“Child protection, a phrase that will always remind me about the importance to speak up, step up and step in, as we vouch for each child to have the opportunity at a fair chance in life.

What a privilege to serve our communities striving for each child to build on their future and being a voice for those that are still searching for theirs.

The importance of having safe adults around, is not always a given for most learners we serve and therefore Community Keepers put all measures in place to ensure that all vetting processes and support structures are in place and done for our staff, serving these vulnerable children.

One of the significant challenges we’ve encountered in the vetting process for our staff is the frequent delays in the response/outcome to Form 29 applications submitted to the Department of Social Development (DSD), Form 8 applications submitted to the Department of Justice and the backlog of clearance processes at SAPS.

While the importance of professional vetting when working with children is undeniable, we do rely on our internal child protection policy to mitigate these delays as far as possible and use outsourced vetting processes where possible.

A big part of speaking up, stepping up and stepping in to vouch for vulnerable children is having to reach out and rely on external bodies for investigating any alleged abuse, neglect or home related concerns. Although we sometimes find it challenging to obtain clear and consistent communication from external organizations, we do ensure to develop strong partnerships. We pride ourselves on building and maintaining strong relationships with key external organizations, to ensure the best possible outcome for children, giving them the best chance in life.

It really does take a village to raise a child.”

Mieke van der Merwe, CK Child Protection Officer