Question 76
For oral reply on 9 September 2009
Mrs C Dudley (ACDP) to ask the Minister of Women, Children and People with Disabilities:
(1) Whether any plans are in place to provide support to orphans by allowing them to continue living with their siblings in their parental homes; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
(2) Whether there are any projects (details furnished) for employing unemployed women to provide support to such orphans; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
Reply:
Honourable member,
(1) Yes, we do have plans in place. South Africa has acceded to and signed the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child and other related conventions and protocols. The aim is to provide care and protection to all children including orphans and vulnerable children, guided by the international and national legal framework.
The national guiding tools to protect and care for children include the SA Constitution (108:1996), Child Care Act (74:1983) as amended, White Paper for Social Welfare (1997) and Children's Act (38:2005) as amended. The Children's Act number 38 of 2005 (as amended), Section 137 proposes new child protection measures for child-headed households. This section defines the children who can be regarded as child-headed households, makes provision for appointing an adult for supervising a child-headed household, and allows the children in child-headed households to access social grants and other material assistance.
Statutory services and community based care services are rendered to enable orphans to continue living with their siblings in their parental homes.
Statutory services rendered to child-headed households are as follows:
* Therapeutic counselling
The aim of therapeutic counselling to help family members deal with personal problems, difficulties and traumas.
* Adult supervision
In relation to adult supervision an adult in the nearby surrounding is identified to provide the child-headed household with parental care and guidance regularly. The adult supervisor stays at her or his respective home, but keeps constant supervision to the family. This is an out of court arrangement, but the social worker is expected to provide the overall supervision.
* Poor relief and other material assistance
Food parcels and other forms of assistance are provided to child-headed households, as a temporary intervention whilst the social worker is planning for a permanent intervention.
Social grants
Children are assisted to apply for social grants they are entitled to, for example Child Support Grant, and Foster Care Grant.
Community based care services are rendered in drop in centres or home community based care centres. The services are as follows:
* provision of cooked meals and food parcels
* assistance with home work, for those children that are attending school
* recreation in a form of various activities
* capacity building on parenting and life skills
* linking the children with other services that might improve their individual situation, for instance the Department of Health, Education, Human Settlement; Justice and Constitutional Development
* psycho-social; care and support
* income generating programmes
* provision of Early Childhood Development services.
There are certain programmes such as the Isibindi Model that is used by the National Association of Child and Youth Care Workers and the Iso Labantwana: the Eye on the Child as applied by Child Welfare which has special protective measures for vulnerable children at family and community level. The provincial Department of Social Development supports and funds these projects.
(2)No, the Department of Social Development does not have specific projects for employing unemployed women. However, the National Department of Social Development and Health have taken a joint responsibility for implementing Home Community Based Care (HCBC) programme nationally. Home community based care organisations uses the community driven model in providing care and support to people affected and infected by HIV and AIDS, orphans and vulnerable children and child-headed households including people suffering from other medical conditions. Government is the main source of funding for HCBC organisations. HCBC are driven by unemployed women who are receiving a stipend ranging from R500 to R1000 per month.
Issued by: Ministry of Women, Children and People with Disabilities
9 September 2009
