Wellbeing

INTRODUCTION

Children are the foundation and the most important reason any nation survive and look forward to a better future. Protection and support needed by children has become evident through the economic inequalities of nations, wars affecting children and most of all, the lack of basic necessities to cope with life. In South Africa , children of all races, colour, creed and all ages have suffered the most unthinkable abuse in our society. The challenge we are facing is that of organising and mobilising against the abusive mind-set of communities and members of our very own society to that of the once loving and caring human beings.

Abused children, children not accessing early childhood services, refugee children, children and young people living on the street and orphans are our main targetted group of beneficiaries that gives us our five key focus areas of the Well-being Programme. The programme deals with the child holistically in every aspect of care and support needed in his /her life including family/caregiver, school and the community.

The key focus areas of the well-being programme are enshrined in the following four programmes:

CHILD AND COURT SUPPORT PROGRAMME

Child and Court support programme is part of an overall support service process looking at serving the child and the related service providers in an integrated fashion that aims at protection of children's rights. This support service process seek to ensure that there is room for co-ordination amongst all stakeholders to ensure the high success of court cases against abusers and further sensitise our community against the intolerable abuses against children.

A comprehensive service co-ordination including accurate information/statement capturing, therapy, forensic work, provision of expert evidence in court, medical assessment, training of professionals or practitioners and finally court support. Court support includes familiarisation of the child with the environment, the people, assurance of protection from perpetrators and preparedness of the child during the court sitting.

CHILDREN LIVING ON THE STREET PROJECT 

Children Living on the Street Project mainly focuses on the rehabilitation of children and ensures, not only the complete removal of the child from the street, but also link the child back to his or her family/community. The project provides children on the street with necessary skills and education that will enable them to participate and proactively resume their role in the mainstream society. Areas of focus include: family reunification, skills training, projects at drop in centre, integration of young children into formal education system.

REFUGEE CHILDREN

The programme is designed to integrate refugee children into the South African society. This programme is about monitoring and ensuring that there is access to basic services by refugee children that includes access to clinics, schools, etc. The intention is to also change attitudes about refugee children and work towards creating a conducive and an enabling environment for them by reviewing the current situation and planning towards a proactive prevention plan. Children being able to access services/children being universal children and having just treatment.

ALTERNATIVE MODELS OF CARE

The programme explores appropriate models of care for children in need of alternative care. The programme looks at approaches and methods of support that are currently used and includes alternative fostering and adoption arrangements and financial support to encourage social and financial support to orphans and child headed households .

EARLY CHILDHOOD AND CARE DEVELOPMENT

A family-based early childhood development programme aimed at providing children between the ages 0 and 9 and their caregivers' access to early childhood services.

Expected outputs

- Better understanding and knowledge by communities on child related policies so as to enable them to access children services.
- Minimized impact of secondary trauma (court processes) on child witnesses.
- Children and young people who are refugees are integrated within South African communities.
- Children and young people who are living on the street are integrated within the communities and family structure.
- Responsive communities respond to problems of vulnerable children.
- An improved quality of life of vulnerable children.
- A transformed and strengthened ECCD programmes and services in the selected geographic areas through the development and dissemination of sustainable family and community based ECCD model.
- Promotes rights of children to be nurtured and cared for in a safe environment and to allow for youth to experience their  potential to the full.