Western Cape's Department of Social Development launches 'safety parent' programme
At the end of 2024, more than 42,371 children were in the foster care system - here's how to help vulnerable kids by becoming a safety parent.
Photo: Pixabay/Vika_Glitter
CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit speaks to Jaco Londt, the Western Cape MEC for Social Development, about the need to offer these children a safe and protected environment.
Listen below:
The Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) received over 7,000 reported cases of child abuse during the last financial year while many cases go unreported.
At the end of 2024, more than 42,371 children were in the foster care system.
Some kids sent into foster care/youth care centres by the state have serious behavioural problems, including sentenced youth awaiting court trials.
Londt explains the common reasons why kids end up in foster care...
"When we talk about the abuse or neglect of a child, it is not just the result of one thing, it is often a combination of various factors that's compounded by social ills such as substance use disorders, the untreated mental health conditions, the age of the parent, the breakdown of a family or the absence of extended family support structures... there's also the lack of education about parenting that plays a role... sometimes there's difficulty bonding with the child or parents have a history of child abuse and then that gets transferred to the next generation."
- Jaco Londt, Western Cape MEC - Department of Social Development
Londt says the Department of Social Development is available across South Africa with early intervention programmes aimed to identity at-risk children before it reaches statutory levels which involves court interventions and paperwork.
Some government intervention programmes offered to raise kids in environments that are safe and dignified include:
- Public education programmes that help target families, children, communities, parents with a focus on parental rights and responsibility.
- Family prevention and early intervention service focused on preventing child abuse through therapeutic counseling, developmental programmes and child abuse prevention programmes.
Parents are ultimately responsible to protect their kids, Londt explains...
"Child protections starts with the family unit and it will always remain the parents' primary responsibility. Parents should try and have the support systems in place such as extended family, friends or community organisations to help safeguard the children - these support structures then create the circle of care children need. Giving this protection to kids helps them develop into the healthy, well-adjusted adults who will, in future, help contribute positively to society."
- Jaco Londt, Western Cape MEC - Department of Social Development
To help kids feel the love of a family unit, Londt says the Western Cape's DSD launched a "safety parent" programme which is different to foster parents.
Londt explains the difference...
"Safety parents provide temporary emergency care for children removed from the home due to immediate danger or risk. This is often an urgent short-term solution to protect the child's immediate safety... this can be required to be anything from 48 hours to 90 days and it may be extended while the social worker conducts their investigation... we have a pool of safety parents who are available 24 hours a day."
- Jaco Londt, Western Cape MEC - Department of Social Development
"Foster parents are more long-term solutions, they provide a more stable family environment. A foster care court order must be renewed every two years but the aim is to work towards eventual reunification with the biological family or to provide a stable home for the child while they become of age."
- Jaco Londt, Western Cape MEC - Department of Social Development
To become a safety parent, the Department of Social Development (DSD) will consider:
Prospective safety parents must:
- have an interest in the wellbeing of a child at risk;
- have a police clearance and a Form 30 notification – this applies to all the adults residing on the premises of the applicant(s);
- have a Form 39 approval from the DSD to provide temporary safe care.
Due to the nature of the emergency placements, prospective safety parents should be available at any time and at short notice.
Applicants are carefully screened to determine if they're suitable to care for children. Once approved, the safety parent will receive training on the Children’s Act, roles and responsibilities of safety parents and how to care for vulnerable children who may have experienced trauma.
Once the placement of a child is finalised, safety parents are given an emergency kit (e.g. in the case of a baby, nappies and formula milk) and a basic daily fee towards the care of the child.
A social worker's job is not to split up families or judge parenting styles - it's to provide the safety and protection to children who need it most, says Londt.
To sustain its pool of safety parents in the province to provide this crucial service, the Department invites interested persons to volunteer to contact their nearest DSD local office or contact the DSD hotline on 0800 220 250.
Furthermore, if you suspect a child is being abused, neglected, or exposed to violence, we urge you to report it to the following channels:
- Calling the Western Cape Department of Social Development toll-free: 0800 220 250
- Calling the SAPS crime stop hotline: 10111
- Calling Childline: 116; or
- Calling Child Welfare SA: 0861 424 453
Scroll up to the audio player to listen to the full conversation.