SOCIAL AND AUXILLARY WORKERS FORUM TACKLES FAMILY REUNIFICATION AND AFTERCARE FOR YOUTH IN CARE

By Sipho Ncube.

• Social workers and auxiliary staff in the Northern Corridor are sharpening their skills to better support children with behavioural challenges.
• Research shows that weak family reintegration services often lead to children returning to care centres after discharge.
• The forum focused on improving aftercare and strengthening family bonds for long-term success.

The Gauteng Department of Social Development’s Northern Corridor brought together its Institutional Social and Social Auxiliary Workers Forum to discuss practical solutions for reintegrating children discharged from Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) back into family and community life.

Held at the Ga-Rankuwa Rearabilwe CYCC under the theme “Social Workers in Child and Youth Care Centres,” the session aimed to strengthen family reunification and aftercare services, especially for children displaying behavioural challenges.

Social Worker Lettah Piroe explained that the session was designed to equip practitioners with strategies and tools to ensure that children are not only discharged from care but supported sustainably as they transition back into their families and society.

Presenting findings from a 2020–2022 study, Social Worker Tintswalo Novela from Mabutho Hlatshwayo CYCC said that parents often struggle to cope once children are discharged. “The withdrawal from parental responsibilities or lack of contact results in children seeking re-entry after discharge,” she said.

Novela’s research found that prolonged stays in CYCCs disrupt family bonds and identity development, making it harder for children to adapt once they return home. “The Children’s Act 38 of 2005 prescribes a maximum stay of two years. Anything beyond that can have damaging effects,” she noted.

She also highlighted how parents felt left out of critical decisions. “They reported not being heard, which led to poor engagement with social workers and weakened the family reunification process,” she said. In some cases, parents blamed themselves for their children’s behaviour, describing the homecoming experience as violent and emotionally difficult.

Novela recommended a more integrated approach to family reunification, involving broader stakeholders, and called for greater investment in equipping social workers with specialised knowledge for managing behavioural challenges.

Participants were invited to share comments and questions, helping to foster a collaborative environment for peer learning and professional growth.