Give a Child a Family Africa (GCF) is actively seeking compassionate people who are willing to open their hearts and homes to children from challenging and traumatic backgrounds. If you are an adult with a stable life situation and a sincere desire to contribute to the well-being of children, this might be for you. Currently, we focus on foster care in the UGU District, KwaZulu Natal, South Africa. If you reside elsewhere, we encourage you to reach out to your local social work office to explore foster parenting opportunities.
At GCF, we firmly believe that every child deserves to grow up in a healthy family environment. When the biological family is unsuitable for now, our approved foster parents step in to provide nurturing care. Most of the foster children we work with have experienced a period in a Child and Youth Care Centre (children’s home) or in one of the organisation’s Temporary Safe Care families.
Becoming a foster parent is a significant commitment that not only transforms the life of a child from another family but also impacts yours and your family members. You will be responsible for the child’s care and development, often for a minimum period of 2 years or longer, under the supervision of a social worker.
The process of becoming a foster parent with GCF:
household to understand your family dynamics and ensure that a potential foster child’s needs will be met.
2. Home visits: We assess your living environment through home visits to ensure it is safe and suitable for a child.
3. Documentation: Various documents are required to ensure the child’s safety, including Name Clearance from your local police station and an outcome of a Form 30 application establishing if your name is on the National Child Protection Register. The mentioned documents are for all members of your household above the age of 18.
4. Approval and database: Once you successfully complete all necessary steps, your family will be considered for inclusion in GCF’s Foster Care Database. Only families on this database can be matched with a child when a social worker contacts us in need of a foster family.
5. Matching and Introduction: We carefully compare the child’s profile with potential foster families to find the best match. If all goes well, the child and the foster family have the opportunity to get to know each other, build strong bonds and eventually live together, formalised through a court order.
For more information, contact us at fostercare@gcf.org.za or phone 039 317 2761.