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(11) Place of Safety
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In Natal there are 3 places of safety viz. Bayhead in Durban, Umlazi Place of Safety
and Pata Place of Safety in Pietermaritzburg (Mbanjwa 1990 : 11). Each place of
safety aims at providing maximum physical, emotional, educational Care of the
children. The places of safety are manned by various trained care-workers who act as
parents to the children. The professional staff comprises of the social worker, nursing
sisters, sometimes a full-time or visiting psychologist (Mbanjwa 1990 ; Van Niekerk
1990). Admission of the child to the place of safety is through an order granted at the
Children's Court and release or further movement of the child from the place of safety
is also controlled in terms of the Child Care Act through the Children's Court.
According to Mbanjwa (1990) it happens sometimes for specific reasons that children
stay at the place of safety for more than 14 days. This has necessitated provision of
education for the children. Pata Place of Safety has a fully-fledged school run by the
Department of Education and Training, to cater for the educational needs ·of the
children.
(12) Children's Home
The Child Care Act provides for the keeping of a child at the Children's
Home for up to two years while social workers are expected to render reconstruction
services to the child's home trying to deal with whatever pathology that might have
contributed to the child's plight (Mbanjwa 1990 : 7).
Being a more permanent residence, the Children's Home strives to provide intensive
treatment for children. Assistance includes assessing their emotional and behavioural
problems thereby devising an appropriate rehabilitation programme. Very often
Children's Home will use available schools in the neighbourhood so as not to isolate
the children from the larger community. In Natal alone, there are eight Children's
Homes.