Foster-care failures exposed after six-year-old found hiding in Nyanga classroom
By Zanele Mokoena
A six-year-old foster child who went missing after a school function in Nyanga was found two days later sleeping under a table in a locked classroom. The case has sparked outrage over the systemic failures in South Africa's foster-care system, especially for Black children in impoverished communities.
The child was discovered on Sunday when Nyanga Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit officers searched the school premises. According to police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, the caretaker had locked all classrooms after a Friday function, and the principal only opened the building when police arrived.
Missing-persons activist Veronique 'Benji' Williams said the child told her he did not want to return to his foster home. When Williams visited the home, she found other children sleeping on the floor behind couches without mattresses.
What happens when a foster child refuses to return home?
Dr Shaheda Omar, director of the Teddy Bear Foundation, said a child saying they do not want to return home must always be treated as a serious safeguarding concern. 'Children rarely leave the security of a placement without a reason,' Omar said.
She explained that such statements can point to fear, neglect, abuse, emotional distress, intimidation, or failure to meet basic needs. 'Even if the child cannot fully explain why, authorities should avoid dismissing the disclosure as misbehaviour or a child acting out,' she said.
How are foster homes monitored in South Africa?
Western Cape Department of Social Development spokesperson Esther Lewis confirmed that social workers were investigating the living conditions at the original foster home. The child has since been removed and placed in another foster house.
Under the Children's Act, children in placements lasting two years or less must receive two visits a year, while longer-term placements require at least one annual visit. But Omar warned that high caseloads and limited resources often reduce monitoring to administrative compliance rather than meaningful engagement.
'Children who have already experienced trauma need stability, consistency and nurturing environments to recover. Unsuitable living conditions can compound previous trauma rather than promote healing,' Omar said.
What warning signs should authorities look for?
Omar listed several red flags: children repeatedly running away, anxiety about foster homes, sudden behavioural changes, poor hygiene, malnutrition, unexplained injuries, or claims of being treated differently from other children. She stressed that every disclosure should trigger a thorough child-protection assessment where the child's voice remains central.
Social workers should conduct regular home visits, both scheduled and unannounced, especially during the first months of a placement. Foster children should also be interviewed privately during every visit, away from caregivers.
Why is the foster-care system under strain?
The Western Cape has 43 665 children in foster care. The department admitted the system is under severe strain due to a shortage of social workers, high staff turnover at child-protection organisations, and safety risks in communities affected by gang violence and hijackings.
Lewis said all potential foster parents must obtain police clearance and be screened against the Child Protection Register. All adults living at the property must undergo the same screening. Social workers also conduct interviews and site visits before placement. After placement, every foster child receives a personal development plan.
But Omar warned that overcrowding and poor sleeping arrangements affect more than physical comfort. Sleeping on floors or in overcrowded homes can affect dignity, safety, and emotional security, while contributing to poor sleep, illness, anxiety, and feelings of rejection or worthlessness.
No more than six foster children may ordinarily be placed in one home unless a court grants an exception, such as when siblings are placed together. Lewis said concerns about overcrowding, neglect, or inadequate sleeping arrangements would be investigated immediately.
This case is yet another reminder that South Africa's foster-care system, designed to protect the most vulnerable children, is failing those it is meant to serve. The child's voice must not be silenced by bureaucratic neglect.