Foster children thrown a lifeline

Department of Social Development 2020/10/05 - 22:00



73 years old Elizabeth Radebe from Munsieville in the West Rand commended the Gauteng Department of Social Development following receipt of food parcel and birth certificates of her foster children.

She said, "I am very happy today with this gesture from Social Development. This food parcel will make a difference in my family. We survive from my older persons' grant and I have five dependants of which three are foster children. I used to survive with my social grant, but with the addition of foster children I am struggling. I am very grateful to the department and its social workers they honoured their promise. Today I received children's birth certificates and food, I will forever be grateful to the department".

The Gauteng Department of Social Development West Rand Region Social Worker, Hitekani Mabasa, said the three foster children used to live in Diepsloot with their great-grandfather following the death of their mother two years ago.

The children aged 13, 7 and 4 years had to be removed following allegations that the great grandfather was failing to take proper care of them because he was always under the influence of alcohol.

The concerned community members reported the matter to departmental Social Workers in Midrand and an investigation was established to assist the children", she said.

"The children were removed from their Diepsloot home and placed in Munsieville under the care of their great-grandfather's sister. The case was transferred from Midrand to West Rand Region since the children were placed in the West Rand.

They did not have birth certificates as their late mother did not have one. The process of applying for them took place and at last they came back after a year of application. We are in a process of applying for their child support grants where will also apply for foster grants. But we will first place an advert in the newspaper to establish who is the father and his whereabouts", added Mabasa.

The Gauteng Department of Social Development strives to ensure that all children are taken care of and that they are not denied of their right.

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