Suchergebnisse

The dominant view in South Africa and internationally, supported by various legislative tools, isthat vulnerable children are best cared for in foster homes as compared to Children's Homes(Kiraly, 2001; Long, 2007; McKay, 2002; Morei, 2002). Legislation in South Africa pertainingto the care and protection of children is presently under review. The Children's Bill consists oftwo sections: Section 75 and Section 76. Section 75 of the Bill was signed by President Mbeki inJune 2006, and is called the Children's Act 38/2005 and Section 76 of the Bill remains beforeparliament, being referred to as the Children's Amendment Bill [B19-2006]. The Children's Act38/2005 is not operational as yet and social service providers are still using the Child Care Act74/1983. It is envisioned that the Children's Act 38/2005 will replace the Child Care Act74/1983 in 2008 (Jacobs, Shung-King Smith, 2005). Should alternative care be necessary fora vulnerable child, the Children's Act 38/2005 prioritises a foster care placement over a childand youth care centre, of which a Children's Home is a part (Section 46(1)(a)). Given the steadydecline in traditional family living as a result of, amongst other factors, HIV/AIDS, poverty andunemployment in South Africa, the dominant view of family care being prioritised may notalways be a feasible option. Of course, sound social work practice, where individual needsmatch placement, must always predominate in the decision on the placement of the child. Thearticle critically reviews two alternative care options from an ecological and structural socialwork framework

Following the change from over 350 years of colonial and apartheid rule in South Africa, thefirst democratically elected government that came into power in 1994 was faced with thechallenge of having to address vast levels of inequality and poverty. The distribution of wealthwere extremely skewed in terms of race, gender and region, with children growing up in rural,black and female-headed households disproportionately affected by severe levels of poverty(Cassiem, Perry, Sadan Streak, 2000; Landman, Bhorat, Van der Berg Van Aardt, 2003;May, 1998; UNDP, 2004). Consequently, child mortality and levels of stunted growth in SouthAfrica in general and amongst this group of children in particular were unacceptably high, and– by now constitutionally enshrined – children's rights and basic needs were unmet for themajority of South African children (Manuel, 2007). Poverty continues to be the biggestchallenge faced by the government: Brandon and Pather (2007) for example cite that 24 millionSouth Africans are living below the poverty line, half of whom are dependent on governmentgrants.

Social workers employed in Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) play a critical role in offering therapeutic services for children and youths in need of care. This article explores social workers' experiences working in seven different CYCCs in Durban. It is based on qualitative research using an exploratory, descriptive research design with a sample of eleven social workers. Social workers in CYCCs faced challenges including role overload and overlap, lack of adequate resources, safety and security concerns and limited support, which caused strain and compromised social workers' core role in CYCCs. The article offers practical solutions and recommendations for addressing these challenges.