming from being away from the family nucleus

Análise da atuação do Ministério Público Estadual na assistência materno infantil do Rio Grande do Norte

Maternal and infant mortality have become a serious public health problem in Brazil, especially in northeasternand northern regions.In RioGrande do Norte, the high rates ofdeathsofmothersandbabies haveconcerned not onlythehealthauthorities andjusticeagenciessuch as the prosecution service. In 2011, State Public Ministry (MPE) has developed a proposition which was called “Nascer com Dignidade”, focused on the monitoring ofcare givenin prenatal, childbirth andpost childbirthin the cities. The aim of thisstudy was toinvestigate how the intervention of MPE works in maternal and child care. The method adopted to survey data was the case study by analyzing the skills of the reports which were carried out in four of the eight Public Health Regional Units (URSAP).A total of 26municipalities were chosenand the results showfragilityparticularly inprenatal care which can result in complicationsin childbirthand postpartumlike:incomplete health family teams(in05cities), lack of access orinaccessibility to laboratory tests(16 cities) and lack of the pregnant woman'sattachment to thebirthing place(in26 cities). Based on this reality, MPE has adopted relevant attitudes as filing public civil suits, compliance of Conduct Adjustment Declaration in the municipal management and performing interventions in heath care centers and maternity clinics of the state. Thereforeit is known thatPublic Ministryis of paramount importanceto indicatethe necessaryadjustmentsto addressinfant and maternalmortalityin the state (mean of 65/100,000 and16/100,000respectively) and give the city hall the responsibility for the health care quality provided to their citizens. These factors demand theprinciples ofuniversality and integrality to be performed in order to reduce social inequities.

Humanização do atendimento à criança na atenção básica: visão dos profissionais

Objetivou-se compreender a humanização do atendimento à criança na Atenção Básica na visão dos profissionais. Estudo qualitativo, realizado em uma Unidade de Saúde da Família de Natal-RN, Brasil. Dezesseis profissionais responderam a um formulário contendo questões referentes ao atendimento à criança, à humanização e às práticas realizadas para humanizar o atendimento. Os dados foram categorizados por temas e analisados a partir dos princípios da Política Nacional de Humanização. Para os profissionais, humanizar o atendimento envolve acolher, escutar, aconselhar sobre o que está sendo realizado com a criança, valorizar a família, e tornar o sujeito ativo no atendimento, mesmo que de forma incipiente. A maioria dos profissionais descreveu atendimento que valorizava parte dos princípios da política de humanização, mesmo com dificuldades para implementá-los na rotina. Requer, portanto, estímulos e atualização dos profissionais para uma postura autocrítica sobre o atendimento

A organização da demanda em serviços públicos de saúde bucal: universalidade, eqüidade e integralidade em saúde bucal coletiva

RONCALLI, Angelo Giuseppe. A organização da demanda em serviços públicos de saúde bucal: universalidade, eqüidade e integralidade em Saúde Bucal Coletiva. raçatuba, 2000. 238p. Tese (Doutorado em Odontologia Preventiva e Social). Faculdade de Odontologia, Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho”

Habitus, representações sociais e a construção do ser professora da educação infantil da cidade de Campina Grande - PB

We present here the results of a study whose objectives were to identify the social representation of being a professor of early childhood education in Campina Grande - PB, in the public state and municipal levels, and detect structural diagrams of a possible mental habitus of professorial faculty of education child, which would form the basis for the construction of this representation. As a theoretical base, we adopted the model developed by Domingos Sobrinho (1998, 2000, 2003, 2010, 2011), which articulates the Theory of Social Representations, Serge Moscovici, and the foundations and concepts of Pierre Bourdieu praxiology. It is based also on the Central Nucleus Theory, which focuses on the structural approach of social representations. Thus, puts in evidence the relational dynamics and symbolic, through which individuals come into contact, describe, understand and reproduce the outside world in his image and likeness. 199 teachers participated in the study of child care and pre-schools of Campina Grande - PB and 109 of the state. The methods and techniques used were: a) participant observation of everyday life of teachers of kindergartens and preschools, b) semi-structured interview, c) free associations of words with inducing the expression 'being a professor of early childhood education is ...' and d) semi-structured questionnaire. The data were analyzed in the case of interviews through the categorical content analysis, as proposed by Bauer (2010); free-associations, using the software Ensemble L'Analyse des Programmes Permettant evocations (EVOC), developed by Vergès (2002), which combines frequency and average order of recall (or association) and the questionnaire data, the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). It was verified the existence of a unique social representation shared by the population studied, but its content is structured differently. For local teachers, the centrality of the content is given by the elements commitment, dedication, responsibility, and rewarding teachers for this state revolves around the elements of love, patience, and rewarding responsibility. However, it is constructed mainly based on the related produced by a religious habitus and maternal habitus, which are part of the genesis of the establishment of professorial habitus in focus, among other cultural references of secondary influence. We conclude that a teacher of early childhood education actually researched, is materialized in the practices of educating and caring, in a clear fusion of the role of teacher and mother

Trajetória do hospital dia Dr. Elger nunes: um recorte histórico da psiquiatria e saúde mental no Rio Grande do Norte

In Brazil, the mental health network proposed by the Psychiatric Reform inserts the intermediate and replacement services in the pursuit of alignment or resocialization of patients with mental and behavioral disorder in the community. Was adopted, among other services, the Center for Psychosocial Care, Home Therapy, Sheltered Home, Day Hospital and psychiatric beds in general hospital. In this context, the State of Rio Grande do Norte implanted the Day Hospital Dr. Elger Nunes (HDEN) in Natal / RN in 1996, linked to State Department of Public Health. At HDEN happened a multi and interdisciplinary therapeutic work, besides being the scene of disciplinary practices, and extension projects for graduate courses in Higher Education Institutions in the city. However, with the process of decentralization of local services, the hospital was terminated by an administrative state act in 2006, leaving damage to the activities provided to users, disciplinary practices and extension activities. From this breakdown, the objective was to narrate the trajectory of HDEN through a multidisciplinary team of professionals and teachers who used it as a field of disciplinary practices. It is characterized as a documental and qualitative, backed in the technique of thematic oral history, following the phases: authorization of the interviewee, interview recording, transcription, textualization and transcreation of the material obtained. We used documents, ordinances, general reports of activities, among others, plus interviews to fifteen employees who used this service, being thirteen part of the multidisciplinary team of professionals and two graduation professors of health care area, nursing and medicine. The stories collected were organized according to the technique chosen, respecting its steps. In preparing the body subjected to ALCESTE computer program, priority was given to the vital tone for the formation of categories and classes elected by the program, structured in three thematic areas. In the first axis, called Trajectory of HDEN, were recalled the beginning of its activities, the steps of that time, their activities, and its actors - users, families, professionals, and teaching practices. The second axis has dealt with the process of extinction of HDEN, rescuing the feelings of employees, the main reasons given at the time and immediate postextinction scenario. And the third axis revealed in an articulated form the situation of mental health in Natal / RN, listing to the challenges and prospects for the psychosocial care, starting from the trajectory of HDEN with emphasis on activities. Moreover, the trajectory of HDEN provides recognition of the historical basis outlined in the constitution of the network of substitute services present in the current scenario of psychosocial care in the city of Natal and in RN.

Processo de trabalho na estratégia saúde da família: potencialidades e fragilidades da atuação do enfermeiro

The present study aims to analyze the nurse s work process at Family Health Strategy, considering its basic elements and dynamic, and searching to identify aspects that may constitute strengths and weaknesses in its development. This is an analytical case study, with qualitative approach and theoretical-conceptual mark grounded in Dialectic Hermeneutics. Empirical research fields were the Family Health Units of Natal, RN, Brazil. The subjects are nurses working in this Strategy. Data collection was conducted through semi-structured individual interviews combined with field observation. The research was initiated after approval by the Ethics Committee of Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, according to the guidelines and rules for research involving humans (Resolution 466/12), ensuring proper ethical precepts. The project was approved by register number 398.929, CAAE 19588813.7.0000.5537. From the 9 interviewed nurses, 8 were female and 1 male, average age of 52 years, average graduation time of 27 years and average time they stayed at the same Family Health territory of 7 years. It was found that it is up to the professional nurse in the Family Health care the important role of taking care of human beings in their life, family and community contexts, producing conditions to meet their needs through therapeutic act in health, using for such purpose both materials and immaterial instruments. It was possible to relate aspects that characterize strengths and weaknesses in the work process of nurses in the ESF, according to the speech of the interviewed workers, including the meanings and contradictions. Among the potentialities observed, it was possible to highlight the wide role of the nurse at Family Health; the perception of nurses about teamwork; the relative autonomy of nurses; the commitment of professionals to work; Humanization as a technology; the presence of other agents at work, such as directors and officers at the primary health units; the professional s experience time and contract type in the case studied. As weaknesses in the work process of nurses at Family Health Strategy, were highlighted the limited skills of the workforce; the difficulty in 10 identifying specific limits of the work of nurses in this scenario; the disturbances that occur in the process, the existing gaps in multiprofessional teams; Structural deficits of the units in the studied case, the low coverage of the Family Health in the county, and the political vulnerability of the work conditions. It is considered necessary to understand the dilemmas experienced in everyday life of nurses at Family Health Strategy as part of multiprofessional teams, facing actual achievement of changes in work processes necessary for the reorientation of health care in Brazil. In accordance, it is necessary to promote proper working conditions and welfare of labor agents which are protagonists the work at the United Health System

Os Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas como suporte da atenção básica: uma avaliação na perspectiva da integralidade

The public dental services in Brazil were limited, practically, to the basic care, so that the specialized services acted, up to 2002, no more than 3,5% of the total of clinical procedures. That lower offer reveals the difficulty of continuity of the attention, that is, the comprehensiveness in the assistance, particulary, the reference and counter-reference system. Brasil Sorridente search to supply those needs when proposing Speciality Dental's Centers(CEOs Centros de Especialidades Odontológicas, Brazil) to compose the services of average complexity. In 2005, Ministry of Health enabled the three CEOs of Natal, located in the North II, East and West Sanitary Districts. This investigation evaluated the implantation of these CEOs, as support of the family health care teams, in the perspective of organization of the services in assistencial nets in Natal/RN. It was a study of evaluation, with qualitative approach and some quantitative data as contribution. Dentists, users and managers were interviewed to identify and to understand their perceptions, relationships and experiences in the daily of the services. The conceptual base that orientated the investigation was the principle of comprehensiveness, in its operational sense of the hierarchization in health attention levels. The collection of data was done with documental research, direct observation and semi-structured interview. The analysis was accomplished by triangulation of the extracted content from the used techniques and sources of interviewed groups depositions, looking for theoretical-conceptual support in specific bibliography. The results pointed aspects that go away from the comprehensiveness like: low resolution of problems in the basic net; little valorization of the space in the health units; traditional models of access to health services, insufficient offer for some specialties, compromising the reference and counter-reference system; practices centered in procedures in the CEO; bureaucratic directions from basic care to the specialized service; disintegrated and disjointed system among levels of attention; disrespect to the municipal protocol. On the other hand, there is an approach of compreensiveness in situations like: increase of the access and covering in the Family Health Strategy (ESF Estratégia Saúde da Família, Brazil); larger approach between professional and user; tendency to the quantitative and qualitative growth of specialized actions; punctual initiatives of relationships among levels; existence of protocol to guide professionals

Significados de família para crianças em abrigo

This research explores the meanings of family for institutionalized children. It identifies, more specifically, how the relationship between the child and his/ her family is. The field work was developed at a municipal shelter in Natal/RN, which houses children aged between 7 and 11 years old. The subjects of research consisted of three children: two boys and one girl. Besides age-group criterion, which facilitates the use of oral language and the procedures, we took into consideration another selection criterion: children whose family configurations were similar. In order to achieve the objectives, we used toys, pictures, collages and semi-structured interviews. Data were examined under the Thematic Content Analysis, with three thematic categories previously chosen: Configuration of geographic area, family composition and family s internal dynamics. Among the results, we highlight that, for children, the concept of family is based essentially on existence of affection ties, regardless of kinship. Through this study, we hope to contribute to the discussion on the rights of institutionalized children, concerning their need of experiencing family life and living in community