Badisa Tygerberg is appealing to the public to open their homes and hearts to the children of their communities by becoming temporary safety parents.
On Tuesday, the child-protection non-profit organisation held an information session on the role of a safety parent and the screening process applicants must go through to become one.
“A temporary safety parent is a person, aged 21 years or older, who provides immediate safety and care to a child who was found to need care and protection, and to meet all of their needs as you would with your own children,” said Aa-isha Fredericks, a student social worker at Badisa Tygerberg in Parow.
“Badisa Tygerberg, as a child-protection organisation, believes a child’s immediate and extended family is the best place for them to grow and develop. Sometimes it is, however, necessary for a child, who seems to be in immediate danger or risk of child abuse or neglect, to be removed and placed in temporary safe care.”
Children are placed in temporary safe care for a period of three to six months while the social worker investigates the child’s home and family circumstances. Up to six children can be placed with a safety parent.
Ms Fredericks said the need to recruit safety parents had emerged from within the organisation.
“As a student social worker at Badisa Tygeberg, I have experienced how difficult it is for social workers to find alternative care for children who seem to be in need of immediate care and protection as there are not enough temporary safe care homes and children’s homes are mostly filled to capacity,” she said.
Badisa Tygerberg is looking for safety parents in Parow, Ravensmead, Uitsig, Connaught, Eureka, and Cravenby, as well as surrounding communities.
Prospective safety parents will undergo a screening process that includes an interview, home visit, and screening against the National Child Protection Register. They will also be required to attend safety parent training.
“If we can’t find safety parents for a child, we either do an application for a children’s home – however, at present many of them are at capacity – or we are forced to leave the child in their home and strictly monitor the situation until we find a place of safety for the child. Both these scenarios can take time.”
For more information on becoming a safety parent contact Ms Fredericks at 021 939 9120 or commdev@badisatygerberg.org.za