Oranjia currently operates from two buildings:  the first building comprises two houses joined to one another in Gorge Road, Vredehoek. Administration is housed here along with the Programme Director (who is a Social Worker) and the Childcare and Education Manager. During the day children can also come to this venue to speak to the Programme Director and Childcare Manager.

The children reside in one house or unit at Frank Avenue, Highlands Estate. The house can cater for a maximum of 9 children.

The children are cared for by childcare workers. They are carefully selected and they have to deal with a range of problems with the children. This is made more difficult by the psychiatric conditions that some of the children suffer from.

The ratio of childcare workers to children is crucial to understanding the success that Oranjia has achieved. It is only by employing high quality and motivated childcare workers that the child’s emotional needs can be met and the children properly supervised.

Oranjia’s Programme Director assumes overall responsibility for the children’s well-being and are the children’s legal custodians. She draft reports for and make recommendations to the Department of Social Development and also assist where necessary at Children’s Court inquiries. Their most crucial function is to hold regular meetings with the childcare workers on the progress and functioning of the various children in the units. Difficult cases are discussed and the Programme director provide crucial input and guidance to the childcare workers. The childcare workers are also required to keep records of each child’s behaviour and other relevant psycho-social information. These records are completed and filed after every shift. Regular Supervision, Team Meetings, Case Conferences and Consultation with outside Professionals take place.

Childcare workers are professional people (who are not nannies or substitute parents) who are suitably skilled and qualified to deal with the whole spectrum of problems, which arises around a “child at risk”. This includes children/adolescents with severe emotional and/or behevioural problems as well as children from dysfunctional families, social problems, e.g. material needs not being met, divorce, neglect or abuse.

On a daily basis the childcare worker has to care for the child/adolescent in many different areas:

a)   Physical Care
This includes the routine activities of proper feeding, clothing, hygiene and medical attention. It also takes care of all physical needs a child may experience – from security to activities and exercise.

b)   Educational Care
Individual homework supervision is given to every child and with the help of the Childcare and Education Manager, every educational need of the child is catered for (children who are identified as in need of professional remedial help are referred to tutors or specific professionals who can assist with their academic needs.) Regular contact is kept with the school to monitor the child’s functioning at school (both academically as well as emotionally).

c)   Emotional Care
By far the most important aspect of childcare is the daily managing of the child’s emotional well-being. A well known childcare worker has called child care the “other 23 hours”, referring to the one hour a day that could be spent in consultation with a therapist, which leaves the rest of the day to the childcare worker to deal with the child and his issues as they arise in his day to day life.

The childcare worker has to be constantly aware of a child’s emotional needs and with knowledge and consistent coaching help a child to “work through issues” and change unacceptable behaviour to socially accepted behavior. Ultimately they childcare worker makes use of every second of the day to each, explain and help a child to reach his/her full potential.

d)   Family Care
Every child comes from a family – no child exists in isolation and the childcare workers’ aim is to work with the family to reach a point where the child can be re-admitted to his/her family/community. Practically this means that the childcare worker keeps in contact with the family, supervises their visitations (where necessary) and help parents to acquire skills and knowledge needed to deal with their child.

Lastly, a childcare worker has to keep up with all the knowledge/information about childcare and be a permanent student to assure that each child in his/her care receives the best possible care and opportunities.