“Every foster parent is crying…”: Psychosocial challenges faced by appointed foster care parents in Bojanala, South Africa

Abstract

Foster care is a temporary care for children who are abused, have been abandoned by parents or have lost their parents as a result of death. Social workers work with different stakeholders to place the child in the care of a foster parent. Moreover, social workers are expected to render quality services to all the foster care beneficiaries, but that is not always the case. Thus, this study focused on describing psychosocial challenges and foster care experiences faced by appointed foster care parents in the Bojanala District of the North West Province in South Africa. The researchers used a phenomenological design to describe the lived experiences of appointed foster parents on psychosocial challenges caring for foster children in Bojanala, South Africa. The researchers interviewed four social workers as key informants and five foster parents using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings indicated several psychosocial challenges, all revolving around inadequacy, namely; the lack of support for foster parents, the lack of therapeutic support for foster children, and the lack of a relationship between social workers and foster parents, further, reported several foster care experiences, namely; no clear explanation of the purpose, poor record keeping, and poor working relationship. Researchers recommend that there should be an intervention programme aimed at equipping foster care parents on ways to build a harmonise relationship with their foster children and social workers.