Adopt Aware SA

Thank you Maria Junior for your overwhelming support for this campaign and our organisation.
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063642622694

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts to all our partners this World Foster Day 2023.

Stonehaven on Vaal
Emfulenipark
CUROVanderbjilpark
Sancta Maria Junior School
Bigfoot Media
box Vaal
Frank's Plant & Truck hire
Set in Stone

Your love was felt around the world. Adopt Aware and our local foster children, homes, families, and social workers couldn't be more grateful for all involved.

Today is World Foster Day, a day when the whole world comes together to create awareness for children from hard places. Our pics have started coming in!!

A mother's heart knows no bounds!!!

World Foster Day South Africa
31 May 2023

This World Foster day stand a chance to win a 4 persons, Buffet Cruise

How can you get involved?
1. Purchase a world foster day balloon to support local foster care families and stand a chace to win!
2. Draw a smiley face on 3 fingers, take a selfie and post with
3. Invite as many people as you can to join in.

So why do children keep quiet about abuse?

Unfortunately, there are many different reasons why a child may keep quiet.
Child abuse and some of the reasons why many children and young people stay quiet about the abuse.

Threats
Abusers use threats as a way of intimidating the child to stay quiet so that they can continue to abuse them.

Feelings of shame
Feelings of guilt and shame are very common in abused individuals. Instead of disclosing the abuse, they may try to change their behavior or the way they act towards their abuser, such as trying to please them or avoid them.

Fear of not being believed
Children may not report abuse because they think that they will not be believed, or they will be accused of lying. There are several reasons why a child may have this mindset.

Wanting to protect the abuser
Having an emotional connection to their abuser can make reporting the abuse much more difficult. The child may believe that the consequence of reporting the abuse and having this person removed from their life is worse than allowing the abuse to continue. This may be especially true if the abuser is a parent or sibling.

They may not be aware that it is abuse
A child may not understand that what is happening to them is abuse.

They may not know who to tell
Disclosing abuse requires a huge amount of trust.

No one has ever asked them
A child may be more likely to disclose abuse if they are asked about it. They may be waiting for someone to notice the abuse is happening, as they do not dare to approach an adult directly.

Understanding trauma
Trauma can affect children’s brains, bodies, behavior, and ways of thinking. It can also be treated.

All children in foster care have been exposed to some form of trauma. The very act of being put in foster care is traumatic for children because it means the loss of their birth family and often friends, schoolmates, teachers, and everything familiar.

But many children in foster care have experienced more than one form of trauma or repeated trauma, the lasting effects of which should be acknowledged and understood.

What is trauma?
Child traumatic stress occurs when children and adolescents are exposed to events or situations that overwhelm their ability to cope and interfere with daily life and their ability to function and interact with others.

The type of trauma experienced by children in foster care can vary widely from neglect to domestic violence to physical and sexual abuse.

Why children don't speak up about abuse?
How to help a child heal trauma in the next post!

“Time heals some wounds, but love heals them all.”

The Adopt Aware SA Team are so excited to team up with the Vanderbjilpark community in bringing warmth to the 500 children within the Vanderbjilpark Foster care system.

Help the kids in our community to stay warm and healthy al winter long

Items needed:
Blankets, gently used winter clothing & food.

Drop off locations needed in all areas around the Vaal triangle.
Make your business, home or school a drop off site and contact us today
Help us keep those most vulnerable warm this winter!

Drop off location Stephanopark | Dina Slabbert 53 Van der Heever Street, Stephanopark, Vanderbijlpark

follow Adopt Aware SA's page https://www.facebook.com/AdoptAwareSA or Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/adopt_aware_sa/ for more about the organisation or cash donations visit www.adoptawaresa.co.za
Lets come together as a community in bringing warmth to children in need.

School food bank to support families and children in need.

Typically food banks are looking for donations of food products from supermarkets, such as:

Extra lunch for kids
Cereal
Soup
Pasta
Rice
Canned tomatoes/ pasta sauce
Lentils, beans and pulses
Canned meat
Canned vegetables
Tea/coffee
Tinned fruit
Biscuits
UHT milk
Fruit juice

Some food banks will also offer essential non-food items, such as toiletries and hygiene products.

Deodorant
Toilet paper
Shower gel
Shaving gel
Shampoo and conditioner
Soap
Toothbrushes and toothpaste
You can also donate household items, feminine hygiene products, and baby supplies too:

Household items – laundry liquid detergent, laundry powder, washing up liquid
Feminine products – sanitary towels and tampons
Baby supplies – nappies, baby wipes, and baby food

Contact your local school to find out what projects they have.
If you're not sure where to start send us an email or DM and we will help you connect with a school in your area.

Introduction to Adoption
Adoption is the social, emotional, and legal process in which children who will not be raised by their birth parents become full and permanent legal members of another family while maintaining genetic and psychological connections to their birth family.

Are you willing to open your home to a Child in need?

The registration link is in our Bio

We would love to hear from you.

Please don't hesitate to call or contact us with any questions or queries.

Thank you for following our page, we notice every like, share and comment ✨

Happy New Year to all our followers. Together we made a difference last year and looking forward to working together again this year.

5 years = 5 appreciated steps on how you can help and support our organization.
♡Follow
♡Like
♡Share
♡Leave a comment or tag a friend.
♡Find us on Instagram and like the page.

We notice every like, comment, share and follow on this page and your support is truly appreciated.

Happy New Year to all our followers. Together we made a difference last year and looking forward to working together again this year.

5 years = 5 appreciated steps on how you can help and support our organization.
♡Follow
♡Like
♡Share
♡Leave a comment or tag a friend.
♡Find us on Facebook and like the page.

We notice every like, comment, share and follow on this page and your support is truly appreciated.

He who plants a tree plant hope - Lucy Larcom

A big thank you to two of our volunteers Dartagnan Brown, Gr10B, HTS Sasolburg and Ronaldo de Caires, Gr10A, HTS Sasolburg for volunteering your Saturday to help plant some of our donated fruit trees at Maria Magdalena Foster home.

Your positive attitudes and kindness towards the ones around you are inspiring.

Foster Parenting explained in one image.

A call for Foster Parents

Adopt Aware SA is excited to announce our new online foster care registration portal.

We understand it can be a daunting processes and we are here to guide you through.

Step 1: Click on link
https://www.adoptawaresa.co.za/foster-a-child/

Step 2: Fill out registration form and attach neccesary documentation .

Step 3: We will contact you for a screening and to connect you to the your relivent social worker.

Note: Registering is a free service and holds you under no obligation to take on a child until you are ready to do so.

You might be tempory in thier lives and them in yours but the the love and lessons they recieve in your care last a life time!

Adopt Aware is calling on our community to celebrate Spring this year by making Spring a season of giving, donating a fruit tree we can give a gift that can keep on giving for generations to come. Donate a fruit tree this year to one of our comunity foster homes.

Getting involved is as easy as following the link www.adoptawaresa.co.za and make your online pledge. Let's come together as a community and help plant hope in young people's lives.

Children who have experienced trauma, experience a disconnection from themselves from the world. They learn that the world is harsh disregarding, and painful. They learn to protect themselves from others instead of connecting. These children need predictability, consistency, and most importantly, love to heal-- not more pain.

Defend Survivors

ALL Social Service Professionals are hereby invited to join virtual Social Work Conversations whose purpose is to revitalise the stature and dignity of the Social Work profession.

Below is a link and a poster for professionals to RSVP for the conversations.

https://www.dmhealthsa.com/event-details/episode-1-the-social-work-identity

Often people with a calling to be a foster parents or adoptive parent can be scared to take the leap but even though this path is a hard one there is great beauty and joy that comes with it. Adopt Aware SA is here to guide you through the process.

The weather is warming up and its a great time to hit the golf course for a great cause.

Do you wish your extended family understood why parenting children who have experienced trauma is different? This is an amazing opportunity for them to learn from one of our parenting experts, Meagan VanDierman. Send your parents, aunts, uncles, friends and community members, anyone who is a part of your support system. For info and registration contact us at [email protected].

When opening your home to a foster child, it is so important to equip yourself with tools to help them and yourself through the transition period. There are so many great resources and support groups. Any foster parents out there comment bellow what helped you.

This is so important for trauma-informed care. People like what is predictable-- this is of particular importance in the brain stem. This is the same reason many adults repeatedly find themselves in toxic or abusive relationships. We unconsciously* seek out what is familiar. In terms of putting children in safe places, we simply have to know and expect that they may act out in ways to elicit chaos so their world becomes predictable--- this does not make them bad, it means they are trying to survive. Our job is to be patient as they adjust to this new normal and FIGHT AGAINST them pulling a familiar trauma response from us. We must teach them that there is safety in calm.

Mandela Day is on the way. Adopt Aware SA is taking hands with the Vaal community to collect food packs for the children within the fostercare sytem throughout the Vaal Area. This is a great project to do as a family.

How to get involved.
Sept 1
Put together a soup pack.
Sept 2
Deliver to Unit 8, 38 Annesu de Vos St, Stephanopark, Vanderbijlpark, 1911
Step 3
-Post a picture of your donation
- Check in at your drop off point.
- Tag a friend to nominate them to join in.

For live updates follow our - - page https://www.facebook.com/AdoptAwareSA
- Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/adopt_aware_sa/
- For more about our organisation or cash donations visit www.adoptawaresa.co.za

Lets come together as a community in filling the tummies of children in need.

A call for Foster Parents

Adopt Aware SA is excited to announce our new online foster care registration portal.

We understand it can be a daunting processes and we are here to guide you through.

Step 1: Click on link
https://www.adoptawaresa.co.za/foster-a-child/

Step 2: Fill out registration form and attach neccesary documentation .

Step 3: We will contact you for a screening and to connect you to the your relivent social worker.

Note: Registering is a free service and holds you under no obligation to take on a child until you are ready to do so.

You might be tempory in thier lives and them in yours but the the love and lessons they recieve in your care last a life time!

A call for Foster Parents

Adopt Aware SA is excited to announce our new online foster care registration portal.

We understand it can be a daunting processes and we are here to guide you through.

Step 1: Click on link
https://www.adoptawaresa.co.za/foster-a-child/

Step 2: Fill out registration form and attach neccesary documentation .

Step 3: We will contact you for a screening and to connect you to the your relivent social worker.

Note: Registering is a free service and holds you under no obligation to take on a child until you are ready to do so.

You might be tempory in thier lives and them in yours but the the love and lessons they recieve in your care last a life time!

At the end of the day it's not about what you have or even what you've accomplished ... It's about who you've lifted up , who you've made better. It's about what you've given back .
-Denzel Washington

A big thank you to everyone involved in this worth while cause . Thanks to your donations we could support organizations like Child welfare , Help lift and SAVF .

- Raising awareness and support for vulnerable children in the Vaal area .

The Adopt Aware Team and the children within our foster care system would like to thank every person for their efforts. Our 2022 Winter Drive Campaign was a huge success and we hope to continue to hold hands as a community and bring hope to these children.

Leading Agri Animal feedss
Gas Monkey Pub & Grilll
Riverside Mega Mica
Builderssa
Laerskool DF Malherbe
Bigfoot Media
Child Welfare South Africa: Sasolburg
Laerskool Eligwa
://www.facebook.com/Curro-Vanderbijlpark-Independent-School-601590253514244
PublicEye

BOOK NOW for Adoption 301

The Adopt Aware SA Team are so excited to team up with the Vanderbjilpark community in bringing warmth to the 500 children within the Vanderbjilpark Fostercare system.

Adopt Aware SA Hope to fill a tipper truck worth of clothing to Child Welfare Vanderbjilpark.
They will collect your donations from our Campaign Partners on 13 May 2022.

How to get involved:
- Tag a friend, like and share this post to create awareness.
- Collect gently used winter clothing or blankets or purchase winter clothing or blankets and donate to the cause.
- Deliver your gift to the nearest Campaign Partners business premises before 12 May 2022.

- Leading Agri Animal feeds
38 Annesu de Vos St, Stefano Park AH, Vanderbijlpark, 1911
- Gas Monkey Pub & Grill
Emerald Resort & Casino, 777a Frikkie Meyer Blvd, Vanderbijlpark S. E. 3, Vanderbijlpark, 1911
- Riverside Mega Mica
Cnr Frikkie Meyer Blvd and, Chopin St, Riverside, Vanderbijlpark, 1911
- Builderssa
c/o Ascot Road and Cassandra Road, Bedworth Park, Vereeniging, 1939
- Laerskool DF Malherbe
19 Sullivan St, Vanderbijlpark S. W. 5, Vanderbijlpark, 1911
- Bigfoot Media
Unit 8, 38 Annesu de Vos St, Stephanopark, Vanderbijlpark, 1911
- Child Welfare South Africa, Vanderbijlpark
26 Osmond St, CW2, Vanderbijlpark, 1911
- Laerskool Eligwa
H/v Conan Doyle & Lion Cachetstrate, Vanderbijlpark, 1911

For live updates you can follow Adopt Aware SA's page https://www.facebook.com/AdoptAwareSA or Instagram page https://www.instagram.com/adopt_aware_sa/ for more about the organisation or cash donations visit www.adoptawaresa.co.za
Lets come together as a community in bringing warmth to children in need.

A Call for help! We are trying to raise R55 000.00 to cover Child Welfare Vanderbjilpark Salaries for October 2021. Every bit helps!

A child goes missing every five hours in South Africa, according to figures released by the South African Police Service Missing Persons Bureau for 2013. https://missingchildren.org.za/ is a great organization to inform yourself how we as South African citizens can protect not only our own children but those who have no one to be there protectors. Visit www.adoptawaresa.co.za to find out how to become a place of safety or foster parents.

There is no waiting period to report a missing person! Immediate response by the SAPS can save a life! Contact on 08600 10111.https://www.saps.gov.za/crimestop/crimestop.php

Door of Hope Follow Up Story.

In Nov 2019 we did a story about the Door of Hope Children's Mission in Johannesburg, South Africa after they posted a picture about a little girl excitedly waiting for her new parents to arrive (article in link below). Without giving too much information, Door of Hope was able to tell us that 2 years later, the little girl has settled very well into her new home where she is a daddy’s girl, an angel to her mom and has a hero for a big brother. We love a happy ending 🥰

Having placed 57 babies so far for 2021, the Door of Hope team continues to do incredible work with finding forever homes for abandoned children.

https://www.goodthingsguy.com/people/door-hope-adoption-photo/

Charity Collects Checkers60 Bags to Wrap Festive Gifts for Children Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, right? That is exactly what 'Charity Begins with Me' is doing this festive season; they are using sturdy bags to hold festive