We are the ONLY respite care provider in the Western Cape for life-limited and life-threatened special needs children and young adults.

A totally unique model of children’s hospice and respite care encompassing a holistic approach to free quality care for the whole family. Iris House Children Hospice provides life-changing support for over 570 families allowing them to reach their full potential however limited that may be.

Our purpose to create an enabling socio-economic environment for special needs children and their families by providing best practice respite care, holistic therapies, social support services, and donations.

The 100 percent Free essential services we offer include:

Respite (relief) care at our hospice and in 46 communities.

Food Donations.
Sustainable Gardening Skills Development.
Medical training.
Social Support Services.
Parent Support Groups.
Foster Parent Training.
Donation of nappies, medical supplies, and essential items.
Adaptive Surfing.
Equine Therapy.

A doggy daycare/protective workshop offering jobs to unemployed youth with special needs).
Despite receiving a small grant from the government, we have always prided ourselves on being sustainable through consistent and targeted fundraising, which has allowed us to raise the majority of funds needed to sustain our services. However, since the onset of Covid19, we had to cancel our events and took to online fundraising, with limited results in comparison.

This has put a huge amount of strain on our finances, we have already had to tap into our reserves to keep going. In tandem, the need for our services has increased with new applications up by 38 percent since the onset of the pandemic.

In desperate need of funds to continue providing essential services to the most vulnerable in our society, we call on you, to help us, help the 598 families, who deserve every bit of support we can give them.

Our goal is to raise R500,000.00, and in doing so, we would ensure the sustainability of Iris House for the balance of 2021. The alternative of charging for our services would mean that those most vulnerable, the poorest of the poor who desperately need assistance would not be able to afford our services.

Quality care is NOT a luxury but a right for every special needs child no matter their race, gender, or level of income. Over 87 percent of our families survive on their disability grant alone.