The experiences of youth foster care leavers in Makanda town, Eastern Cape, South Africa
- Maselana, Tembisa https://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-6959-0895
- Authors: Maselana, Tembisa https://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-6959-0895
- Date: 2021-11
- Subjects: Foster children -- Services for , Foster home care
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22368 , vital:52031
- Description: This study sought to explore the experiences of foster care youth who had exited the system within a period of three years in Makhanda Town, Eastern Cape. The coping mechanisms employed by foster care youth after exiting the system, and the policies, legislations and support services available were explored. The study adopted a qualitative research method. Non-probability sampling was employed to recruit 23 foster care youth who had exited the system within three years in Makhanda Town. In addition, 6 professionals dealing with statutory cases, three (3) foster parents and one (1) key informant were selected. Data was collected through the use of face-to-face semistructured individual interviews with foster care youth who had exited the system. The focus group discussion was held with professionals dealing with statutory cases and the ward councillor. The researcher analysed the data thematically. The study findings revealed that long term and comprehensive planning was important so as to provide a consistent and all round support to the fostered youth during the pre and post foster care phases. It was established that for most foster care children, the lack of a complete plan affects their transition from their biological home through the foster care system. Consequently, they come out more vulnerable than when there were initially placed in foster care. The study highlighted the serious need for training and job placement for the youths, a structure that is currently non-existent. The study recommended that the Department of Social Development (DSD) should make it compulsory for statutory social workers within the foster care domain to come up with individualized and personalized plans that outline the needs and deliverables for each child placed in the foster care system. Importantly, DSD must create a framework that is endorsed and accepted by all stakeholders so as to achieve the best interest of the child in all situations. Furthermore, the study recommends that DSD should employ more social workers to address the current human resources shortages in foster care units. Lastly, the study recommends restructuring of placement system to be less paper-work for effective and efficient, integrity, and quality of the service provision. , Thesis (MSW) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-11
- Authors: Maselana, Tembisa https://orcid.org/ 0000-0001-6959-0895
- Date: 2021-11
- Subjects: Foster children -- Services for , Foster home care
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/22368 , vital:52031
- Description: This study sought to explore the experiences of foster care youth who had exited the system within a period of three years in Makhanda Town, Eastern Cape. The coping mechanisms employed by foster care youth after exiting the system, and the policies, legislations and support services available were explored. The study adopted a qualitative research method. Non-probability sampling was employed to recruit 23 foster care youth who had exited the system within three years in Makhanda Town. In addition, 6 professionals dealing with statutory cases, three (3) foster parents and one (1) key informant were selected. Data was collected through the use of face-to-face semistructured individual interviews with foster care youth who had exited the system. The focus group discussion was held with professionals dealing with statutory cases and the ward councillor. The researcher analysed the data thematically. The study findings revealed that long term and comprehensive planning was important so as to provide a consistent and all round support to the fostered youth during the pre and post foster care phases. It was established that for most foster care children, the lack of a complete plan affects their transition from their biological home through the foster care system. Consequently, they come out more vulnerable than when there were initially placed in foster care. The study highlighted the serious need for training and job placement for the youths, a structure that is currently non-existent. The study recommended that the Department of Social Development (DSD) should make it compulsory for statutory social workers within the foster care domain to come up with individualized and personalized plans that outline the needs and deliverables for each child placed in the foster care system. Importantly, DSD must create a framework that is endorsed and accepted by all stakeholders so as to achieve the best interest of the child in all situations. Furthermore, the study recommends that DSD should employ more social workers to address the current human resources shortages in foster care units. Lastly, the study recommends restructuring of placement system to be less paper-work for effective and efficient, integrity, and quality of the service provision. , Thesis (MSW) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2021
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2021-11
An evaluation of the implementation of alternative care as stipulated in the South African Children's Act
- Herselman, Marinei https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6621-5392
- Authors: Herselman, Marinei https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6621-5392
- Date: 2018-01
- Subjects: Children's rights -- South Africa , Orphans -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Africa , Foster home care
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29215 , vital:77613
- Description: Each day, the safety and well-being of some children across South Africa are threatened by child abuse and neglect. While the developmental approach to social welfare services is widely endorsed by government policy in South Africa, there are significant gaps between these policies and the actual implementation thereof. The process of implementing alternative care and returning the child to the family in the shortest possible time is crucial for the child’s development. Social workers are responsible for providing children with safety in the form of a safe environment of care, foster care or Child and Youth Care Centres. In the absence of clear guidelines, social workers continue to experience chronic challenges in implementing this approach. As this research is undertaken within the social developmental approach to child welfare, the researcher elevated the implementation of alternative care and deemed it necessary to include Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems approach as a conceptual theoretical framework as part of the study. This study intended to evaluate the implementation of alternative care in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and to make recommendations on how the system might be improved. In evaluating the implementation challenges of the social developmental welfare approach, the ecological systems theory of Bronfenbrenner assisted in developing a conceptual framework to understand the interrelatedness between the systems infused with the elements of the developmental approach. A qualitative approach was employed and three data collection methods a semi-structured interview schedule, a focus group discussion and in-depth interviews) were utilized. Data was collected from participants who were social workers, biological parents of children in alternative care, children in Child and Youth Care Centres and foster and temporary safe care parents. Rich answers to questions were provided enabling the researcher to understand the complexity of the phenomenon that was being studied. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that there appears to be a lack of understanding of what constitutes the child’s best interests; secondly, that there is a need to improve the current implementation of alternative care and to adjust and rethink current policy and implementation practices for improvement of services rendered. Thirdly, South Africa has embraced the developmental social welfare approach to service delivery for marginalised and vulnerable groups however, when its implementation is evaluated, as it has been in this research, it becomes evident that it is mired in infrastructural and resource problems and that the entire system is somewhat crippled. The study concluded that alternative care is not fully conducted within a developmental framework as envisaged and recommends that the lack of social worker involvement in the process need to be addressed by decreasing caseloads and providing mandated training on the roles and responsibilities of the social worker involved in the process. In any organisation, the newly employed staff should undergo intensive training to equip them with working skills to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in terms of the job required. Furthermore, it is recommended that foster care services be divided into a section for the orphan population and those who is in need of statutory interventions. Infrastructural and human resources call for better cooperation and networking between the Departments of Social Development, NGO’s and other service providers. Effective intervention strategies should be implemented that will educate and empower social workers in the field of child protection services. It is recommended that tailor-made approach be implemented specifically for children in alternative care, separating the statutory aspects of child placement from other aspects such as prevention and early intervention services. The study has ended with suggestions for areas of further research for the benefit of the social work profession and the clients it seeks to serve. , Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018-01
- Authors: Herselman, Marinei https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6621-5392
- Date: 2018-01
- Subjects: Children's rights -- South Africa , Orphans -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- Africa , Foster home care
- Language: English
- Type: Doctoral theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/29215 , vital:77613
- Description: Each day, the safety and well-being of some children across South Africa are threatened by child abuse and neglect. While the developmental approach to social welfare services is widely endorsed by government policy in South Africa, there are significant gaps between these policies and the actual implementation thereof. The process of implementing alternative care and returning the child to the family in the shortest possible time is crucial for the child’s development. Social workers are responsible for providing children with safety in the form of a safe environment of care, foster care or Child and Youth Care Centres. In the absence of clear guidelines, social workers continue to experience chronic challenges in implementing this approach. As this research is undertaken within the social developmental approach to child welfare, the researcher elevated the implementation of alternative care and deemed it necessary to include Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems approach as a conceptual theoretical framework as part of the study. This study intended to evaluate the implementation of alternative care in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa and to make recommendations on how the system might be improved. In evaluating the implementation challenges of the social developmental welfare approach, the ecological systems theory of Bronfenbrenner assisted in developing a conceptual framework to understand the interrelatedness between the systems infused with the elements of the developmental approach. A qualitative approach was employed and three data collection methods a semi-structured interview schedule, a focus group discussion and in-depth interviews) were utilized. Data was collected from participants who were social workers, biological parents of children in alternative care, children in Child and Youth Care Centres and foster and temporary safe care parents. Rich answers to questions were provided enabling the researcher to understand the complexity of the phenomenon that was being studied. A thematic analysis was used to analyse the data. The study revealed that there appears to be a lack of understanding of what constitutes the child’s best interests; secondly, that there is a need to improve the current implementation of alternative care and to adjust and rethink current policy and implementation practices for improvement of services rendered. Thirdly, South Africa has embraced the developmental social welfare approach to service delivery for marginalised and vulnerable groups however, when its implementation is evaluated, as it has been in this research, it becomes evident that it is mired in infrastructural and resource problems and that the entire system is somewhat crippled. The study concluded that alternative care is not fully conducted within a developmental framework as envisaged and recommends that the lack of social worker involvement in the process need to be addressed by decreasing caseloads and providing mandated training on the roles and responsibilities of the social worker involved in the process. In any organisation, the newly employed staff should undergo intensive training to equip them with working skills to ensure effectiveness and efficiency in terms of the job required. Furthermore, it is recommended that foster care services be divided into a section for the orphan population and those who is in need of statutory interventions. Infrastructural and human resources call for better cooperation and networking between the Departments of Social Development, NGO’s and other service providers. Effective intervention strategies should be implemented that will educate and empower social workers in the field of child protection services. It is recommended that tailor-made approach be implemented specifically for children in alternative care, separating the statutory aspects of child placement from other aspects such as prevention and early intervention services. The study has ended with suggestions for areas of further research for the benefit of the social work profession and the clients it seeks to serve. , Thesis (Ph.D.) -- Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, 2018
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2018-01
The effect of foster care placement on children and foster families
- Authors: Time, Lumka
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Foster home care , Foster children , Foster parents
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9246 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021151
- Description: Clearly very little is known about the dynamics within foster families and the effects of fostering on children. The intention of this study was to understand what happens in the lives of children during their period of placement in foster homes and it affected them and to explore and describe the experiences of the foster parent. It was learned that there is often a breakdown in the relationship between foster parents and the children they foster, particularly with regards to the gaining of trust, the socio economic status of the foster parents also played a part in the success of the placement. This research has found that substance abuse on the part of the children was prevalent leading to great tension within the households.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
- Authors: Time, Lumka
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Foster home care , Foster children , Foster parents
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MA
- Identifier: vital:9246 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/d1021151
- Description: Clearly very little is known about the dynamics within foster families and the effects of fostering on children. The intention of this study was to understand what happens in the lives of children during their period of placement in foster homes and it affected them and to explore and describe the experiences of the foster parent. It was learned that there is often a breakdown in the relationship between foster parents and the children they foster, particularly with regards to the gaining of trust, the socio economic status of the foster parents also played a part in the success of the placement. This research has found that substance abuse on the part of the children was prevalent leading to great tension within the households.
- Full Text:
- Date Issued: 2014
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