A six-year-old foster child has been moved to another home after he was found sleeping in a classroom in Nyanga, two days after being reported missing.
The child disappeared following a school function on Friday. Police said the caretaker had locked the classrooms after the event. The school was reopened on Sunday when officers from the Nyanga Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit searched the premises.
The child was found inside a classroom and handed to the Western Cape Department of Social Development.
Living Conditions Under Investigation
Missing-persons activist Veronique “Benji” Williams said the child allegedly told her that he did not want to return to his foster home.
Williams also claimed that other children at the property were sleeping on the floor behind couches without mattresses. These claims have not yet been confirmed.
Department spokesperson Esther Lewis said social workers were investigating the living conditions at the foster home. She confirmed that appropriate steps had been taken and that the child had been placed elsewhere.
Experts Call for Stronger Monitoring
Dr Shaheda Omar, director of the Teddy Bear Foundation, said a child refusing to return to a placement should be treated as a serious safeguarding concern.
She said children may struggle to explain fear, neglect, abuse or emotional distress. Warning signs can include repeatedly running away, anxiety when discussing the home, sudden behaviour changes, poor hygiene, malnutrition or unexplained injuries.
Omar said foster children should be interviewed privately during social worker visits. She also called for regular home visits, including unannounced checks, especially during the early months of a placement.
Foster Care System Under Pressure
The department said prospective foster parents and all adults living in the home must undergo police clearance and screening against the Child Protection Register.
Social workers conduct interviews and home visits before placement. Children must then be monitored for school attendance, development and access to support services.
There are currently 43 665 children in foster care in the Western Cape. The department said the system faces a shortage of social workers, high staff turnover and safety risks in some communities.
Concerns about overcrowding, neglect or inadequate sleeping arrangements must be investigated immediately. The department said no more than six foster children may ordinarily be placed in one home unless a court approves an exception.
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