Safeline Child Abuse Treatment and Prevention Centre Athlone

In the communities of Grassy Park, Mitchell's Plain, Athlone, Delft, Manenberg, Hanover Park, Bonteheuwel, Langa, Tafelsig, Eastridge, Capricorn, Sea Winds, and their neighbours on the Cape Flats, child sexual abuse is not an abstraction. It is a daily reality that social workers, teachers, police, and parents navigate — and it is largely invisible, underreported, and undertreated. Safeline Child Abuse Treatment and Prevention Centre has been working in these communities since 1988, providing the kind of sustained, specialised therapeutic response that child survivors of abuse need and rarely receive.

Established originally as a project of The City Mission — a long-standing Cape Town Christian welfare organisation — Safeline operated under The City Mission's auspices for nearly 20 years before The City Mission refocused on church planting and allowed its projects to operate autonomously. In April 2007, Safeline began building its independent structures, and in February 2008, it received its own NPO registration from the Department of Social Development. Since then, it has been led by Director Rochelle Philander.

Services

Therapeutic Counselling for Child Abuse Survivors (Ages 2–18) The core of Safeline's work is long-term therapeutic counselling for child victims of abuse — specifically sexual abuse including rape, indecent assault, sexual molestation, and sodomy. Safeline's counselling model is long-term rather than short-term, reflecting the recognition that childhood sexual trauma cannot be meaningfully processed in a few sessions. Children are engaged in individual therapy to deal with the emotional trauma of what they have experienced.

Counselling for Children Who Have Harmed Others (Ages 6–11) Safeline also provides individual counselling for children aged 6–11 who have sexually harmed other children — a clinically important and highly underserved area. Children who abuse other children are themselves often survivors, and early intervention is critical to interrupt the cycle.

Parent Support Group A support programme for parents and caregivers of children who have experienced abuse — helping adults navigate the shock, guilt, and practical challenges of supporting a child through recovery.

Foundation Phase Programme A school-based programme targeting children in the foundation phase (Grades R–3), providing age-appropriate abuse prevention education.

Teenage Life Skills Programme A dedicated programme for adolescents, addressing life skills, relationships, personal safety, and understanding healthy and unhealthy boundaries — providing a prevention framework for the age group at highest risk.

Holiday Library Programme (BIBLIO) During school holidays, Safeline runs a library programme providing children with activities, books, and a meal — recognising that children in under-resourced communities are often unsupervised and vulnerable during holiday periods when school structures fall away.

Awareness and Prevention Campaigns in Schools and Communities Community outreach to schools, ECD centres, community centres, and universities — empowering communities to identify sexual abuse and report it immediately. These campaigns include training for teachers, parents, and community members.

Catchment and Referral Areas

Safeline's offices serve communities across the Cape Flats — one of the most densely populated and socially complex urban areas in South Africa, where entrenched gang activity, poverty, and overcrowded housing create conditions of acute child vulnerability. Referrals are accepted from: SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) Units; schools; hospitals; clinics; community social workers; and individuals. The organisation also partners with Friends of Child Protection (which distributes Comfort Packs to Safeline's offices for child victims) and is a named service provider in the Wynberg Children's Court catchment area.

Making a Referral

To refer a child to Safeline, contact intake@safeline.org.za or call the toll-free helpline 0800 035 553. The organisation has a formal referral process with intake assessment. Walk-in referrals can be made at any of the four offices.

Safeline Child Abuse Treatment and Prevention Centre: Head Office — 106 4th Avenue, Green Acres, Grassy Park, Cape Town, 7941. Toll-free: 0800 035 553. Email: rochelle@safeline.org.za. Intake/referrals: intake@safeline.org.za. Mitchell's Plain: 021 214 1226. Athlone (at Saartjie Baartman Centre): 021 214 1225. Delft (Rosendal Primary): 081 455 2044. Director: Rochelle Philander. Founded 1988. Website: safeline.org.za.