Programme Description
GCF is embarking on a fully-fledged Transformational Care Programme expanding residential care services for children into the communities. It is complex and multi-faceted and moving children towards systems based on the prevention of family breakdown and a range of quality family and community-based alternatives are challenging but one GCF is prepared for, in “the best interest of children”.
South Africa – Rest of Africa
GCF’s Strategic Plan of 2018 – 2030 speaks to transforming care and deinstitutionalisation, and we will start reforming care in the UGU District.
The GCF Foster Care Programme was developed and contextualised for Africa, in 2000. GCF has trained organisations and governmental departments in several countries in Africa and has run two conferences together with partners; Kenya in 2009 and South Africa in 2015.
Temporary Safe Care Parents have been recruited, screened and trained and are used to care for children from 0-5 years of age in their homes in the communities.
Ongoing preventative work is crucial to make a change in the lives of children.
Problem Statement
GCF believes that the organisation’s CYCC has been an oasis for children in their time of need, but we have also realised that they stay far too long. Despite the quality of care that is provided, the organisation has also seen that this is not the ideal for children who have to be removed from their parents, as we observed the clearly negative effect that institutionalisation had on them.
Worldwide, studies have shown that up to 80% of children in the care of orphanages/children’s homes have at least one living parent. Poverty and lack of access to services in the community are common reasons for admission.
Over 80 years of evidence has shown that institutional care is damaging, unnecessary and a poor investment for children, communities and the African continent.
Target Group
GCF has launched a pilot project to drive the agenda locally for South Africa as family-based care is proven to save governments money and is to the benefit of children. Even so, this matter appears to fall on deaf ears, as these models are identified to be from “other countries.” It is important to prove this process is also more cost effective in South Africa.