Foster Care Services

The Family Restoration Team has a passion to see each child we serve come to wholeness and come to make a success of his/her life.

The following psychosocial needs of the children are being addressed in unique and family-centred methods:

• The physical needs of the children are addressed, ensuring they have enough food, clothing and all the medicines they need. The children are taken to the Clinic on a regular basis to ensure they receive the necessary medical and health care.
• The emotional needs are seen to which include the need for love, security, encouragement, motivation, care, self-esteem, confidence, trust, security, sense of belonging, guidance, understanding, etc. underpin all other needs.
• The mental needs of the children which incorporate three aspects: formal education (schooling), informal education (opportunities for observational knowledge, adaptation skills (these support the child in order to be able to control the environment and access positive reinforcements) and general skills (life skills, general knowledge etc.) combined with the motivation and application to succeed. At the moment all the child are attending school. Their school progress are being monitored and help and advice given.
• The children’s social needs which include being involved in a community without feeling stigmatized or different, developing a sense of belonging, forming friendships and community ties, acceptance, identity, acknowledgement from peers, opportunities for social interaction.
• The children’s spiritual needs which enables them to develop a hope for their future. They also need to develop trust and security in their survival. This gives them hope, courage and perseverance to continue to trust.
• LIFE SKILLS TRAINING – This the teaching of coping skills, such as self-esteem, assertiveness, decision-making capacities and coping with depression, death and handling pressure among other things.
• LANGUAGE SKILLS – the children are all Xhosa speaking and some can speak only a few words in English. Specific attention is given to their language skills as they will be handicapped if they do not master English also.
• PLAY THERAPY – they younger children receive play and recreation therapy whereby they can learn to cope with their past, come to forgive and learn to laugh again.
• MUSICAL TRAINING – Music is an extraordinary tool to assist gifted children to use their gifts and to help broken children come to restoration

Further to the above, Family Restoration Services provide training courses as part of an extensive community development programme