Programme Description
This programme was developed from the organisation’s experiences of children being placed for extended times in GCF’s former shelter for children in the late 1990s and early 2000s.
It was realised that children should grow up in a family environment and not in institutional care, when reunification services with biological parents or relatives were not an option.
South Africa – Rest of Africa
Social work professionals in the organisation’s Child Protection Service Department recruit, screen, train and approve prospective foster parents who are willing to receive vulnerable children into their care at any time.
All are screened according to the National Child Protection Register and have all required documents for court finalisation.
The database is utilised by local case managers in need of foster parents for children.
The Child Protection Services team matches children who are placed at GCF or other child and youth care centres in the area. In cooperation with case managers, an introduction process takes place between children and foster families.
Parents attend post placement support groups after a child is placed in their care.
Problem Statement
Long-term institutional care is shown to be harmful for children in many ways, which not only include that they may experience a lack of life skills and family relations, but also the lack of social and emotional skills, awareness of the rights and opportunities that children growing up in a family would normally have.
In well-screened, trained and supported foster families, children would be given a chance to experience stable, caring and loving family environments leading to a better future for them.
Target Group
Any person over the age of 18 years can apply to be a foster parent.
The training aims, for example, to prepare them for a long-term commitment with lasting and good relationships with their foster children, to give them special skills and knowledge related to foster care and to understand their role, as well as that of other role players and professionals’ in the lives of foster children.