The provincial Department of Social Development is looking for safety parents and foster parents.
Safety parents provide temporary safe care for children legally removed from the care of their parents or caregivers due to circumstances which may have placed their well-being and safety at risk.
The children are placed in temporary care through the Children’s Court until an alternative placement option can be considered.
Foster care parents, however, take responsibility for the child on a long-term basis and children are placed in their care for two years at a time.
Safety parents are carefully screened to determine their suitability and undergo in-depth training to educate them about caring for children who have been traumatised by abuse, neglect or abandonment.
Safety parents must have an interest in the development of any child in need of care, be available for emergency placements which may be during or after working hours, and understand that there are no financial benefits other than compensation for basic costs of care.
Once screened, training on the Children’s Act is also provided to prospective safety parents. This focuses on the roles and responsibilities of safety parents, the role of social workers and court processes. The department contributes R27 a day towards the basic needs of the child. They
will also be issued with an emergency kit including nappies,
formula, and bottles for small babies.
If you are interested in becoming a safety or foster parent, call Jessica Antonels or Desiree Michels at 021 001 3003 or for more information.
