E. Family environment and foster parentage 29. The Committee notes with satisfaction the financial assistance provided to poor families through cash grants, food packages, and bursaries. The Committee encourages the State Party to strengthen these support mechanisms and make them accessible to all children and families who are vulnerable including child headed families. However, the Committee urges the State Party to address the causes of vulnerability including unemployment of parents; and HIV/AIDS leading to orphan hood. 30. The Committee also notes that there are privately run Residential Care Facilities for abandoned children. The Committee recommends that such facilities are also established in Thaba Tseka and Qacha’s Nek. In addition, the Committee recommends that the Government undertakes continuous monitoring and evaluation to assess if these facilities are complying with the Standards of Care Guidelines. Moreover, the Committee recommends for the State Party to devise mechanisms such as referral systems through which separated children are put in the Residential Care Facilities. As the facilities are run by private proprietors, it is also important for the State Party to closely collaborate with them and assist them in keeping records ad tracks of children put in the facilities 31. While commending the provision of maintenance of children born out of wedlock at the Victims Office, the Committee recommends for the State Party to oblige noncustodial parents to maintain children; and to work towards changing the societal attitude towards children born out of wedlock. It is the Committee’s view that the best environment for children to grow up is a healthy family; hence the Committee encourages the State Party to ensure that parents maintain their children unless separation is in the best interest of the child. However, in the event that parents are abusing or exploiting their children for economic or cultural reasons, the Committee recommends that the State Party holds such parents accountable and place children in alternative care centers or preferably in a family setting. 32. Furthermore, the Committee encourages the State Party to strengthen family reunification programs and strategies to reunify children who are separated but whose parents are alive. 33. The Committee commends that the State Party has adopted the Foster Care and Adoption Policy and Adoptions Practice Guidelines; and applies the subsidiarity principle of international adoptions. Nevertheless, the local community has negative perception about adoptions. Therefore, the Committee recommends that the State Party promotes domestic adoptions through sensitization of the society. The Committee also recommends that the State Party takes necessary measures to deinstitutionalize children put in Residential Care Facilities by making sufficient investigation of those children whose parents are alive; who have close relatives to take care of them; and those who are eligible to adoption. 7