CHALLENGES CAREGIVERS EXPERIENCE WHEN TRANSITIONING TO KINSHIP FOSTER CARE IN LOW-INCOME FAMILIES IN SOUTH AFRICA

Abstract

The literature on post-kinship foster care placement indicates the psycho-social and economic challenges of foster parents in kinship foster care. However, the resilience of foster parents in negotiating complex challenges after kinship foster care placement is often overlooked in the literature. Using a focus group discussion, this qualitative study used a descriptive research design to explore the challenges that caregivers experience when they transition to kinship foster care in low-income families in the Amajuba District Municipality in KwaZulu-Natal province, South Africa. Nine foster parents were purposively sampled to participate in the study and data were analysed through the method of thematic analysis. Using family resilience theory, this paper presents three themes: resilience in dual caregiving, negotiating complex child residency disputes, and the personal meanings of fostering children. The findings highlight the resilience and adaptability of foster parents as they navigate challenges in the process of transitioning. This paper recommends that social workers should acknowledge the capabilities and resourcefulness of foster-care parents, leveraging these qualities to enhance early interventions that support kinship foster care, particularly during the transition process.