Question NW3882 to the Minister of Social Development
23 December 2022 - NW3882
van der Merwe, Ms LL to ask the Minister of Social Development
Whether it was the policy position of her department to not register new Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) as they were not at capacity, and that no new CYCCs will be funded by and/or registered with her department in the 2021-22 financial year; if not, what evidence does her department have in support of the specified policy position that CYCCs are not at capacity; if so, what are the relevant details; (2) whether it remains the position of her department that it will no longer fund CYCCs; if not, what is the position in this regard; if so, what are the relevant details; (3) whether her department has the long-term goal to centralise funds into a central account and fund projects directly without making use of the services of nongovernmental organisations (NGOs), and/or does her department continue to value its partnership with NGOs and nonprofit organisations; if not, what is the position in each case; if so, what are the relevant details in each case?
Reply:
1. The Provincial Departments of Social Development continue to register new Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) that meet the minimum norms and standard as per the relevant legislation. There is no policy
position that the department will not register or fund new Child and Youth Care Centres for 2021/2022 financial year.
The department funds CYCCs to provide residential care services to children in need of care and protection. Funding is dependent on the need and availability of budget during a particular financial year. Specific to the Gauteng Department of Social Development (GDSD), the said Provincial Department is reviewing its service delivery modalities in line with the Institutional Re-alignment Project. The said Project is informed by the approved Service Delivery Model and the Organizational Re-alignment which are aligned to the GDSD Organogram. The main aim of the GDSD Project is to build capacity of the state towards the delivery of services that are constitutional mandates. This re-alignment will take place from the 2023/2024 financial year, and, will be funded mainly from within the Department. The retrieval of services will not be considered for residential care facilities at this point due to limited capacity on the side of the Department. This includes CYCCs, Shelters for Homeless, Shelters for victims of GBV, Residential Facilities for Older Persons, Residential Facilities for Persons with Disabilities, In-patient Treatment Centres and Halfway Houses. Reference to capacity therefore relates to the Gauteng Department of Social Development and not to CYCCs.
2. Based on available funding allocated by the Treasuries, the Department will continue to fund CYCCs as well as process their registration as per the legislative prescripts
3. The Department has not explored the long-term goal to centralise funds into a central account to fund projects directly without making use of the services of Non-Profit Organisations. Specific to the Gauteng Province and in line with the Institutional Re-alignment Project (IRP), the Department will identify and retrieve services from the following organizations:
- Non-performing/dysfunctional NPOs (non-centre-based services, non-compliant NPOs or NPOs suspended from service)
- Certain statutory services (e.g., new foster care cases, adoption services, etc.)
The aim of this IRP is to ensure that funding is directed toward priority areas and programmes. This Project is a Gauteng provincial initiative and does not imply to other provinces.