Social Development
- Whether her Department has a regional database for foster-care parents; if so, what norms and standards has her Department put in place in this regard;
- whether her Department has a Provincial Child Protection Strategy; if not, why not; if so, what are the relevant details?
- Yes, the Department does have a regional database for foster-care parents.
Only a person screened and found to be fit and proper can be approved as a foster parent by a designated social worker from the Department of Social Development or a designated child protection organisatIon and who undergoes training can foster a child.
The foster care court order assigns certain parental responsibilities and rights to the foster parent, to meet the day-to-day needs of a foster child. These include:
- ensuring that the grant received is used for the upbringing of the child and In the child’s best interest;
- ensuring that if the child is of school-going age, he or she attends school;
- safeguarding the child’s health, well-being and development;
- protecting the child from maltreatment, abuse, neglect, degradation, discrimination, exploitation and any other physical, emotional or mental harm or hazard;
- guiding the child’s behaviour and not exposing the child to physical violence or degrading forms of discipline;
- supporting the child through emotional, behavioural, medical or developmental challenges that may result from the trauma caused to the child by previous abuse, neglect or exploitation; and
- working with the child’s case manager to:
- participate in the implementation of the permanency plan;
- value and help maintain the child’s connections with his or her family and significant others;
- communicate any changes in the circumstances of the child with his or her case manager, teachers and other professionals;
- secure the validity of the placement of the child in care; and
- facilitate the reunification of the child with his or her family where indicated.
Foster parents can never be the parents or guardians of the child placed in their care.
- The plan to address child murders is inherently preventative in nature, and therefore utilises a risk-based approach.
The chart below maps out the identified risk factors for child murders, existing protective factors and/or services that mitigate the risks, gaps and proposed actions to strengthen protective factors/services.
It is colour -coded as follows:
| SHORT TERM MEASURES
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| MEDIUM TERM MEASURES
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| LONG TERM MEASURES
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| MEASURES NOT CURRENTLY POSSIBLE DUE TO RESOURCE CONSTRAINTS (FINANCIAL GAP IS STIPULATED WHERE POSSIBLE)
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| MEASURES NOT WITHIN CONTROL OF PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT
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Risk Factor | What is already being done | Gaps Identified | What to be done (further detailed project plans to be developed where relevant) | By Who | Resources Required | Comms (who should know what) |
Unwanted pregnancies
| DOH Family planning services
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| District Manager Facility Manager PDC | Trained staff Sufficient supply of contraceptive methods including condoms (male & female)
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Improve access to Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTOP) services |
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| District Manager Facility Manage PDCr
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WCED anti-teenage pregnancy program in partnership with DOH (25% reduction in school going child pregnancy rates in past 3 years from 2 880 in 2015 to 2 148 in 2017).
Life Orientation sex education.
| n/a | High risk schools identified. Targeted teenage pregnancy prevention workshops | WCED – HIV & TB Programme, School Social Workers | Existing staff and budgets | WCED Curriculum, Inclusive and Specialised Education Support | |
Maternal mental health issues
| DOH psychological and psychiatric services
| Maternal mental health screening antenatally | Conduct antenatal mental health screening as part of routine antenatal care with appropriate referral | District Manager Facility Manager
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Perinatal mental health service pilot by DOH in partnership with UCT Dept. of Psychiatry
| Perinatal project limited to three pilot maternity clinic sites | In identified high risk areas, improved screening for mental health disorders or other vulnerabilities in expecting and new mothers
Strengthen follow-up process for new mothers and babies where risk identified, including social and psychological support, and referrals to DSD (cost is approx. R2m per site per annum). |
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Poor/lack of parenting skills
| Parenting programs by the Department of Social Development | Highest risk parents may not attend these programs, which are voluntary unless court-ordered
Efficacy/impact of programs hard to verify.
| Shift to a focused, risk-based approach to parenting and family support programs, and ensure that court ordered interventions done as part of child protection matters are prioritised. | DSD – Lesley Corrie | Existing budgets, NGOs | DSD Families program office, NGOs rendering family services, DSD regional and local offices |
DSD Family support programs, including individual and marriage counselling, mediation
| Highest risk parents may not attend these programs, which are voluntary unless court-ordered
| Shift to a focused, risk-based approach to parenting and family support programs, and ensure that court ordered interventions done as part of child protection matters are prioritised. | DSD – Lesley Corrie | Existing budgets, NGOs | DSD Families program office, NGOs rendering family services, DSD regional and local offices | |
Poor/lack of emotional and material support to young mothers, absent fathers
| SASSA social relief and child support grants, various subsidised and free government services, including health, ECD, schooling etc. | Limited monitoring of use/abuse of child support grants by SASSA. | Increased monitoring capacity at SASSA, and/or alternatives to money. |
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First 1000 days PSG priority project
| n/a | n/a | DOH |
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Feeding schemes across departments, including school feeding schemes, MOD centres, aftercare, ECDs, targeted household feeding by DSD etc.
| Need shifts constantly in geographic areas | Constant monitoring of uptake and adjusting as needed. | DSD - Lionel Arnolds | Existing budgets augmented by additional earmarked allocations where needed. Additional R7m earmarked for province from national nutrition projects being transferred to province. | NGOs, CBOs, SASSA, DSD regional and local offices | |
Alcohol and drug abuse by parents
| DSD Substance abuse programs (prevention, early intervention, treatment, aftercare) | Availability of services falls short of demand
Geographic spread still inadequate
| Further expansion of substance abuse treatment services to high risk areas. |
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DSD Substance abuse programs (prevention, early intervention, treatment, aftercare) SAPS, COCT, NPA supply reduction initiatives | Service outcomes are variable, impacted by varying quality of services and resilient nature of addiction | Implementation of MRC Service Quality Measurement system and continual review and improvement of programs | DSD – Denzil Cowley | Assistance from MRC, budget R1m per annum | NGOs in substance abuse sector | |
Low conviction rates, especially of major drug suppliers, criminalisation of minor offenders | All cases of child murder or attempted murder must be monitored by the Court Watching Briefs programme so as to timeously identify any elements that may delay or derail the successful prosecution of any such cases. Progress on the prosecution of all child murder cases must be monitored via the ProvJoints Murder Priority Committee
| DoCS – Adv Khan | Existing budgets augmented by re-prioritisation when required. | NGOs, CBOs, SASSA, DSD regional and local offices, SAPS, Police Ombudsman | ||
Domestic dysfunction/and violence, including risk associated with non-parent male adults in household
| SAPS Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Offences (FCS) units and local policing
| FCS units are not present in all areas, and are generally under-resourced. | Management of the specific needs and logistics pertaining to specific cases to be addressed via coordination within Criminal Justice System.
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Family courts and higher courts
| Courts are under-resourced, both with magistrates and administrative capacity. High vacancy rates at many courts. | Justice department to address funding shortfalls. |
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Shelters for Victims of Domestic Violence | 16 shelters now funded by DSD but still not sufficient to meet need. | Expansion of shelters for victims of domestic violence to all areas where need is high.
Re-evaluate services to victims to determine whether family rehabilitation would be possible. This is especially important where abused partners keep returning to the abuser.
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Special needs housing for victims of violence
| Lack of longer term special needs housing for victims of domestic abuse and their children. This and dependency on partner income is a major factor in abused partner and children remaining in the home with a violent perpetrator | Halfway houses to serve as post-shelter accommodation. |
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Child protection services | Referrals and communication between SAPS and DSD not always effective.
| Uniform referral protocol – see below | See below | See below | See below | |
Culture of violence in community at large, especially in areas affected by entrenched gang violence and recruitment/deployment of children to commit violent crimes | Visible policing
| SAPS unable to contain gang violence
In certain high risk communities gangs offer an alternative, more immediately effective form of ‘law enforcement’ and are perceived to be a more credible authority than SAPS or government. | Dedicated gang units.
SAPS needs to re-establish a relationship of trust with the youth and with communities.
Deployment of army where violence becomes severe. |
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CPFs (111 funded) | Many CPFs are dysfunctional
| Monitor performance of all CPFs measured against statutory functions as per section 18 of SAPS Act and present monthly report on functionality. Provide functional CPFs with financial and other support | DoCS – Adv Marshall Van Zyl | Within existing budgets | SAPS, National Secretariat for Police, Police Ombudsman | |
VPUU/RSEP | Resource-intensive, only limited to a few key sites | Wider roll-out of VPUU to areas impacted by high contact crime and gang violence |
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DOCS Community Safety Priority project under PSG3, including neighbourhood watches, EPWP neighbourhood safety teams, | Need for increased involvement of communities in support of Whole-of-Society concept so as to establish and maintain a capable partnership between the WCG and communities.
| Enhance the capacity of community safety structures through the promotion of accreditation of NHW structures and other as per the WC Community Safety Act. Providing the platform for access to resources, training and improved collaboration between all role-players.
| DoCS – Mrs Fortune | Within existing budget allocations. Revenue retained by WCLA. | SAPS, National Secretariat for Police, Police Ombudsman | |
Municipal safety measures including high-mast lighting and cameras, COCT surveillance centre | Build-up of frustration and increased apathy because a lack of response from government to the safety concerns identified in particular communities.
| Strengthen the systems allowing communities to report safety concern and or share safety information within the Criminal Justice Sector by strengthening the statutory structures such as CPFs, Victim Support, DVA monitor teams and NHW structures
| DoCS – Adv Pillay | Within existing budgets and legal mandate. | SAPS, National Secretariat for Police, Police Ombudsman | |
Anti-Gang initiatives (steered by Anti-Gang provjoints, led by SAPS)
| Currently sporadic activities at police stations at gang hot-spots, but not sufficient to make impact | Municipal ‘neighbourhood safety table’ in gang-affected areas (following Delft model), VPUU in gang-affected areas | City of Cape Town, DSD | Budget approx. R26m |
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Inter-sectoral anti-gang strategy and provincial response being formulated to address gangsterism and organised crime. |
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School Safety initiatives, including Safe Schools unit, access control, private security, walking buses, school resource officers (steered by School Safety provjoints) | Inadequate resources to cover all high risk schools.
Commuting/walking to school is a major risk for children in many communities. | Pilot risk assessment tool at 56 schools
| WCED and DOCS | Budget to be determined | Schools, DOCS, WCED | |
Roll-out of risk assessment tool to identify and secure all high risk schools.
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Youth Development programs, including education, apprenticeship game changer, further education and training, youth cafes, EPWP etc. | High numbers of drop-outs help feed gang recruitment.
| Additional support offered to learners in the primary school who have scholastic difficulties,
Alternate pathways provided to learners who have an aptitude for skills/vocational subjects. | WCED - Learning support teachers
WCED – Schools of Skills, Technical Occupational or Technical Vocational curriculum in ordinary schools. | Existing staff and budgets
Existing staff and budgets
Additional budget from DBE for Technical Occupation stream pilot
| WCED Inclusive and Specialised Education Support
WCED Inclusive and Specialised Education Support
WCED Curriculum | |
Macro-economic reform needed. |
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Poor economic growth not able to support adequate legitimate employment, creates space for gang activity as alternative economy and source of income | PSG1 and PSG4 projects |
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Trauma interventions to interrupt recurring cycle of trauma and violence (including those rendered by specialist organisations and DSD social workers at local offices)
| Trauma counselling and related projects not immediately available in all communities, hard to measure impact | Expansion of trauma support services to communities where the need is highest, and introduction of stronger quality assurance systems to measure and manage impact of these services. |
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Child Justice Act services
| See below under youth risk behaviour section | See below under youth risk behaviour section | See below under youth risk behaviour section | See below under youth risk behaviour section | See below under youth risk behaviour section | |
Secure Care Child and Youth Care
| See below under youth risk behaviour section | See below under youth risk behaviour section | See below under youth risk behaviour section | See below under youth risk behaviour section | See below under youth risk behaviour section | |
Economic activities (boarders, drug dealing)
| Municipal by-law enforcement
SAPS policing | Drug dens can be policed (with limited success), but the presence of boarders or rental tenants is not illegal and impossible to police. | SAPS specialised gang and drug units |
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Management of municipal and provincial rental stock
| Limited capacity for inspection of rental stock.
Onerous procedures to enforce compliance/evict | Expanded capacity for inspection and enforcement of law in rental stock |
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Jailed family member
| Parole management
Re-integration services | Inadequate re-integration services and lack of job opportunities for released offenders | Correctional services |
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Unsupervised children
| After-school game-changer, MOD centres, aftercares, youth cafes, WCED and municipal afterschool activities
| Safety remains a challenge at afterschool sites. | Implementation underway | DSD – David Abrahams, Tughfa Hamdulay, DCAS, WCED, COCT | Existing budgets | Municipalities, schools, parents, children |
Holiday programs for children, including initiatives supported by DCAS, SAPS, Department of Justice, Municipalities etc. | Not universally available, poor attendance if programs are not attractive enough | See afterschool game-changer | DSD – David Abrahams, Tughfa Hamdulay, DCAS, WCED, COCT | Existing budgets | Municipalities, schools, parents, children | |
Eye on the child early warning system, involving neighbourhood volunteers paid stipends to watch and report on children at risk | Few sites relative to need | Gradual expansion prioritising high-risk communities | DSD – Lesley Corrie | Expansion of conditional grant. and existing budgets, NGOs | DSD child protection and families program offices, NGOs rendering child protection services, NGOs rendering family services (Isibindi), DSD regional and local offices | |
ECDs, Drop-in centres and Isibindi community-based child and youth care services
| Western Cape has highest rate of funded children in ECD relative to population of all provinces, but access is not universal. | Further increase access to subsidised ECD
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Quality of ECD remains variable.
Few sites reached with specialised ECD versus need | Centralisation of ECD registration to increase registration rate | DSD - Tughfa Hamdulay | Existing budgets | NGOs, ECDs, Local Municipalities | ||
Pilot project underway to provide specialised learner support at 100 ECDs to improve school readiness. | DSD – Nina Klein | Existing budgets | NGOs, ECDs, WCED | |||
Child/youth risk behaviour
| Child Justice Act services Child protection services for children and youth with behavioural challenges | Valuable means of keeping children out of prison, but inconsistent adherence to diversion programs
| Research and Internal Audit of Probation and Diversion Services completed, implementation of recommendations required. | DSD –Mzukisi Gaba, Regions | Existing resources | Probation officers for DSD, probations officers for NGOs. |
Inadequate or absent re-integration services
| Universal roll-out of reintegration services. |
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Secure care residential facilities for children awaiting trial and sentenced ito Child Justice Act are at capacity.
| Shortened awaiting trial periods for children in conflict with the law. | DSD – Leana Goosen, Mzukisi Gaba, Regions | Existing resources | Probation officers for DSD, NGOs providing probation services, probations officers for NGOs, magistrates. | ||
Inadequate provision for trauma support and related psychosocial services in schools. | Improved referral mechanisms between schools/Creches and DSD local offices – see below referral pathways. | See below referral pathways. | See below referral pathways. | See below referral pathways. | ||
Truancy management programs (COCT, WCED)
| Extent of Learner Truancy.
Lack of capacity in the government to adequately identify and intervene in truancy among children of statutory school-going age
| 145 learners assisted and 96 learners reintegrated | Safe Schools Fieldworkers | Additional staff to monitor and follow up on reports | Municipalities, Safe Schools, District offices | |
Truancy and school drop-outs fed by lack of suitable alternatives to academic curriculum for youth who are not able to perform well in existing schools
| Need for major expansion of schools of skills/technical streams in existing schools, reform of TVET colleges. |
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Child protection services for children and youth with behavioural challenges
| Demand for services for children with behavioural challenges (including substance abuse, psychological and psychiatric services) outstrips supply.
| Adequate access to child psychiatric services at healthcare facilities. |
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Expansion of school-based drug rehabilitation and psychological support programs to all high risk areas (estimated cost R50m |
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Introduction of adequate residential drug treatment programs for youth in all regions. Currently limited availability in 5 of 6 regions. | DSD – Denzil Cowley | Increase in budget by R10m over MTEF | NGOs in substance abuse sector | |||
Secure care residential facilities for youth with behavioural challenges referred ito Children’s Act are at capacity.
| Expansion of Secure Care child and youth care centre capacity by 33%. | DSD – Leana Goosen | R650m | Provincial Treasury, Department of Transport and Public Works | ||
Increased use of step-down care to level 2 facilities where possible through strengthened case management. | DSD – Leana Goosen | Existing resources | Level 3 facility managers, regional managers, supervisors, canalisation officers, level 2 NGO-run facilities | |||
Availability of firearms
| Firearm control legislation and SAPS policing of illegal firearms | Policing unable to make significant impact on illegal firearm availability | SAPS competency |
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Strength of civil society organisations in community
| DSD NGO support
NDA NGO support
Municipal dispensations to support NGOs/CSOs
Lotto funding of CSOs | In many high risk communities gangs compete with or supersede CSOs as key institutions and mobilisers of social capital.
Lotto funding has become unreliable | Inter-sectoral anti-gang strategy and provincial response being formulated to address gang influence. |
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Gaps in early detection, referrals, and protection of children at risk (other than maternal mental health and support)
| Child protection services (PEI, statutory services, foster care, reintegration) Child protection services (PEI, statutory services, foster care, reintegration)
| Poor or no risk assessment by child protection social workers
Lack of permanency planning for children in alternative care
Cost of police clearance and other red tape deters potential foster and safety parents
| Strategy for reform of child protection system (under PSG3), including implementation of norms and standards for social work, standard operating procedures for canalisation and child protection, implementation of electronic child protection register, improved induction and training of designated child protection social workers, implementation of social work supervision framework, expansion of social work capacity, strengthening of social work management capacity, capacitation of DSD inspectorate.
Inspectorate participation in Child Death Review Panels to ensure failures of the child protection system are identified so that control gaps can be addressed and remedial steps are taken as required. | DSD – Lesley Corrie, Regional Directors, DSD CRU/HR/OD, Internal Audit, DSD Inspectorate | Existing budgets, NGOs | DSD child protection program office, NGOs rendering child protection services, DSD regional and local offices |
Excessively high social work caseloads
| Statutory amendments underway to reduce reliance on children’s courts for kinship-based foster care may assist.
Increased use of long-term alternative care placements where appropriate to reduce court time used in extending short term placements. |
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Lack of understanding by some police stations/officials of the SAPS’s role under the Children’s Act and Child Justice Act
| DSD regions to engage SAPS local stations and officers to promote awareness of SAPS role in child protection. | Mzukisi Gaba, Regional Directors | Existing budgets | DSD regions, SAPS management, SAPS station commanders, DOCS, Municipal police and law enforcment | ||
| Uneven implementation of referral processes from ECDs, Schools, SAPS, clinics, hospitals and by doctors in private practice
| Draft and implement protocol for uniform referral pathway, including inter-agency MOUs and local level implementation protocols | DSD –Regional Directors, Leslie Corrie | Existing budgets | DSD child protection and families program offices, NGOs rendering child protection services, NGOs rendering family services (Isibindi), DSD regional and local offices, ECD program office, ECDs, WCED, School Principals |
