Future of King kids’ home uncertain

THE future of 96 abused, vulnerable and orphaned children hangs in the balance due to uncertainty over funding of the King William’s Town Child and Youth Care Centre.

The provincial Department of Social Development has given the children’s home a few months to turn things around, or else the department will withdraw all financial support.

Provincial social development spokesman Mzukisi Solani said the centre did not meet the legal minimum standards.

Solani said the department had “tried since 2016 to mentor the non-profit organisation, so that it would meet the minimum standards, to no avail”.

He said if government funding was withdrawn, they would look for other shelters to take in the children from the King centre.

“We’ve found that the centre is not complying with minimum norms and standards of the Children’s Act,” Solani said.

The chairman of the centre’s board, Vusi Noveve, said they had been informed verbally that the department would cease its financial support at the end of this month.

“It’s totally untrue that we don’t meet their requirements,” he said.

“If that was the case, why have they not shared this information with us?

“They simply told our staff that they would lose their jobs come the end of March.”