The Alberton Methodist Church has opened a temporary place of safety to provide emergency accommodation for vulnerable children who have been removed from unsafe, abusive or neglectful homes.

The initiative, established in conjunction with Alberton Child Welfare, was officially opened on August 7.

Speaking at the opening, Reverend Jeffrey van der Spuy of Alberton Methodist Church said the initiative was born from conversations between the church, AMCARE and Alberton Child Welfare about the urgent need for safe accommodation for children in crisis.

Van der Spuy said the church became aware of the desperate need for accommodation for children removed from abusive or neglected homes.

“These kids have got nowhere to go, nowhere to be housed,” he said.

Alberton Child Welfare director Anubha Mackerdhuj said there is a significant need for temporary safe care in the Greater Alberton area.

She explained that the organisation receives ongoing allegations concerning children and, after investigations and assessments, social workers sometimes find that children need care and protection and have to be removed from their homes immediately.

“When you immediately place children in alternate care, we generally place them in temporary safe care. We can’t just place them in foster care,” she said.

According to Mackerdhuj, some of the children investigated by the organisation have experienced neglect, abuse, poverty and circumstances where their basic needs are not being met.

She said social workers have encountered children living in extremely poor conditions, without food for extended periods and suffering from malnutrition.

In cases where a child’s safety is at risk, an immediate removal may be necessary, after which the child is placed in temporary safe care. At the same time, further investigations and legal proceedings are underway.

Mackerdhuj said the organisation also faces a shortage of suitable temporary safe-care placements.

“If we do not have this placement or these temporary safe care placements, we cannot remove the children,” she said.

She explained that children placed in temporary safe care can remain there for anything from one day to several months, depending on the circumstances and the investigations being undertaken.

During this period, Alberton Child Welfare may need to address several additional needs, including medical care, schooling, documentation and other basic requirements.

“Those children’s births are not registered; they’ve not had proper medical treatment. There’s a whole lot of things. They haven’t been to school,” Mackerdhuj said.

The temporary place of safety therefore provides more than accommodation, with children requiring food, clothing, care and other essentials while suitable longer-term arrangements are made.

Van der Spuy said the initiative is focused on some of the most vulnerable members of the community.

“This is for the kids, it’s for the most vulnerable in our community, it’s for the children that have a desperate need,” he said.

He acknowledged that caring for children who have experienced difficult circumstances is not an easy responsibility, but said the church felt called to respond to the need.

The facility has been named Moses and Miriam House, drawing inspiration from the biblical story of Moses, who was placed in a basket on the Nile by his mother to protect him from danger.

Van der Spuy said the story represents protection and hope during a time of crisis.

“We’ve named it after the story where Moses traditionally is seen as the first foster child in Scripture,” he said.

He also described the opening as the beginning of a new chapter for the church and its involvement in supporting vulnerable children.

The project has received support from individuals and businesses through financial contributions, materials, paint and furniture.

Van der Spuy gave special recognition to 3C Ministries Alberton, which he described as the initiative’s primary sponsor and main donor.

“A huge shout-out to 3C, just a really special thank you,” he said, adding that the church hoped the company’s support would continue beyond the initial launch.

Alberton Child Welfare said ongoing community support will be essential to the facility’s operation.

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The Alberton Methodist Church has opened a temporary place of safety to provide emergency accommodation for vulnerable children who have been removed from unsafe, abusive or neglectful homes. Full story on albertonrecord.co.za

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Mackerdhuj said the home requires food for children staying there, as well as financial contributions towards electricity, maintenance and the stipend for the house mother caring for the children.

Temporary safe-care fees are applied for once an enquiry has been opened, but Mackerdhuj said the process can take time, with payments also linked to the number of days a child remains in temporary safe care.

She added that temporary safe-care parents undergo screening similar to foster parents and must be designated as placements by the Department of Social Development.

Beyond financial support, the organisation also requires suitable clothing for children of different ages.

Mackerdhuj urged community members to donate usable clothing and other items to meet the needs of children in care.

The church said more support is still needed as it continues developing the temporary place of safety.