1 PRESENTATION ON CHILD CARE AND PROTECTION SERVICES TO THE PORTFOLIO COMMITTEE 24 JANUARY 2007 CHIEF DIRECTORATE: CHILDREN

2 PURPOSE To brief the Portfolio Committee on the following pertaining to policies and programme for children: –Situational analysis –Legislation –Child Abuse Neglect and Exploitation –Alternative care –ECD –Adoptions and International Social Services (ISS) –Orphans –Children Awaiting Trial –Related policies –Challenges –Opportunities

3 Situation analysis Population of children in the country– 18,9m; Children’s rights not adequately provided in existing legislation; Children and orphans made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS, poverty and unemployment; Child abuse, neglect and exploitation; Children in conflict with the law; Children working and living on the street;

4 POPULATION OF CHILDREN

5 Estimation of Orphans and Vulnerable Children using vital registration data

6 LEGISLATION FOR CHILD CARE AND PROTECTION The broad framework for protection includes: UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child; SA Constitution (No 108/96) – Chapter 8; Child Care Act (No 74 of 1983); Children’s Act (No 38 of 2005); Children’s Amendment Bill

7 Existing Programmes Social Welfare Services to children; Services to orphans and vulnerable children delivered through home community based care/ HIV and AIDS programmes; Social Security –Foster Care –Child Support Grant –Care Dependency Grant

8 Policies and Programmes for Children Child Care Legislation; National Policy Framework; Monitoring and evaluation mechanism for legislation; Policy Framework and Strategy for Prevention and Management of Child Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation; National Child Protection Register (CPR); Early Childhood Development Programme and Expanded Public Works Programme; Alternative Care; Adoptions; International Social Services; Orphans and vulnerable children; Children working and living on the street; Children in conflict with the law; Family Policy;

9 Intersectoral Collaboration Steering Committee on the children’s bill National Child Protection Committee Children’s Committee NACCA: National Action Committee on Children Affected by HIV&AIDS NPA for Human Trafficking & Sexual Offences Office on the Rights of the Child ECD forum HSWS: Heads of Social Welfare Services HSD: Heads of Social Development ISCCJ- Intersectoral Committee on Child Justice

10 Child Care Legislation Children’s Act (No 38 of 2005) Children’s Amendment Bill processes Costing of the Children’s Bill Implementation plans Development of regulations Development of the National Policy Framework Development of the monitoring and evaluation system Training guidelines Implementation plans Norms and standards

11 Policy Framework and Strategy on Child Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation Ensuring an effective and holistic delivery system; Ensuring an intersectoral and interdisciplinary approach; Ensuring the development and implementation of minimum standards; Providing an appropriate legal environment; Ensuring monitoring and evaluation; Promoting and facilitating research and information management; Ensuring capacity building and training; Ensuring the provision of adequate resources; Mitigating the risk factors associated with child abuse, neglect and exploitation;

12 Progress Implementation of the policy and strategy by continuing provision of major services to children as outlined in the policy Costing of the Policy Provincial strategies and implementation plans Development of the National Protocols Development of Norms and Standards Training on child protection Surveillance system and research Development of policy for children working and living on the street Child trafficking and child abduction National Child Protection Committee

13 National Child Protection Register (CPR) Web Based Wireless Pilot Programme completed in WC, handed over to National; CPR system upgraded at National in preparation to roll out the web base in 8 provinces; 4 provinces appointed data captures and 4 provinces in process; National circular approved and circulated; EC incorporating CPR in their community based IMS;

14 Early Childhood Development Programme and Expanded Public Works Programme It covers ages 0 – 9, critical formative years to invest in children, to give them a head start; 2006/07 provinces received R65,3 million; Subsidies increased to an average of R7.00 per day per child ranging from R11.00 in KZN to R4.50 in EC; 310,311 children currently subsidized; ECD guidelines launched on 1 st June 2006 during Child Protection Week; Training manual on guidelines developed; Integrated ECD Plan (Tshwaragano ka Bana) jointly develop with the DOE and DH;

15 Early Childhood Development Programme and Expanded Public Works Programme Cont… M&E framework in process of approval; 30 master trainers trained on Parenting Programme; Low literacy training manual developed on the parental programme; 24 officials trained at national and provinces on M&E;

16 Alternative Care FOSTER CARE Currently foster children in foster families; About known cases awaiting foster care placement; Draft Foster Care strategy to address foster care backlog; Research on Foster Care currently in process; Contract social workers appointed in provinces i.e. E Cape, Gauteng and KZN to address backlog; Working agreement with DOJ to prioritize Children's Court inquiries; Exemption of OVCs from paying for birth certificate fees; Improvement to be introduced by Children’s Amendment Bill proposals;

17 Alternative Care Cont… RESIDENTIAL CARE Study conducted in 2003 indicates approximately 245 registered Children’s Homes only four are state owned; An audit of children’s homes is currently in process with provinces; Consultative meetings to take place with provinces regarding gaps and challenges with regards to minimum standards and developmental quality assurance (DQA); Review and update of draft minimum standards for approval; Review and update of draft Developmental Quality Assurance tool for approval; HIV & AIDS unit developing a HIV/AIDS management programme for children in residential care;

18 Number of children in children’s.homes No of Children’ Homes Government No of Children’s homes NGO 2006/07 - estimated number of childrenCurrent Subsidy EASTERN CAPE 321,9231,000 FREE STATE 281,1031,600 GAUTENG0643,7921,300 KWAZULU-NTAL0583,1541,500 LIMPOPO164451,000 MPUMALANGA055901,270 NORTHERN CAPE064951,500 NORTH WEST WESTERN CAPE0402,0701,100 SOUTH AFRICA224113,984

19 Adoptions The new Children’s Act 38 of 2005 has two chapters on local and intercountry adoptions; A register of prospective adoptive parents and children to be developed; Qualifying adoptive parents to have access to grants; Ensure placement of children within the country before considering intercountry adoption endorsed at the National Conference in September 2006; Judgment against guardianship orders at the Johannesburg Supreme Court; Strategy for an awareness and recruitment drive to promote adoption as the ultimate alternative e.g pamphlets develop and distributed Interim Central Authority to be formalised;

20 Adoptions Close working relationship established with NGOs doing adoptions; Guidelines for Intercountry Adoption drafted for consultation; The Hague meeting on Guidelines and accreditation of organizations attended September 2005 and draft guidelines developed; In 2006/01 to date: National 1500 Intercountry: 155 = 1655 Adoptions In 2005/06 National: 2252 Intercountry: 268 = 2520 Adoptions In 2004/05 National: 2278 Intercountry: 256 = 2534 Adoptions

21 International Social Services (ISS) Affiliation to the ISS Bureau; Affiliation connecting the department to international network for ISS; 471 active cases referred by other countries; Initiating training of provincial staff on ISS; Ongoing information sharing with newly appointed diplomats at DOFA;

22 Children working and living on the street Intersectoral task team established; Draft Policy being reviewed and updated by April 2007; Provincial departments providing financial support to shelters;

23 Challenges Shortage of social workers at provincial level; Shortage of staff at national; Specialisation; Intersectoral collaboration; Allocation of adequate resources to services to children; Lack of information management system; Lack of monitoring and evaluation system; Alignment of priorities; Disparity amongst provinces Appropriate funding for NGO especially for statutory services; Prevention Programmes

24 Opportunities New Child Care Legislation; Service Delivery Model; EPWP funding from Treasury to provinces; Upgrading of Social Workers; New funding from treasury; Upgrading to Chief Directorate Children and creation of new directorates; Strengthened intersectoral collaboration with NGOs and partner Departments; Support from international NGOs; Progress made in the establishment of the monitoring and information management systems;

25 Other related policies Service Delivery Model; Financing Policy; Victim Empowerment Programmes; Drug Master Plan and Policy on Substance Abuse; Intersectoral collaboration; Youth development strategy;

26 Orphans and other children made vulnerable by HIV and AIDS

27 Over the past years there has been an increased AIDS related mortality in the adult population; The Department undertook a study to estimate the number orphans and vulnerable children using the vital registration data from Home Affairs; Preliminary findings indicate that there are orphans and vulnerable children in South Africa; The data is based on registered death and births available from Dept of Home Affairs since 1994; Background

28 Departmental Response Partnerships with stakeholders and strong community mobilisation to assist communities to support affected individuals and families; Provide psychosocial care and support to families and individual family members; Coordinate community support efforts to the family as a whole while recognisisng the specific needs of individuals; Expand Home/Community-Based Care and Support and build capacity among NGOs,CBOs and FBOs; Assist individuals and communities to start and sustain income generation projects;

29 Key Strategic Areas of Intervention recommended from the Conference Coordination of government, civil society organisations,NGOs, donor and development agencies to maximise impact of interventions Strengthen and supports the capacity of families affected by HIV and AIDS (psychosocial care and support, wills, succession planning, early identification) Ensures that legislation, policy, strategies and programmes are in place to protect the most vulnerable families

30 Policy Implications Social services part of the country’s broader development agenda Provide psychosocial care and support to families and individual family members Focus of social services is to build social cohesion and social integration of the poor and vulnerable into the mainstream of society This call for intervention strategies that are adjusted to respond effectively to family and community needs

31 Key Strategic Areas of Intervention cont….. Establishment of comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation system for HCBC Capacity Building of NGOs to enable them to respond to the burden of the epidemic on families and community as whole Ensure that intervention programmes contribute to strengthening family integration (family preservation) Expand and monitor HCBC and other interventions Promote destigmatisation of HIV and AIDS within families and offer support group assistance

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