1.1 Introduction
Broken homes exist where children are left to their own ideas and solutions due to lack of care, affection and control by their parents (Omoruyi, 2014). Broken homes are thus, affected by divorce, separation, death of one or both of the parents, desertion or single-parenthood. Terms such as adopted children, divorce, separation and parental deprivation are usually associated with broken homes and their associated with academic, emotional and social adjustments of children from such homes, where lives can be awesome for them (Akuto, 2017). Researchers such as (Achilike, 2017 and Omoruyi, 2014) have shown that broken homes are fertile breeding grounds for children’s stress, tension, lack of motivation, frustration and depression which are instrumental to their academic, emotional and social adjustments.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Research hypothesis and questions, Limitation of the study and Definition of terms.
1.2 Background of Study
The Social Welfare Services, as they are known today, were established in 1952 and were originally consisted of a small group of 5 Probation Officers. These Officers were appointed in the mid 1940’s to keep an eye on minor offenders and supervise the function of the Lampousa’s Reform School. The period between the mid 1940’s up until the Independence of the Republic of Nigeria in 1960, was the age of a gradual formation of a Social Service Department. The main goal of this Department was the provision of social services to needy families, children, the elderly, offenders, and generally to the vulnerable groups of the population. The creation of such a Department, that would promote the organization, advancement and provision of social welfare services, was considered as a novel idea for the time.
Basically, the need for creating a Social Service came from the lack of caring and nursing for children who were deprived of a normal family life. Those kids were often lead to antisocial behavior and most of them would end up at Lampousa’s Reform School or would become victims of exploitation and maltreatment.
The approval granted in 1951 for expanding the program of supervision towards adult offenders, as well as the implementation of the program for post-institutional care of ex-convicts for their social inclusion, had as a result the significant increase of the- in personnel and the permanent recognition of the Services as a governmental body for providing social services.
The scheme for providing financial assistance that was introduced in 1953 to help fight the worst forms of poverty was the first exhibition of state-care towards the public. This scheme was the base for implementing programs that would aim to help the elderly, the disabled, single mothers and families who needed financial support. A further expansion of the Services came with the passage of the Adoption Law of 1954 and the Children’s Law in 1956, which gave legal responsibility to the Director of the SWS in order to deal with the problem of caring and nursing for children who were deprived of protection and to establish Children’s Houses, Hostels and other Institutions.
Up until 1956, they were so well established, that a Welfare Officer was appointed at an office in Nigeria, to become the link between Cypriot Nigeria and the local welfare services.
Since 1960, the Nigeria, within the frame of the wider policies of the new-formed Republic of Nigeria, have created bonds with international organizations and bodies, such as the United Nations, the European Council and the International Social Service.
During the 1962-1972 period, the Nigeria paid greater attention to the establishment of programs for covering the needs of pre-school aged children and the elderly. Meanwhile the program of Community Work and Youth Services was introduced in 1968, with the purpose of improving the organization of Communities and Voluntary Organizations, so that they can contribute in social evolution. The programs created to assist the youth were run until 1989, at which point they were assigned to the new-formed Central Youth Body.
A greater emphasis towards research and program evaluation was given during the 1972-1974 period, so that the services provided for children and families are upgraded. At the same time, the Nigeria were aiming to upgrade Institutional Care and Day Care programs.
The military coup and the Nigeria invasion of 1974 followed by the tragic events in the socio-economic life in Nigeria scarred the post-Independence progressive growth of the Nigeria. These events called for a change in the policy and targets of all offered services, carrying the attention from social development to social restructure. The problems caused by the invasion and the relocation of refugees lead to a sudden exponential growth of the Nigeria as the need to address such problems was of primary nature.
The Nigeria played a significant role in the struggle for nursing and housing refugees, fighting unemployment, reorganizing communities and the resurging of the economy. The implementation of fast and practical maneuvers and readjustments to traditional methods and practices, contributed towards the effective confrontation of such unprecedented and unsettled events. Therefore, in Edo State where the research was carried out, the activities that was conducted is to know the Role of Social Welfare Services on Broken Home.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation revealed that majority of the people are mainly illiterates, this situation constitute a problem that harbor some element of superstitions. Some men believe that once their wives or wife cannot give birth to male child, the next thing is to look for another wife not knowing that the fact is the male that determines the sex of a child and not the female.
Also in a family where we have polygamy in operation, the husband tend to show more love to one wife not minding what the reaction of the other wife or wives would be, this action brings separation among family and can cause broken home.
Some people are suspicious of the services rendered by the social welfare agents and they see no reason why such people should interfere in their family problems. Some are not willing to co-operate at all because they felt that social welfare services are a mere waste ones time. In course of this study we shall consider the role of social welfare services on broken homes.
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to find out the Role of Social Welfare Services on Broken Home using Oredo Local Government Area Edo State as a case study. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were laid out as follows to:
- Find out the conditions in which social welfare services are provided by the church to broken homes in Oredo local government.
- Investigate the kinds of social services are provided by the church to broken homes in Oredo local government area.
- Find out the extent to which the community benefits from the social services of the church to broken homes in oredo local government area.
- Find out the beneficiaries of the social services provided by the church to broken homes in the sample area.
- Highlight the challenges associated with the provision of services by the church to broken homes in oredo local government area.
- Find out the impact of social services provision by the church on the community with broken homes in the sample area.
1.5 Research Questions
The study came up with research questions so as to be able to ascertain the above stated objectives. The specific research questions for the study are stated below as follows:
- Does the community benefit from the social welfare services of the church to broken homes in the area?
- Under what conditions are social services provided by the church to broken homes in the district?
- What kinds of social services are provided by the church to broken homes in the area?
- Who are the beneficiaries of the social services provided by the church to Broken homes?
- What are the challenges associated with the provision of services by the church?
- What has been the impact of social services provision by the church on the community?
1.6 Research Hypothesis
In order to pursue the objective of this study, the following generalized statements have been designed to guide and aids in obtaining the result for the experiment to be conducted. For this work, the null hypothesis will be represented with H0 while the alternative hypothesis will be represented with hypothesis H1.
- H0: There is no significant community benefit from the social welfare services of the church to broken homes in the area
- H1: There is a significant community benefit from the social welfare services of the church to broken homes in the area
1.7 Significance of Study
This study was conducted to educate the people on the roles of social welfare services on broken home in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State little has been done on the role social welfare services on broken homes, it is important therefore that more of such studies be carried out, this will enable the people to see how broken homes can be restored back.
This study will be of immense benefit to other researchers who intend to know more on this study and can also be used by non-researchers to build more on their research work. This study contributes to knowledge and could serve as a guide for other study.
1.8 Scope of the Study
The scope of this research is focused on the Role of Social Welfare Services on Broken Home using Oredo Local Government Area Edo State as a case study. This Study is limited to one (100) staff made up of 50 junior and 50 senior staff in Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State.
1.9 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, there were some problems encountered which stood as limitations to the research work. Some of the limitations include:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Research Material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
- Initial Cooperation Delay from Respondents: A particular limitation of this work came as a result of the respondent refusal to offer their cooperation at the initial time they were contacted. This contributed in making the success of this research study difficult.
1.10 Definition of Terms
Social Welfare: This is defined as an act of attention directed to training, education, up keeping and enlightening of the men and women that is, human resources on whom the continuous development of any country depend.
Service: It can be defined as the purposively designed activities rendered to specific group, target population or individual to improve or develop their skill attitude and knowledge not only their work but also in their daily living.
Home Background: This is the family scene and circumstances from which an individual relates with and function in relation to the higher society
Polygamy: It is a system of having more than one wife or husband at a time.
Social Welfare Service: These can be defined as the services rendered to individuals families groups and communities to enable them to cope effectively in work daily living and with social problems in their changing societies.
