Why street children choose not to return home : perceptions of the service providers at Twilight children shelter.
Date
2017
Authors
Rirhandzu, Emelda Ralph
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Abstract
The number of children living and working on the streets of Johannesburg is increasing daily. These children are vulnerable and exposed to risk, yet most of these children choose to remain on the streets even though they can return home. If street children are placed in foster care or in Child and Youth Care Centres, these placements frequently break down and they return to live and work on the streets. Most research studies conducted in South Africa tend to focus on why street children leave home and not the reasons why they do not want to return home or be raised in alternative care. Furthermore, not much research has focused on the perceptions of adults that render direct services to street children, regarding why street children choose to remain living and working on the street. For this reason, the purpose of this study will be to gain insight and knowledge regarding this issue. The research will make use of a qualitative approach, namely a phenomenological study. Data will be gathered by conducting face-to-face interviews with people rendering direct services to street children; in other words, people who have personal contact with street children when making efforts to meet their rights and needs. The sample of research participants will consist of 10 adults rendering services to street children at Twilight Children in Johannesburg. Thematic analysis will be the method of data analysis. The researcher hopes that the research findings can make a valuable contribution to understanding why street children choose not to return home. In this way, services being rendered to street children can be improved and general members of the community gain a better understanding of why street children choose to continue living and working on the streets.
Key words: Street children, service providers, Twilight Children’ Shelter; alternative care
The number of children living and working on the streets of Johannesburg is increasing daily. These children are vulnerable and exposed to risk, yet most of these children choose to remain on the streets even though they can return home. If street children are placed in foster care or in Child and Youth Care Centres, these placements frequently break down and they return to live and work on the streets. Most research studies conducted in South Africa tend to focus on why street children leave home and not the reasons why they do not want to return home or be raised in alternative care. Furthermore, not much research has focused on the perceptions of adults that render direct services to street children, regarding why street children choose to remain living and working on the street. For this reason, the purpose of this study will be to gain insight and knowledge regarding this issue. The research will make use of a qualitative approach, namely a phenomenological study. Data will be gathered by conducting face-to-face interviews with people rendering direct services to street children; in other words, people who have personal contact with street children when making efforts to meet their rights and needs. The sample of research participants will consist of 10 adults rendering services to street children at Twilight Children in Johannesburg. Thematic analysis will be the method of data analysis. The researcher hopes that the research findings can make a valuable contribution to understanding why street children choose not to return home. In this way, services being rendered to street children can be improved and general members of the community gain a better understanding of why street children choose to continue living and working on the streets.
Key words: Street children, service providers, Twilight Children’ Shelter; alternative care
Description
A report on a study project presented to
The Discipline of Social Work
School of Human and Community Development
Faculty of Humanities
University of Witwatersrand
In partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree
Bachelor of Social Work