SASSA Foster Care Grant Application Guide 2024

Becoming a foster carer is a unique and rewarding experience. But you cannot deny the challenges you may face. The role requires a supportive and safe environment for the children under your care. Recognizing this, SASSA gives foster care grants to the parents of foster children.

Foster kids are those who have been placed in your care due to some unavoidable circumstances. They can be orphans, neglected, tortured, abandoned, or anyone at risk. In this guide, we will discuss how foster carers can get this grant, from the application procedure to the review of this child support. It will help you to ensure, you meet the needs of the children you support as foster carers.

What is SASSA Foster Care Grant?

A Foster Grant is a support intended to fulfill the basic needs of foster children. Those kids are placed in the care of foster parents by a Children’s Court. It is paid to foster guardians for children between the age of 0-18 years. If the child is still at school, the grant can be given until the age of 21 years, according to the extension order.

Who Qualifies for Foster Care Grant?

To apply for this grant, the following criteria must be met.

Foster parents and children must be residing in South Africa.
The child must be in the legal care of a foster carer having a court order.
You have to be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or refugee.
The kid must remain in your care.
A child from any country who needs care and protection in South Africa can be fostered. It includes undocumented or refugees.
The foster care grant age limit for children is that they need to be younger than 18 years, which can be extended to age limit of 21 by court order if child is still going to school.
The applicant and spouse have to meet the requirements of the means test.

Documents Needed to Apply for a Foster Care Grant

A person who wants to apply for this grant must provide certified copies of original documents with the application:

Identity documents of you and your spouse
Foster child birth certificate
Documents for the proof of marital status
Sworn statement or affidavit
Divorced order
Marriage certificate
If deceased, the spouse’s death certificate
Court order placing the child into your care
In case, you do not have an identity book or the child does not have a birth certificate, an affidavit provided by SASSA may be completed

View Affidavit Download Affidavit

How to Apply For a Foster Care Grant?

Foster Child Grant In-Person Application

Visit the nearest Department of Social Development office and contact social work. Ask the officer to assist you with the application for a court order confirming foster status.
Visit the nearest SASSA office. Complete the application form in the presence of an officer from SASSA.
Next, you will get a dated and stamped receipt bearing the name of the officer assisting you. (Keep this as the only proof of application).

Foster Child Grant Online Application

Follow the step-by-step procedure in the video to apply online for foster child grant;

Foster Care Grant Check Status

After submitting the grant application, you should check the status for regular updates. You can easily see whether your grant is approved or declined or what the current status is. If approved, then check it regularly for upcoming payment dates. SASSA foster child status check by following through:

Visit SASSA status check tool
Login to your SASSA services portal and track application
Contact on SASSA toll-free no. 0800-601011

What if your Grant Application is Rejected?

If you feel, your grant has been rejected in an error, you should ask SASSA for reconsideration. If SASSA still decides against your application, you can file an appeal against their decision with the Ministry of Social Development. Keep in mind that you have to appeal within 90 days of the date you receive rejection notification.

After your appeal, the Ministry of Social Development reviews the case and makes a decision. If the Ministry agrees, they reverse the SASSA decision. It may take up to 3 months to process the application.
Then you can start receiving your payments. On the contrary, if they reject the appeal, you get a written response.

How Much is a Foster Care Grant?

SASSA (The South African Social Security Agency) foster child caregiver grant amount in 2024 is R1,180 per month per child. They adjust the grant amount every 6 months on April 1 and October 1 to ensure whether it is sufficient. The next increase in the allowance is expected in April 2025.

Review of the SASSA Foster Child Grant

When the court order expires, the grant will be reviewed. It happens every two years. To review the grant, you are advised 3 months in advance.

People who receive their money via a bank, an institution, or a procurator are required to fill in a life certificate. It is a document to prove that you are still alive at a SASSA office every year.

Tip: SASSA exercises zero tolerance for any fraudulent activity.