The Western Cape Department of Social Development has launched a new Independent Living pilot partnership aimed at supporting young people exiting alternative care. The programme partners with four non-profit organisations to provide mentorship, life-skills training, psychosocial support, and workplace readiness. It is designed to help former foster children transition into independence with dignity, while reducing the risk of them falling back into vulnerable situations.
The pilot targets young adults who have turned 18 and are no longer supported by the state, or who have aged out of care despite still needing guidance. The department said the programme will provide a safer pathway into adulthood by offering structured support and community-based care through participating NPOs.
Western Cape Minister of Social Development, Jaco Londt, explained why the initiative is necessary, noting that government support ends once young people turn 18, or 21 if they are still studying. “There has long been this critical gap between vulnerable children being in foster care or children’s homes and what happens after they turn 18,” he said. “In many cases, foster families, staff at our Child and Youth Care Centres, and social workers continue to support young people, but there are some youth who have to return to the same environments that necessitated them being placed in care in the first place.”
He added that NGOs have stepped in to fill this gap, and the department is responding to calls for more support. “We’ve heard from the young adults that transitioned out of care, they said, listen, we need government to also step in and assist us in safeguarding more of these children,” Londt said. He also stressed that the programme protects the investment made in the care and protection of children over the years, preventing them from becoming clients of the state again.
The pilot partnership reflects a broader “whole-of-society” approach, bringing government and civil society together to support youth as they move into adulthood.
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