South African Social Security Agency
Foster Child Grant
National R1,180 / month Court order required Ongoing intake
At a glance
Amount
R1,180 / month
Paid to
Foster parent
Child age
0-17 years
Court order
Required
Means test
Not applied
Application
SASSA branch (in-person)
Processing time
Up to 3 months
Backpay
From application date
Who qualifies
- South African citizen, permanent resident, or recognised refugee
- You have a valid court order placing the child in your care as foster parent
- Child is under 18 years old
- Child and foster parent live in South Africa
- You are not the biological parent of the child
Who does not qualify
- Biological parents caring for their own child (apply for Child Support Grant)
- Informal caregivers without a court order (apply for Child Support Grant)
- Foster order has lapsed or expired
- Non-residents of South Africa
Documents you bring
- Your 13-digit barcoded ID or Smart ID card
- Original valid court order placing the child in your foster care
- Child's original birth certificate (with ID number)
- Proof of residence (utility bill or affidavit)
- Clinic card or immunisation record for the child
- School report (if child is school-going age)
- Spouse's ID and marriage certificate (if married)
All copies must be certified. Certification stamp must be dated within the last 3 months. The court order must be original and not expired.
How to apply
- Obtain a valid court order from the Children's Court placing the child in your foster care.
- Gather the documents above.
- Visit your nearest SASSA branch early (queues start before 07:00).
- An officer captures the application directly on the SOCPEN system.
- You receive a stamped receipt with a reference number. Keep it.
- Application processed within 3 months. You get an SMS on the outcome.
- If approved, backpay is calculated from the day you applied, not approval date.
Court orders expire (typically after 2 years). SASSA suspends the grant when the order lapses. Extend or renew the order at the Children's Court BEFORE it expires.
The court order, not SASSA, is the real bottleneck
Most Foster Child Grant suspensions are triggered by lapsed court orders, not by SASSA changing your file. Diarise the renewal date the moment the order is issued: Children's Court dockets can take 3-6 months to move, so start the extension application at least 6 months before the current order's expiry to avoid a payment gap.