Podcast: What it means to be safety parents

For a vulnerable child to land up in a safe and secure environment is a lengthy and complicated process. This is where safety parents come in, providing a safe space for kids while they wait to be placed

There are various ways to parent and take care of children that are not biologically our own. We, therefore, decided to open the chat on safety parenting with full-time child protection social worker, Shanelle Brandt. She places vulnerable and often times abused children in the care of safety parents as an order given by a designated social worker and/or an officer of the South African police services.

Brandt, who is based in Springbok, Northern Cape, explains that through her profession she gets to live out her passion by empowering vulnerable people.

She draws on the definition of safety parents as stated by the Children Act which is, the care of a child in an approved place, where the child can be safely accommodated pending the approval of the placement of the child.

Because it is the role of the safety parent to safeguard and provide for the child, they must meet certain requirements and qualify to be suitable for this role.

Brandt emphasises that the need to protect our children is great and makes the plea to get involved and not forget the motto of ubuntu that teaches us “my child is your child”.

In the podcast, Brandt sheds further light on:

The requirements and screening done by the social worker (if the safety parent is older than 18 years old, has no criminal record/criminal offences, are they mentally and financially stable).
The holistic approach is to confirm if the safety parent, as well as the potential environment, is suitable and safe for the child or children in question.