In February 2017 Africa Heartwood Project established a program in Liberia to provide support to poor families who are voluntarily raising the children of relatives who have passed. We call it the Support Program for Orphans in Care of Kin, or S.P.O.C.K.. Our motivation came from the difficult choice we made to close our full-time child welfare institution in Liberia, the Heartwood Orphan Home. While this change was necessary it was heart-breaking, so thankfully all sixteen children who were in our custody were transitioned into family or foster care, or to the Heartwood Halfway House, executed with the blessing of the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection (MGCSP). Without the need to increase spending, we have able to expand our positive influence by enrolling additional children, mostly ebola orphans. Our monthly SPOCK donors are now supporting 140 orphan children in 50 households!

The SPOCK system is simple, and addresses the greatest need of families who struggle financially under the burden of caring for additional children: Extra cash to use for the greatest household need. Through a social worker, each month we distribute money to the female head of household as financial relief for the family ($10-$25 depending on age and financial need), scholarship funds to pay for government education ($25-$100/year), and an annual holiday gift ($20). So long as the children are under the age of 18, being cared for full time in the home of the family, and are attending school, they will continue to benefit from SPOCK, in so far as sponsors continue to donate.

To see a playlist of all videos in this series visit our YouTube Channel.

When a child becomes orphaned in Liberia it is typical for an extended family member or a close family friend to take the child into their home, to raise them as their own. This social norm is based in good will, as there is no public or private program in place for supporting families providing kinship care, and there is no adoption or foster procedure managed by the government. Only in extreme cases does the Ministry of Gender, Children, and Social Protection get involved; it is rare for a child be assigned to an orphanage for full time care, or to qualify for international adoption. Through a series of meetings with leadership at the MGCSP, it became clear that there was a need for somebody to start a program that caters to needy families caring for orphans. A little cash each month – not enough to motivate ill-intention, and enough to provide real relief – along with assurance of funds for education, and a holiday gift, would be just the thing to meet this need. We are happy that Africa Heartwood Project has been able to expand our services to bring hope and relief to many more needy Liberian children in poor families.

Donations are pooled to support all orphan families enrolled for SPOCK support. Each month the distribution amount changes based on the ages and needs of the children and youth, and timing of school registration. The average cost of support per child, including the operation of the Heartwood Halfway House (age 18+ orphans) is about $35/month. Due to the nature of this service, we are unable to offer child-specific sponsorship at this time.