Who We Are
Home from Home is a foster care organisation in South Africa that provides stable, loving family-based foster homes for vulnerable children who cannot remain with their biological families. Our work is rooted in the belief that every child deserves a safe and loving home environment.
Through a network of community-based foster homes, supported by social workers and specialised programmes, we provide long-term care that helps children grow, heal, and build positive futures.
Our Mission
Creating families for vulnerable children, through supported and supervised community-based foster care, to become healthy and well-adjusted adults who contribute positively to society.
This mission guides everything we do at Home from Home. Through our network of community-based foster homes, supported by social workers and specialised programmes, we aim to provide children with the stability, care, and opportunities they need to grow into confident and capable adults.
Our work focuses on creating loving family environments where children can experience belonging, develop resilience, and build the foundations for positive futures.
Our Vision
A world in which every child has a safe home and a loving family.
This vision shapes our long-term commitment to strengthening families and communities. By providing stable foster homes and holistic support for vulnerable children, we work toward a future where every child can grow up in a safe and loving environment.
Our Values
Our work is guided by values that place children at the centre of everything we do.
These values shape how we support children, work with families, and partner with communities to create lasting change.
Key principles that guide our work include:
- providing loving and stable family environments
- supporting children’s dignity and identity
- building strong community relationships
- maintaining accountability and transparency
Our Approach to Foster Care
At Home from Home, we believe that children thrive best in family-style environments where they feel secure and loved.
Our foster homes are intentionally small, community-based households where children live with dedicated foster mothers who provide daily care and guidance. These homes are located within the communities from which the children originate, helping maintain cultural connections and local support networks.
Each home operates within a structured support system that includes professional social work oversight and specialised programmes that address the educational, emotional, and developmental needs of the children.
Supporting Children Holistically
Providing a safe, loving home is the foundation and first step in supporting vulnerable children.
Home from Home’s work focuses on the holistic development of each child, recognising that children who have experienced trauma or family disruption require additional support to thrive.
Our programmes focus on key areas including:
- support to Foster Mothers in ensuring a loving environment
- education and academic support
- therapeutic interventions
- Independent living support for young people leaving care
- strengthening family connections where possible
Together, these programmes help children develop resilience, confidence, and the skills needed for independence.
Our People
Behind Home from Home is a dedicated team of foster mothers, social workers, and support staff who are committed to the well-being of every child in our homes.
Foster mothers are central in providing the day-to-day care that creates a stable and loving household environment. They are supported by social workers and programme staff who ensure that each child’s needs are understood and addressed.
This collaborative approach allows us to provide consistent support across our foster homes while maintaining a strong focus on each child’s individual needs.
Our Impact
Since our founding in 2005, Home from Home has worked to provide long-term foster care for vulnerable children across multiple communities in South Africa.
Through our network of foster homes and support programmes, we:
- support up to 200 children and youth annually
- operated 35 foster homes
- worked across 16 communities
Our work continues to grow through partnerships with communities, donors, and organisations that share our commitment to providing safe and stable homes for children.
How it all started
the history of home from home
In 2005, our founders, Jane Payne and Pippa Shaper, envisioned a future where the most vulnerable children of South Africa would not grow up on the streets or in institutional organisations. Instead, they would experience a second chance at a loving family life in foster homes established within their community of origin.
These two visionary women established Home from Home, one of the first non-profit organisations in South Africa to be registered as a Cluster Foster Care Scheme. For two decades, Home from Home has successfully provided supported and supervised community-based foster care to over 200 orphaned, abused, neglected and vulnerable children in 35 foster homes, across 16 communities in South Africa.
We believe that living in a small family unit with no more than six children and a dedicated foster mother or parents, is the next best place for children whose biological families cannot provide for them.
This model of care, with the crucial foundation of a loving family, enables our children to rise above their early circumstances and become happy and positively engaged young adults in their communities.
Working Together
Creating stable foster homes for vulnerable children requires the support of many partners.
Individuals, communities, organisations, and donors all play an important role in sustaining the work of Home from Home.
If you would like to support our work or learn more about how you can get involved, we invite you to explore the ways you can partner with us.