The Minister of Social Development, Ms Bathabile Dlamini, has called on South Africans to assist in ensuring that currently existing and new child- and youth-headed households receive the necessary support from government by informing the Department of Social Development where they are.
The Minister makes the call during Child Protection Week (1-8 June) – an annual campaign that aims to promote the safety, well-being, care and protection of children. Child Protection Week is hosted under the theme “Working Together to Protect Children”, which calls on all citizens to play a part in ensuring the well-being of South African children.
It is critical for the Department of Social Development to know the location of every child- and youth-headed household in the country so that interventions to assist them can be made. The department is in the process of compiling a register of child- and youth-headed households and, by May this year, had recorded 885 households.
Once identified, an assessment of the needs of the child-and youth-headed households is done and thereafter linked to the necessary therapeutic interventions and resources.
Citizens with the knowledge of child- and youth-headed households in their areas are requested to inform social workers in the local and district Social Development offices as well as local authorities and community leaders such as chiefs, traditional leaders and faith-based leaders.
Communities may also contact the Children’s unit of the Department of Social Development on 082 786 4961 or at tshidim@dsd.gov.za.
Cases may also be referred to child protection organisations such Child Welfare, Child Line, Suid Afrikaanse Vrouense Federasie (SAVF) and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs). NGOs are entrusted with the responsibility of discharging statutory services to the communities.
The Department of Social Development has already formed partnerships with faith-based organisations and traditional leaders in a bid, among others, to identify child- and youth-headed households in order to offer them support.
The department mainly assists child- and youth-headed households through the Isibindi Model – an initiative that deploys trained community-based child and youth care workers in communities in an innovative team outreach programme providing care, protection and developmental support to vulnerable children and families.
During the 2013/14 financial year, the Isibindi Model reached nearly ninety thousand (90 000) orphaned and vulnerable children with its services.
Media inquiries:
Lumka Oliphant
Cell: 083 484 8067
Email: lumkao@dsd.gov.za
