More than 40 foster care parents benefited from a parenting skills programme organised by Child Welfare Tshwane, held in Mamelodi on April 10.

Ditlalemeso Organisation also donated 19 boxes of clothes.

Social worker Mishack Mathekga said the aim was to encourage foster care parents to continue taking care of vulnerable children.

Mathekaga said parents engaged in a dialogue to talk about their experiences raising the children. They expressed good experiences, such as some children behaving well and not having behavioural problems.

Other topics were the challenges foster care parents come across, such as discipline and mental health.

Makgetha educated parents about foster care placement and who qualifies to be placed in foster care.

He said the children are either orphans or abandoned, abused, or neglected due to drug use.

“Foster care parents can’t do this alone; they need to work hand in hand with social workers as both must play their roles,” he said.

He added that foster parents and children in foster care don’t have to pay for school fees.

Social worker Surprise Makhubele talked to parents about effective communication skills, problem-solving and barriers to effective communication.

Parents participated in roleplaying to display their communication skills such as active listening, positive language, empathy, clear instructions, and emotional control.

“It is important to have good communication between a foster [child] and foster parent,” Makhubele said.

He added that when a child has reached a certain age, they can express themselves better. He advised that the children be involved in decisions that affect them.

Bennit Maponya from Ditlalemeso Organisation said they support the parental skills programme.

“We are saying child welfare is available for children who don’t have parents and desperately need care,” said Maponya.

He said the main idea is to fight child abuse.

“These are the future leaders of this country, and it is up to us as the community to take care of them.

“We must also appreciate our foster care parents who are already doing a great job of looking after these vulnerable children,” he said.

He concluded by saying they want to create a safe environment for these children and remove them from the streets, away from crime, drugs, and teenage pregnancies by creating a brighter future for them.

For more information, contact Ditlalemeso on 069 867 4778.

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