After 30 years of serving the community as a Children’s Home — or what many would call an orphanage — TLC has evolved into a Children’s Centre, operating as a registered charitable Early Childhood Development Centre. We provide responsive, nurturing care and quality early education for little ones from families in crisis or facing hardship. Through Embrace Village, we also work closely with parents and caregivers, strengthening families, building resilience, and creating lasting stability — so that children can grow and thrive where they truly belong: in family.
“The numbers in our Centre fluctuate throughout the year, but on average, about 50 children are enrolled and attend our programs daily. Our focus is on quality care and early education during this crucial stage of development.
Beyond that, we continue to support around 20 school-going children — some are part of our legacy TLC family, some belong to our Mother’s Hope program, and others come from our immediate community.
Yes! TLC is listed on CommunityHours.co.za for participating schools, and we’re happy to host high school and college students completing community service. We also offer approved at-home volunteer opportunities most of which align with IEB-recognized activities — so students can serve meaningfully from the comfort of their own home.
– Start the process and sign up on our Volunteer Form!
It’s thanks to the generosity of our supporter community. Our Centre and the wider Embrace Village programs are sustained almost entirely by donations from individuals, businesses, schools, and churches — along with proceeds from our charity shop and Village Market. Every contribution helps us nurture children, empower parents, and strengthen the fabric of our community.
– Take a look at our Thank You Wall where we highlight some of the amazing people who have sown into our village.
Our transition to an ECD model reflects both conviction and necessity. The truth is, by 2024, we faced growing hostility from the Gauteng Department of Social Development, which had begun systematically closing CYCCs — especially those caring for infants — in favour of foster care.
Despite our best efforts, the system became increasingly bureaucratic and disconnected from children’s real needs. In August 2024, when DSD removed our babies and children and placed them elsewhere, we were devastated — but also resolute. We realised we could no longer operate within a system that perpetuated trauma rather than preventing it.
So, we chose to go upstream. By shifting into Early Childhood Development, we can intervene earlier, supporting vulnerable families before crisis escalates. It was not the easy choice — but it was the right one. And today, we’re already seeing families move from desolation to hope, which makes every hard step worth it.
As part of our Early Childhood Development model, TLC runs weekday programs focused on early learning, play, and emotional growth. Our children go home to their families over weekends, because our goal is to strengthen family bonds — not replace them.
In the bigger picture, this reflects our shift toward prevention: helping families build stability long before separation ever becomes necessary.
Our children are referred to us from within our local community networks when there’s instability, trauma, or a need for temporary support. While they’re with us, we focus on developmental growth, emotional safety, and helping families access the resources they need to reunite and rebuild. Once a child enters our Centre, we commit to walking alongside them and their family for as long as they stay engaged in our programs — or until the child graduates to primary school, or the family moves away.
We last received government funding in March 2020. Since then, every meal, every teacher, every light that stays on — has been sustained through the incredible generosity of individuals, schools, businesses, grant-makers, and faith communities who believe in what we do. It’s been both an immense challenge and an extraordinary privilege to witness how community has carried this work forward.
Yes, and we’re deeply grateful for them! Pre-loved clothing, baby items, toys, books, furniture, and household goods help us meet needs within our village and raise essential funds through sales. Some items also stock our Share Barn, where families can access essentials through our internal reward-points program. We just ask that items be clean and in good condition — and if possible, delivered directly to our Centre. Every contribution truly helps keep the Village running.
– Visit our Get Involved page where you can download our lastest Support Guide!
– Offer your gifts to us in our Item Donation Form to arrange delivery or collection.
There are so many ways to get involved! You can volunteer individually or as part of a group — whether you’re a student, a professional, or simply someone with a heart to serve. We host service days for corporates, churches, and families, and we also welcome international volunteers who are able to arrange and fund their own accommodation locally. Just visit our Volunteer page or fill out our sign-up form — and we’ll help you find a meaningful way to.
Our Centre runs Monday to Friday for our children’s daily programs. On weekends, we’re closed to the public — although we do occasionally host scheduled events, group service days, or workshops. While our beneficiaries aren’t onsite on weekends, we’re always happy to arrange one-on-one Tea & Tour visits during our 9am Saturday slot, by appointment, depending on management availability. If you or your group would like to visit or serve, reach out — we’d love to plan something meaningful together.
No — that chapter has closed, and a new one has begun. TLC is no longer a children’s home or orphanage. We’ve grown into an Early Childhood Development Centre and community hub focused on prevention, education, and family strengthening.
This change allows us to reach far more children by equipping and supporting the families and systems around them — addressing the root causes of vulnerability before children are displaced. It’s about prevention rather than reaction, and about building stronger families, not just rescuing broken ones.
Yes! TLC Children’s Centre is a registered Public Benefit Organisation. All eligible donations qualify for a Section 18A tax certificate. At the moment, we issue tax receipts upon request — but we’re working toward automating that process. We can also issue tax receipts for in-kind donations if an invoice is provided. For our international supporters, US donations through GlobalGiving and UK donations through Stewardship are both tax-deductible or gift-aid eligible.
– Request your South African Section 18A Reciept.