Question NW149 to the Minister of Social Development
24 February 2021 - NW149
Masango, Ms B to ask the Minister of Social Development
What collaborative work is being done by her department and the Department of Justice and Correctional Services to allow for a clearer interpretation and protection for protection orders with regard to rights of children in such cases?
Reply:
The Department of Social Development work very closely with the Department of Justice and Correctional Services and the Judiciary in child protection matters as mandated by the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. The Act mandates the two departments to work together to care, protect and develop children. In order to successfully implement the Act it is important that officials from the two departments, who are key in the implementation of the Act should have a common understanding of the Act. It is against this background that capacity building sessions are held with the officials from the two departments.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development facilitated refresher training in 2018/19 on the submission of information to the Register of the National Child Protection Register in conjunction with the Registrar of the National Child Protection Register. This training targeted officials from the Department of Social Development in all the provinces.
Furthermore there is a structure that has been established in terms of the Children’s Act which is National Child Care and Protection Forum (NCCPF) where the two departments are key. This structure serves as a platform to engage on child protection issues of which Protection orders with regard to rights of children are one of those discussed to ensure common understanding and correct interpretation thereof.
The two departments established an inter-sectoral steering committee on Foster Care which provide a platform to share information, reflect on lessons learned, implementation challenges and strategies to address these challenges.