Given that the well-being of many children is being severely compromised by the HIV/AIDS pandemic, compounded by deep poverty and recurrent cycles of floods and drought, schools have been identified as potential gateways for service delivery, or so-called ‘nodes for care and support’. The 28,000 schools across South Africa have huge potential to be such 'gateways' for a range of services for children. Schools are accessible; children spend a lot of time at school over many years; and they represent an existing network of children, caregivers, educators and school governing bodies.

Realising the notion of schools becoming ‘nodes of care and support’ involves mobilising community and government resources and integrating service delivery at the school site to meet the needs of children who are affected by widespread HIV, AIDS and poverty. It is also crucial to support teachers who inevitably take on an ever-increasing burden of support in communities with inadequate service provision. A key consideration of the Caring Schools Project is therefore not to place a bigger burden on educators but to find ways to support school communities to face this growing challenge.

The project is in partnership with the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU) and involves developing a capacity-building programme aimed at expanding the roles of schools as ‘nodes of care and support’ to vulnerable children in the context of HIV/AIDS. The capacity-building programme is presented in the form of a “Champions for Children Handbook”. It is envisaged that the handbook will be used by community, civil society and government role-players to develop and sustain multi-sectoral teams to realise child rights and support child well-being.

The handbook is being piloted in 2008 to research and generate understanding of the potential and limitations of the expanded role for schools as ‘nodes of care and support’. The capacity-building programme approach will be tested, reviewed and strengthened through partnerships with individuals and organisations across provinces. Partners include the Catholic Institute of Education, Save the Children UK and Targeted AIDS Intervention.

The project also provides strategic planning and support to the Caring Schools Network and is leading the Stop AIDS Now! (SAN!) Networks of Care learning track.

The Caring Schools Project is funded by SADTU, Rockefeller Brothers NY, IBIS and Stop AIDS Now!