Question NW1315 to the Minister of Social Development
19 May 2023 - NW1315
Siwisa, Ms AM to ask the Minister of Social Development
What (a) number of child-headed houses has her department assisted in the 2022-23 financial year, (b) is the target for the 2023-24 financial year and (c) plans does her department have in place to ensure that (i) child-headed houses do not struggle with assistance and (ii) the children remain together without being separated due to illegal acts by corrupt social workers who put children under foster care with certain people for self-enrichment of the individuals?
Reply:
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Province |
a |
b |
c (i) |
c (ii) |
|
Western Cape |
During the 2022-23 financial year, there were 28 child-headed households in the Western Cape Province, with a total of 54 children living within those homes. |
Services will be sustained to the CHH, by WC DSD as the service is not target-driven. New identified CHH will also be provided with services and assistance. |
The Western Cape Department of Social Development funds designated child protection organisations to provide support to children in child-headed households. This support includes loss and grief support; nutritional support; individual and group counselling; referral to after-school programmes, assistance with school fees exemptions. |
The NGOs rendering servcies in the WC to CHH reports on a quarterly basis regarding the children and DSD to site visits to ensure the children are not separated or placed in Foster Care with indivudals who will self-enrich. |
|
Northern Cape |
(a) No child-headed households were reported to the DSD Northern Cape for the 2022/ 23 Financial year. |
(b) The plan is to continuously raise awareness and inform Districts and Stakeholders that all child-headed householders must be reported to DSD, for Social Workers to conduct an investigation and submit a report to the HOD to declare the family a child-headed householder in terms of the Childrens Act. |
(c)(i) If a child-headed household is reported, the case will be referred to the Social Worker for statutory intervention and support, which will be done through the Risiha Child and Youth Care workers and monitored from the Provincial Office. |
(c)(ii) The monitoring will be done from the Children’s Unit to ensure that the Children do not struggle and that Children are kept together as far as possible to avoid irregular placement. |
|
Eastern Cape |
|
(b) The provincial Target for 2023/24 is120 |
(c)(i) The department is funding 46 RISIHA Programme (19 RISIHA sites and 27 Drop-in Centres) in all 08 districts. It is a Community Based Prevention and Early Intervention programme delivering Core Package of services which is a service delivery strategy consisting of seven (07) interrelated areas aiming at holistically addressing the needs of vulnerable children, including children in Child headed households. This programme provides a safety net for children within their communities offering access to meals when nutrition within the family is uncertain, psychosocial support, educational support by nurturing the child’s educational performance and helping them to overcome barriers such as uniform, transport and poor or no parental support for education. It is also strengthening the economic foundation of households by facilitating access to social security grants, entrepreneurial resources and other activities that improve their financial wellbeing. |
(c)(ii) The province implement Community Based Prevention and Early Intervention programme which aimed at preserving families. It is designed to support and sustain families, and to prevent removal of children from their home environment and communities. |
|
Free State |
(a)During the 2022/23 financial year seven (7) families with a total of fifteen (15) children received services in the province. |
(b)The department does not put a target regarding child headed households as the ideal situation is that children should not be responsible to manage households. All reported cases will however be assessed and supported. |
(c)(i) Guidance and Support are provided at “Intake” level, cases are assessed, and referrals are done for application for Top -up Child Support Grant.
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C(ii) Children in Child Headed households will only be put in foster care if it is assessed that they need care and protection and that it will be in their best interest to be placed in foster care. This will be done if it is found that the eldest sibling is not fit to take care of the younger siblings. Siblings are not separated from each other and are placed in foster care with the same family if needed. |
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Mpumalanga |
No response |
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Kwazulu-Natal |
No response |
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North West |
No response |
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Limpopo |
No response |
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Gauteng |
No response |