From being in charge of a child-headed household to being placed in kinship foster care : the experiences and expectations of orphans previously in charge of child-headed households

Abstract

Placement of orphans under kinship foster care is a common occurrence in social work practice, especially around Bushbuckridge in Mpumalanga Province. Social workers are facing the challenge of an alarming increase in foster care cases due to the HIV and AIDS pandemic in the area. Thus the social workers are trapped in a situation of having to place orphans in kinship foster care, without adequate preparation nor the opportunity to explore the feelings and experiences of being in a child-headed household.

This study aimed at exploring and describing the experiences and expectations of orphans who were in charge of child-headed households, regarding their preparation for being placed in kinship foster care and their subsequent placement in such care. Research findings revealed that some orphaned children who had previously been heading a child-headed household and were now placed in kinship foster care were continuing to head the households despite the fact that an order had been issued by the children’s court for them to be under the care and guidance of kin foster parents. The non-involvement of orphaned heads of households in any decisions that affect them emerged in the findings of the study as a critical issue.

Another important finding was that some orphaned children in kinship foster care experienced the abuse of the foster care grant by their kin foster parents. The research study has made provision for conclusions and recommendations to all role-players responsible for placing child-headed households in kinship foster care in order to enhance the efficacy of kin foster care placement.