Parents and caregivers, with the support of family welfare units and social workers, should be engaged

The gap

Evidence profile

Sourced from the recommendations of the source papers, classified as general, drawn from work published between 2025 and 2026, spanning 2 journals.

Supporting evidence — 3 representative gaps

• Cultural Perceptions Towards HIV/ AIDS in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area, Bayelsa State, Nigeria (2026) · International Journal of Humanities Education and Social Sciences · doi

  Parents and caregivers, with the support of family welfare units and social workers, should be engaged through community sensitisation and capacity-building programmes that equip them with the skills and knowledge to communicate effectively with their children about HIV/AIDS and sexuality. This will help break the cultural silence surrounding these topics and strengthen the family's role in promoting awareness and healthy behaviour among Volume 4, Issue 2, 2026 397 Ebgeripou Annie & Odubo Tonbra Robert adults. Also, traditional leaders within the community should help challenge harmful traditional beliefs, reduce stigma associated with HIV, and encourage open dialogue around sexual health and HIV prevention. The health ministry and local primary healthcare managers should strengthen the availability and accessibility of adult-friendly health services. This includes training healthcare providers to offer non-judgmental, confidential, and respectful services to adolescents and young adults. Such services should include HIV counselling, testing, follow-up care, and education tailored specifically to the needs of adults.

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: adults health services family community help strengthen traditional healthcare parents caregivers support welfare units social
• THE CONTRIBUTION OF COMMUNITY VOLUNTEERS IN FOSTER CARE PLACEMENTS OF CHILDREN LIVING WITH HIV: TOWARDS COMPREHENSIVE AND SUSTAINABLE SERVICES (2025) · Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk · doi

   The study recommends a partnership and collaboration between social workers and community volunteers.  The study recommends that social work supervisors and DICs managers should promote collaboration between social workers and community volunteers to ensure comprehensive and sustainable services to children living with HIV in foster care.  The study recommends that in the monthly report template for both the social workers and community volunteers there should be an indicator showing services they provided to children living with HIV in foster care. From social workers this can entail a referral of these children to community volunteers.  The study recommends that social workers should finalise foster care with foster parents in a way that is aligned with the developmental needs of children. However, in cases where the finalisation of foster care placement is done with elderly foster parents, it is highly recommended that the foster family be linked to the DICs. REFERENCES Bejane, S. M., Van Aswegen, E., & Havenga, Y. (2013). Primary caregivers' challenges related to caring for children living with HIV in a semi-rural area in South Africa. Africa Journal of Nursing and Midwifery, 15(1), 68-80. Bernedo, I. M., García-Martín, M. A., Salas, M. D., & Fuentes, M. J. (2016). Placement stability in non-kinship foster care: Variables associated with placement disruption. European Journal of Social Work, 19(6), 917-930. Böning, A., & Ferreira, S. (2013). An analysis of, and different approach to, challenges in foster care practice in South Africa. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 49(4), 519-543. Breckenridge, T. A., Black-Hughes, C., Rautenbach, J., & McKinley, M. (2019). HIV/AIDS orphans in South Africa: NGO interventions supporting transitions to alternative care. International Social Work, 62(2), 502-517. Busza, J., Dauya, E., Bandason, T., Simms, V., Chikwari, C. D., Makamba, M., Mchugh, G., Munyati, S., Chonzi, P., & Ferrand, R. A. (2018). The role of community health workers in improving HIV treatment outcomes in children: Lessons learned from the ZENITH trial in Zimbabwe. Health Policy and Planning, 33(3), 328-334. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 2025: 61(1) 145 Casale, M., Wild, L., Cluver, L., & Kuo, C. (2014). The relationship between social support and anxiety among caregivers of children in HIV-endemic South Africa. Psychology, Health & Medicine, 19(4), 490-503. Caserta, T. A., Punamäki, R. L., & Pirttilä‐Backman, A. M. (2017). The buffering role of social support on the psychosocial wellbeing of orphans in Rwanda. Social Development, 26(1), 204-224. Cluver, L. D., Orkin, M., Gardner, F., & Boyes, M. E. (2012). Persisting mental health problems among AIDS‐orphaned children in South Africa. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 53(4), 363-370. Cooper, T. A. (2013). Racial bias in American foster care: The national debate. Mar

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: social foster children care workers africa community south recommends volunteers health living placement journal collaboration
• Protocol for preparing youths leaving child and youth care centres in South Africa: Insights from social workers (2025) · Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk · doi

  The following recommendations are based on the research findings obtained through interviews with the participants. Social Work/Maatskaplike Werk, 2025: 61(4) 770  A protocol or guidelines that invest in interpersonal skills will add value to the youths leaving care, whose goal is to transition and reintegrate into society at large, as these skills are essential for success in both personal and professional settings (Doucet et al.,2022). All children in care facilities should have a pathway plan based on their individual needs that sets out the support that will receive once they have left care to assist them, for example, in integrating into the family. They should also be aware of the availability of after-care services.  Standardised protocols should be developed with the above-mentioned aspects to assist social workers in preparing youths for leaving care.  More similar research studies on a larger scale should be done in the other provinces of South Africa so that the phenomenon is better understood.  Social workers should be trained on exit programmes that are monitored afterwards to ensure the best services for care leavers.  More specific guidelines are needed from legislative documents such as the Children’s Act 38 of 2005 on the preparation of care leavers. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study demonstrated a critical gap in the preparation of youths leaving CYCCs in South Africa. The fact that there are no standardised protocols or guidelines contributes to inconsistent support and poor outcomes, including substance abuse, mental health issues and unemployment. A protocol is urgently needed, one that addresses both practical skills and psychosocial support. By equipping youths with essential life skills, South Africa can better support their transition into independent living and reduce their risk of marginalisation. REFERENCES Arnau-Sabatés, L., & Gilligan, R. (2020). Support in the workplace: How relationships with bosses and co-workers may benefit care leavers and young people in care. Children and Youth Services Review, 111, 104833. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.childyouth.2020.10483 Akister, J., Owens, M., & Goodyer, I. (2010). The mental health effects of living in foster care. Health Research Policy and Systems, 8(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/1478-4505-8-10 Alderson, H., Brown, R., Copello, A., Kraner, E., Tober, G., Lingam, R., & McGovern, R. (2019). The key therapeutic factors needed to deliver behavioral change interventions to decrease risky substance abuse for looked after children and care leavers: A qualitative exploration with young people, carers, and frontline workers. BMC Medical Methodology, 19(38). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12874-019-0674-3 Atkinson, C., & Hyde, R. (2019). Care leavers’ views about transition: A literature review. Journal of Children's Services, 14(1), 42-58. Social Work/Maatskap

  generalrecommendations
  Keywords: care children support leavers social skills youths services workers guidelines leaving transition south africa needed

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