Question Number: 788
Ms H Lamoela (DA) to ask the Minister of Social Development:
(1) Whether his department will investigate the backlogs in the review of foster care grants in every province; if not, why not; if so, (a) when and (b) how;
(2) Whether his department will take remedial action with regard to the backlogs in the review of foster care grants in every province; if not, why not; if so, what action;
(3) Whether the foster care review backlogs have any impact on the quality of life of children; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details;
(4) What is the extent of the backlog in each province?
Reply:
Honourable member,
(1) Yes, backlogs in the expired Foster Child Grants are monitored monthly. A weekly or monthly report can be obtained from the Social Pensions System (Socpen) per region / province on both expired Foster Child Grants and the number of reviews completed with respect to these grants.
(2) The target for the review of expired Foster Child Grants for the current financial year for each region are as follows:
Eastern Cape: 6 226
Free State: 15 700
Gauteng: 3 055
KwaZulu-Natal: 5 188
Limpopo: 2 863
Mpumalanga: 3 885
North West: 6 342
Northern Cape: 1 799
Western Cape: 3 933
Total: 48 991
(3) Payment of a Foster Child Grant is not suspended when a Foster Child Grant falls into backlog. Payment is only suspended when the foster parent is duly informed to come to the office to have the Foster Child Grant reviewed and fails to do so. The foster parent is informed three months in advance to come in and have their Foster Child Grant reviewed. If they fail to do so, they are given a notice for an additional three months to review the grant, failure of which will result in the suspension of payment. If the foster parent continues to fail to obtain an extended court order within this 6 month or 90 day period and fail to review their Foster Child Grant, then payment of the grant is suspended.
The foster parent is informed of a further 3 month period to have their Foster Child Grant restored. If they review and continue to be eligible, they receive payment from the date the grant was suspended. In actuality foster parents have 9 months or 270 days within which to have their foster child grants reviewed and obtain an extended court order without losing any payments. The suspension of payment of a Foster Child Grant when a foster parent fails to review may have no impact on a child as the child may no longer be in the care of the foster parent. There may be an impact when a child continues to be in foster care and the social worker fails to obtain an extension order and payment is suspended. The nature and extent of the impact is outside the current operational mandate of SASSA.
(4) The extent of Foster Child Grant backlogs in respective regions as at 17 August 2009 are as follows:
Eastern Cape: 16 073
Free State: 15 745
Gauteng: 26 199
KwaZulu-Natal: 27 078
Limpopo: 24 124
Mpumalanga: 15 283
North West: 17 650
Northern Cape: 5 982
Western Cape: 7 281
Total: 155 379
Issued by: Ministry of Social Development
23 September 2009
