The Greater Benoni Child Welfare is in desperate need of foster parents and temp safe care parents to assist the organisation.
Sai Baba said: “Selfless service alone gives the needed strength and courage to awaken the sleeping humanity in one’s heart.” Assisting children who are in need could be seen as selfless service. The City Times spoke to senior social worker Israel Sekgale to understand the difference between the two and the requirements needed.
Foster care vs temp safe care
• Both positions act as a safe haven for children who have to be removed from circumstances that are not child-friendly.
• While children are placed in the care of temp-safe care parents for a short period, within short notice, a foster parent takes full responsibility for the child’s well-being for longer periods and could go on for years.
• Foster parents take up the role as the child’s caregiver and have to ensure the child goes to school and they are present at school meetings, they need to take the children to doctor’s appointments and all the child’s needs are met to the best of their ability.
Remuneration
• Temp safe care parents do not receive any remuneration from the government, while foster parents can apply for a foster grant.
Requirements
• Applicants go through a strict screening process to ensure the children are placed in a child-friendly environment.
• All applicants are screened through form 30, which is the application they make to the Department of Social Development to confirm they are not child abusers and their names do not appear on the national child protection register.
• They need to be over the age of 18 and physically and psychologically fit to look after children.
• Able to financially care for the children apart from the foster care grant received.
• Foster care parents have to send an application, which is a longer process compared to a safe temp care parent and depending on the results of an investigation a report will be submitted.
Introducing the children
• Before children are placed in the care of a foster parent, the organisation will slowly build a relationship between the foster parent and the children by allowing them to visit for weekends and school holidays at first.
Sekgale highlighted that the children also have a say whether they would like to stay with the foster parents; this is not a one-sided decision.
Support
• Foster parents are given a brief of what they can expect and what processes they need to go through.
• Training is offered to foster and temp safe care parents on how to deal with the different children and their personalities, including information on puberty, substance abuse and discipline methods.
• Foster parents will be under the supervision of the social worker and receive home visits every two years.
• A monthly meeting is held for foster parents with social workers that act as a support group. Sekgale emphasised foster care gives the children a family-orientated surrounding and are also given the attention needed.
“Children are placed into foster care for various reasons and these are temporary solutions while we investigate the circumstances and sometimes work on reunifications.
“These are, however, lengthy processes that could take up to 90 days due to investigations and to determine whether the children can be looked after.”
During foster care placement, social workers consider the culture and religion of the child and the homes that they are placed in.
“I salute foster care parents for giving children another opportunity to have parents and to love these children,” he concluded.
Residents who are interested in taking the role of a foster parent or a safe temp care parent can visit the Greater Benoni Child Welfare at 3rd Street, Northmead, Benoni, or contact them on 011 849 5241.
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