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Submission information
Submission Number: 118
Submission ID: 920
Submission UUID: 1cadf44c-8832-46f2-b1a8-bf71b04d2902
Submission URI: /2025/abstracts
Created: Wed, 04/30/2025 - 12:59
Completed: Wed, 04/30/2025 - 13:40
Changed: Mon, 06/02/2025 - 13:46
Remote IP address: 41.193.109.191
Submitted by: Anonymous
Language: English
Is draft: No
Current page: Complete
Webform: Abstract
| Title | Ms. |
|---|---|
| Lastname | Fisher |
| Firstname | Lauren |
| 4206740@myuwc.ac.za | |
| Mobile | 0635057862 |
| Institution | University of the western cape |
| Biosketch | Lauren Fisher is a final-year student of the Bachelor of Social Work Program within the University of the Western Cape. She is interested in issues related to social justice, child protection, and public policy reform. Her interest is in areas involving issues of poverty and neglect, family reunification, and systemic barriers in South Africa's foster care system. She has done her fieldwork at the Department of Social Development and Hope House Counselling Centre. Former prefect and cabin crew graduate, she brings with her leadership, resilience, and compassion in her work. She wants to influence policy from a rights-based perspective that emphasizes family. She dreams of working either within Parliament or the United Nations in order to create meaningful changes. |
| Is there a Second Presenter? | Yes |
| Title | Prof. |
| Lastname | Sithole |
| Firstname | Shadrack |
| mmsithole@uwc.ac.za | |
| Mobile | 0711623078 |
| Institution | University of the Western Cape |
| Biosketch | Mbongeni Sithole is an Associate Professor in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences at the University of the Western Cape. He is a seasoned social work educator with over fifteen years of academic experience. His work is rooted in advancing Afrocentric and decolonial knowledge systems, with research interests spanning social work supervision, inclusive education, trauma debriefing, corrections, and transformative learning. He has published extensively, contributing to both academic books and peer-reviewed journals. His journal articles span themes such as multidisciplinary collaboration, workplace supervision, and African knowledge production in social work practice. He also engages critically with policy and legislative frameworks relevant to Higher Education, Labour Relations, and the Criminal Justice System. |
| Is there a Third Presenter? | No |
| Title of Presentatation | Poverty is not neglect: Rethinking Policy and Practice of Family Reunification in South Africa |
| Theme Selection | THEME 2: Social Work and the Achievement of Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) |
| Subtheme TWO Selection | SUB 2.3 Work with special and vulnerable populations (children, families, women, older persons, LGBTQIA+ etc). |
| Select your Presentation Type | Oral Presentation |
| Abstract | Background Children are frequently removed from their families not because of abuse, but due to poverty-related neglect. In South Africa, the child protection system often conflates poverty with parental failure, prioritising separation over family support. This raises serious ethical and human rights concerns, particularly in low-income communities. Aim This study explores how current legislation and policy contribute to institutional barriers that prevent the reunification of families whose children were removed due to poverty. It seeks to contribute to rethinking a rights-based, family-centered reunification as contemplated in the SDGs. Research Questions To explore how South African laws and social policies define and interpret “neglect”. To identify the service delivery gaps in agencies responsible for family preservation. Research question How South African laws and social policies define and interpret “neglect? Theoretical framework: The study draws on a Rights-based approach and Ecological systems theory to examine the interaction between individual, familial, community, and systemic factors influencing reunification. Methodology: Using a desktop research approach, the study includes: A systematic review of relevant laws and policies Case study analysis focused on poverty-related child removals in South Africa Preliminary findings Initial analysis reveals that the system often fails to distinguish poverty from neglect. Families receive inadequate post-removal support, which undermines reunification efforts and perpetuates intergenerational trauma. Recommendation The study calls for a shift from punitive interventions to holistic, justice-based support. It aligns with the Revised White Paper on Families (2021) and contributes to the development of poverty-sensitive, inclusive child protection policies in line with the SGDs. |
| Title | Prof |
| Firstname | Roelf |
| Lastname | Reyneke |
| Does the Abstract fit the selected Theme? | Yes |
| What Area does this Abstract Focus on? | Empirical Research |
| Status | Accepted |
| Title | Dr |
| Firstname | Ntandoyenkosi |
| Lastname | Maphosa |
| Does the Abstract fit the selected Theme? | Yes |
| What Area does this Abstract Focus on? | Empirical Research |
| Status | Accepted |