Nederlands (Dutch)
When did Heart for Children commence?
Heart for Children was founded on June 2, 2008.
Does Heart for Children only take care of orphans?
No. Heart for Children does not only take care of children whose parents have died, but also of children who have been abandoned, abused or mistreated. In short, of all vulnerable children.
Is it normal to house children with other relatives when their parents have died, in countries such as South Africa?
In principle yes, but unfortunately those relatives are so poor that they cannot afford to take care of more children. Very often grand mothers are asked at old age to look after the youngest children. As a result these are often left alone to look after themselves.
What happens when the parents die, and a child still has brothers and sisters?
Heart for Children will take an effort to make sure they will stay together in one foster family.
How many children will be taken care of per family?
This is depending on the strength of the mother and/or how ill the children are. But usually it will be 4 – 6 children.
Are there sufficient foster mothers available?
It is very difficult and an enormous responsibility to find good foster mothers/parents. We do this together with our partner organisations, who also take care of the screening of the mothers. These mothers will also be intensively educated and trained by us. Fortunately, at this moment there are sufficient foster mothers available.
For how long will Heart for Children provide for the children?
Before the children are placed, we make sure that there are sufficient funds to take care of them for at least two years. We do this to prevent the children from ending up back in the streets if we no longer have sufficient funds to support them. Thanks to the continual income from new donors we have not yet had to use any of these reserve funds. Of course we strive to continue this situation.
Does Heart for Children have a CBF hallmark? (Perhaps here the Swiss equivalent, if it is relevant?)
Not yet, for the simple reason that a quality mark is only granted after three years. We would be able to obtain a “declaration of no objection”, but in view of the high cost involved, we have decided to renounce this for the time being. However, Heart for Children is recognized by ANBI.
