Foster parents’ perspectives on psychosocial support received while caring for foster care children living with HIV and AIDS

Abstract

Foster care was established as a child protection system in South Africa aimed at, providing vulnerable and orphaned children with alternate placement options to remain with their families. Orphans living with HIV benefit profoundly from these placements since their grandmothers, who are the source of support for many, offer them a chance to experience love, care, and protection. This study aimed at gaining a glimpse of the experiences of foster parents caring for foster care children living with HIV and AIDS. Resilience theory was applied as the foundation of the study. To gather rich data, a qualitative approach was employed underpinned by phenomenological, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research designs. Through this approach, the researcher was able to fully immerse themselves in the participants' world and gain insight into their thoughts, emotions, experiences, and meanings attached to foster caregiving. Foster parents served as a sample for the study and their realities were collected through semi-structured interviews. Five phases as outlined by Yin were utilised for data analysis. The research findings disclosed significant obstacles faced by foster parents, including unstable finances, delinquent behaviour among foster children, and insufficient emotional support from relatives. Despite numerous obstacles foster parents showed tenacity in foster caregiving. Their sources of resilience include spiritual beliefs, and social work and health care support from social workers and health care providers. Given that support and care originate within the family unit, maintaining family preservation is integral to strengthening foster parents' resilience.