Question NW3690 to the Minister of Social Development

Reply:

1. (a) In response to steps taken by the department to significantly reduce the number of child abandonment annually, it is important to clarify that there are no records of 1000 babies abandoned annually recorded in the National Child Protection Register (CPR) which is a legislated register to keep records of child abuse cases including abandonment. The Department notes with concern the number of abandoned babies indicated in statistics that are not reported taken to CPR. The discrepancy in reporting could be attributed to low reporting to CPR.

(b) The steps taken by the department to address child abandonment are as follows

(i) The Department of Social Development in partnership with the Department of Health and Education conducts implementing Integrated School Health Programme conducts education and awareness on sexual and reproductive health rights including dealing with unwanted pregnancy.

(ii) Lifeskills programmes are conducted addressing teenage pregnancies.

(iii) Education and awareness also conducted through media campaign and community dialogues educating communities about available alternative care options and support for parents in distress, education about risks and dangers of child abandonment.

(iv) Isiqalo Program directed to vulnerable pregnant girls/women focussing on life skills, improvement of maternal health, baby care information, prevention of child abuse and reduction of child mortality.

(v) Flourish programme, a national network of antenatal and postnatal classes (10 weeks) that support, celebrate and empower mothers through the critical first 1000 days of a child’s life.

(vi) Sinovuyo Teenagers parenting programme as well as prevention and early intervention parenting skills development programmes to build capacity of parents to care for their children.

(vii) Promotion of adoption services and capacity building of social workers in the Department of Health, empowering them to provide the right information about adoption to birth mothers in order to prevent abandonment of children by the mother of a new born baby including cases when mothers are unable to care for their babies.

(viii) Work in partnership with stakeholders such as the South African Police Service, Department of Health, Department of Education, Faith Based Organizations and Non-Governmental Organizations in the awareness campaign on challenges of child abandonment, empowering mothers with information on how they can safely relinquish their children within the child protection system.

(ix) Conduct holiday programmes through funded implementing partners, empowering communities and parents how to keep children and babies in a safe environment.

(x) Deploying Social Workers and Social Auxiliary Workers at borders over the festive period to ensure that children, inclusive of babies, who may be abandoned during the festive period, are receiving the necessary psychosocial services and are placed in a place of safety accordingly.