Foster care plays pivotal role in improving children’s lives
People should understand that a foster care grant is not permanent.
Many people do not know the difference between child support and a foster care grant. In Gauteng 12 196 981 are benefiting from child support. The applicant must earn less than R45 600 per annum if they are a single parent. Those who are married must be earning R91 200 per annum combined income. The amount is R380 per month for each beneficiary.
When it comes to a foster care grant it is a different story in terms of the requirements of becoming a beneficiary as well as the amount received per month. Children qualify as follow:
• The child must be under 18 years of age and have been found by the Children’s Court to be in need of care and protection. There will be a court order issued to foster care parents who will be taking care of the child(ren).
• The child should have been abandoned or orphaned and be without any visible means of support.
• Display behavior which cannot be controlled by the parent or caregiver.
• Be living on the streets or begging for a living.
• Be addicted to a dependence-producing substance and without any support to obtain treatment for such dependency.
• Have been exploited or exposed to exploitation.
• Be at risk if returned to the custody of the parent, guardian or caregiver.
• Be in a state of physical or mental neglect, maltreated, abused or degraded by a parent, guardian or caregiver.
• A person who has parental responsibilities and rights or a family member or by a person under whose controls the child is.
Those who qualify to be a foster parent must be 18 years or older, fit and proper, willing and able to maintain the child and can provide a favourable environment for the child’s growth and development. The foster parent should apply at the nearest Department of Social Development office or an accredited child protection organisation. Foster parents are also referred to a social worker who investigates and submits a report to the court. In some cases, biological parent/s and a child should be involved in the process.
Once the court order has been issued, you can apply for a foster child grant at your nearest South African Security Agency office. The child may also be exempted from paying fees at a public school and public health care institutions. For the child to be exempted from paying school fees, you must fill in the exemption form which is available from the school and submit a letter of recommendation from the social worker to the school.
A foster care grant comes with challenges, some foster parents do not want to take children back to the biological parents when they are used to receiving the foster grant. When a foster child exceeds the age of 18 he or she is no longer entitled to remain a beneficiary. If the foster child still attends school then he or she can qualify up to the age of 21. People should understand that a foster care grant is not permanent and the purpose of this grant is to look after the foster child’s well-being because some families take it as a source of income.
Sibusiso Chauke, Gauteng Department of Social Development.
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