Question NW2057 to the Minister of Social Development

Reply:

The National Department of Social Development funds Child Welfare South Africa, Childline SA, Afrikaanse Christelike Vrouevereniging (ACVV), the AFM Executive Welfare Council (AFM) and Die ondersteiningsraad, The SAVF (Suid Afrikaanse Vroue Federasie) to provide child protection services according to the Children’s Act.

Child Welfare South Africa:

Child Welfare South Africa has been awarded funding of R 1.8650.00 in 2016/17 financial year for the following objectives:

• Facilitate the transformation of services in accordance with the child protection legislative framework to all CWSA member organization
• Capacity Building of CWSA organizations and related stakeholders to strengthen service delivery within the child protection system
• Network with other partners in the child protection sector at national and provincial level to advocate and facilitate services according to identified needs
• Ensure sound financial management for the organization according to identified needs
• Ensure effective information management system on children for CWSA member organizations.

The organization experienced financial management challenges. The National Executive Director and Chief Financial Officer were suspended due to allegations of mismanagement of funds. Department is awaiting a formal communique from the national board regarding the outcome of the investigation.

Childline South Africa:

Childline South Africa was allocated an amount of R974, 000.00 (Nine Hundred and Seventy Four Thousands Rand only) for the 2016/17 financial year for the following objectives:

• To facilitate transformation of services in accordance with the legislative framework with affiliated Designated Child Protection Organisations (DCPOs) in Provinces.
• Capacity building of management, professional staff, social workers, volunteers and affiliated DCPO’s to enhance their skills and knowledge in child protection and share expertise.
• Develop and maintain an effective information management system via data collection, analysis, and dissemination on Child protection and Child Rights issues, including data on all Childline services.
• Facilitate the transformation of services in accordance with the legislative framework provided by the Children’s Act via a prevention and early intervention online counselling service for children, youth and adults with concerns about children.
• Analyse data drawn from CSA’s residential therapeutic camps for sexually abused children conducted from October 2013 to March 2016 and document the identified gaps in child protection systems.

Afrikaanse Christelike Vrouevereniging (ACVV:

Afrikaanse Christelike Vrouevereniging (ACVV) was funded for training on child protection services according to the Children’s Act and not funded fully in 2016/17.

ACVV was funded for the following objectives under Child Protection:

Objective 1: Promotion of ethical practice, upholding of human rights and effective protection services to children and families at risk through quality capacity building and training of ACVV social service practitioners and their board members, volunteers and community members as required by the Children’s Act (ACVV requested R 586.021 and it was funded R560.500).

Objective 2:Guide and monitor national awareness programs on child protection, empowerment of victims of family violence, the Ubuntu principle of service and the alleviation of poverty to address apathy and educate and promote a caring and participative environment for vulnerable children and families (ACVV requested

R 334.808 and it was funded R249.900).

The total requested for this two objectives was R920.829 and due to financial constrains the department provided funding to the amount of R 810.400.

Die Onderstuiningsraad:

Die Onderstuiningsraad, currently known as Rata, was allocated an amount of R964, 000.00 (Nine Hundred and Sixty Four Thousands Rand only) for the 2016/17 financial year for the following objectives:

Objective 1, Governance: To manage the organization effectively on a national level to ensure a stable and secure working environment for all personnel which will lead to the provision of sustainable services to the previously disadvantaged and underprivileged communities

Objective 2, Capacity building: To manage the organization effectively to ensure the optimal capacity of skilled personnel with the aim to render specialized, effective and professional services.

For both two objectives the organization requested R 925 222.09 and was funded R964 000.00

The AFM Executive Welfare Council (AFM):

The AFM Executive Welfare Council (AFM) was supposed to have been funded an amount of R723 000.00 (Seven hundred and twenty three Thousands Rand only) for the 2016/17 financial year for the following objectives:

Objective 1: To ensure that all programmes relating to children, is functioning in accordance with the Children’s Act and that the AFM Welfare Department through its programs adheres to the regulations, norms and standards set for NPO and CPO status.

Objective 2: To ensure that through mobilisation of churches, at least 180 new role players understand their role in the welfare of their communities by establishing programs for families, with the goals to assist in family crisis, establishing support system, networking with resources to ensure to ensure access to health and wellness programs and to reach out to new and upcoming Organization/programs to empower and support them.

Objective 3: Awareness and Capacity Building within Adoption Community in taking an active lead and partnering with existing national and regional adoption coalition structures that campaigns on prevention against teenage pregnancies are implemented, building the capacity and expertise of 100 social workers in the employ of affiliated DCPO’s within the field of adoptions and network on National, Provincial and Regional level to advocate access to adoption services and to promote good adoption practices by meeting legislative and policy requirements.

The Organization was supposed to have been funded an amount of R723 00.00. The Organization was not funded because they did not comply with the requirements as they did not submit the Tax Clearance which was one of the requirements for funding.

The SAVF (Suid Afrikaanse Vroue Federasie):

The SAVF (Suid Afrikaanse Vroue Federasie) was allocated an amount of R762 000.00 (Seven hundred and sixty two thousand rand only) for the 2016/17 financial year. SAVF is a voluntary organization which was founded in 1904. Since the appointment of paid staff members (first social worker in 1938), there was then a need for a national office to co-ordinate services, to determine priorities, to develop new services and to capacitate people.

The following are the funded objectives for the financial year 2016/17:

• To develop, monitor and facilitate the implementation of programmes relating to Children, Families, Older persons & Persons with disabilities.
• To build the capacity of emerging organizations and human resources (staff, students, managements and volunteers) in strengthening social service delivery on national, provincial and local levels.
• To ensure good governance with regard to the management and transformation of the organisation.
• To network on international, national, provincial and local levels to promote services and new developments in the welfare field.
• To monitor and evaluate the quantity, quality and appropriateness of welfare services in relation to national priorities, norms and standards.

The organization was funded with all the allocated money as they complied with all the funding requirements.