As a result of the enormous need for specialised care for the profoundly intellectually disabled, Woodside was established in 1976. The initial intake of residents was 20. This however grew rapidly to the present number of 90 residents, which is our current capacity. We are located on the corner of 7th Avenue and Lawson Road in Rondebosch East. We have been offering this vital service for 31 years.
After a phenomenal 31 years Woodside Special Care Centre is still the leader in providing excellent care to intellectually disabled children and young adults as well as their families. Many of our children know only Woodside as their home and the staff as their families. 30 of our children have been abandoned and orphaned and the courts, as a result of abuse or neglect (against the child), have placed others here. It is for this reason we try and give them a life that is a close to normal as they can have.
All our children ask is that we love them and care for them and at Woodside Special Care Centre we do much more than that our service levels are top notch and comprises of in house therapeutic activities such as physiotherapy, occupational therapy, self-help skills, 24 hour professional nursing as well as a Day Care Centre for mentally disabled adults.
Their daily programme comprises of:
Sensory & motor stimulation
Outside play / music
Physiotherapy
Feeding and toilet training skills
Walks, correct positioning in their wheelchairs
Indoor play to prevent boredom.
Because of the intensity of the care provided to our children the cost of keeping a child at Woodside costs R 4800,00 per month.
It is estimated that 4 in every thousand babies are born with some form of brain damage. Below is a list of conditions/diagnoses that can lead to permanent brain damage:
Cerebral Palsy; Fetal Alcohol Syndrome - Alcohol & pregnancy DO NOT MIX. "You have a choice, your baby doesn't"; Downe's Syndrome; Accidents: The Golden Rule: "Never leave a child alone near water"; Physical Abuse. *(More information can be obtained about these pathologies on their websites.)
Still other children sustain brain damage in the early years of their lives caused in a variety of ways; difficult births; brain tumors to name but a couple. Although, normally, children develop at their own pace, all children progress through an identifiable sequence of physical, cognitive and emotional growth stages and changes. It is therefore essential that children should be exposed to social as well as educational stimuli from an early age. Understandably intellectually disabled children require more specialized intervention as the children at Woodside have all been assessed to have an IQ below 25; that is to say, they will never function above the mental age of a two year old child. Our children enjoy playing games or doing activities that gives meaning to their day. We have recently launched our Educator program where the children are being exposed to all forms of play including water play. This has had such a significant effect on the children, and also helps to alleviate the boredom.
At Woodside we believe it is our duty to make the public aware of the plight of our children. Woodside Special Care Centre really has a unique story which can only be told in many unspoken words when you walk through the wards and realize that these children will never be able to run and play, kick a ball or comprehend, they are a humble group. They have had such a sad start in life as many of them were born with irreversible brain damage. They are oblivious to every bad thing happening in the world; through anger, hate and crime they remain the same, physically and mentally, unchanged they stay trusting, seeking love and attention. We are their keepers and they are our nearly silent, soulful little guardian angels. They make us aware of how much we have to be thankful for because we have health, mobility, independence of thought and we are blessed with countless material possessions that make our lives easier which we so often take for granted.
Besides the services we provide to our children Woodside Special Care Centre hosts tours for church groups, organizations, schools, sponsors, donors and interested individuals. We invite you to visit our sunny facility; it will be an opportunity to meet our wonderful staff and the special children in our care. We also have scheduled fundraising and awareness campaigns that run throughout the year. For more information please contact Cheryl at 021 696 2811. Should you wish to leave us a bequest please speak to your financial advisor or call Hilary on 021 696 2811 for more information.
To be part of the wonderful family at Woodside Special Care Centre we list our bank details and we encourage you to become part of our family.
FNB Claremont
Acc No: 50152756275 Branch Code: 200109 Acc Name: Woodside Special Care Centre Tel: 021 6962811 Fax: 021 6971596 E-mail:cheryl@woodside.org.za FUNDRAISING NO.: 088001780004 WELFARE NO.: 3118 REGISTERED AS A PUBLIC BENEFIT ORGANISATION
Our Wishlist
We are in need of many everyday items. Below we have provided our wish list and should you be able to help with any of the items on the list please do not hesitate to contact our Funding Development Department on 021 696 2811.
