28 Jan 2025

The Social and Community Development (S&CD) office in Moshupa District Council has launched its inaugural foster care programme aimed at addressing rising incidents of child abuse.

Foster care, as outlined in the Children’s Act, is a temporary arrangement where a family or an individual provides a home for children who cannot safely remain with their biological families.

In an interview last week, Ms Tebo Kula, Senior Social Welfare Officer at Moshupa District Council, said the programme’s goal was to mitigate the alarming rise in child mistreatment and to ensure children received nurturing upbringings.

Currently, reported cases in Moshupa include 43 rape incidents, 62 cases of defilement, five teenage pregnancies, and one incident of unlawful wounding.

Ms Kula also highlighted the need for the care of children in conflict with the law, noting that such children often learned negative behavior through the environment they were in.

“By removing them from harmful situations, we aim to provide a better future for these youth,” she said.

Ms Kula said capacity at some of the child suport centres hindered their ability to accomodate more children, hence she appealed for assistance in fostering some of the children  to grow in healthy and supportive environment.

“The foster care initiative is designed to ensure that children not only receive a quality education but also live free from trauma and distress,” she said.

To qualify as a foster parent, Ms Kula outlined several requirements noting that applicants must be citizens of Botswana, at least 21-years-old (either married or single), free of a criminal record, possess a sound mental state, and hold a reputable moral standing within the community.

Additionally, she said they often sought references from local leaders (dikgosi) regarding potential foster parents.

According to Section 69 of the Children’s Act, while foster care placements were temporary, the Children’s Court could extend the duration based on the child’s best interests, with regular assessments conducted by the S&CD office to determine when a child may return to their original home, she said.

Ms Kula said should a foster parent wish to adopt a child, a formal adoption process would need to follow legal protocols.

Referrals for children requiring foster care would typically come from police, Village Development Committees (VDC), child protection committees, or concerned individuals who assess the appropriateness of the situation for foster placement, she said.

Despite the pressing need for foster care in many communities, Ms Kula noted that some parents tended to conceal issues, resulting in children remaining in unhealthy and unsafe environments. She indicated that such situations often escalated and necessitated interventions.

She stated that her office would promptly investigate any reports filed under the Act related to abuse or neglect. Since the call for community participation in the foster care programme was issued, Ms Kula reported that four families had already enrolled, with hopes of reaching 20 before commencing training for new foster parents.

The Moshupa council was committed to improving the lives of children in crisis, providing them with the opportunity to thrive in stable, caring environments, she said. ENDS