ABOUT US

In recent years, Cape Town Child Welfare Society’s adoption practices have evolved in response to changing societal needs. The organisation remains actively involved in placing orphaned or abandoned children who cannot be raised by their biological families with adoptive parents who will provide them with the love and security of a nurturing, caring family life.


ABOUT US

In recent years, Cape Town Child Welfare Society’s adoption practices have evolved in response to changing societal needs. The organisation remains actively involved in placing orphaned or abandoned children who cannot be raised by their biological families with adoptive parents who will provide them with the love and security of a nurturing, caring family life.


ABOUT US

In recent years, Cape Town Child Welfare Society’s adoption practices have evolved in response to changing societal needs. The organisation remains actively involved in placing orphaned or abandoned children who cannot be raised by their biological families with adoptive parents who will provide them with the love and security of a nurturing, caring family life.


Who we are

Cape Town Child Welfare Society is South Africa’s oldest and second-largest child welfare organisation. Since 1908, we have helped over a million children emerge from crisis situations ranging from drug/alcohol abuse, poverty, homelessness and crime, to severe neglect and physical and sexual abuse.

Our overriding goal is to ensure the survival and protection of children at risk – to help them break the cycle of despair in their lives, so that, ultimately, they are free to live fruitful, productive lives as flourishing members of society.

Daily, around 40 new cases come through the doors of our five intake offices across the Cape Peninsula. Over the last two years, Cape Town Child Welfare Society has begun to move away from a holistic approach to a highly specialized child welfare organisation again due to the demands of the new Children’s Act 38 of 2005 which was implemented in 2010. All our skills and experience have been put into developing the best possible child protection organisation.

Cape Town Child Welfare Society is proud to count Desmond Tutu as its patron, and to be closely affiliated with the International Forum for Child Welfare. In general, we are widely recognized for our role in the protection and upliftment of children.

We promote the well being of all children, predominantly those in poor socio-economic communities by protecting those in crisis and at risk, enhancing the capacity of families and communities to protect and develop their children and empowering children to claim their rights and accept their responsibilities. We network with other service providers for the benefit of the children and contribute to the development of National and International policies and legislation regarding children.

What we do

The organization is starting to take up its rightful place as one of the most respected and trusted agencies to champion the cause for a safe and nurturing society for all citizens, with a special focus on children.

We offer a variety of services to the community – e.g. adoption services, foster care placements, intake and referral services, investigations and intervention and family preservation services.

Our intake unit responds to children in crisis and is similar to the casualty unit at a hospital which has a highly pressurized working environment. It therefore requires experienced and caring staff complement who are able to think on their feet in crisis situations.

Once an initial risk and safety assessment has been completed by this unit, the matter will either be closed or transferred to one of two units depending on the outcome of the risk assessment. If the child is found to be at risk, it will be referred to our investigations unit to conduct an investigation and take the matter to court. Although there are concerns regarding the child’s well-being in this situation, there are sufficient protective factors which, if strengthened, will mitigate any risks to the child in the future. The case will be transferred to the Intervention unit for family strengthening programs.

In those instances where statutory intervention is inevitable the child will be placed either in foster care or adoption. The unit responsible for foster care will provide monitoring and supportive services to children placed in foster care to ensure that they recover from the circumstances which resulted in their removal from their biological parents. They are also required to provide services to the biological parents of these children in order to preserve family ties where this is in the best interest of the child.

Where children have been orphaned or abandoned the best permanency plan is adoption and therefore we have specialized adoption unit who are responsible for the recruitment; screening and training of adoptive parents. In addition, they also provide counselling services to birth parents who are contemplating relinquishing their children for adoption to ensure that they have considered all options before embarking on such a drastic course of action.

Due to the increase in single parents the organization also offers contact, care and mediation services to parents who are experiencing difficulties with co-parenting.

Why we do it

“…..COVID-19 has led to loss of employment, less household income and growing food insecurity. Apart from the risk of the virus itself, lockdown has entrapped many households in overcrowded and cramped conditions, further compromising physical and mental health and putting children and their caregivers at risk. This increase in the strain and anxiety caregivers feel is likely to result in more physical and emotional violence and mental health problems. Reduced access to early childhood development services increases the burden of care on women and deprives parents of access to violence prevention programs—a key component in breaking the ongoing cycle of violence in the home. 

South Africa’s children are battling two epidemics of violence and hunger. The ongoing economic fallout from the pandemic is eroding the capacity of families to look after their children.  Therefore, our government’s lack of response is unconscionable as the effects of malnutrition and increased exposure to violence will last a lifetime and perpetuate eternal vicious cycles of inequality, poverty, and pain. 

At the same time, rising insecurity is fuelling an increase in domestic violence and common mental disorders, that further compromise the care and protection of children. While the disruption of routine health care services has made it harder to identify and support children at risk of malnutrition, with experts predicting a 14% increase in the global prevalence of moderate and severe acute malnutrition which are associated with 50% of child hospital deaths in South Africa.

We cannot put measures to prevent violence and malnutrition on the back burner waiting for the health pandemic to abate. We must give families the support they need now…”

Promoting the well-being of children since 1908

We protect those in crisis and at risk, enhancing the capacity of families and communities to protect and develop their children. We empower children to claim their rights and accept their responsibilities and network with other service providers for the benefit of the children. Contributing to the deveopment of National and International policies and legislation regarding children, bulding the capacity of other orginisations to care for chidren and advocating for the rights of children.