The SASSA Foster Child Grant helps support a child who has been legally placed in your foster care by a court. This page explains who qualifies, why the court order matters so much, what documents are needed, how the application works, what the current grant amount is, and what can cause the grant to be reviewed, suspended, or lapse.
This is not the same as an ordinary caregiver grant. The foster child grant is built around a legal foster-care placement, not just the fact that you are helping to raise a child. For the wider parent guide that compares this route with the other main grant families, use the SASSA grants guide.
This page is an independent informational utility. It is not affiliated with SASSA or the South African government. Always confirm final requirements and submit official actions on verified portals.
What the Foster Child Grant Is
The Foster Child Grant is for a child who has been placed in your care through a valid Children’s Court order. The grant is built around the child’s legal foster-care status, not around a general caregiving situation.
For 2026, the grant amount is R1,290 per month. The most important practical point is that you cannot apply successfully without the legal foster-care order.
Core rule:
If there is no valid foster-care court order, this is usually not the right grant route.
Who Qualifies for the Foster Child Grant
The official rules are built around residence, legal placement, and the child remaining in your care.
- You and the child must live in South Africa.
- You must be a South African citizen, permanent resident, or refugee.
- The child must have been placed in your legal foster care.
- You must have a valid court order confirming that placement.
- The child must remain in your care.
Foster Child Grant Route Checker
Use this quick check before you start. It does not approve the grant. It simply helps you spot whether the foster-child route is the right one.
No Means Test Rule
The Foster Child Grant is different from grants like Child Support Grant because it does not use a means test. That means the grant does not rise or fall based on the usual caregiver income threshold.
What matters more here is the child’s legal foster-care placement and whether the placement still stands.
Required Documents
This grant becomes much easier to manage when you separate the case into identity, relationship, and court-order documents.
Identity documents
- Your identity document
- Your spouse’s identity document where applicable
- The foster child’s birth certificate
Relationship documents
- Proof of spousal relationship status where applicable
- A sworn statement or affidavit where required
- Marriage, divorce, or death-certificate records where relevant
Legal placement documents
- The court order placing the child in your foster care
- Any supporting social-worker paperwork if the office requests it
- Your receipt once the application is lodged
Missing ID or birth certificate?
The official booklet says SASSA can provide an affidavit path in some missing-document situations while records are being fixed.
How to Apply
The court order comes first. Without it, the foster-child route does not normally move forward.
- First contact a social worker from the nearest Department of Social Development office for help with the court-order process.
- Once the foster-care placement is legally confirmed, apply through the nearest SASSA office or continue through the official SASSA services portal flow available to you.
- Take your identity documents, the child’s birth certificate, proof of relationship where needed, and the court order.
- Complete the application in the presence of a SASSA official where office help is needed.
- Keep the dated stamped receipt or portal confirmation as proof that you applied.
You do not have to pay any money to apply.
When Payment Starts
If the grant is approved, payment runs from the date of the legal placement of the child in your care by the Children’s Court, not simply from the day you first started looking after the child informally.
Payments and Reviews
The Foster Child Grant pays R1,290 per month. The booklet lists payment through cash at designated pay points or through a bank including Postbank.
Review rule:
SASSA must notify you in writing at least three months before a review. Foster Child Grants are reviewed on the expiry date of the court order or extension order.
Suspension and Lapse Risks
Suspension risks
- the grant is not claimed for three consecutive months
- you are absent from South Africa for more than 90 days
- you cease to be a refugee where that status matters
- failure to co-operate during review
- fraud or misrepresentation
- the grant was approved in error
Restoration rule
- An application for restoration must be made within 90 days of suspension.
Lapse risks
- the child passes away
- the foster parent passes away
- the child is no longer in your custody as foster parent
- the end of the calendar year in which the child turns 18
- when the child leaves school
If the Application Is Unsuccessful
If the application is refused, SASSA must inform you in writing of the reasons, your right to request reconsideration, and your right to appeal.
Appeal help: Use the SASSA appeals guide if you need the appeal route explained clearly.
Official References
FAQs
Who can qualify for the Foster Child Grant?
A foster parent can qualify if the child has been legally placed in their care by a court, both applicant and child live in South Africa, the applicant is a citizen, permanent resident or refugee, and the child remains in their care.
How much is the Foster Child Grant in 2026?
The grant is R1,290 per month.
Is there a means test on my income?
No. The Foster Child Grant does not use the normal means test.
Can I apply without a court order?
No. The legal foster-care order is central to this grant route.
Can Foster Child Grant applications be done online?
The general grants booklet says foster child grant applications can be done through the SASSA services portal, but the court-order and document side of the case still makes office-based help important in many real cases.
When does payment start if the grant is approved?
Payment runs from the date of the legal placement of the child in your care by the Children’s Court.
What can cause the grant to lapse?
The grant can lapse when the child dies, the foster parent dies, the child is no longer in the foster parent’s custody, at the end of the calendar year in which the child turns 18, or when the child leaves school.