Stepping into the shoes of absent parents to provide educational support: voices of house parents at a Children's Home, South Africa

Parental involvement is recognised as a significant factor in education globally. However, evidence suggests a scarcity of research focusing on parental involvement in education of vulnerable children in South Africa. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the perspectives of house parents at Sunshine Haven Children’s Home regarding parental involvement in the education of vulnerable children. Informed by Epstein’s theory of overlapping spheres of influence, the qualitative study adopted an interpretivist paradigm and a case study design. Data were obtained through focus group interviews with a group of five purposefully selected house parents at Sunshine Haven Children’s Home. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. The findings of the study reveal that, according to house parents’ perspectives, parental involvement in education for vulnerable children is not satisfactory. House parents experienced challenges in offering educational support, including lack of resources, lack of confidence in assisting with children homework and lack of effective communication between school and home. Therefore, the study recommends the forging of a viable partnership between teachers and house parents, the development of targeted interventions and training programmes and the allocation of resources to enhance parental involvement and ultimately improve the academic performance and wellbeing of vulnerable children Key Words:Parental involvement, Absent parents, educational support, house parents, children home, caregivers, Vulnerable children