“All I wanted was for my children to be with me, but I didn’t know how to make it possible.”
These were the words of a mother who once stood at the edge of losing her children. Poverty, stress, and the absence of support had left her overwhelmed and ready to give them up. For many in her situation, the only option having been institutional care for her little ones. But at Give a Child a Family Africa (GCF), we believe that poverty is never a reason to separate a child from their parents. Instead, we walked alongside her, providing emotional and practical support, as well as parenting tools. Today, her children are still with her, safe and loved. This is what it means to be rooted in a family.
For more than three decades, GCF has worked to protect children and strengthen families in South Africa. Our vision is simple yetprofound: Children belong in secure families. Every child deserves a place where they are known by name, nurtured with love, and given the foundation to thrive.
In April 2023, after 30 years of running a Child and Youth Care Centre, GCF made the bold decision to close its doors. Our Centre was not a children’s home but a temporary place of safety, intended only for short-term stays. Unfortunately, like many such facilities, children often stayed far too long. What was meant to be temporary safety became a prolonged placement—adding to their pain and delaying the family belonging they needed most.
This was not easy—our Centre had sheltered thousands of children over the years. Yet we knew that institutions, no matter how well run, cannot replace the lasting bonds of family. Children need consistent caregivers, unconditional love, and a sense of belonging that only family can provide.
Closing the Centre was not about doing less, but about doing more, and better. Today, every part of our work is focused on prevention and family-based care. We support parents before family breakdown happens in the communities where they live. We train and equip foster and safety parents to care for children who cannot remain at home. We build community networks of care and advocate for policies that prioritise family preservation.
We know that children separated from their families face higher risks of trauma, disrupted development, and lifelong struggles. But when families are strengthened and supported, children not only survive, they thrive.
At GCF, being rooted in families means acting before crisis becomes catastrophe. It means walking alongside families, empowering caregivers, and reminding communities that children should not be raised by institutions, but by families surrounded with love and belonging.
We believe that if we want a prosperous future for Africa, we must start by protecting its foundation, our families. Investing in families is not charity; it is justice. Because when families thrive, children rise. And when children rise, communities and nations have a future.
At GCF, we have closed the doors of institutional care so that we can open the doors of homes and hearts. And we invite you to join us: stand with families, protect children, and help root Africa’s future where it belongs—in families.
Give a Child a Family Africa | www.gcf.org.za | info@gcf.org.za | @givechildfamily
Together, we can ensure that every child grows up in a secure, loving family.
