The psycho-social functioning and experiences of children in child-headed households in Gauteng Province, South Africa
- Authors: Agere, Leonard Munyaradzi
- Date: 2018
- Subjects: Adult children -- South Africa -- Conduct of life , Youth-headed households -- South Africa , Child support -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , Social Work
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/10646 , vital:35651
- Description: The study was aimed at investigating the psycho-social needs and lived experiences of child headed households in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. A mixed methods approach was used to collect and analyse the data. The qualitative approach was the dominant one, while a quantitative approach was used to corroborate the qualitative findings. The quantitative data was collected through a survey. Three hundred questionnaires were distributed among children in child headed households. The child headed households were selected through simple random sampling from the databases of the NGOs and community based organisations that had agreed to participate in the study. The quantitative component of the study produced results that supported the qualitative findings. The qualitative data was collected through in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, which were conducted with purposively selected social service practitioners and community structures who were involved in work with child headed households. The resilience approach, which posits that humans are born with inherent reserves to face adversity, and the ecological systems theory, which postulates the framework in which an individual can be understood in his constant interactions and relationships within community and wider society, inform this study. The findings of the study indicate that there were various psycho social needs and challenges that child headed households faced. As Maslow postulated in his hierarchy of needs theory, inferences were made to the diverse needs of the child headed households. Physiological needs like food, clothing and finance were found to be more presenting and eminent needs for the child headed households. The study findings highlighted safety needs in the form of need for formal housing as the majority lived in informal settlements where they were exposed to much vulnerability like violence, sexual exploitation and other social misdemeanours. Other needs were esteem and familial needs, which provided a platform to foster senses of identity and belonging. However, there were other child headed households who were fortunate to have extended family members and community based organisations that assisted by providing these needs and these gestures were appreciated by the households as they ameliorated dire situations and cushioned them from absolute poverty. The findings further revealed that the psycho social challenges and needs did not only present when the household became child headed household but when their parent/s was still with them and were only exacerbated in their absence. The effects of living with parental illness, sadness and anxiety due to dramatic changes in dynamics, pain and trauma witnessing a parent dying were among the psychosocial challenges faced when the parent was still present with the children. After their departure or absence the challenges shifted and the debilitating effects of grief and loss, emotional trauma, living without adult caregiver and stigma and discrimination, were among the cocktail of challenges that the child headed households faced. However, others had support from extended family members and community structures that supported them with palliative care for the terminally ill and this afforded them the much needed respite as they focused on their studies and enjoyed their rights to be children. The study reveals that children have several coping mechanisms that exude their resilience and this includes support from social workers in promoting sustainable development goals (SDG’s) including no poverty, good health and well-being and quality education (goals 1, 3 and 4). The study highlighted that others had to supplement education with paid work (informal) whilst some ended up disengaging from their education to pursue paid employment to eke a living and support their siblings. The community and NGO’s were seen as vital components of the ecosystem that promoted the resilience of the child headed households in coping with their day to day challenges and needs. On the basis of the findings, it is recommended that the South African government should, among other things, provide a properly resourced, co-ordinated and well managed child protection system to facilitate constituency work that responds to the real needs of child headed households and SMART planning by social workers, with systemic teaming around CHH with the DSD as lead agency. The study also recommends a psychosocial approach to CHH care in the form of a model that rallies for robust assessments that social service practitioners and every structure that has the “duty to care” for CHH, can embed in their practice for improved outcomes.
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- Date Issued: 2018
An evaluation of the role of child and youth care centres in the implementation of South Africa’s children’s act
- Authors: Agere, Leonard Munyaradzi
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: South Africa. Children's Act, 2005 , Children's rights -- South Africa , Child care services -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , M SW
- Identifier: vital:11770 , http://hdl.handle.net/10353/d1015406 , South Africa. Children's Act, 2005 , Children's rights -- South Africa , Child care services -- South Africa
- Description: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role played by CYCCs to provide support and protection to children who have been found to be in need of care, according to the criteria given in the Children’s Act No. 38/2005 as amended. The study made use of a qualitative approach and the research design was provided by the case study. Data was gathered by means of semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The most important findings to emerge from the study were that the factors which affect the operation of CYCCs are either institutional, or else challenges arising from issues pertaining to infrastructure and human resources. However, it was also acknowledged that, despite the challenges which affect their ability to provide their services to young people, the CYCCs had also made progressive steps to halt the suppression of the fundamental rights of children. It has been recommended that the government should apply comprehensive funding to the objectives of the Children’s Act, which would entail increasing the subsidies to CYCCs. It has also been recommended that the Policy on Financial Rewards should call for the same benefits and salary scales to apply for professional staff working in the government and to those working in the CYCCs. The repercussions from failing to adjust to these recommendations will inevitably lead to the employment of a remedial model of care.
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- Date Issued: 2014