TLC – putting the best interest of vulnerable babies and children first

The Love of Christ Ministries (TLC), a children’s home in Walkerville, is dedicated to rescuing any newborn or baby abandoned by their family, regardless of race or health status.

TLC provides responsive, temporary nurturing to up to 35 babies to reduce risk and trauma during their critical first 1 000 days of life.

Over 900 abandoned babies have found permanent homes thanks to the efforts of this home. Building on their legacy, they have recently moved to a new facility better suited to the services they provide babies. It has a baby nursery, toddler house, therapy room, volunteer cottages, staff housing, offices, a playground, and a play school.

About TLC

Founded as a family-run organisation at the dawn of South African democracy in 1993, TLC Children’s Home is now a board-governed, fully B-BBEE compliant, registered non-profit Child and Youth Care Center (CYCC) with the Department of Social Development.

Managing director of the home, Pippa Jarvis, said they focus on providing quality attachment-based, trauma-informed care to the little ones in the home to address pre-existing and/or in-utero trauma in every child who comes to them.

“We also put significant effort into championing the right of each child to be placed into a loving and responsible family as rapidly as possible.

“We work hard to ensure every decision we make is to serve the best interests of the vulnerable babies and children we care for; while upholding our commitment to children’s rights and the constitution in every way.

Sometimes our lack of resources does not allow us to achieve our dreams in every aspect, but every day, every moment, we keep striving for the ideal.

“We have come a long way since 1993 and learnt a lot of lessons. We believe in the purposeful pursuit of the best outcome for every child and that raising secure children should be everyone’s responsibility,” said Jarvis.

Looking a little deeper

In 30 years, TLC Children’s Home has seen and survived a lot. Some most celebrated successes are surviving Covid and moving facilities in 2021.

Taking the learnings of having cared for 900 vulnerable babies, TLC is using all its energy and expertise to bring hope to families and a safe, supported family life to the vulnerable infants in the community.

Jarvis said the home can now offer significant support to foster families and vulnerable mothers.

“Our model has many layers of interventions focused on how to keep babies in strong and emotionally healthy families. Our Very Early Childhood Development programme focuses on the emotional nurture and healing of babies from difficult places who find themselves in foster care, separated from their birth mothers.

“We focus on developing strong attachment bonds and in supporting foster caregivers in understanding trauma and equipping them with practical parenting strategies so that the children don’t get rejected and placed repeatedly.

“In a fit-for-purpose facility, foster caregivers are supported, trained and developed to model an excellent method of care, making them mentors to their families and communities. The commitment from the management team extends to the children raised in their communities’ care, understanding that many of them struggle to access tertiary studies or employment because of their special needs and trauma history.

“We offer a youth development and a mothers empowerment programme to give training, practical experience and life skills to those who would otherwise become dependent on social service to survive. We do this by providing them dignified, meaningful positions in the TLC Village where they can learn skills and earn a small stipend to inspire hope,” Jarvis said.

For more information about the home, their adoptions or how you can donate, visit www.tlc.org.za or email pippa@tlc.org.za

Join them on Mandela Day to experience their work during your 67 Minutes, or follow them on Facebook to see their work in action.