Door of Hope Baby House Glenvista

The Baby Saver Box In April 1999, with the support of Berea Baptist Mission Church, a stainless-steel Baby Saver Box was built into the external wall of the church premises. It was designed for one purpose: to give a mother in crisis an alternative. The box is accessible from outside — at any hour of the day or night — and large enough to safely hold an infant. When a baby is placed inside, sensors trigger an alarm inside the property and a Door of Hope carer immediately comes to take the child in. The mother's anonymity is guaranteed. No one follows her. No one asks her to identify herself. The only thing that is required is this: place the baby in the box instead of somewhere dangerous, and that baby will be cared for. The Baby Saver Box continues to operate at 8 Copelia Avenue, Glenvista, Johannesburg — 24 hours a day. Copelia House phone: +27 11 432 2797. For mothers considering abandonment who are not in Glenvista, Door of Hope also directs people to the Pregnancy Help Network (pregnancyhelpnetwork.org.za) for support, options counselling, and referrals to social work before a crisis moment is reached. Who Comes Through Door of Hope Babies and children arrive through the Baby Saver Box, through hospitals (where staff identify abandoned newborns), through SAPS who find infants in unsafe circumstances, through community members, and through direct placement by mothers or family members in crisis. Door of Hope's own documentation makes the connection to GBV explicit: one of the early cases that shaped the organisation involved an eight-month-old found in downtown Johannesburg who had been badly injured following rape — sold by her mother to men who believed in the myth that sex with a virgin cures HIV. She was eventually adopted at age three. She was given a name and a family. She was not left to die. The causes of abandonment that Door of Hope encounters include poverty, rape, forced prostitution, and the fear of families or partners who do not want the baby. Mothers who have experienced GBV are significantly over-represented among those who leave babies at the door. Baby Homes Door of Hope operates three registered Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) functioning as baby homes for infants and toddlers, with collective registered capacity for 119 babies and toddlers. Children receive:

24-hour care by trained Christian caregivers and volunteers Full nutritional support (formula, food, all stages) Medical assessment on arrival (Door of Hope works with a medical team including Dr Janet Lumb, who has assessed children there for over a decade) Developmental and psychosocial support Play, stimulation, and structured early childhood care

The baby homes are registered CYCCs and meet government standards for child welfare. Children's Village For children who cannot be placed in adoption and grow beyond toddler age, Door of Hope operates a Children's Village providing long-term, family-style residential care in a community setting. At any given time, Door of Hope cares for 60–72 children aged from newborn to seven and beyond. Adoption Door of Hope is affiliated with ABBA Adoptions, a Christian adoption agency facilitating both in-country and international adoptions. Not every child can be adopted — parental involvement, special needs, illness, or other legal circumstances may prevent it. Those children remain in Door of Hope's care. Volunteering and Involvement Door of Hope welcomes volunteers, monthly donors, and material donations. Priority items include formula, nappies, baby food, cleaning products, and grocery staples. Gift cards from Dis-Chem, Clicks, Pick n Pay, and Checkers are useful. LifeChangers (monthly giving), LifeSavers (Adopt-a-Crib), and SuperHeroes (fundraising) programmes are listed on the website. Emergency contacts listed by Door of Hope:

DSD Social Worker (24 hours): 0800 428 428 Child Welfare SA: 0861 424 453

Door of Hope: doorofhope.co.za. Baby Saver Box (24hr, no questions): 8 Copelia Avenue, Glenvista, Johannesburg — 011 432 2797. Barbara House (main offices): 15 Barbara Avenue, Glenvista — 011 432 8273. info@doorofhope.co.za. NPO 009-149 / PBO. Founded 1999. 3 baby homes (119 capacity), Children's Village, ABBA Adoptions. Faith-based. GBV crisis: 0800 428 428 / Child Welfare SA: 0861 424 453.