Social work

Our social work department is made up of 2 social workers, a social auxiliary worker and a memory box worker. The team help families through the process of getting foster care grants from the government. This is an arduous process which involves getting a lot of official papers sorted out. Then the family has to go to court and get a court order to say that they are suitable foster parents. Only then can they access the money. This can take many months to sort out.

Once a family is getting a grant, the social auxiliary worker monitors the family through visits and through foster parent support groups. She teaches the family how to use the money wisely and how to care for the children. This prevents the money being squandered on luxuries such as airtime for cell phones, while there is not enough food in the household.

The social workers and memory box worker also provide counseling and bereavement support to families. Children often not only face the loss of their parents but also grandparents, aunties and uncles so they are moved from one adult to another as they all die in turn. This may cause complicated grief for the poor children. Our staff help them to move beyond this and learn to cope with life.

The social workers are also sometimes involved in child abuse cases. They work with the Child Care Forum in the district to ensure that children are protected and supported as much as possible.