Assist Princess Alice Adoption Home to care for 30 young children
WESTCLIFF – Visit their Facebook page to see how you can help fulfil their wishes.
The Princess Alice Adoption Home in Westcliff will this year celebrate 89 years of serving some of the most vulnerable members of the Johannesburg community.
The place of safety was founded in 1930 by Queen Victoria’s great-granddaughter Princess Alice and now falls under Johannesburg Child Welfare.
Newborns through to toddlers call this their temporary home while they wait to either be reunited with their families or taken in by a forever family through adoption.
Tough economic times, unemployment and a breakdown in family structures mean that many children are abandoned or given up for adoption each year, resulting in them landing up in places of safety such as the Princess Alice Adoption Home.
Manager at the home Jo-Anne Schermeier said, “The care that the children receive here makes such a difference in these children’s lives and it is very rewarding to see them leave us and start their real lives with loving families.”
The home is partially funded through the department of social development and KFC’s Add Hope programme, but they rely heavily on financial and in-kind donations from the community to keep their doors open.
The home employs 16 staff members and recently introduced a Granny Programme to assist children to have an emotional connection with one individual.
“Gogos are recruited from the surrounding communities and are given basic training before they come in during the mornings and spend time with just two children each. This gives the kids bonding, one-to-one stimulation and an emotional connection with one caregiver, providing stability in the children’s lives,” said Schermeier, who added that this programme has had a profoundly positive impact on the children.
The home appeals to the community for donations of toiletries, nappies, clothes, toys and furniture as well as financial assistance. Community members are also welcome to volunteer at the home or share their professional skills and talents with the children.
Visit the @princessaliceadoptionhome on Facebook for their updated wishlist or call 011 646 5641 to find out more.
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