{"title":"IMPLEMENTATION OF ADOPTION IN SOUTH AFRICA: PERSPECTIVES FROM PRACTITIONERS IN THE WESTERN CAPE","authors":"J. Luyt, L. Swartz","doi":"10.15270/58-2-1041","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"In South Africa adoption as a form of alternative care had decreased despite a supportive legal and policy environment. This qualitative exploratory study explored adoption policy implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four social workers and two magistrates implementing adoption in the Western Cape. Data were thematically analysed using Lipsky’s theory of street-level bureaucracy. Results indicate significant problems in implementation, including lack of adoption services by the Department of Social Development (DSD) social workers; overuse of foster care; and difficulties in registration of the birth of abandoned babies and babies assumed to be foreign. Recommendations for practice are provided. Keywords: adoption, alternative care, legal and policy framework, legal policy framework, policy implementation, practitioners, street-level bureaucracy","PeriodicalId":44671,"journal":{"name":"Social Work-Maatskaplike Werk","volume":"1 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.4000,"publicationDate":"2022-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"3","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Social Work-Maatskaplike Werk","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.15270/58-2-1041","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"SOCIAL WORK","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 3
Abstract
In South Africa adoption as a form of alternative care had decreased despite a supportive legal and policy environment. This qualitative exploratory study explored adoption policy implementation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four social workers and two magistrates implementing adoption in the Western Cape. Data were thematically analysed using Lipsky’s theory of street-level bureaucracy. Results indicate significant problems in implementation, including lack of adoption services by the Department of Social Development (DSD) social workers; overuse of foster care; and difficulties in registration of the birth of abandoned babies and babies assumed to be foreign. Recommendations for practice are provided. Keywords: adoption, alternative care, legal and policy framework, legal policy framework, policy implementation, practitioners, street-level bureaucracy
期刊介绍:
This South African academic peer-reviewed journal publishes articles, book reviews and commentary from all field of social work. Manuscripts covering amongst others the following, are considered for publication: social work, welfare organizations, society, social welfare, family and child care, community work, substance abuse, substance dependence, welfare law, etc.