This article assesses the interaction between international and local influences in South African child welfare practice and education between 2001 and 2010. Based on a mixed methods study, it finds that the primary mechanism for international exchange occurred through funding. Professional imperialism continued to be evidenced in the domination of Northern agendas in local curricula and the lack of critical interrogation of external practices. A disjuncture between research and practice priorities was found with some areas of intersection. The article provides insight into the local/global nexus in child welfare and recommends further investigation into more authentic and egalitarian international relationships of exchange.

No abstract

The demise of apartheid in South Africa in 1994 resulted in large-scale change in the welfare system in relation to both magnitude and substance. This article provides a firsthand account of managers' experiences and perspectives of the management of transformation in nonprofit organizations delivering social work services in South Africa.

Soul Buddyz Clubs, centered on social mobilization and children's rights, offer a model for developmental child welfare both in South Africa and further afield. Features of successful clubs and the way in which these enhance the lives of children, particularly in under-resourced areas, are highlighted.

More than a decade after apartheid, South Africa remains in transition. This is apparent in the welfare field where the shift away from an individualistic, remedial and discriminatory model towards a holistic, family-centered, community-based, strengths-informed approach seems to be presenting challenges. An examination of post-apartheid child welfare policies suggests that the predominant South African thinking regarding children and their families has changed only minimally. The Anglo-American child protection orientation is criticized internationally, so it is useful to reflect on the South African lessons when considering system change. The degree to which the child protection approach is promoted globally also needs to be challenged. The need for transformationSouth Africa emerged from apartheid with welfare practices that were ill-suited to the needs of the majority (Patel, 2005). Services tended to be racially differentiated and discriminatory, and delivery generally was concentrated in urban areas. Anglo-American influences on South African welfare services resulted in expensive, deficit-based, casework (Patel, 2005). In child welfare, intervention was biased towards a child protection model, where parents were held primarily responsible for their children's care, with the state * i s w