GOVERNMENT AND NON-PROFIT ORGANISATIONS: DYSFUNCTIONAL STRUCTURES AND RELATIONSHIPS AFFECTING CHILD PROTECTION SERVICES

This article is based on a qualitative descriptive study of the child protection system after 1994. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with senior social workers in management positions in the Department of Social Development and non-profit organisations in three provinces. The main focus of the article is on the structure, functioning and resourcing of child protection services in post-apartheid South Africa. Key findings of the study include the lack of an over-arching strategy for child protection services, the dysfunctional relationship between government and the non-profit sector, and inadequate resourcing,