Children's Act, 2005 (Act No. 38 of 2005)

Regulations

Purchase

A cluster foster care scheme must promote the best interests of the children in cluster foster care by providing services which—

(a)	provide support, mentoring, supervision and advice to active members of an organisation to whom responsibility for foster care of a child or children in the cluster foster care scheme has been assigned;

(b)	require the active members of an organisation to whom responsibility for foster care of children has been assigned to:

(i)	ensure that the children in cluster foster care benefit from educational and health services, including early childhood development services;

(ii)	fulfil the special needs of any child in cluster foster care, including chronic illness or a disability, by providing psychological, rehabilitation and therapeutic programmes for children with such needs;

(iii)

ensure that the rights of children in cluster foster care are respected, protected, promoted and fulfilled; and

(iv)	fulfil the social, cultural and religious needs of any child in cluster foster care.

(c)	assist the active members of an organisation to whom responsibility for foster care of children has been assigned to obtain the basic necessities of life themselves, including by providing access to income-generation projects and skills development programmes as appropriate;

(d)	ensure that a foster care plan as contemplated in section 188(1)(e) of the Act is compiled in respect of each child in cluster foster care, as soon as possible, but not later than 21 days after the child's placement in the cluster foster care scheme;

(e)	develop appropriate parenting skills and the capacity of active members of an organisation to safeguard the well-being of the children, including the promotion of positive, non-violent forms of discipline;

(f)	prevent the neglect, exploitation, abuse, inadequate supervision of children or other failures to meet children's needs on the part of active members of an organisation;

(g)	assist a young person with the transition when leaving cluster foster care after reaching the age of 18; and

(h)	involve active members of an organisation, as well as the children in cluster foster care, in identifying and seeking solutions to their problems.