Alberton Child Welfare appeals to community: “Support a child, help us support a future”
The welfare organisation urges the community to support its work, as funding from social development remains unstable.
The Alberton Child Welfare organisation has appealed to the community to support a child in need of care and protection, requesting monthly contributions of R1 500 to help sustain its vital services.
As an NPO, Alberton Child Welfare faces ongoing financial challenges.
The organisation’s director, Anubha Mackerdhuj, explained: “We are an NPO with financial constraints and difficulties, requiring assistance from the community to ensure the sustainability of our services. By supporting a child, you will assist in supporting our organisation. We supervise the care of about 700 children placed in alternative care, in addition to providing services to children who have been abused, neglected, abandoned, or orphaned without visible means of support.”
Services beyond foster care
Alberton Child Welfare’s work extends far beyond foster placements. The organisation handles access and mediation matters, investigations in cases of parental conflict, as well as serious allegations of abuse, neglect, and abandonment. It also provides services regarding guardianship.
“With related placements, family members or related persons take care of the child. In terms of the Children’s Act, we cannot always place children in foster care and would advise that family members apply for the child support top-up grant,” Mackerdhuj said.
The organisation recently established a facility for emergency care placements, where screened foster parents temporarily accommodate children removed from unsafe environments.
During this period, Alberton Child Welfare conducts urgent investigations, secures birth documents, addresses health concerns, and ensures school attendance before finding more stable placements.
Financial strain threatens operations
Mackerdhuj said funding from the Department of Social Development is unstable. She emphasised that community support is critical: “How do we pay salaries? How do we conduct our operations? That is why we ask the community to assist us in providing a service. Help us support a child in the community who is in need of care and protection.”
Statistics reflect demand
The organisation’s workload remains high. In just the past year, Alberton Child Welfare recorded:
• 697 children remaining in foster care (2023/24)
• 319 court cases attended
• 505 statutory reports completed
• 142 new intakes
• 350 food parcels distributed
• 1 362 adults assisted (including parents and guardians)
• 27 new foster parents recruited and screened
• 33 children removed from unsafe homes and placed in foster care
• 52 care and contact (access/mediation) matters investigated
• 196 foster care reviews successfully extended in Children’s Court
Despite this, only 12 children were successfully reunified with their families over the review period, underscoring the ongoing demand for foster care services.
More than child protection
Alberton Child Welfare also provides family preservation programmes, family reunification services, awareness campaigns, prevention programmes, life skills development, youth skills training, psycho-social services, and community development support, including job creation projects.
Staff are continuously upskilled through professional development and specialised training to ensure effective service delivery.
A community call
Johan Pretorius of Alberton Child Welfare said: “The ‘support a child requiring care and protection’ campaign is aimed at strengthening the organisation’s ability to provide consistent services to children in need. We need support from the community to ensure that we deliver services to our current and future clients.”
Residents and businesses are encouraged to step forward and commit to sponsoring a child at R1 500 per month, ensuring that children in Alberton and surrounding areas receive the protection and care they deserve.
