Services | George Child and Family Welfare

What we Do

Our services.

Our awesome team of change agents offer a comprehensive service to hundreds of children and their families, especially those who have been abused, neglected, abandoned or orphaned.

Our core focus is to ensure the safety and the optimal development of the children and the families in the communities we serve.

Programmes & Special Projects

Crisis Intervention

Offering emergency assistance to beneficiaries to prevent serious long-term problems from developing. This may also include removing children facing life-threatening situations via the Children’s Court.

PREVENTION & EARLY INTERVENTION

Prevention and Early Intervention services are aimed at assisting families where children are identified at risk of harm. Our aim is to build resilience and help strengthen families.

CHILDREN’S COURT INVESTIGATIONS

Investigations requested by the court as to whether a child is in need of care and protection. This includes a recommendation that is in the best interest of the child concerned.

FOSTER CARE & STATUTORY SERVICES

Social workers are responsible for rendering statutory services to all children in foster care in our area of operation. Placements are supervised by means of home visits, case conferences and individual sessions with the children and parents, to determine that the placement continues to be in the best interest of the child concerned, and orders are extended accordingly.

REUNIFICATION SERVICES

Reunification services are rendered to biological parents after their children have been removed and placed in alternative care. These services are aimed at strengthening the capacity of parents to receive their children back into their care. This includes encouraging parents to maintain contact with their children while in alternative care.

SUPPORT GROUPS

A variety of support groups are offered by our organisation. These include groups for foster children, foster parents, teenage mothers and biological fathers. Foster children from Grade 10 to 12 are included in a group (Independent Living) that helps to prepare them for life after school.

AFTERHOURS EMERGENCY SERVICE

Our organisation coordinates an after-hours emergency service that involves crisis intervention, containment and assessment of children. A social worker is on call to support victims of abuse and their families at the Thuthuzela Care Centre at the George Hospital.

THERAPY SERVICES

We believe that every child deserves an opportunity to work through their emotions in a safe space. We currently have two social workers specialising in therapy, both individual and group therapy. They are also responsible for preparing the children involved in court cases testify through an Intermediary to prevent further trauma.

PARENTING SKILLS TRAINING

We offer parenting skills training sessions to parents in both large (parenting rally) and small groups. This includes foster parents as well as biological parents whose children have been removed.

SAFETY PARENT TRAINING

Due to the number of children found in need of care and protection, we recruit, screen and train parents to accept vulnerable children into their care on a short term basis. This allows social workers peace of mind while they investigate the best long-term options and make a recommendation to the Children’s Court.

BUDDY PROGRAMME

“Buddy” is a mobile unit that goes out into the community on a daily basis to offer a fun and educational after-school project. Facilitators and children develop a strong bond and apart from life skills, homework support and a hearty meal, Buddy gives children an opportunity to request any assistance they may need, right on their doorstep! The project includes a holiday programme and empowerment workshops on a Saturday.

EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT (ECD) CENTRES

We have five ECD centres that are registered with the Department of Education to help prepare our children for formal education at school. Our ECD’s have long histories in the communities, and offer a quality service to over 600 children.

TOY LIBRARY & RESOURCE CENTRE

Our Toy Library and Resource Centre circulates educational materials consisting of fun learning activities on a rotational basis amongst our five ECD’s as well as our seven home-based crèches.

SABINE’S SAFE HAVEN

Sabine’s Haven is literally a safe place for children during times of crisis, where they receive love and care while social workers investigate the best alternative placement options that will be in the children’s best interest.

CLUSTER FOSTER CARE

Our cluster foster care accommodates children in one of our foster care homes with a loving and caring foster mother and five new siblings. Our Patron, Sabine Plattner, through her non-profit organisation SPAC made this project possible in collaboration with the Hasso Plattner Foundation. This project is transforming lives every day.

MATERIAL ASSISTANCE

As an organisation we are blessed to be able to assist children and families in crisis with food, clothing and household items that are donated to us on a regular basis.

Donations & Fundraisers

Join our cause

Our non-profit organisation depends greatly on the support and kind donations of our partners, sponsors, volunteers and members of the community, and more importantly, our fundraising initiatives throughout the year.

Donate now

Our loyal partners

Hope & Happiness

Our partners and our awesome sponsors have been absolutely amazing - their unwavering support has empowered us to go from strength to strength and has assisted us to change hundreds of lives for the better. We appreciate you!

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Sharing our desire to spread hope and happiness…

Our loyal partners.

Our partners and our awesome sponsors have been absolutely amazing – their unwavering support has empowered us to go from strength to strength and has assisted us to change hundreds of lives for the better. We appreciate you!

We are grateful for all our helping hands who help us to make a difference and change lives for the better, one child and one family at a time. Every little helps.

PS. For shoutouts and thank-you posts, follow our hashtag #AppreciationPost on our social media platforms. Don’t forget to LIKE and Follow our social pages to stay up to date.

How you can help

The saying "it takes a village to raise a child" is so true in the sense that the community outreach and work that we do, would not be possible without the generous donations from our supporters. Together, we are making a difference in the lives of so many, and creating hope and happiness for those in need.

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Financial Contribution

Making a financial contribution to the organisation or a specific project

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Donate

Donate food, stationary, toiletries etc. for families in need throughout the year

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Donate unwanted items

Clear out your cupboards and donate any unwanted items that are still in a good condition to distribute in the communities we serve, or for us to sell in our charity shop to generate funds for our projects

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Volunteer

to serve on our Board, assist with projects or help out in our charity shop, become a safety or foster parent

Get in touch to find out how you can get involved.

Get in touch