Nestled in the heart of Somerset West, Western Cape, Heartlands Baby Sanctuary has served as a beacon of hope for over 400 vulnerable children since opening its doors nine years ago. We provide a safe haven and temporary residential care for infants and young children up to six years old, who have experienced unimaginable trauma, neglect, abuse, and abandonment. Some of these precious little ones also face the added challenges of disabilities, making them even more vulnerable.

Every child is admitted to Heartlands only after ensuring that all legal procedures have been meticulously followed, prioritising their safety and well-being above all else.

Our dedicated team, comprised of 39 full-time, employed staff and 53 volunteers (doing only 2-hour shifts at a time) is made up as follows:

32 full-time staff and 7 part-time/relief staff:

• 4 x staff nurses
• 1 x Senior Carer
• 8 x Carers
• 6 x Relief carers
• 1 x part-time Occupational Therapist
• 1 x CEO
• 7 x Sustainability
• 1 x Social worker
• 2 x ECD and Stimulation
• 7 x Housekeeping staff
• 1 x Relief housekeeper

Each Department has developed individual care plans tailored to address the unique needs of each child during their stay with us. The results of these programs have been truly remarkable, as we witness first-hand the transformation that occurs when children are enveloped in love, care, and security. It is both a heart-warming testament to the resilience of the human spirit and a heart-breaking reminder of the adversity these children have faced.

The Heartlands Difference: Our Three Pillars of Care

The concept of the "first 1,000 days" (from conception to age three) as a critical window for child development is well-established and supported by numerous studies and organisations such as The World Health Organization and UNICEF.

Children who get a healthy start to life in the first 1,000 days and beyond are:

• 10 times more likely to overcome life-threatening childhood diseases
• More likely to complete nearly 5 more grades in school
• More likely to go on to earn 21% more in wages as adults
• More likely to have healthier families of their own

At Heartlands, we understand that each child is unique and requires a personalised approach to care. Every child undergoes a comprehensive psychosocial, health and developmental assessment when admitted, which informs the creation of an individual care plan. These plans outline specific, specialised goals tailored to the child's individual needs, encompassing various therapeutic interventions such as occupational therapy and physiotherapy.

Our team of dedicated professionals, including our CEO, a staff nurse, health care manager, social worker, child & youth care workers, stimulation coordinator, doctor, and an occupational therapist, meet monthly to review each child's progress and adjust their care plans as needed. This collaborative, interdisciplinary approach ensures that each child receives holistic and comprehensive support, maximising their potential for growth and development, through understanding too of the immense trauma a child has already experienced, having been removed from his/ her own parents.

As one can see – we meet the first 4 UN Sustainable goals:

1. Health Care

At Heartlands, we understand that a child's physical well-being is the foundation for their overall development. Our dedicated staff ensures that every child receives the utmost care, including shelter, warmth, nutritious meals, clothing and hygiene essentials.

We prioritise early intervention and preventative care, focusing on:

• Comprehensive Health Services: Our comprehensive health programme addresses a wide range of needs, from preventing and managing common childhood illnesses to providing specialised care for HIV/AIDS and TB. We also ensure that every child receives the necessary immunisations to protect them from communicable diseases.
• Specialised Care for Children with Disabilities: We recognise that children with mild to moderate disabilities require additional support. Our team works to minimise impairments and promote the overall well-being of these children through tailored therapies and interventions.
• Nutritional Support: We understand the link between proper nutrition and healthy development. We provide nutritious meals and monitor each child's growth, addressing any signs of malnutrition to ensure optimal health.
• Daily Living Skills: Our carers assist children with ensuring physical activities are adequate.

While our primary focus is on giving children a healthy start in life, we also provide compassionate care for children with life-limiting illnesses, offering comfort and support during their time with us.

2. Psychosocial Emotional and Care

At Heartlands, we understand that emotional well-being is just as important as physical health. We strive to create a secure and nurturing environment where children can heal from past traumas and build trusting relationships.

Our psychosocial programme focuses on:

• Emotional Healing and Trust Building: We provide a safe space where children can learn to trust adults again and develop healthy attachments. Through individual and group therapy, play therapy, and other evidence-based interventions, we help children process their experiences, build resilience, and develop coping skills.
• Family Engagement: We actively encourage and facilitate contact between children and their families. We believe that maintaining family connections is crucial for a child's emotional well-being and sense of belonging.

3. Early Childhood Development (ECD) and Stimulation programmes, Heartlands is committed to fostering the holistic development of each child, recognizing that early intervention is key to overcoming developmental delays often associated with trauma and neglect. Housed within our temporary, residential facility, provides a nurturing and stimulating environment for learning and growth. Our ECD centre is equipped with comprehensive, age-appropriate educational resource kits, carefully curated to align with our curriculum.

These kits include toys and supporting equipment that are directly linked to lesson plans and activities, ensuring a cohesive and effective learning experience.

Our focus to develop each child to their full potential is done in a variety of developmental areas, which encompass:

• Social and Emotional Development: Activities that promote positive social interactions, emotional regulation, and self-awareness.
• Physical Development: Games and exercises that encourage gross and fine motor skills, coordination, and physical fitness.
• Intellectual Development: Engaging activities that stimulate curiosity, problem-solving skills, and critical thinking.
• Aesthetic and Moral Development: Opportunities for creative expression, appreciation of beauty, and understanding of ethical values.
• Language and Mathematics Skills: Targeted activities that build vocabulary, language comprehension, numeracy, and mathematical reasoning.
• Life Skills: Practical skills that promote independence and self-sufficiency.

By integrating these developmental domains into our structured play programme, we provide children with a well-rounded educational experience that prepares them for success in school and in life.

Reunification / Foster Care / Adoption / Long-term Residential care

Our ultimate goal is to reunite children with their biological families whenever possible. We believe that a loving family environment is essential for a child's well-being and development. To facilitate this, we have created dedicated spaces, including a mother's room and a visitors' room, where parents can maintain vital connections with their children through regular visits and interactions, and through skills development, can better look after their child after re-unification.

We go beyond simply providing a space for visits. Our team of social workers actively supports parents through training and resources, helping them develop the skills and understanding necessary to provide a safe and nurturing home for their children.

We work closely with families to address any underlying issues that may have led to the child's placement in our care, with the hope that they can overcome these challenges and be reunited as a stronger family unit.

However, we recognize that reunification is not always possible. In such cases, we prioritise finding alternative placements that provide stability and care, such as foster homes or long-term care facilities.

Challenges and Resilience

Unfortunately, due to the high demand for our services and limited resources, we are often forced to make difficult decisions and turn away children in desperate need.  This heart-breaking reality fuels our determination to expand our capacity and reach more children who need our support.

The past year has presented significant challenges for our psychosocial department. The increase in emergency placements, particularly of infants, has stretched our capacity to the limit. We have seen a surge in children arriving with Form 36 orders, which require immediate placement due to urgent safety concerns and their young age. This influx has put a strain on our resources and space, making it difficult to accommodate all the children in need.

Despite these challenges, our dedicated team remains committed to providing the highest quality of care to every child who enters our doors. We are actively seeking solutions to expand our capacity and meet the growing demand for our services, ensuring that no child is left without a safe haven.

Monitoring & Evaluation

Heartlands Baby Sanctuary is committed to transparency and accountability in all aspects of our operations. Each child's progress is meticulously tracked through individual care plans, which are regularly assessed and revised by our interdisciplinary team to ensure optimal development. As a recipient of funding from the Department of Social Development, we adhere to stringent reporting requirements. Our quarterly reports provide detailed accounts of each child's progress in various areas, including health, psychosocial development, and educational milestones. We also maintain comprehensive records of all other relevant information. This rigorous monitoring and evaluation process has been a cornerstone of our success, ensuring uninterrupted funding for nine years and guaranteeing that every child receives the tailored support they need to thrive.

We uphold strict financial accountability and transparency. Our CEO meticulously manages the organisation's accounts and budget, updating them daily or as needed. These financial records are submitted monthly to our accountants for review and reconciliation. Our Treasurer plays a vital role in overseeing financial matters, providing support and expertise as required.

To ensure the highest level of financial integrity, we undergo an annual audit conducted by an independent, external auditor. All audit reports have been consistently adopted at our Annual General Meetings (AGMs), demonstrating our commitment to transparency and good governance practices.

We have a dedicated diverse board of directors to oversee our operations, with 60% female and 80% Black (according to the DTI Codes).

Our Impact

Our impact extends far beyond our Sanctuary walls. We understand that addressing the root causes of neglect and providing long-term support are crucial for sustainable change. While the average stay for a child is 9-12 months, we tailor each child's care plan to their individual needs, ensuring they are ready to thrive when they return home or transition to a new, permanent family.

Your support directly impacts the lives of children like these:

• The Boy Who Rediscovered Joy: We recently said goodbye to a little three year old boy who had been with us for over a year. Despite facing many challenges and traumatic meltdowns, he eventually found a loving forever home. It took time and patience, but he was ready to embark on a new journey. While it was hard to say goodbye, we were overjoyed to see him take this next step, filled with hope for his future.

• The Girl Who Took Her First Steps: A little girl arrived at Heartlands unable to walk or stand on her own, her development lagging behind. Thanks to our holistic care and the dedication of our staff, she made remarkable progress. Within six months, she was not only walking but also thriving in all areas of her development. Her shy demeanour transformed into a joyful spirit, and she reached all her milestones with flying colours.

Seeing her grow and flourish filled us with immense pride, knowing that we had made a lasting difference in her life.

• The Siblings Who Found Home and each other: In May 2024, we were able to reunite two siblings with their older siblings. These children were placed in the care of a relative, and it was a momentous occasion for us. While the children were with us, we provided them with love, care, and a sense of belonging. We also worked on a long-term plan to ensure they could be reunited with their family. The joy and happiness on the siblings' faces when they were reunited was indescribable.

These are just a few examples of the countless lives touched by Heartlands Baby Sanctuary. Your support enables us to create these stories of hope, resilience, and lasting change.

Sustainability Programmes

In order to become more self-sustainable, we have 3 x income-generating projects which feed 19% of income into our budget. These include:

1. The Book Shop
2. The Pre-loved Chic Boutique
3. Seeds of Hope Food Garden which consists of an organic garden and a hydroponic system. We have recently completed the construction of the Hydroponic tunnels, which will produce significant harvests all year round, in addition to the already very successful harvests that we have reaped so far, feeding our children highly nutritious, organic vegetables and eggs, and the balance being sold in the shop.

Our Ask: Adopt a Cot Campaign

With our Department of Social Development subsidy, our sustainability project self-generated income and ongoing funding secured from corporates (Capitec, Le Creuset, KFC Add Hope), philanthropy (Allan Gray Philanthropies), events and the community we have an annual shortfall of R579 000 (only 22% of the budget).

Therefore, we are requesting your support towards our key campaign to address this shortfall of each cot per month:

New Playground Capital Campaign

In addition to our comprehensive care programs, we are expanding our facilities further to enhance the children's physical development and well-being. A new wing structure is now complete, generously funded by a private foundation. This exciting addition includes:

• Two Dedicated Therapy Rooms: These specialised spaces will allow our occupational therapist and social worker to conduct play therapy assessments in a private and comfortable setting, fostering a deeper understanding of each child's unique needs.
• A Large Indoor Play Area: This vibrant space will offer additional opportunities for stimulation and play, especially crucial during Cape Town's dark, wet, and rainy winter months. While the construction of the new wing is complete, we are actively fundraising to purchase specialised indoor equipment to enhance our therapeutic offerings.

An extension of the Outdoor Play Area: In addition, the extension of our existing playground is to raise R200,000 to create the perfect outdoor environment, leading out from the newly constructed therapy wing to complete with engaging play structures and sensory experiences. Please refer to Appendix A for more information on this project.

Your Return on Investment

Life-Changing Impact: Your contribution directly supports the health, emotional well-being, and development of a child in need, giving them "a second chance at life, through a life-time positive change."

Community Investment: You are investing in the future of the Western Cape, uplifting communities by supporting "society's most helpless, most innocent victims."

Tax Deduction: Your donation is tax-deductible, providing a financial benefit while making a real difference.

Recognition: We offer various levels of recognition and engagement opportunities to our valued partners, including visibility at events, on our website, and through our "Adopt a Cot" campaign.

Partnership Opportunities:

• Adopt a Cot: Donate to directly cover the costs of one or more children’s care under our three pillars.
• New Playground: Contribute towards our R200,000 goal.
• Corporate/Foundation Grants: Multi-year funding provides stability and allows us to plan for the future.
• Event Sponsorships: Support our annual golf day at De Zalze or our planned events for 2025, which offer various sponsorship opportunities.
• In-Kind Donations: Contribute essential goods and services, such as medical supplies, educational toys, clothing, diapers, or professional expertise in healthcare, education, or mental health.

Your partnership with Heartlands Baby Sanctuary is a powerful investment in the future of vulnerable children and the broader community. Together, we can provide hope, healing, and a brighter future for children in need through our three pillars of care: Health, Psychosocial Support, and Early Childhood Development.

We invite you to explore our website www.heartlandsbaby.org to learn more and schedule a tour to see our work in action. Please contact Nikki Bower at nikki@heartlandsbaby.org to discuss how you can become a part of this life-changing mission.

Together, we can make a lasting difference and let the little children and babies know how it feels to be loved... to smile... to be held close, to be cherished and cared for.