In South Africa, alternative care solutions such as foster homes, child-headed households, placements with relatives and Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs), are under pressure to provide for the large numbers of children who need care. Child and Youth Care Centres include facilities such as children’s homes, places of safety, secure care facilities and schools of industry or reform schools. South African legislation offers guidelines towards the fulfilment of children’s needs in CYCCs by providing them with Children’s rights. Unfortunately, not only is literature on children living in CYCCs limited both internationally and locally, existing literature regarding children’s care in CYCCs in South Africa points towards a gap between legislative guidelines and practice of care provision. For example, apparently, children in CYCCs are not afforded opportunities to voice their opinions, and many CYCCs in South Africa are not legally registered. As a result, an obvious indication of the care and interaction taking place between caregivers and children in CYCCs is not available. This inductive, qualitative study aimed to explore and describe the views of children living in Child and Youth Care Centres in the Vaal Triangle area, Gauteng, South Africa, in an effort to gain a better understanding of children’s perceptions of their interactions with their caregivers. One-on-one interviews with children from three CYCCs were conducted. Interviews were voice-recorded and later transcribed. While being interviewed, participants were asked to take part in a role-play exercise and to make a collage of their interaction and relationship with their caregivers. Data was analysed using Creswell’s spiral of analysis and Thematic Analysis by Braun and Clarke. The findings revealed four themes, which encompassed the perceptions of interactions with caregiver: 1. Daily activity with caregiver; 2. Special time with caregiver; 3. Behaviour management strategies; and, 4. Relationship with caregiver. The key findings indicate the valuable insight that was gained by affording children in CYCCs the opportunity to voice their perceptions on their interactions with their caregivers. This not only empowers children and fulfils their right to be heard, but also provides a better understanding of whether needs are being met or not. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This research focuses on exploring foster girls’ perceptions of respect in relationships in a Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC) context. The study was undertaken within the paradigm of positive psychology. Relational well-being is of key importance for all adolescents from all cultures and contexts. Respect is viewed as a dynamic aspect of relational functioning. However, when adolescent foster girls do not experience respectful interactions with CYCC caregivers, health workers and with peers, their healthy development could be seriously affected. There is a scarcity of information available on foster girls’ perceptions of respect, with particular reference to the dynamics of respect within a CYCC context. Therefore, the study endeavours to highlight the importance of a bottom-up approach by investigating foster girls’ perceptions of respect. The qualitative study was conducted by using a phenomenological design. For the purpose, aim and coverage of this empirical study a homogenous sample was selected. Twenty female occupants from a South African CYCC were selected, with ages ranging from 12 to 16 years. The participants were all African adolescents, and the study was carried out on the CYCC premises. This homogenous sample allowed detailed investigation of social processes in this context. Data was collected by means of a world café technique where all twenty participants took part to tap into their collective wisdom. Individual interviews were also used and six participants were selected from the original group. All requirements regarding ethical concerns were followed in the research process. Thematic analyses were undertaken after the group and individual sessions. The findings are presented as four main themes, namely relating and respectful interacting (relationships), the role of emotions, resilience and the role of gender. It has been determined that respectful interacting promotes positive support and encouragement during bad times, as well as sharing concerns and ideas with peers and positive role-models. The role of fluctuating emotions – both positive and negative ─ emerged as being of major importance in the girls’ lives. These included pride, belonging, trust (or lack thereof), happiness, hopelessness, aggression / anger and a sense of shame and disappointment with failures. The theme of resilience covered effective coping and how the girls resist languishing and strive to better themselves despite their adverse circumstances. The final theme is that of gender role, which addresses the various forms of differentiation, especially in the treatment of girls and boys. Recommendations are given in order to ameliorate the girls’ lives and to shape future research that could explore the instruction of life skills in order to develop self-esteem, interpersonal relationships (showing respect for one another), a sense of worth and tolerance within a CYCC context purposefully. A possible limitation of this study could be the various Western models of well-being that were studied by the researcher while the participants came from various African cultural backgrounds with different perspectives on Ubuntu. The specific context of foster girls is, therefore, of crucial importance to their wellness, seeing that the context could harbour enabling or limiting conditions for these adolescents. / MSc (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

In South Africa, alternative care solutions such as foster homes, child-headed households, placements with relatives and Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs), are under pressure to provide for the large numbers of children who need care. Child and Youth Care Centres include facilities such as children’s homes, places of safety, secure care facilities and schools of industry or reform schools. South African legislation offers guidelines towards the fulfilment of children’s needs in CYCCs by providing them with Children’s rights. Unfortunately, not only is literature on children living in CYCCs limited both internationally and locally, existing literature regarding children’s care in CYCCs in South Africa points towards a gap between legislative guidelines and practice of care provision. For example, apparently, children in CYCCs are not afforded opportunities to voice their opinions, and many CYCCs in South Africa are not legally registered. As a result, an obvious indication of the care and interaction taking place between caregivers and children in CYCCs is not available. This inductive, qualitative study aimed to explore and describe the views of children living in Child and Youth Care Centres in the Vaal Triangle area, Gauteng, South Africa, in an effort to gain a better understanding of children’s perceptions of their interactions with their caregivers. One-on-one interviews with children from three CYCCs were conducted. Interviews were voice-recorded and later transcribed. While being interviewed, participants were asked to take part in a role-play exercise and to make a collage of their interaction and relationship with their caregivers. Data was analysed using Creswell’s spiral of analysis and Thematic Analysis by Braun and Clarke. The findings revealed four themes, which encompassed the perceptions of interactions with caregiver: 1. Daily activity with caregiver; 2. Special time with caregiver; 3. Behaviour management strategies; and, 4. Relationship with caregiver. The key findings indicate the valuable insight that was gained by affording children in CYCCs the opportunity to voice their perceptions on their interactions with their caregivers. This not only empowers children and fulfils their right to be heard, but also provides a better understanding of whether needs are being met or not. / MA (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

This research focuses on exploring foster girls’ perceptions of respect in relationships in a Child and Youth Care Centre (CYCC) context. The study was undertaken within the paradigm of positive psychology. Relational well-being is of key importance for all adolescents from all cultures and contexts. Respect is viewed as a dynamic aspect of relational functioning. However, when adolescent foster girls do not experience respectful interactions with CYCC caregivers, health workers and with peers, their healthy development could be seriously affected. There is a scarcity of information available on foster girls’ perceptions of respect, with particular reference to the dynamics of respect within a CYCC context. Therefore, the study endeavours to highlight the importance of a bottom-up approach by investigating foster girls’ perceptions of respect. The qualitative study was conducted by using a phenomenological design. For the purpose, aim and coverage of this empirical study a homogenous sample was selected. Twenty female occupants from a South African CYCC were selected, with ages ranging from 12 to 16 years. The participants were all African adolescents, and the study was carried out on the CYCC premises. This homogenous sample allowed detailed investigation of social processes in this context. Data was collected by means of a world café technique where all twenty participants took part to tap into their collective wisdom. Individual interviews were also used and six participants were selected from the original group. All requirements regarding ethical concerns were followed in the research process. Thematic analyses were undertaken after the group and individual sessions. The findings are presented as four main themes, namely relating and respectful interacting (relationships), the role of emotions, resilience and the role of gender. It has been determined that respectful interacting promotes positive support and encouragement during bad times, as well as sharing concerns and ideas with peers and positive role-models. The role of fluctuating emotions – both positive and negative ─ emerged as being of major importance in the girls’ lives. These included pride, belonging, trust (or lack thereof), happiness, hopelessness, aggression / anger and a sense of shame and disappointment with failures. The theme of resilience covered effective coping and how the girls resist languishing and strive to better themselves despite their adverse circumstances. The final theme is that of gender role, which addresses the various forms of differentiation, especially in the treatment of girls and boys. Recommendations are given in order to ameliorate the girls’ lives and to shape future research that could explore the instruction of life skills in order to develop self-esteem, interpersonal relationships (showing respect for one another), a sense of worth and tolerance within a CYCC context purposefully. A possible limitation of this study could be the various Western models of well-being that were studied by the researcher while the participants came from various African cultural backgrounds with different perspectives on Ubuntu. The specific context of foster girls is, therefore, of crucial importance to their wellness, seeing that the context could harbour enabling or limiting conditions for these adolescents. / MSc (Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015