Building a Caring Society. Together.

CONTACT DETAILS OF THE PROVINCIALDEPARTMENTS OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

KWAZULU NATAL PROVINCE

Tel: (033) 341 9825Fax: (033) 341 9809

NORTHERN CAPE PROVINCE

Tel: (053) 874 4832Fax: (053) 871 1062

LIMPOPO PROVINCE

Tel: (015) 293 6011Fax: (015) 293 6170/6270

NORTH WEST PROVINCE

Tel: (018) 387 0281Fax: (018) 384 5967

GAUTENG PROVINCE

Tel: (011) 355 7878Fax: (011) 355 7753

WESTERN CAPE PROVINCE

The Head of the DepartmentDepartment of Social Welfare and PopulationDevelopmentPrivate Bag X9144Pietermaritzburg3200

The Head of the DepartmentDepartment of Social Services and PopulationDevelopmentPrivate Bag X5042Kimberley8300

The Head of the DepartmentDepartment of Health and Social DevelopmentPrivate Bag X9302Polokwane0700

The Head of the DepartmentDepartment of Social DevelopmentCulture and SportPrivate Bag X6Mmabatho2735

Department of Social DevelopmentPrivate Bag X35Johannesburg2000

The Head of the DepartmentDepartment of Social ServicesAnd Poverty Alleviation

Private Bag X9112Cape Town8000

The Head of the DepartmentDepartment of Social DevelopmentPrivate Bag X20616Bloemfontein9300

Head of the DepartmentDepartment of Health & Social ServicesPrivate Bag x11285Nelspruit1200

Head of the DepartmentDepartment of Social DevelopmentPrivate Bag X0039Bisho5605

Department of Social DevelopmentPrivate Bag X901Pretoria,0001

Tel: (021) 483 4714Fax: (021) 483 3912

FREE STATE PROVINCE

Tel: (051) 400 0307Fax: (051) 400 0224

CONTACT DETAILS OF THE NATIONAL DEPARTMENTOF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT

THE DIRECTOR GENERAL

Tel: (012) 312 7500Fax: (012) 312 7837/(012) 312 7703orTel: (012) 312 7386Fax: (012)323 3733Email: Luzile.Nziyane@socdev.gov.za

www.dsd.gov.zaToll free 0800 60 10 11

MPUMALANGA PROVINCE

Tel: 013 766 3031Fax: 013 766 3463

EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE

Tel: 040 608 5810Fax: 040 639 1033

Foster Care Placement

CARE FOR CHILDREN BUILD A NATION

AWARENESS CAMPAIGN ON NATIONALFOSTER CARE PROGRAMME

What is Foster Care?

Children who can be placed in Foster Care

Our Constitution states that every child has a right to a family or appropriate alternative care. Children who are not in proper alternative care are at risk of being exploited, living in the streets or trafficked. The HIV&AIDS pandemic continues to undermine progress that has been made in the country to care and protect children and their families. For Government to be in a position to provide for the rights of orphans and vulnerable children, society needs to be mobilized so that individuals and families who are willing to foster children are given the opportunity to do so.

Foster care is an essential family and child welfare service for children and their families who have to live apart for a temporary or long-term period of time. It is a service for children who are unable to remain with their families because of abuse, neglect, death of parents and temporary inability of the family to take care for the children. The child is then placed in the care of a suitable person who is not a parent or guardian of the child.

The main purpose of foster care is to protect and nurture a child; this is done by providing a safe and healthy environment with positive support that meets the child's needs. Facilitation of relationships between the child, his/her family and other family members is encouraged to strengthen and preserve family ties with a goal to ultimately rehabilitate the parties affected and where possible reunify the child with his/her family.

Children are found to be in need of care by a Children's Court in terms of the Child Care Act 74 of 1983, as amended. This could include:

A child who has been abandoned or neglected

A child who has been physically, sexually or emotionally abused or ill-treated by his or her parents or guardian or the person in whose custody he or she is

A child who is an orphan and has no parent or guardian and he or she might be left in the care of grandparents or other relatives

··

·

·

·

·

·

·

·

·

·

A child who has a parent or guardian who cannot be traced.

A child who displays behaviour that cannot be controlled by his or her parents or guardian.

A child who lives in the streets

Anyone who is not a parent or legal guardian of the child can become a foster parent. The foster parent is someone who is:

A fit and proper person to be entrusted with the foster care of the child

Able to provide for the safety and well-being ofthe child

Willing to undertake, exercise and maintain the responsibilities of such care

Properly assessed by a designated social worker to determine his or her suitability

Over the age of 18 years.

Foster parents can apply for the foster child grant paid by the State under the Social Assistance Act 59 of 1992 to maintain the child. The biological parents have a duty to contribute towards the child's maintenance in the form of a contribution order as determined by the Children's Court.

All children who are in need of care must be brought to the attention of the local welfare organization or office. The social worker must investigate whether the child is in need of care and protection as well as the circumstances of the proposed foster family to determine their suitability. A Children's Court Inquiry is opened by the social worker in terms of the child concerned.

The social worker, the child and the proposed foster parents appear before the Commissioner of Child Welfare to determine the placement of the child concerned in foster care of the proposed foster parents. The Commissioner makes an order in terms of the Child Care Act.

Who can become a Foster Parent?

Financial Support by the State

Procedure for Possible Placement of Children in Foster Care

Once this order is made, the social worker assists the foster family to apply for the foster child grant. The social worker continues providing services to the foster family and the foster child. Services are also provided to the child's biological parents if they are still alive to work towards the reunification of the child with his or her family.

The child is found to be in need of care and protection in terms of the Child Care Act for a certain period of time. The foster parents act as interim parents to take responsibility of the child. The foster parents do not have guardian rights for example, signing consent for marriage. The foster child stays under the authority of the Child Care provision until he or she reaches the age of 18 or he/she is removed from the placement for various reasons. The Court order is made for two years at the end of which it has to be reviewed. If necessary it is extended by the Minister of Social Development every two years.

The following documents are necessary for processing the foster care placement:

Child's birth certificate; in the case of a child who is not a South African citizen, an official identity document of the country of origin may be accepted

Child's school report-in the case of a school going child

Proposed foster parent's bar coded South African ID

If a child is an orphan, the parents' death certificates

In certain instances, affidavits are required

Legal Implications

Documents Required

·

·

·

·

·