​Last week, 30th September 2022, the Gauteng Department of Social Development Joburg Region embarked on a Foster Care Awareness campaign in Orange Farm and Soweto.
Speaking during the campaign at the Stretford Health Community Centre, the Gauteng Department of Social Development Joburg Region Social Work Supervisor, Thuli Khoza, said, “We opted to embark on this drive to raise awareness on Foster Care Program and the benefits of registering through the department”.

A representative from South African Social Security Agency (SASSA), Thabo Ratselane, said that as of June this year eligible caregivers can now apply for the Child Support Grant (CSG) to top up to the Foster Care Grant they are getting, and the applications can be done at their local SASSA offices or online at services.sassa.gov.za

Ratselane added that the CSG Top-up has been introduced to assist relatives of the orphans to provide for their basic needs. The purpose is to keep orphans within their extended family environment without removing them from familiar households.
These children will receive their basic CSG of R480, plus an additional amount of R240, bringing the total to R720.

35-year-old Nonhlanhla Makhubo, a resident of Orange Farm 7B welcomed the revisions by SASSA and information shared with the community during the awareness campaign.

Makhubo said, “The event today was informative, it encourages us to foster vulnerable children whose parents are either deceased or absent with the financial help from government which is a Foster Care Grant and not abamashonisa (unregistered money lenders)”. It also discourage us from loaning money from abamashonisa”.

The top-up was introduced by the National Department of Social Development and earmarked to assist those who are awaiting the approval of their Foster Care Grant.