Abstract
Customarily, paternal or maternal African families care for vulnerable children – depending on each child’s circumstances. Maintaining children in need of care and protection is considered the role of both sides of their families – before these children are placed in formal foster care so that – like many fortunate children – they could grow up in a child-friendly environment. Kinship foster care dominates in the black community – when children are abandoned or neglected, or when their parents are deceased. Designated social workers play a significant role in the formal foster care system. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of designated social workers’ views regarding the challenges and benefits of the implementation of the foster care system. The study employed a qualitative method. Social workers with at least two years of experience were included in the study. This is because they were deemed capable of providing rich information regarding the South African foster care system. The study was conducted in the East Rand of Gauteng where eight designated social workers employed by the Department of Social Development were interviewed. The study found a prevalence of related-foster care cases. Moreover, most foster parents are unemployed and depend on some sort of social grant. Importantly, the study revealed that the foster care grant does not only benefit the foster child but also the foster family as a whole. The foster care grant was also found to be insufficient and therefore unable to meet the basic needs of the foster child. The study revealed that designated social workers play a role from the initial to the final stage of foster care process. However, the study established that designated social workers have no final say in the foster care placement: the magistrate decides on children to be placed in foster care. Designated social workers are confronted with heavy case-loads and limited resources. Thus, the study recommended that the state addressed the issue of limited resources and that more designated social workers be hired to prevent the case overload. The study also recommended that the foster care grant be increased to enable it to meet foster children’s basic needs.
M.A. (Social Impact Assessment)