About Us

This organization was initially started as part of the Red Cross Society, during World War l, to
assist poverty-stricken families with material Aid. After the war a decision was taken to start a
separate organization, to deal with the needs of poor and destitute families with children, who need-ed assistance. Hence the Springs & District Benevolent Aid Child and Family Welfare Society was es-tablished in 1913, and registered with the National Council for Child Welfare, now known as Child Welfare South Africa in 1924.

The majority of our program (85%) consists of statutory supervision services to foster families and statutory intervention in cases of abuse, neglect, abandonment and children that are lost, family reunification services and after care when children where returned to parental care. Statutory intervention will always be required. The number of foster care placements increase on a monthly basis and requires continuous involvement in these matters relating to statutory requirements of supervision, monitoring and extension of orders. There is concern for the status of foster care supervision services and it is the intention of the organisation to ensure that the children involved in the foster care system receive effective and efficient services to the best of our ability and within the limitations of the resources available to the organisation.

In order to render an effective and efficient service to the beneficiaries of the current caseload and the fact that the caseload increases
continuously, it is essential that human resources are maintained. When the Social Workers resign the Social Auxiliary Workers are
being relied on more and more and more is expected of them. Fortunately the Society currently has capable Social Auxiliary Workers
that are able of doing more than what is required from them.

The Society has been established as a relevant training provider to social work students and training institutions when required and the Program Manager is able. This unfortunately requires the Program Manager to perform supervision of the students and new employees, when needed. The current wide diversity in the roles and responsibilities of the Program Manager, makes formal, structured supervision with staff members more difficult. Throughout this difficult time the staff has been able to function independently and provided the services required. As the Society is a Child Protection organization the services to the elderly, physically and mentally disadvantaged adults should thus no longer for part of the Society’s service delivery agreement. The staff is trained to deal with the protection of children and therefore will only be assisting new families with children where all children are not older than 18.

The Society is well known in the community and known to all the surrounding resources. The organization is known for rendering a professional service to all genders and races in the demarcated areas. Many families are being assisted on a daily basis by the Society and want to continue doing so, but is not able to generate enough income to be self-sufficient and function without financial assistance from the state.

The Society has 2 satellite offices in Bakerton and Kwa-Thema that are manned one day and 2 days respectively in an attempt to make social services more accessible to the community. Staff are being shared from the main office to assist the communities by saving traveling costs. The office in Kwa-Thema is being shared with DSD, Springs, on the days the Society is not using the office although the lease and payment of the offices are done by the Society