children
2 November 2006
The Minister of Social Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya, has called upon South
African families to open their hearts and homes to orphans and vulnerable
children as the country prepares to mark National Children's Day on Saturday, 4
November 2006.
National Children's Day is observed on the first Saturday of November each
year.
Minister Skweyiya and the Department have in recent months been focusing on
assisting orphans and vulnerable children to access government services and to
obtain placements in suitable homes and environments.
Foster care
Foster care is the placement of a child by means of an order of the
children's court, in terms of the Child Care Act No. 74 of 1983, in the custody
of a suitable family or individual willing to act as a foster parent(s) to the
child. The child is generally maintained with the aid of a foster child grant
paid by the State with a corresponding duty on the part of the parent to
contribute towards the child's maintenance in the form of a contribution
order.
Dr Skweyiya has welcomed the noticeable improvement in the numbers of foster
care placements of children and also of children who have found permanent homes
through adoptions. Last year in September Dr Skweyiya undertook a campaign to
remove the blockages in foster care placements and provision of services to
vulnerable children. Currently there are more than 375 647 foster children in
239 553 foster families. The figure stood at about 299 465 foster children in
189 680 foster families last year.
"The increase indicates greater levels of awareness of the service by the
public and also the improved service delivery mechanisms within government,"
said Dr Skweyiya.
Adoptions
Dr Skweyiya also extended government's gratitude to all who have adopted
children and given them a permanent home and stability. Adoption is a last
resort after all options of placing the child with the biological family have
failed. The first option is to place the child within his/her extended family,
in the community of origin and same race couples within South Africa. If all
the above mentioned options fail the child can be placed in another country as
an inter country adoption. South Africa acceded to the Hague Convention in
December 2003 which is the guiding principle for inter country adoptions.
Statistics
2006/07 to date
* National and local adoptions = 1 500
* Inter-country adoptions = 155
2005/06
* National and local adoptions = 2 252
* Inter-country adoptions = 268
2004/05
* National and local adoptions = 2 278
* Inter-country adoptions = 256
"There are still scores of children in orphanages and we urge families and
eligible individuals to open their hearts and homes to them and give them a
chance in life," said Dr Skweyiya.
The Department of Development (DSD) hosted a conference in Midrand in July
focusing on collaborative action between government and civil society to assist
orphans and vulnerable children.
The high levels of poverty, unemployment, family breakdowns and an increase
in the spread of HIV and AIDS and the number of young parents dying of AIDS
have led to more orphaned children, abandoned babies and abused or neglected
children. This has put a strain on government resources to provide effective
foster care services especially both the human and capital resources.
Social workers
There is a serious shortage of social workers in the country which hampers
the delivery of social welfare services to children and other clients and the
DSD is currently implementing a Recruitment and Retention Strategy for Social
Workers to address the shortage. This has included the improvement of the
remuneration package for social workers, with due recognition for
specialisation within social work field up to the level of Deputy-Director.
Career fairs are being conducted in all provinces to recruit learners to study
social work and 190 scholarships to the amount of R2,8 million were provided to
social work learners, over and above the bursaries currently being provided by
national and provincial government departments.
Legislation
With regards to legislation, public hearings are currently being conducted
in provinces on the Children's Amendment Bill. The Minister of Social
Development, Dr Zola Skweyiya introduced the Children's Amendment Bill (Section
76 Bill) in the National Council of Provinces (NCOP) on 25 July 2006.
President Mbeki assented to and signed the Children's Bill on 8 June 2006
and it is now known as the Children's Act 38 of 2005. This Act can only take
effect on a future date to be fixed by the President by proclamation in the
gazette. It is for this reason that the Children's Amendment Bill must first be
passed by Parliament where after the Children's Act is and the Amendment Bill
will become a single comprehensive Act. Therefore, the Children's Act is not
yet ready for implementation and the Child Care Act (74 of 1983) is still in
operation.
Background information
The Children's Act of 2005 makes provision for the following statutory
matters:
* to give effect to certain rights of children as contained in the Constitution
* to set out principles relating to the care and protection of children
* to define parental responsibilities and rights
* to make further provision regarding children's courts
* to provide for the issuing of contribution orders
* to make new provision for the adoption of children to provide for
inter-country adoption
* to give effect to the Hague Convention on Inter-country Adoption
* to prohibit child abduction and to give effect to the Hague Convention on
International Child Abduction
* to provide for surrogate motherhood
* to create certain new offences relating to children
* to provide for matters connected therewith.
The Children's Amendment Bill being introduced by Dr Skweyiya can be
described as a complex and an integrated Bill with the following
objectives:
* to amend the Children's Act, 2005
* to insert certain definitions such as "child headed household" and "cluster
foster care scheme" amongst others
* to provide for partial care of children
* to provide for early childhood development
* to make further provision regarding the protection of children
* to provide for prevention and early intervention services
* to provide for children in alternative care
* to provide for foster care
* to provide for child and youth care centres, shelters and drop-in
centres
* to create certain new offences relating to children and to provide for
matters connected therewith.
Enquiries:
Lakela Kaunda
Cell: 082 782 2575
E-mail: Lakela@mobileemail.vodafonesa.co.za
Issued by: Department of Social Development
2 November 2006
