views of social workers on trans-racial adoptions of abandoned children

222 Pages·2014·3.24 MB·English

VIEWS OF SOCIAL WORKERS ON TRANS-RACIAL
ADOPTIONS OF ABANDONED CHILDREN

by

Lara Susan Doubell

Thesis presented in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of
Master of Social Work in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at
Stellenbosch University

Supervisor: Dr Marianne Strydom
December 2014
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DECLARATION
By submitting this dissertation electronically, I declare that the entirety of the work contained
therein is my own, original work, that I am the sole author thereof (save to the extent
explicitly otherwise stated), that reproduction and publication thereof by Stellenbosch
University will not infringe any third party rights and that I have not previously in its entirety
or in part submitted it for obtaining any qualification.

December 2014

Copyright © 2014 Stellenbosch University

All rights reserved
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Dedicated to “the best and the worst of times”
-2013-

“Strength of character and resilience of the human spirit and soul, are never
forged during the easy times of our lives, but rather through the fire and
brimstone present during our darkest hours”
-Unknown
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

In appreciation of everyone who has helped me along the way, I would like to thank the
following people:
 The Department of Social Work (University of Stellenbosch) for their support and
investment in me as a social worker and academic. I would particularly like to thank Prof
Green, Prof Engelbrecht and Dr Strydom for your teachings and inspiration throughout
the last six years.

 To Dr M Strydom, without whom I would still be busy stringing words together. Thank
you for your keen eye, your guidance, critique and conversation.

 To Suzette Winckler for editing this thesis (with the eyes of a hawk) on such a tight
schedule.

 To all of my participants, for offering up your time and knowledge. Without you this
would have been a meaningless endeavour.

 To my parents, for ceaselessly supporting me throughout my life. For giving me every
opportunity possible, and for doing so with such love and warmth. I don’t know how to
thank you two properly.

 To my brothers; Jacques – I’m not sure if you really helped me or just laughed at me
when I had to make changes to 200 pages, but I would in any case like to thank you
simply because I love having you as my brother. Thank you for always cheering me on.
Peter – for being my familiar ground in a new place, for always catching my tears and for
always making me laugh.

 To my all my friends for always being excited to hear about my progress. Your
enthusiasm helped to keep me interested in what I was researching ... for two years.

 To Leanie Piek, Charla Haasbroek and Philip du Plessis because you carried me
through the best and worst.

 To Andri Van der Merwe and Lize-Marie Huisamen for being the type of friends that I
could always rely on. For always being by my side no matter how far away we have been
from one another.
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SUMMARY

Thousands of children are being abandoned in South Africa each year, consequently entering
the child-care and protection system. The Children’s Act 38 of 2005, which governs all
practices involving children in South Africa, clearly advocates for adoption as the superior
form of intervention in cases of abandonment. Yet adoption continues to be one of the most
under-utilised childcare practices in South Africa, especially by the black, majority
population. This is unfortunately despite the fact that most of the adoptable children are from
the black population group.
This study therefore aimed to investigate the views of adoption social workers regarding the
practice of trans-racial adoptions of abandoned children.
Both quantitative and qualitative approaches were employed for this study. A combination of
exploratory and descriptive research designs was utilised as the framework for the research
approach. Data was collected by means of a semi-structured interview schedule, which was
conducted during personal interviews with social work professionals.
The findings of the empirical investigation revealed that according to the views of the social
workers under-graduate social work training was largely inadequate in preparing social
workers to work in the field of adoption. It was also found that social workers felt that the
importance of permanency planning in all work with children was not comprehensively
explored during under-graduate studies.
Findings further indicated that trans-racial adoption is viewed positively amongst adoption
social workers, and is regarded as the far superior alternative to foster-care or institutional
care for children who have been abandoned. It was however found that in cases of
abandonment, adoption might be an under-utilised option amongst child-protection workers.
Children available for adoption were reported as being predominantly from the black
population group, while it was indicated that the majority of parents wanting to adopt are
from the white community. In line with this, it was noted that there are not many prospective
adoptive parents from the black community. Of significance was therefore the finding that
very few adoption organisations have active recruitment programmes focused on recruiting
black adoptive parents, inevitably bringing trans-racial adoption to the fore.
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One of the most important recommendations of this study is therefore that adoption
organisations should develop and implement recruitment programmes, which specifically
target prospective black adopters in an effort to increase the potential pool of black adopters.
In addition, the recommendations emphasised the importance of adequate education of social
workers in order to ensure that the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 is adequately understood and
implemented in cases of abandonment. Ensuring that social workers move towards adoption
as fast as possible in cases of abandonment can not only increase the chances of the child
being adopted, but can also help to prevent developmental problems associated with
institutional care.
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OPSOMMING

Duisende kinders word jaarliks in Suid-Afrika deur hulle ouers verlaat (“abandon”), en betree
gevolglik die kindersorg en beskermingsisteem. Die Kinderwet 38 van 2005, wat alle
praktyke rakende kinders in Suid Afrika reguleer, promoveer duidelik aanneming as die beste
vorm van intervensie in gevalle van kinderverlating. Steeds bly aanneming egter een van die
mees onderbenutte kindersorg praktyke in Suid-Afrika, veral onder die swart
meerderheidsbevolking. Dit ten spyte van die feit dat meeste aanneembare kinders uit die
swart bevolkingsgroep kom.
Hierdie studie was daarop gemik om die menings van aannemings-maatskaplike werkers
rakende die praktyk van inter-ras aannemings van kinders wat deur hulle ouers verlaat is te
ondersoek.
Beide kwantitatiewe en kwalitatiewe benaderings is toegepas vir hierdie studie. ‘n
Kombinasie van ondersoekende en beskrywende navorsingsontwerpe is gebruik as die
raamwerk vir die navorsingsbenadering. Data is versamel deur middel van ‘n semi-
gestruktureerde onderhoud skedule wat uitgevoer is tydens persoonlike onderhoude met
maatskaplike werkers.
Die empiriese ondersoek het bevind dat die maatskaplike werkers van mening was dat
voorgraadse opleiding in maatskaplike werk grootliks onvoldoende was om maatskaplike
werkers voor te berei vir werk op die gebied van aanneming. Daar is ook bevind dat
maatskaplike werkers die standpunt huldig dat die belangrikheid van permanensie-beplanning
in alle werk met kinders nie omvattend verken is tydens voorgraadse studies nie.
Verdere bevinding dui daarop dat inter-ras aanneming positief beskou word deur aannemings-
maatskaplike werkers en dat dit by verre as die beste alternatief tot pleegsorg of institisionele
sorg vir kinders wat deur hulle ouers verlaat is, beskou word. Daar is egter bevind dat in
gevalle van kinderverlating die opsie van aanneming onderbenut mag wees deur
kinderbeskermings werkers.
Daar is aangedui dat kinders wat beskikbaar is vir aanneming grootliks uit die swart
meerderheids bevolkingsgroep kom, terwyl daar ook aangedui is dat die meerderheid van
ouers wat kinders wil aanneem uit die wit gemeenskap kom. Daar is aangedui dat min van die
prospektiewe aannemings ouers uit die swart gemeenskap kom. ‘n Betekenisvolle bevinding
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was gevolglik dat baie min aannemings-organisasies aktiewe werwingsprogramme het wat
daarop fokus om swart aannemingsouers te werf, wat noodwendig inter-ras aanneming na
vore bring.
Een van die belangrikste aanbevelings van hierdie studie is dus dat aannemings-organisasies
werwingsprogramme moet ontwikkel en implementeer wat spesifiek prospektiewe swart
aannemers teiken in ‘n poging om die poel van swart aannemers te vergroot.
Verder beklemtoon die aanbevelings die belangrikheid van voldoende opleiding van
maatskaplike werkers ten einde te verseker dat die Kinderwet 38 van 2005 voldoende
verstaan word en geïmplementeer word in gevalle van kinderverlating. Deur toe te sien dat
maatskaplike werkers so gou moontlik beweeg na aanneming in gevalle van kinderverlating
verbeter nie slegs die kind se kans om aangeneem te word nie, maar dit kan ook help om die
ontwikkelingsprobleme geassosieer met institusionele versorging te voorkom.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
INTRODUCTION

1.1 PRELIMINARY STUDY AND RATIONALE ....................................................... 1
1.1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1
1.1.2 Legislative framework for adoption in South Africa ............................................... 2
1.1.3 Adoption in South Africa ......................................................................................... 4
1.1.4 Barriers to national, same-race adoptions within the black population
of South Africa ......................................................................................................... 5
1.1.5 Trans-racial adoption ................................................................................................ 6
1.1.6 Psycho-social wellbeing ........................................................................................... 6
1.2 PROBLEM STATEMENT AND FOCUS ............................................................... 8
1.3 AIM AND OBJECTIVE .......................................................................................... 9
1.4 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY .................................................. 10
1.4.1 Literature review .................................................................................................... 10
1.4.2 Research approach .................................................................................................. 10
1.4.3 Research design ...................................................................................................... 11
1.4.4 Sample .................................................................................................................... 12
1.4.5 Method/instrument of data collection .................................................................... 13
1.4.6 Validity and reliability ............................................................................................ 14
1.4.7 Pilot study ............................................................................................................... 15
1.5 DATA PROCESSING PROCEDURE ................................................................... 15
1.5.1 Qualitative data analysis and interpretation ........................................................... 15
1.5.2 Quantitative data analysis and interpretation ......................................................... 16
1.6 CLARIFICATION OF KEY CONCEPTS ............................................................ 16
1.6.1 Adoption ................................................................................................................. 17
1.6.2 Trans-racial adoption .............................................................................................. 18
1.6.3 Psycho-social .......................................................................................................... 18
1.6.4 Racial identity ........................................................................................................ 18
1.6.5 The Children’s Act 38 of 2005 ............................................................................... 19
1.6.6 Abandoned ............................................................................................................. 19
1.6.7 Ethnic-sensitive perspective ................................................................................... 19
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1.6.8 Cultural competence ............................................................................................... 20
1.7 TIME SCHEDULE ................................................................................................ 20
1.8 RESEARCH AREA ............................................................................................... 21
1.9 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ........................................................................... 21
1.9.1 Ethical clearance .................................................................................................... 21
1.9.2 Ethical issues .......................................................................................................... 21
1.9.2.1 Avoidance of harm ................................................................................................. 21
1.9.2.2 Voluntary participation .......................................................................................... 22
1.9.2.3 Informed consent .................................................................................................... 22
1.9.2.4 Confidentiality ........................................................................................................ 23
1.9.2.5 Compensation ......................................................................................................... 23
1.9.3 LIMITATIONS OF STUDY ........................................................................................ 23
1.10 PRESENTATION .................................................................................................. 23