The Gauteng Department of Social Development has embarked on a mass public awareness campaign on Foster Care. The campaign is aimed at educating the community to distinguish between Foster Care and Child Support grant.
As part of the campaign West Rand Regional Social Workers, Mpho Diphoko and Nozipho Nkomo, engaged the community through a community radio Westside FM last Friday.
Diphoko explained what foster care entails. In her address she explained that foster care means legal care of a child by an order of the Children's Court and Foster Parent means a person who has legally allowed to foster care of a child. Foster parent is also assigned the responsibility to take care of the child as their own and has all the rights and responsibilities of a parent except for giving permission for the child to be adopted and to allow the child to leave the borders of South Africa.
Her colleague Nkomo added that this applies to any child under the age of 18, who needs care and protection according to Section 150 of the Children's Act 38 of 2005. "Foster child can be a child who is orphaned, abandoned, abused, and neglected by their parents. It can also be a child displaying behaviour that cannot be controlled by parents", she said.
Those who qualify to be foster parents must be over the age of 18. Social Workers investigate to ensure those who apply to become foster parents are fit and proper to care for a child. If someone has a record of abuse, they do not qualify to be a foster parent. Social Workers also assess the circumstances of the family and make recommendation to the Children's Court.
"If you want to become foster parent you must always remember the purpose of foster care: to protect and nurture children by providing a safe, healthy environment with positive support. To promote goals of permanency planning, towards family reunification intended to last a lifetime. To respect the individual and family by demostrating respect for cultural, ethnic and community diversity", Diphoko added.
The difference between foster care and child support grant are as follows. Foster care: applications are done at Social Development, Children's court is involved and Court Order is issued. Whereas child support grant: application is done at SASSA .
The Children's court may place the child in foster care for a period of 2 years. The order may be extended if circumstances do not change.