Where does a child go when they are only permitted to see a parent under supervision? The Treehouse Family Centre – a safe and welcoming space where vulnerable children can build lasting bonds and feel secure with the parents they don’t currently longer live with.
Cape Town, South Africa (16 September 2026) – We so often hear about vulnerable children being removed from problematic homes, or the heartwarming side where they get a second chance with a loving family. But where does a child go when they are only permitted to see a parent under supervision?
This is a recurring challenge that family-law advocate Jade Lawson encountered throughout her career.
“Courts and professionals could recommend supervised contact, but families often had no suitable place for it to happen,” she tells us.
Jade found that children were meeting parents in offices, restaurants and public spaces that were not designed to make them feel safe or comfortable.
And so, Jade, through the Samuel Lawson Foundation NPC, decided to create that place.
On 8 September 2026, the Foundation officially opened the Treehouse Family Centre in Table View, Cape Town. It is a warm, neutral and child-friendly space where children can spend time with a parent they do not live with, under professional supervision where required.
“The Foundation is named in memory of our son, Samuel,” Jade explains.
“The Treehouse is part of the legacy we are building through his name, creating something that gives other children safety, connection and hope during difficult family transitions,” Jade explains.
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The Foundation also uses a means-tested fee structure because its run by members who do not believe these services should be available only to families who can afford expensive private intervention.
At its core, every service at the Treehouse is dedicated to one mission: helping children maintain meaningful relationships with the parents they don’t live with.
Jade invites her fellow family law professionals, social workers, counsellors and everyone working with families to keep The Treehouse in mind when they have a family who needs a safe space and the right support.
“The doors are open. Now let’s get the families who need us through them.”
For more information, visit the Samuel Lawson Foundation website and Facebook page.
Sources: Jade Lawson
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