Social Development
In cases of alcohol abuse by parents to such an extent that they end up neglecting their parental duties by exposing their children to inhabitable living conditions and not registering them for social grants and for school:
- What kind of assistance is being offered by her Department to children who find themselves in such circumstances and (b) where can children in these circumstances who reside in areas such as Khayelitsha and Macassar get assistance?
On a prevention and early intervention level, before the family is in a serious crisis, community based interventions such as substance treatment programmes are available in most communities. Parents can also be admitted to substance treatment centres for a set period. DSD and various child designated organisations provide parenting programs and family interventions to assist those families that need care and support. For more serious situations where parents expose their child or children to harm, a designated child protection social worker may determine that it is in the best interest of the child/ren involved to open a children’s court enquiry and remove the child/ren to a place of safety as per the procedures set out in the Children’s Act.
- Families or parents can contact DSD local offices or Child Designated Organisations that will assist with any kind of intervention for the child and family in these two areas. Depending on the needs of the specific children, various short and medium term alternative placement options for children are available. As a last resort children can be accommodated in various Child and Youth Care Centres in the Metro and close to Macassar and Khayelitsha. Placement should be for the shortest possible period and family reunification is prioritised where this is in the best interests of the child.
