Pre-Care is defined as activities undertaken to prevent family breakdown and to strengthen communities to support their children and families.

OUTREACH AND DROP IN

The Kids Haven PRECARE team meet with children and Youth begging and living on the streets.  Through this contact we try to establish why the kids leave their homes or school and what their lives are like. Where possible we conduct home visits to assess their family circumstances and try to remove the children from the streets.

Poverty is often part of the driver for kids being on the street but not entirely. Their family circumstances  vary from neglect, excessive alcohol consumption, single parenting and the lack of a father figure at home due to fathers working away from home and coming only during month end.

Precare is hosting a monthly parent-support group that has grown out of a parent training program in Wattville.  This group discusses all their concerns about raising their families and their lives with each other under the guidance of the precare social worker, Lindiwe Maredi.  

THE KIDS HAVEN 
COMMUNITY NURSERY SCHOOL

Kids Haven provides a Nursery School for 35 children between the ages of 3 and 6.

There are 4 classes divided into different age groups. Children are properly prepared for school. 

Kids Haven assists families with the registration into Grade R and Grade 1 within the State schooling system.

  • Kids Haven provides a snack and fully cooked lunch every day to the children 
  • Kids Haven provides blankets and additional clothing to the children to take home 
  • There is a toy library in the Preschool that is well stocked with donated educational resources. 
  • There are many jungle gyms in the garden. 
  • The children participate in sports activities every Friday. The children go on at least 2 outings per term. 
  • The children participate in an annual Nativity end-of-year concert

There are 2 critical outcomes of this activity: Stimulation of young children and enrollment into formal school at the correct time in accordance with State registration procedures.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT

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Kids Haven hosts the Ekurhuleni Welfare Forum at the Shelter on the last Monday of every month.  This collective of small Community based organizations such as creches and cluster foster care homes learn from each other and enjoy guest speakers on topics as diverse as governance to Albinism in communities.

The MOGOBA Development Co-Op - Market garden and chicken broiler project for the community.
Kids Haven has initiated a community market garden with chickens with members of the community.  There are 15 registered members of the co-op and the members work in the garden.  To date the garden is providing fresh vegetables for the members with some surplus for sale.  
Kids Haven is focused on developing the self-sustainability of the Mogoba Development Project.