Family reunification services to children in child and youth care centres in the Cape Metropole: a social work perspective
A significant number of children around the world are living in circumstances that necessitate the need for social service intervention and ultimately removal, with placement in alternative care. In South Africa, the placement of children in child and youth care centres (CYCCs) has increased over the last decade with social workers facing many challenges during the family reunification process. The aim of this study was to gain an understanding of the experiences of social workers in the family reunification process of families and children in CYCCs. A qualitative approach using a combination of an exploratory and descriptive design was employed. The population of the study was social workers rendering family reunification services to families and children in the Cape Metropole. Purposive sampling was used to select 11 social workers from the selected area. Semi-structured in-depth individual interviews were conducted to gain an understanding of the participant’s experiences on the family reunification process in CYCCs. The data was analysis thematically using the ethics of care as lens to explore the experiences of social workers. Ethics approval to conduct the study was obtained from the University of the Western Cape Humanities and Social Sciences Research Ethics Committee. The findings indicate that there is a lack of cooperation and coordination between residential and designated social workers that hinder reunification process.
Child and youth care centres, Designated social worker, Family reunification services, Residential social worker
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