The Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) has issued an urgent call to residents across the province to step forward as “safety parents”, highlighting a critical need for temporary emergency care homes.
The appeal by Social Development MEC Wendy Kaizer-Philander forms part of the province’s Safety Parent Awareness Campaign during Social Development Month.
Safety parents provide a crucial safety net - offering temporary care for children removed from unsafe environments while necessary child-protection processes are carried out.
According to DSD Communication Officer Esther Lewis, DSD social workers removed 760 children between April and September alone.
This figure excludes additional child removals carried out independently by designated child protection organisations.
Current capacity and area demand
While MEC Kaizer-Philander previously highlighted a breakdown of 226 registered safety parents in rural regions and 233 in the metro area, overall registration figures stand at 597 DSD-registered safety parents province-wide.
Lewis emphasises that the ratio of safety parents to children is rarely one-to-one, as homes often need to accommodate sibling groups together.
Rather than isolated hotspots, the demand for temporary placements spans the entire province, with the highest demand being for teenagers aged 13 to 17.
Contingency measures & vetting
When a local safety parent is unavailable to receive a child in crisis, contingency measures step in.
Depending on the specific circumstances, children are placed at Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) or placed with reliable extended family members who undergo screening to ensure their suitability.
To ensure every placed child enters a secure, conducive environment, prospective safety parents—and all adult co-habitants—undergo rigorous vetting:
Legal Screening: applicants and all adults residing on the property are screened against Part B of the National Child Protection Register under the Children's Act.
Background Clearances: applicants must obtain full police clearance.
Home Assessment: DSD conducts formal home visits and situational evaluations.
Training: prospective safety parents undergo structured training covering legal requirements and the Children's Act.
"Once approved, safety parents join an active register ready to be called upon when emergency placements arise," said Lewis.
"While serving as volunteers, registered safety parents receive care kits, stipends for daily child maintenance, and dedicated guidance through their assigned case workers," she added.
Members of the public interested in opening their homes to children in need can apply directly online through the SWIMS external portal at swimsmobile.westerncape.gov.za/portal.