We can all make a difference in the lives of traumatised children. Many children are neglected and in great danger due to poverty, crime, violence, drug abuse and the general disintegration of moral values and family life in many South African communities. Durbanville Children’s Home provides a safe haven for these children in order to protect them from physical and emotional abuse. In terms of the Children's Act, courts place children found in need of care and safety with homes such as Durbanville Children’s Home which is registered to accommodate 144 children, from newborns to children of the age of 18. Durbanville Children’s Home has been taking care of children in need for the past 142 years, since it opened its doors in 1883. It focuses on the care, development and rehabilitation of emotionally traumatised children through a process of therapeutic intervention and re-uniting them with their families if possible. However, the home receives a subsidy of only 32% of their total expenditure from the government and is therefore dependent on local and foreign communities for funds and donations (NPO 011-891). Durbanville Children’s Home, a South African non-profit organisation, is a programme of BADISA, a church-based non-governmental welfare organisation. Therefore, BADISA provides professional assistance as well as a policy and guidelines for the home, ensuring that the home meets the ever-changing needs of children in need of care and safety. Durbanville Children’s Home is also registered with the Department of Social Development and is therefore subject to governmental policies and principles. There are currently 144 children between the ages of 2 and 18 from communities all around the Cape Peninsula in the home’s residential care. The home is recognised as a model for child and youth care in a therapeutic milieu. The home also acts as a place of safety for children removed from their families as an emergency measure. In order to make a difference in the lives of the children at Durbanville Children’s Home, view the services and programmes on offer at the home as well as the children who benefit from these. Copyright
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