Guidelines for social work interventions with children affected by HIV and AIDS

Abstract

Children affected by HIV and AIDS are often left without adult supervision when the parent or caregiver ultimately dies from HIV and AIDS-related illnesses, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and in need of care. Children in need of care are required by law to be attended to by social workers who need to make sure that they design interventions that will be able to protect the rights of children. Various stakeholders across Africa have implemented a number of interventions in an attempt to support children affected by HIV. Still, these interventions do not clearly define the social worker's role. This study aimed to develop guidelines for social work interventions with children affected by HIV and AIDS. The study used an intervention mapping research design implemented over two phases using the Ecological Systems Theory.