Impilo Child Protection & Adoption Services

Impilo (meaning “to give life” in Zulu) is a registered Non-Profit Organisation (055-213-NPO), Non-Profit Company (NPC – 2003/012123/08), and Public Benefit Organisation (PBO – 930005449). We provide comprehensive child protection and adoption services to approximately 150 children at any given time across the Gauteng region, including Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni (Benoni), and Sedibeng.

Our work includes:

• Temporary Safe Care for children in crisis while we assess and secure permanent family placements.
• Family Reunification and Empowerment services aimed at preserving and strengthening families whenever possible.
• A safe bed network of nine partner facilities supporting 135 children.

We are proud that 95% of our children are placed within family environments within two years, and 98% of these placements are successful — thanks to rigorous screening, preparation, and follow-up.

Our Goal

To ensure that every at-risk child in South Africa lives in a safe, loving, and permanent home within a family they can call their own.

Our Mission

To protect and care for orphaned, vulnerable, and abandoned children through professional, compassionate services guided by the best interests of the child. We aim to strengthen, protect, and preserve families, empowering mothers and parents to care for their children within their communities.

Our Objectives

1. Deliver early and effective child protection interventions.
2. Empower parents to care for their children in their families and communities.
3. Find suitable alternative families when reunification is not possible.
4. Build community awareness and capacity around child protection and adoption.

Why Our Services Are Needed

Despite South Africa’s progressive child protection laws, challenges persist, including:

• Inadequate prevention and early intervention services.
• Poor quality and prolonged alternative residential care.
• Gaps in protection for vulnerable groups such as refugee and disabled children.
• Insufficient human and financial resources.
• Weak institutional and accountability mechanisms.

For these reasons, Impilo’s work is vital — bridging the gap between policy and practical, sustainable care for our most vulnerable children.