ABSTRACT
Botswana is a landlocked country in Southern Africa. Botswana has a relatively homogeneous small population of approximately two million. Botswana is a democratic country with a multiparty political system. In Botswana children are considered vulnerable based on several needs and it depends from one group to the other. Botswana is one of the hardest hit countries by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome pandemic in sub-Saharan Africa. Residential care facilities for children classified as orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) in Botswana are structured into family units to reflect the family structure in Botswana. Childline Botswana is a non-governmental organization founded in 1990 in response to the escalating number of child abuse cases in the country. Social workers employed in residential care facilities for OVC in Botswana provide psychosocial support. Fostering is the practice of allowing children to be reared by people other than their biological parents.
