What We Do
Caring for Children, Building Futures
St Martins Diocesan Home for Children provides holistic, structured and compassionate care to children who have been placed with us by the courts for their safety and wellbeing. Our work focuses on meeting each child’s physical, emotional, educational and developmental needs while supporting healing, stability and growth.
Residential Care
Emotional Support
Education & Life Skills
Health & Wellness
Family Reunification
Residential Care
We provide a safe and nurturing home for up to 75 children between the ages of 3 and 18 who have experienced neglect, abuse, abandonment or severe hardship. Each child receives consistent daily care, access to nutritious meals, clothing, hygiene, and a structured environment that promotes security and trust.
Our residential program ensures children feel supported, valued and protected as they adapt to a stable living environment that prioritises their wellbeing.
Emotional Support
Our therapeutic team — including a qualified therapeutic manager, social worker, child and youth care workers, and external partners — walk closely with every child to strengthen emotional resilience and healing.
Children receive:
- Individual development plans
- Emotional and behavioural support
- Daily guidance from child & youth care workers
- Access to specialist services and assessments
- Safe spaces to express and process their experiences
Through consistent, caring engagement, children begin to rebuild confidence, cope with trauma, and develop healthy ways of understanding themselves and their world.
Education & Life Skills
Education is central to every child’s growth at St Martins. We work closely with schools, volunteers and academic partners to ensure each child receives the support they need to thrive.
Our education & development program includes:
- Daily homework supervision
- Foundational learning sessions for younger children
- Subject-specific tutoring
- Literacy, speech and hearing support through UKZN partners
- Assessments and placement into appropriate schools
- Academic tracking and educational advocacy
- Life-skills and personal development training
Many of our children achieve significant academic progress, and every success — big or small — is celebrated and encouraged. In 2025 we had our very first martric boy in house, and he received a bachelors pass with two distinctions.
Health & Wellness
Children receive comprehensive healthcare support, including:
- Daily health monitoring
- Access to clinics, hospitals and specialist practitioners
- Support for chronic conditions
- Immunisations and medical check-ups
- Nutrition and vitamin support
We are grateful for partners and private practitioners who provide pro bono services, ensuring every child receives compassionate and professional medical care.
Family Reunification
Where safe and possible, St Martins works to reunite children with their families, understanding that family connection remains deeply important for every child.
Our reunification work includes:
- Regular family visits (over 100 per year)
- Collaboration with social workers and external agencies
- Family strengthening and preparation
- Gradual reintegration planning
- Post-reunification support when needed
In 2024/2025, 16 children were successfully reunified with their families — a profound milestone for each child and a core achievement of our mission.
How You Can Support Our Work...
The care, support and opportunities described above don’t happen on their own. They exist because people choose to stand with us and support the children in our care.
You can do the same by clicking the button below.
