Experiences of foster parents caring for non-family related foster children in de Deur, Gauteng province, South Africa
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Date
2019
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Publisher
University of Zululand
Abstract
South African children and families are exposed and subjected to a number of social, economic, political and demographical challenges especially during a Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic. The challenges include poverty, crime, drug and alcohol abuse, domestic violence, discrimination, teenage pregnancy, lack of basic services and parental irresponsibility, absence/illness and death. These have been observed to interact and impact negatively on the care, physical, mental health, safety, development and well-being of children and on the effective functioning of families. As a result, these have been found to culminate into abuse, neglect, abandonment, orphaning and dysfunctional families, necessitating and compelling the need for alternative care for their care and protection.
In South Africa, the Children’s Act 38/2005 allows and permits foster care placement in both family and non-family care. This is pertinent to the social welfare context and plays an important role as a major component of the various options for alternative care for orphaned, abandoned or at-risk children in the country. The advantage of foster care lies in its being adaptable as it could be employed for the care and protection of children on a temporary basis as a respite care or on a long term basis. The employment of foster care on this long and permanent arrangement becomes the best option in regard to children who may not qualify for adoption but for whom parental care is not suitable. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the experiences and challenges which nonfamily related foster parents encountered as they provided care for their non-family related foster children. A qualitative phenomenological study was conducted utilising the purposive sampling technique to select twenty foster parents who were providing care to non-family related foster children on the caseload of Vereeniging Child and Family Welfare Society at their De Deur satellite office. In-depth interviews and focus group discussions were used to collect data. Individual interviews were conducted with eighteen non-related foster parents until data saturation was reached, as well as
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one focus group discussion consisting of six foster parents. Data analysis was done using the thematic method.
Overall, study findings indicated that non-related foster parents and foster children experienced mutual acceptance and a feeling of a sense of family, viewing fostering non-family related foster children as not necessarily and essentially different from fostering of family members. Findings indicated further that foster parents experienced economic, social and structural challenges. They were greatly motivated by altruistic and intrinsic factors and relied heavily on the foster care grant and self as major sources of support to cope, mitigate and overcome care challenges.
Little or no differences existed between fostering children in family and non-family foster care placement, at least in this study context. In the face of HIV and AIDS and its concomitant rise in orphan population, widespread poverty and the attenuation of the extended family safety net, there is a reliance on the non-family related foster care as alternative care of these children in need of care and protection. Recommendations include lightening the foster care system by redirecting non-HIV and AIDS-orphans to other support nets, adequate social workers and agency psychosocial support and supervision of foster parents. Furthermore, there needs to be a deliberate development of the relationship with and promotion of foster parents’ satisfaction to enhance efficiency and stimulate retention. Future studies should examine the differences in care outcomes for children in family related and nonfamily related placement. Finally, the study contributes to policy influences, knowledge building and practices and intervention guidance.
Description
A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the academic requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Social Work in the Faculty of Arts, University of Zululand, 2020.
Keywords
Experiences, challenges, foster parents, non-family related foster children