SASSA Foster Care Grant: Eligibility, Amount And Application Guide

SASSA Foster Care Grant – Caring for a child or choosing to raise vulnerable children is not easy. Just like raising any other child, whether that child is biologically yours or not. It not only comes with full-blown responsibility but also financial capabilities. That is why the SASSa Foster Care Grant is available.

The grant is basically for persons or parents who have taken on children who are in foster care to take care of them. SASSA issues these parents a monthly amount of money to help care for the child in their care. In this article, we will take the time to discuss everything you need to know about the SASSA foster care grant, including who is eligible, the amount they will receive at the end of the month, and a comprehensive application guide. All these will be discussed in the preceding paragraphs.

Who Qualifies For A Foster Child Grant?

If you are interested in taking up a foster child, you may be wondering what the qualifications are. Remember, SASSA will not give away a child who has no mother or father or a child who is in a foster home, to just anybody. The person has to meet certain requirements, hence the need for prospective foster parents to know what will make them qualify for this grant.

But before we get into the qualification, let’s talk a little about what a foster child grant is in the first place. The foster child grant is simply a token of money that is given to parents who have foster children in their care. Caring for children is no easy job; paying their fees, clothing, shelter and providing food for them all come at a cost, and most times, a parent needs all the support and help there is. That is what the foster child care grant is all about. SASSA provide these parents with support in the form of money to supplement what they have to take care of the foster children in their care.

A parent who would love to benefit from this grant has to qualify to be a part of the grant. Here are the qualifications or requirements;

A parent qualifies if a child has been placed in their care through the legal foster care order. What this means is that the parent has to go the legal way in securing the child to be their foster child. A court order has to be issued.
The child who is going to be under foster care needs to be under 18 years old. What this is saying is that any child who is above 18 cannot be under foster care. They have to be below that age. This is because 18 years is mostly considered a legal age where any child can make decisions for themselves, but with guidance. A child below that age needs to be taken care of holistically.
To qualify for the SASSA foster care grant, the child has to be living with you. This means that the child should be living in the same house or home with you. You have to be the primary caretaker of the child, making sure they have access to basic needs.
The child has to be a South African, have permanent residency or has to be a refugee. If you are looking to enjoy the benefits that come with the SASSA foster care grant, the child in your care has to be a South African, or they must have a permanent residency in the country, as the grant is only for these categories of people.
You will be a beneficiary of the grant if you can provide the required documents, including the court order, ID documents, and proof of the child’s status. These will be your supporting documents. These are what will serve as proof or confirm that what you are saying is the truth.

So, that is basically all that there is to know about who qualifies to be a beneficiary of the SASSA foster care grant. If you are looking to be a foster parent who can also enjoy these benefits, make sure you meet all of the above requirements, and before you know it, you will be enjoying under the scheme.

READ ALSO: SRD SASSA Status Check

SASSA Foster Care Grant Application Process

Now that you know the requirements that you need to be under the SASSA foster care grant, it is time to know how to apply for the grant. Before that, let’s do a review of the requirements here;

Making sure the child you have in your care is through the legal means.
The child must be above the age of 18 years old.
Make sure you have all the required documents that prove that the child is legally in your care.
Living under the same roof with the child.
Being the primary caretaker of the child.
The child has to be a South African, a refugee or have permanent residence.

Now, the application process.

The first thing you have to do is to visit the SASSA office, any of the SASSA offices.
When you are going, make sure you have these documents: your ID card or refugee permit if applicable, the birth certificate of the fostered child or their ID card. a court order that legally places the child in your care, and proof of your marital certificate if and when applicable.
The next thing is filling in and completing the SASSA form. You will find the form at the SASSA office. Only you or a SASSA official will be able to fill this form.
The next thing is to keep the receipt of the application. You will need to present your receipt when it is time for you to receive your grant.
It will take up to three months for the application to be processed. If your application is processed, payments are backdated to when the child was legally placed in your care.

Foster Grant Status And Payment

When you apply for the Foster Grant, you will have to keep yourself posted on the application status. You would want to know if your application has been accepted or not. This is where the application status comes in.

In simple terms, the Foster Grant status checks the true state of your application. If you wish to check your application status, this is what you can do;

The first thing you need to do is to visit the SASSA official website.
Once you are there, log in with your details to gain access to the self-portal.
You can now key in your application ID and the number you used when registering for the SASSA foster child grant.
Navigate to the application status to find out the status of your application.

The other option is visiting any of the SASSA offices. Once you get there, you can ask for assistance from any of the officers there and seek assistance from them.

You can also check your bank statement regularly to see if the payment has been reflected. In most cases, SASSA pays into your bank account, so once you receive any payment, be certain that the grant money has been paid.

Last but not least, you can always call any of the SASSA contact numbers to find out the status of your application.

The SASSA status gives you an idea of the state of your application. Each status has a meaning, and the state of your status is what will inform your decision as to whether you should reapply or simply wait for SASSA to get back.

Payment Frequency: This is the number of times you receive payment in a month.
Backpay: In a case where your application is confirmed late, you will be paid all the money that was due to you when the application was confirmed.
Grant review: The grant is typically reviewed every two years (or when the legal foster care order expires) to verify eligibility.
Bank payment or payment method: This is the means or channel SASSA uses to pay for the grant. The grant is paid to your bank account number. The one that you provided in your application.
Payment reference: The grant is typically reviewed every two years (or when the legal foster care order expires) to verify eligibility.

Pending: This means that your application is still in the process. SASSA has not fully finished processing your application.
Awaiting Documents: SASSA has not completed your application because they are still waiting for some valid documents from you.
Approved: SASSA has approved your application. You have to look out for payment dates.
Rejected: What this means is that your application has been rejected. This may be due to expired documents.

Documents Needed To Apply For A Foster Care Grant

When applying for the SASSA foster care grant, some documents are needed to prove that you are who you say you are. These documents serve as proof of your application. Here is a list of documents that are required when you are applying for the foster care grant;

The first thing you need is your valid South African ID.
Your spouse’s ID if and only if applicable.
The birth certificate of your foster child, that is if they only have one.
A court order that confirms or affirms that the court has legally placed the child in your care.
A proof of your marital status, if applicable.
Refugee permit, if applicable.

Once you have all of these documents, you will be able to apply for this grant with less to no stress at all.

Conditions For Suspension Of Foster Care Grants

There are certain times when SASSA may suspend the payment of the grant. There are a number of reasons why SASSA will suspend the payment of the Foster care grants. Here are some of the reasons why SASSA may suspend foster care grants;

If there is a change in your circumstances, SASSA may suspend your grant. What this means is that, if for some reason you become financially okay or you stop caring for a foster child, SASSA will stop making payments.
Your grant can also be suspended based on the outcome of a review.
The grant will also be suspended if you refuse to show up with the documents SASSA has requested.
Should you present false documents when applying for the grant, it will be suspended when SASSA gets to know about the proof.
Last but not least, if SASSA finds out it made a mistake during the application process and, by extension, approved your application, your grant will be suspended.

Foster Care Grant Payments Dates For 2025

These are dates that SASSA pay the foster care grant. These are the dates for Foster Care Grant Payment Dates in 2025;

Month	Payment Date
March 2025	6 March 2025 Sassa Check
September 2025	4 September 2025 sassas
October 2025	6 October 2025 sassas+1
November 2025	6 November 2025 loan-lenders.co.za+1

Note that the payments are based on the child’s payment cycle.

How Much Is A SASSA Grant For Foster Care?

There is a specified amount of money that is given to beneficiaries of the SASSA grant for foster care. You get R 1,250 per month, per foster child. This money is issued every month for the entire year. What this means is that you will receive 12 times every year.

How Long Does A Foster Care Grant Last?

Once you get accepted into the SASSA Foster Care Grant, you will not be in it forever for certain reasons. The grant lasts for two years. After these two years, you would have to update your status again in order to enjoy the benefits.

In the case where the child who was under your care turns 18 years old, it means that the grant money may be suspended or changed. This is because the grant is mostly for children who are under 18 years old, and once the child is above that age, they will not enjoy the benefits that come with the grant.

How To Contact SASSA Foster Care Grant

There are so many ways you can contact the SASSA Foster Care Grant. These are all the ways you can contact the SASSA foster care grant.

Toll-Free Phone Number: 0800 60 10 11 Government of South Africa+2services.sassa.gov.za+2
Head Office (Pretoria): 012 400 2322 services.sassa.gov.za
Email (Grants Inquiries): GrantsEnquiries@sassa.gov.za sassas+2services.sassa.gov.za+2
WhatsApp Number: +27 82 046 8553 SASSA Status Check+1
SMS / USSD: Dial *134*7737# for grant-related queries SASSA Grant Status Check+1
SASSA Regional Office (Eastern Cape): Tel: 043 707 6335 / Email: GrantsEnquiriesEC@sassa.gov.za

You can also walk right to any of the SASSA offices to make any enquiries. Remember, when you are making an in-person visit, always make sure you call ahead to know their opening hours and their peak seasons.

Conclusion

The SASSA Foster Care Grant is given to parents who have taken it upon themselves to care for children who are in the foster care system. Before someone enjoys the benefits that comes with this grant, they have to make sure they meet certain requirements some of which are making sure they have South African ID cars, making sure they child was legally placed in their care, making sure they live with the child under the same roof and also making sure that, the child is not above 18 years old.

It takes up to three months for SASSA to get back to you after you have applied. Within these three months, you can always check your status to see how far your application is. You can also check your bank to see if SASSA has paid. Once you are approved, you will be paid all the money owed to you from the time you apply. By going through the process and getting all the requirements right, you will soon be a beneficiary of the scheme.