INSTITUTIONALIZED CHILD CARE IN URBAN SOUTH AFRICA

intake, families are typically assured that they will still have plenty of opportunities to
maintain contact and a relationship with the child, and the biggest change will primarily
be related to how the children receive care for their immediate physical needs. Children
are given plenty of opportunities to visit their extended families. During holiday breaks
from school, many children return to their biological parents, siblings, grandparents, or
aunts and uncles for weeks at a time. I asked Lindikhaya, who was living with a cousin
he referred to as an older brother, if it was common for biological children in a blended
family to receive preferential treatment. His answer was indirect, but over time I gathered
that it was often determined on a case-by-case basis, and that one of the biggest
contributing factors was the degree of familiarity and proximity maintained during the
course of a child’s institutionalization. Most children were able to maintain frequent
contact with their families. This did not necessarily apply as fully to children whose
known relatives were largely deceased, or to those from more distant locations, such as
the Sotho siblings.
One thing that helps to maintain and further these relationships are the connections
that the center maintains with the townships. In many ways, the relationship between
5Cees and the townships precedes its existence as a child care institution, through Pastor
Mike’s prior vocation as a minister. These were the sites where he operated his soup
kitchen for many years, building a strong working relationship with township schools and
community leaders. The two townships of Fine Town and Thembisa were the
predominant recipients of his township focused outreaches, and they were the original
homes of many of the center’s children. On a monthly basis, he would bring several of
the center’s children with him to the townships, distributing food while speaking to a
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