“Born in My Heart”: Gauteng Teacher Uses Salary To Care for Foster Kids

• A Grade R teacher in Randburg runs a foster home for children with disabilities and special needs, often getting by on just two hours of sleep a night
• She dips into her own salary whenever funds run short, making sure every child in her care has what they need
• Her story has struck a chord with people online, who say her dedication shows real love in action

A Gauteng teacher is proving that one person really can change lives, even while running on almost no sleep.

Lauren Matthewson-Woolard, a 44-year-old Grade R educator, runs Bella's Blessings in Randburg, a foster home dedicated to caring for babies and toddlers with disabilities and special needs.

Alongside her full-time teaching job, she manages round-the-clock care for her foster children, from therapy sessions to daily medical needs, often surviving on just two hours of sleep a night.

When funds run low, she doesn't hesitate to use her own salary to keep things going.

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Lauren's journey into fostering wasn't planned. As a teacher, she took in a child from her own classroom who had been abandoned and urgently needed a safe place to stay.

"I knew that, because of her physical disability, she was especially vulnerable, and I couldn't bear the thought of her being lost in the system," she said.

Within hours, the child was placed in her care, marking the start of what she now calls the most meaningful chapter of her life.

Turning a house into a home for vulnerable children

Bella's Blessings has since grown into a haven for children who need extra care and support. Lauren describes her role as being their "heart mommy," explaining that family isn't only about bloodlines.

She and her children have honest, gentle conversations about their biological families when the time feels right, always centring their care around love, honesty and belonging.

One of the babies in her care arrived with a difficult prognosis, with doctors warning she may never walk or smile. Today, that same child is running, laughing and lighting up every room she enters, something Lauren credits to constant love and reassurance.

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Why support matters so much

Running a foster home for children with special needs comes with real financial pressure. Medical bills, therapy, and daily essentials add up quickly, and Lauren has said her biggest fear is having to turn a child away or fall short on a promise she's made.

Even small donations to their Back-a-Buddy account or items like nappies or groceries make a real difference to keeping the home running.

More on South African teachers

• Briefly News recently reported on a South African teacher living abroad whose petrol station video left Mzansi both amazed and frustrated.
• A well-loved school leader's passing brought several Bloemfontein schools together in tribute, with one detail about his career showing just how much he was respected.
• A university's Faculty of Education mourned the sudden loss of a student who had also left a lasting impression at the primary school where she completed her practical teaching.

Source: Briefly News