Cluster foster care: A panacea for the care of children in the era of HIV/AIDS or an MCQ?

Abstract

The South African Children's Act 38 of 2005 is arguably the first legislative instrument internationally to provide for cluster foster care. The legal and social underpinnings of cluster foster care, juxtaposed to conventional foster care, are examined and situated within contemporary social norms. The recent UN Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children are also examined. The analysis discusses various models which are purported to constitute cluster foster care and the question is posed whether cluster foster care rests on a single theoretical model, or whether it is an empty vessel in which a multitude of overlapping models can be accommodated.