Westville safe house cares for babies

THE Baby House Westville, which is a safe house for abandoned babies, is asking for donations to help them with their daily running.

The primary focus of The Baby House is to care for and nurture the babies placed in their care until such time that they are adopted.

Terri Wentzel said the babies are placed at the safe house by a registered social worker who either works with the mothers before the birth or she is contacted by the relevant authorities in the case of abandonment.

The babies arrive within days or sometimes hours after birth and sometimes their are dropped off by their mothers. The safe house currently looks after four children but can accommodate up to six babies.

Wentzel said the aim of the safe house is for the babies in their care to reach their full potential by facilitating the meeting of appropriate physical developmental milestones and experiencing emotional stability and love.

The babies are cared for by three dedicated house mothers and are provided with love, shelter, nourishment and appropriate medical care when necessary.

The safe house always encourage volunteers to spend time with the babies – holding them, talking to them and stimulating their senses.

“The babies flourish with a little individual attention and a lot of love. We wish for the babies to be integrated into the community. This socialising and bonding aids their transition once matched to an adoptive family.”

She said their secondary goal is to raise awareness in the community that safe houses like The Baby House Westville exist. “We hope this awareness translates into a greater understanding of the growing problem of baby abandonment,” she added.

The running of The Baby House Westville requires frequent and ongoing fundraising as government child care grants are sporadic and corporate sponsorships are difficult to obtain.

Community awareness and donations allow the home to continue to exist and care for one of the most valuable but vulnerable sectors of our society.

The Baby House’s needs are very much like that of a large family home – cleaning products such as laundry detergents, dishwashing liquid, disinfectants and baby consumables – nappies, wet wipes, bath toiletries, formula (Lactogen 1 and lnfasoy 2), porridge, purity, fresh fruit and vegetables.

To assist the home, contact Terri Wentzel on 061 125 0887 or Nola Smorenburg on 083 247 1423.