Today I was a very interesting day. First, we went on a tour of Marsh Memorial and Heatherdale Children’s homes with students from a university in Texas. Marsh Memorial was named after the Marsh family. Marsh Memorial was placed under the Methodist church in an effort preserve the services provided to children for centuries to come. Marsh Memorial was originally for white children only. After segregation was outlawed, Marsh was the first children’s home to accept colored children after Marsh Memorial board got a court order to amend its constitution to allow permission to care for colored and Black children. Marsh, although a group home, uses different houses and floors to separate the children by gender and age. Children have visits home every weekend. The children attend different schools in the community. As we toured the buildings, I kept seeing some ladies in blue and I noticed all the people in blue were dark skinned. When I asked, I was confirmed all domestic staff is colored or black at Marsh.
Heatherdale, located a short distance away over a bridge and across the tracks, is the home traditionally for colored children. Once we crossed the tracks, it was obvious we were in a different area of area. This experience reminded me of when I lived in Cleveland, MS and drove across the old tracks that separate the blacks from the whites. However, from what I understand, it is actually a different town. None the less, people were walking up and down the street. Also, people were on the corner selling newspapers, fruit and other items. I also observed men sitting on the side of the road. Lita, our guide, explained the men work odd jobs like helping people move, doing yard work, etc… She explained if someone needs there services they just stop and the men get in and to work for them. Heatherdale is a dorm style facility that separates the children by gender and age as well. The children attend school at the community. These children do not have weekly home visits due to “budgeting restraints.” According to our guide, Lita, all the staff is colored or black at Heatherdale including the social worker and other staff.
Later we went on some home visits with the family preservation worker from Marsh. We visited the area of “Cape Flats” and a rural township. First let me say if you have ever done a home visit, you know the first thing you need to know is the purpose of the visit. Although he did not communicate to us his purpose for the visit prior, it was very obvious he was assessing the homes for weekend placement purposes. The first home was that of a grandmother of four children in care. Grandmother gets the children, two at a time on alternating weekends. The mother is addicted to drugs. She has not been seen in over a month or heard from in over three weeks. She was supposed to visit with her children over this weekend at her mother’s home. The grandmother and the worker discussed the where abouts of the mother. They also discussed possible efforts to locate the mother.
The second home visit was to a foster parent. This lady named Teresa cares for four children in care. However, she only receives government funding for one child. The thing I liked about this home is it is located in the children’s community. In fact this home is actually located directly across the street from the children’s former home. The children are able to visit home weekly and maintain their connection to their friends and possible family in that community.
The third visit was to a relative caregiver. In this family the children in care were supposed to come home this weekend for a visit with their mother and family. When we arrived, we were told by the aunt of the children that the mother had just been arrested. The aunt was uncertain about the reason for the arrest. The worker informed aunt that the children would not be able to visit this weekend due to the circumstances. She was very understanding. It was clear to me that the worker had explained the reasons some visits would not occur previously with the aunt.
We then went to search for the mother of the children in the first home visit. After we finally located the area where her home was supposed to be, we observed the home had been taken away. All that remained was rubble.
That being said, it was still another amazing day here in South Africa.
