22/05/2026
CBO Spotlight Series: Iris House Children’s Hospice
This week, the Fund is proud to introduce our new CBO Spotlight Series. Through this series, we highlight community-based organisations that are actively doing important work on the ground in communities across the country.
Today, we spotlight Iris House Children’s Hospice in the Western Cape.
Established in 2011, Iris House is a registered nonprofit organisation providing free, holistic, family-centred care to children and young adults living with complex disabilities and life-limiting or life-threatening conditions. Their work extends beyond the child to support families and caregivers who often face significant emotional, physical, and financial strain.
Their services include:
• Community and hospice-based respite and palliative care • Physiotherapy and psychosocial support • Caregiver and parent training • Training of safety and foster parents to care for children with complex needs • Disability sensitisation and communication training for SAPS officers and first responders • Equine, aqua, sensory, and adaptive surf therapy • Provision of essential equipment and grocery support
Iris House primarily serves children and young adults with complex disabilities in under-resourced communities. Their work responds to critical gaps in specialised care, severe caregiver burnout, poverty, and limited access to disability-friendly services.
Through their partnership with the Fund over the past four years, Iris House has strengthened the response to gender-based violence affecting children and young adults with disabilities. With this support, they have trained SAPS members and first responders in disability awareness and communication, helping to reduce barriers to reporting abuse.
The Fund’s support has also enabled the refurbishment of three disability-friendly GBVF Victim Support Units, designed as All-Ability Facilities. These innovative spaces make use of refurbished containers that have been carefully adapted to ensure accessibility for people with a wide range of disabilities. This includes features such as sensory-sensitive lighting for individuals with light sensitivity, improved physical access for persons with mobility impairments, and design considerations that support communication and comfort for people with different cognitive and sensory needs.
In areas where training and these accessible facilities have been introduced, there has been a measurable increase in reporting by persons with disabilities, demonstrating that safer and more inclusive pathways to justice are being created.
This work is helping to ensure that some of the most vulnerable children and young people in our communities are no longer excluded from protection and support.
To learn more or support their work: 🌐 www.irishouse.org.za 📱 Facebook and Instagram: Iris House Children’s Hospice
