Give the TLC Babies an Upgraded Nursery

Dear Wonderful Supporters of TLC! 

We are so grateful for each and every person's support of this project since it started in 2017! However, we will be deactivating this project to shift our focus onto sustainable funding strategies. Since our last heartbreaking announcement in December (that we are facing potential closure within 6 months due to financial difficulties) we are so grateful to be able to tell you that there is hope on the horizon for TLC! After our announcement we gratefully received much assistance in servicing our debt, as well as many new pledges of support through our monthly giving Adopt-A-Cot sponsorship programme. We have now officially moved the benchmark for re-evaluating the threat of TLC's closure to the end of 2019! While we are not fully in the clear we are hopeful that with the help of our amazing supporters we will be able to secure the sustainable funding needed to keep us going for as long as there are babies that need our services. <3

That brings us to the official announcement that we will be closing this specific project so as to focus our energy on the most urgent need at the moment, which is to generate a donor base of supporters who help to contribute toward our monthly costs. Going forward we will be giving more attention to out Adopt-A-Cot campaign. Please consider joining as we work toward securing our future.

Here are our latest Adopt-A-Cot Fast Facts:

• We have R104,400 of our R350,000 monthly costs funded.
• 1,044 cots adopted of 3,500
• 100 cots cover the costs of 1 child = R10,000, US$730, €640, £566
• 10 children are fully sponsored! Yay!
• We're nearly a third of the way. Let's get that number even higher!

We often get asked why it costs TLC so much to care for a baby every month. This is our answer:


While this figure may seem exorbitant for one child, especially in comparison to a regular family environment, we have many costs associated with providing 24 hour, quality care for each child in our home which we have averaged out between the children to make up this figure. To give you some insight I will elaborate on the detail of these costs below =) 

Please bear in mind these costs were significantly lower even just a few years ago. With the ever increasing cost of living in SA many of the following costs have dramatically increased over the past few years: 24 hour care (caregivers and teachers), an onsite social worker, support staff to ensure our facility runs smoothly (cleaning, cooking, grounds and maintenance), logistical expenses (drivers, vehicle services and maintenance, fuel for school runs, grocery runs, taking children to court, taking children for their vaccinations or therapy, occasional outings, collecting donations, etc.), consumable expenses (formula, nappies, food, juice, wetwipes, toiletries, cleaning products, household products, etc), medical expenses (medication, syringes, plasters, teething gels, nebulizers, apnoea mats, etc.) , therapy expenses (occupational, physio, speech, etc.), schooling equipment and fees (most of our children over 2years are schooled onsite, however we do have a few children in grade R and primary school which include special needs and remedial schools, pre-school), refuse collection, laundry maintenance (because of the high volume of laundry we do our machines need regular maintenance and repair), electricity bills, security bills, management and administrational costs. 

I hope this gives you a clearer understanding. Also, please know we are audited by the DSD regularly and had an extensive private audit done last year. We are committed to transparency and handling our funds responsibly. 

On an more behind the scenes note, on the 9th of February, we had our AGM at which we had a few fresh new faces join our board of trustees. We acknowledge there is a lot of growth and change on our horizon and we need some expert help! With their guidance we are very excited to see how we are able to serve the vulnerable babies of our community better, provided we are granted the grace of funds to continue. We know with this strong complement of professionals our leadership is in a strong position to help us navigate whatever this year brings our way.  

Once again, from the entire TLC Team (all the babies and children included), we Thank You sincerely for your love and dedication in supporting our home. We really could not provide the loving care to these little ones without your support. You make all the difference in ensuring we can be the safe space these little ones can thrive in while we look for their forever families. <3 

We appreciate you more than we can ever express!

As always if there are any questions, comments or suggestions please don't hesitate to get in touch.

With Sincere Gratitude and
Kind Regards,
Faith Abrahams
Communications Manager.

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