INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

A Fluid Definition of Family
I asked Sarah about the legal guardianship status of the children. “We are
considered partial guardians,” she informed me. South Africa’s Guardianship Act of
1993 allowed for the state court to provide surviving relatives with partial guardianship in
the event of parental death or incapability, while an agency or institution took on a foster
care role. “This guardianship is usually between us and a surviving father or
grandparent,” Sarah explained. “In fact, we aren’t technically considered a children’s
home. Legally speaking, being a children’s home would require us to become full
guardians of the children. Even more difficult, that would require the child’s family to
surrender their guardianship, and people don’t want to do that.” For 5Cees, it was very
important to make the children’s families feel valued and included in their future. This
approach introduces even more versatility to what is already a very fluid definition of
family.
From listening to the stories the children had to tell about their families and
memories from outside the center, it became clear that their relationship with their family
networks was not completely severed. Relatives would often be informed and involved as
big decisions were required concerning the children’s wellbeing. Many continued to
speak of grandparents and off-site siblings with a degree of familiarity similar to noninstitutionalized
children. Many of the center's psychosocial goals included helping
children develop positive relationships with their remaining family throughout life. This
can become a further challenge as children get older and become more aware of the
circumstances that led to their placement at the center.
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