BADISA (Weskus)

In the Western, Northern, and Eastern Cape of South Africa, Badisa is the closest thing to a comprehensive social safety net that many communities have. Its network of 35+ social work offices, five child and youth care centres, treatment facilities, ECD programmes, and residential care homes means that in towns from Prince Albert to Clanwilliam to Knysna, Badisa is the organisation that shows up — for abused children, for pregnant women with nowhere to go, for elderly people who cannot care for themselves, for people in the grip of substance dependency, and for families trying to stay together against impossible odds.

The name Badisa means "to shepherd" or "to tend" — an appropriate frame for an organisation that has spent decades holding together the fraying social fabric of under-resourced Cape communities.

Statutory Child Protection

Badisa's designation as a DCPO (Designated Child Protection Organisation) under the Children's Act gives it formal legal authority — not merely the ability — to intervene when children are at risk. This is the cornerstone of Badisa's work.

When a child abuse case is reported — whether physical, sexual, emotional, or through neglect or abandonment — Badisa's social workers conduct formal risk assessments and implement statutory processes. When a child cannot remain safely at home, Badisa can authorise removal and placement in foster care or in one of its residential CYCCs. This statutory role makes Badisa an indispensable referral partner for healthcare providers, educators, police, and any community member who suspects a child is being harmed.

Foster care: Badisa supervises more than 5,000 children in foster care placements — approving foster parents, placing children according to the Children's Act, and providing ongoing foster care supervision. For those interested in becoming safety or foster parents, Badisa provides the process and support.

Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs)

Badisa operates five registered CYCCs providing full-time residential care, education, therapeutic services, and developmental programmes for abused, abandoned, and neglected children:

• Durbanville Children's Home — durbanvillekinderhuis.org.za
• Huis van Heerde — Moorreesburg — huisvanheerde.org
• Die Herberg Children's Home — Robertson — herberg.co.za
• Steinthal Children's Home — Tulbagh — steinthalkinderhuis.org.za
• Huis Andrew Murray — Wellington — andrewmurray.org.za

Children in these centres may be reunited with their families or accommodated through to age 18.

Magdalena Home — Pregnancy Counselling and Adoption

Magdalena Home in Boston (magdalena.org.za) is Badisa's accredited adoption and counselling centre — providing pregnancy counselling, adoption services for birth parents and adoptive families, and post-adoption support within a faith-based, community-driven approach. For women facing unplanned pregnancies and needing professional, caring guidance, Magdalena is one of the most established adoption and pregnancy services in the Western Cape.

Little Seeds Early Childhood Development

Badisa's Little Seeds ECD programme provides early childhood development services across multiple towns — laying the developmental foundation for the most vulnerable young children in Cape communities.

Substance Disorders

Badisa runs several residential substance disorder treatment centres, addressing the well-documented intersection of substance abuse and GBV/family violence. For referrals to the specific treatment centre serving a particular area, use the contact list on the website or call 021 957 7130.

Kuumba Care and the Poppie Project

Kuumba Care is Badisa's care ambassador initiative — using creativity and community to promote empathy across all its programmes. The Poppie Project focuses on prevention and community empowerment, addressing the root causes of family breakdown before crisis intervention is needed.

Finding Your Nearest Badisa Office

The full Badisa programme contact list is available at badisa.org.za/badisa-contact-list and as a downloadable PDF. This list identifies the specific social work office, CYCC, ECD programme, or treatment centre nearest to any given location across the Western, Northern, and Eastern Cape. For child abuse reporting: find the nearest Child Protection Office using the social work services page or call 021 957 7130.

Badisa: badisa.org.za. Phone: 021 957 7130. Full contact list: badisa.org.za/badisa-contact-list. NPO 011-891 / PBO 930 006 348. Designated Child Protection Organisation. Facebook: BadisaCharity. Instagram: @badisacharity.