An exploratory study was undertaken of the implementation of permanency planning at a Departemental office. The purpose of the research was to determine the philosophy and the guidelines for permanency planning. A literature study with regard to the philosophy and the guidelines for the implementation of permanency planning was undertaken. Based on this a questionare was compiled and completed from data of the files of 25 children in foster care where permanecy planning have been implemented or is in the process of being implemented. Recommendations have been made for further research and for the institution where the research was done. The most important findings of the research are as follows: Permanency planning is not implimented as a purposeful strategy, but is a long drownout process. The social workers who are responsible for the implementation of permanency planning are unaware of its philosophy and general guidelines. Consequently it is implemented intuitively rather than scientifically. / 'n Eksplorerende studie is onderneem waarin die implementering van permanensiebeplanning by 'n Departementele kantoor geeksploreer is. Die doel van die navorsing was om te bepaal wat die filosofie en die riglyne vir die implimentering van permanensiebeplanning is. 'n Literatuurstudie insake die filosofie en die riglyne vir die implementering van permanensiebeplanning is onderneem. Na aanleiding hiervan is 'n vraelys opgestel en uit 25 leers van pleegkinders by wie permanensiebeplanning ge1mplimenteer is of word voltooi. Voorspruitend hieruit is aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing en vir die instansie waar die navorsing onderneem is, gemaak. Die belangrikste bevindinge van die empiriese ondersoek dui op die volgende: Permanensiebeplanning word nie doelgerig ge1mplimenteer nie, maar is 'n lang uitgerekte proses. Die maatskaplike werkers wat die permanensiebeplanning moet implimenteer is onbewus van die filosofie en algemene riglyne vir die implimentering van permanensiebeplanning en daaromword dit volgens intuisie eerder as 'n wetenskaplike proses geimplimenteer. / M.A.(Social Work)

Thesis (MA)--University of Stellenbosch, 2003. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In recent years the issue of relocation has been much discussed and litigated. The complexity of the issues inherent in relocation disputes and the relative lack of research in the area points to the need for a more comprehensive, coherent and empirically sound approach than exists at present. The major considerations involved in relocation disputes, using the best interests of the child standard as a reference point throughout, in terms of the available research and issues that require empirical attention, are presented. These include the relationship of the best interests of the child standard in considering the common motivations for relocation, significant psychological factors, cultural, gender and personal biases, the recent collaboration between the psychological and legal professions and the process of psychological assessment. A number of South African court decisions are reviewed to provide an overview of how the law tends to approach these issues. A number of important research areas are described and several factors are identified that is essential for the evaluator to consider when evaluating a relocation dispute. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Oor die afgelope aantal jare het die kwessie van verhuising gereeld onder die soeklig gekom en is dit in howe oor en weer beredeneer. Die kompleksiteit van die kwessies inherent aan verhuisingdispute en die relatiewe gebrek aan navorsing oor die saak, vereis In meer omvattende, koherente en empiries verantwoordbare benadering as wat daar vandag bestaan. Belangrike oorwegings wat ter sake is in verhuisingskwessies en deur gebruik te maak van die beste belange van die kind standaard as In deurlopende verwysingspunt in terme van die beskikbare navorsing en kwessies wat empiriese ondersoek vereis, word bespreek. Dit sluit in die verhouding van die beste belange van die kind standaard in die oorweging van die algemene motiverings vir verhuising, betekenisvolle sielkundige faktore, kultuur, geslag en persoonlike vooroordele; die onlangse samewerking tussen die sielkunde en die reg, asook die proses van sielkundige assessering. In Aantal Suid-Afrikaanse hofuitsprake word bespreek om In oorsig te gee van hoe die reg geneig is om hierdie saak te benader. In Aantal belangrike navorsingsareas word beskryf en verskeie faktore word geïdentifiseer wat van wesenlike belang is om te oorweeg by die evaluering van In verhuisingsdispuut.

The purpose of this study was to examine the perceptions of families receiving the Child Support Grant in Phoenix, Durban and to establish whether the Child Support Grant contributes to poverty alleviation or not. The investigation included establishing whether people who receive the child support grant are able to meet the needs of their child, to document the income, expenditure on households receiving the child support grant, to explore whether the recipients believe that the quality of their life has improved after receiving the Child Support Grant, to ascertain what would be their ideal social security support and to determine the grant holders opinions about the termination of the grant. Fifty Child Support Grant recipients were interviewed and a questionnaire consisting of fourteen questions were completed and analysed. The results of the study indicate that the Child Support Grant has contributed significantly towards poverty alleviation in the Phoenix community. / Thesis (M.A.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2004.

South Africa's first democratic elections were held in 1994. Since then, the government has engaged itself in a process of reconstruction and development through the formulation of policies and legislation which are in line with the country‟s Constitution of 1996. Some of these policies and legislation pertain to the issue of children‟s human rights. This study, firstly, sought to analyze key South African policies and legislations related to children‟s rights that have emerged since 1994. These documents include, the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa of 1996; the Children‟s Act 38 of 2005; Education White paper 6: Building an Inclusive Education and Training Systems (Department of Education, 2001), the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996; and the National Policy on HIV/AID for learners and educators in public schools and students and educators in further education and training institutions (1999). Secondly, the study aimed to explore whether children‟s rights are a myth or reality in South Africa by analyzing secondary data gathered from a large scale research project conducted in the province of KwaZulu-Natal, titled “Mapping the Barriers to Basic Education in the context of HIV/AIDS”. The data were collected from teachers, learners in grade 3, 6 and 9; School Governing Bodies, parents, and organizations - non governmental and community based organisations working in the district. The study used an in-depth qualitative case study approach. The study involved formal and non-formal centres of learning and their communities from four community contexts: rural, deep rural, urban and peri-urban. The data set provides insight into the lives of children in these contexts. The findings suggest that several barriers experienced by children and their families to accessing their social rights embedded in key South African policy documents related to key themes that emerged in the study: risks and vulnerabilities; control, regulation and powerlessness; the commitment of quality education not being met; and childhood poverty. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2008.

South African child and youth care programmes have been challenged to transform to address the needs of vulnerable and/or orphaned young people affected and/or infected by HIV/AIDS. The Isibindi programme was designed by the National Association of Child Care Workers to respond to this challenge to provide viable community child and youth care programmes. Supervision of staff plays a critical part in child and youth care programmes. This study explores the model of supervision being implemented in the Isibindi programme, identifies the elements of this model and stipulates which of these need to be strengthened for effective and efficient services. The research findings indicate that the Isibindi model of supervision reflects the practice of child and youth care services being delivered in the programme. Common child and youth care elements were identified as being essential to the efficient delivery of this model of supervision. / Health Studies / (M. Tech. (Child and Youth Care))

Text in Afrikaans / In hierdie ondersoek word gepoog om 'n regswetenskaplike basis vir "Die Verslag van die Maatskaplike Werker ingevolge artikels 14(4) en 15(1) van die Wet op Kindersorg as 'n Juridies Gefundeerde Hulpmiddel vir die Kinderhof' daar te stel. Die studie fokus onder andere op vroeere wetgewing rakende sekere regte van kinders voor die instelling van kinderhowe in Suid-Afrika, die aard en instelling van die kinderhof, die posisie van kinderhowe binne die hierargie van howe en die kinderhof se handeling. Ooreenkomstig die administratiefreg word die klem veral geplaas op die regsvereistes wat vir alle administratiewe handelinge geld - soos deur Wiechers (1984) gesistematiseer en deur Eckard (1988) op kinderhofondersoeke van toepassing gemaak is. Regswetenskaplike begrippe met inagneming van die relevante gemeneregtelike beginsels, die tussentydse Grondwet, ander relevante wetgewing en regspraak word ontleed ten einde die betekenis en invloed daarvan vir die verslag van die maatskaplike werker duidelik te maak. By implikasie hied hierdie ontleding ook riglyne vir die skryf van die verslag vanuit 'n regsperspektief. Aan die hand van genoemde regsperspektiewe word 'n voorlopige model binne 'n bepaalde struktuur vir die skryf van hierdie verslag voorgestel. Die regsbeginsels wat ontleed is, word doelgerig en planmatig aangewend in 'n poging om uitvoering aan die doelstellings van die kinderhof te verleen en die bewyswaarde van inligting maksimaal te verhoog. Kritiese stellings asook verskeie dilemmas waarmee die maatskaplike werkers in die praktyk te make het, word aangespreek en word nuwe betekenis aan die begrippe "maatskaplike werker" en "verslag" rakende kinderhofaangeleenthede verleen. By wyse van 'n beperkte verkennende empmese ondersoek binne die Christelike Maatskaplike Raad van Noord-Transvaal, word bestaande kritiek betreffende die verslae wat maatskaplike werkers aan kinderhowe lewer asook die maatskaplike werker se beperkinge rakende relevante regskennis bevestig. Spesifieke behoeftes aan kennis word geldentifiseer en 'n hernieude maatskaplikewerkperspektief rakende kinderhofwerk as 'n spesialiteitsgebied binne die maatskaplikewerkterrein word bevestig. Verder word die regsvereistes asook ander relevante vereistes wat op die verslag van toepassing behoort te wees, en soos vanuit die literatuurstudie bepaal is, beaam. Hierdie ondersoek is 'n nuwe bydrae tot die maatskaplikewerkvakliteratuur en baan die weg tot verdere navorsing en ontwikkeling op hierdie terrein. / This investigation attempts to establish a jurisprudential basis for the "The Report of the Social Worker according to articles 14(4) and 15(1) of the Act on Child Welfare as a Juridically Based Aid for the Children's Court". The study focuses inter alia on earlier legislation concerning certain rights of children prior to the establishment of children's courts in South Africa; the nature and institution of children's courts; the position of children's courts within the hierarchy of courts, as well as actions of the children's court. In accordance with Administrative Law the accent falls especially on legal requirements for all administrative actions as systematised by Wiechers (1984) and as applied by Eckard (1988) to examination in such courts. An analysis is made of jurisprudential concepts such as Common Law principles, the Interim Constitution, and other relevant acts of parliament and court verdicts in order to clarify their meaning and influence for this report. By implication this analysis also furnishes guidelines for writing the report within jurisprudential perspectives. With the aid of these perspectives a preliminruy model is presented within a specific structure for the writing of this report. The jurisprudential principles analysed, are purposively and methodically applied in an attempt to satisfy the goals of the children's court and maximise the value of evidence given. Critical statements and several dilemmas confronting social work practice are addressed, and in the court situation new meaning is accorded to concepts such as "social worker" and "report". By means of a limited exploratory empirical investigation within the confines of the Christian Social Services of the Northern Transvaal the present criticism of reports delivered to courts by social workers as well as their jurisprudential limitations have been confirmed. Specific knowledge deficiencies have been identified and a renewed social work perspective on children's courts as specialist field in social work has been established. Legal and other relevant requirements for this report - as found in the literature study - have been confirmed. This investigation constitutes a new contribution to social work literature and opens the way to further research and development in this field. / Private Law / D. Phil. (Social Work)

An exploratory study was undertaken of the implementation of permanency planning at a Departemental office. The purpose of the research was to determine the philosophy and the guidelines for permanency planning. A literature study with regard to the philosophy and the guidelines for the implementation of permanency planning was undertaken. Based on this a questionare was compiled and completed from data of the files of 25 children in foster care where permanecy planning have been implemented or is in the process of being implemented. Recommendations have been made for further research and for the institution where the research was done. The most important findings of the research are as follows: Permanency planning is not implimented as a purposeful strategy, but is a long drownout process. The social workers who are responsible for the implementation of permanency planning are unaware of its philosophy and general guidelines. Consequently it is implemented intuitively rather than scientifically. / 'n Eksplorerende studie is onderneem waarin die implementering van permanensiebeplanning by 'n Departementele kantoor geeksploreer is. Die doel van die navorsing was om te bepaal wat die filosofie en die riglyne vir die implimentering van permanensiebeplanning is. 'n Literatuurstudie insake die filosofie en die riglyne vir die implementering van permanensiebeplanning is onderneem. Na aanleiding hiervan is 'n vraelys opgestel en uit 25 leers van pleegkinders by wie permanensiebeplanning ge1mplimenteer is of word voltooi. Voorspruitend hieruit is aanbevelings vir verdere navorsing en vir die instansie waar die navorsing onderneem is, gemaak. Die belangrikste bevindinge van die empiriese ondersoek dui op die volgende: Permanensiebeplanning word nie doelgerig ge1mplimenteer nie, maar is 'n lang uitgerekte proses. Die maatskaplike werkers wat die permanensiebeplanning moet implimenteer is onbewus van die filosofie en algemene riglyne vir die implimentering van permanensiebeplanning en daaromword dit volgens intuisie eerder as 'n wetenskaplike proses geimplimenteer. / M.A.(Social Work)

The main objective of this study was to evaluate the CHILD SUPPORT GRANT as a poverty alleviation strategy as imposed by government in the King William‟s Town Centre. To achieve the objective of the study, a literature review and empirical research were conducted. During the empirical research, interviews were conducted and CSG beneficiaries taken on board as a sample. The impact of the CSG was evaluated to see if these are in line with what the literature reveals. The descriptive method was used to analyze the data and to find responses to the research questions and objectives. The research showed that the determinants are multiple: behavioral, lack of efficiency, and so on. Secondly, it is time for policy makers and others to work with implementers/beneficiaries to understand the implications and context of the CSG in the lives of the people. The critique of the Child Support Grant had not taken on board the viewpoints of caregivers concerning its socio-economic role. The discourse of the Child Support Grant therefore resulted in an over-representation of perceptions that excluded caregivers who collected and used the same grant. The popular approach by scholars to the Child Support Grant was to conclude, based on statistically measurable impacts of the grant, that it was effective in poverty alleviation, without regard to the viewpoint of caregivers. Others regarded its role as disastrous based on observable trends in society, such as increases in teenage fertility, and attributed the same to the provision of the grant, without regard to it as a poverty alleviation strategy.

The main aim of this study was to explore and describe the general and emotional development of a sample of South African children between the age of five and eight years in residential care. More specifically, the study aimed to explore and describe the general level of development of a sample of children in residential care; to explore and describe the development of a sample of children in residential care in six areas of development; and to describe the emotional wellbeing of children in residential care. A non-probability, purposive sampling method was applied as the participants were comprised of children between the ages of 5 and 8 years housed at the residential care facility. The sample consisted of 11 children. The multiple case study method was used to achieve the aim of the study, using both qualitative and quantitative data. The quantitative data consisted of scores obtained from the administration of the Griffiths Mental Development Scales - Extended Revised (GMDS-ER). The qualitative data was obtained from the Human Figure Drawing (HFD), participants’ scholastic progress reports, case reports from the residential care facility and clinical observations during the assessment period. The data was analysed according to thematic analysis. The results highlighted the pervasiveness of delays in all domains of child development of children housed in residential care, specifically that of language, social and emotional development. An important finding of the study was that decrements in these domains of development underpinned delays in the other domains of development since they form the foundation of learning and relating to the world. The study served to emphasize the importance of consistent developmental assessment in order to ascertain whether these children present with developmental delays and, if so, to xv identify which areas of development are most affected. Information from the developmental assessments could assist in the early identification of developmental delays and allow for individually tailored interventions to overcome such delays.

There were different kinds of imbalances that were created by the past regime in which race and colour were determining factors in terms of access to state welfare. The State Maintance Grant was one of the state welfare interventions where African women did not even know how or where to access the grant. When the Child Support Grant was introduced in 1998 it gave hope to the vulnerable section of the society, the children. The CSG is one of the poverty alleviation programs introduced by the government to target the poverty stricken children of South Africa. This is a means tested program which not all children are to benefit but a certain portion of the society. There are special conditions attached to the grant which require to be fulfilled. These conditions require the child to be fed, clothed, immunized, school needs be paid, and have proper accommodation. This study made use of the Mdantsane Township which is 25 km away from East London city centre as a case study to determine whether the CSG has managed to achieve its objective of relieving poverty among children, given the conditions of poverty and unemployment in Mdantsane. The findings of this study indicate that the people of Mdantsane are still in poverty and the most affected sections remain the children. The respondents indicate that the people are unemployed as a result the CSG seems to be the source of livelihood in these households leaving the children at a disadvantage as the grant is intended for x their own needs. Therefore there is a need to investigate whether the CSG has any impact on the lives of these children. Also since Eastern Cape is known to be one of the poorest provinces, it is important to investigate whether the CSG has become the source of livelihood in some households.