Best practices for rendering family reunification services to children in alternative care placements in South Africa

Background Children placed in alternative care have a right to be reunified with their families when the reasons that led to their removal have been addressed. Social workers are instrumental in providing a wide range of services to children and families. It is imperative to have best practice interventions that guide the implementation of family reunification services. In the absence of points of reference, social workers will experience challenges in rendering effective family reunification services. Objectives This article explores best practices for rendering family reunification services to children in alternative care placements. Participants and Setting Social workers employed by five child protection organisations in South Africa participated in the study. 15 interviews were conducted, 183 questionnaires were completed. Methods An exploratory sequential mixed methods design was employed in the study. Data was analysed using Cresswell’s model of thematic data analysis and a statistical package for social sciences. Findings The paper analyses seven narratives of successful family reunification services to deduce elements that seem to lead to the success of family reunification. These elements are; parents’ willingness to change their circumstances, communication between all role players, and support from the social worker. Indicators for progress towards successful family reunification drawn from these cases are; maintaining regular contact with the child, contributing towards the maintenance of the child, good relationships between biological and foster parents, and biological parents’ involvement in programmes organised by social workers. Conclusions The article concludes that social workers working in family reunification services should adopt these best practices.