Question NW498 to the Minister of Social Development
23 March 2021 - NW498
Abrahams, Ms ALA to ask the Minister of Social Development
(1)With reference to the Early Childhood Development-Employment Stimulus Relief Fund (ECD-ESRF), (a) what are the reasons that the ECD Covid-19 relief package decreased significantly from R1,3 billion announced in July 2020 to R588.8 million announced in November 2020 to R496 million announced in February 2021; (2) whether these funds were not ring-fenced for the ECD sector; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) (a) what amount of funding did each provincial social development department receive and (b) how were these amounts determined?
Reply:
(1) (a) The initial indication of R1,3 billion announced in July 2020 was subsequently revised based on the outcome of the assessment of the bid process through the National Treasury. The department received an amount of R588 728 000 from National Treasury. This included an amount of R380 million is allocated for unemployment risk support that will benefit 83 333 existing ECD related workers; R116 million allocated for the support of 25 500 compliance support officers, who are existing staff members at early childhood development programmes that will play a compliance support role within their ECD programmes; R16.5 million for registration support officers who will assist in scaling up registration and R76 million to sustain 1 809 social workers who have been appointed on contract. The R496 million is the total allocated to provide 108 833 ECD workers with income support through existing ECD services (unemployment risk support and compliance support officers).
(2) These funds were ring-fenced for the ECD sector under ECD Conditional Grant.
(3) (a) The Presidential Employment Initiative
funds are allocated as follows:
- Eastern Cape: R60 million
- Free State: R39 million
- Gauteng: R78 million
- KwaZulu-Natal: R90 million
- Limpopo: R58 million
- Mpumalanga: R42 million
- Northern Cape: R42 million
- North West: R34 million
- Western Cape: R53 million
(b) In the absence of workforce data in the ECD sector, the department used the children’s population and the current formula for ECD conditional grant to determine allocations per province which were just the estimates.
National Assembly Written Reply: 498 of 2021
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Approved by the Minister of Social Development
Date……………………….