Vulnerable citizens rely on a caring society
October marks Social Development Month. The good news this year is that the Children’s Amendment Bill, which will reform foster care in South Africa, should be finalised in November. Once enacted, it will significantly improve the lives of vulnerable children and their caregivers.
The Bill pays particular attention to children in care by providing legal solutions to the overburdened foster care system and addressing challenges in the child care and protection system.
According to the South
African Human Rights Commission, around one-fifth of our children are orphaned and in need of care. Compare that to the critical shortage of social workers in the country and it is clear that swift change is needed if tomorrow’s leaders are to get the start they need to thrive.
The Bill will help to bring about this much-needed change. Among others, caregivers who want to have full parental responsibilities and rights to children who need care, such as orphans, in the care of relatives, will now be able to approach the Children's Courts to apply for guardianship.
Social Development Month aims to highlight the commitment of government and civil society to caring for vulnerable people, while Older Persons Week (27 September to 3 October) pays tribute to our veteran citizens and highlights the challenges they face.
Focus areas this year include making social services more accessible to all people through a coordinated portfolio approach that integrates the services of both the South African Social Security Agency and the National Development Agency.
Government has put in place various programmes to support the vulnerable. These include the Child Support Grant TopUp, which was introduced in
June 2022. It pays an additional R240 – over and above the standard Child Support Grant of R480 – to lessen the burden placed on relatives who care for an orphaned child.
Around 13 million children benefit from the Child Support Grant.
On the eve of Social Development Month, Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu explained that a recent review undertaken by the department showed that as a result of the Child Support Grant being expanded to reach more children between 2003 and 2013, child food poverty decreased from 53% to 33% in that period.
Also worth a mention is the Know Your Status campaign that aims to ensure that nonprofit organisations (NPO) are compliant with the NPO Act, 1997 (Act 71 of 1997). This will ensure they are eligible for government support.
In August 2022, government and the National Economic
Development and Labour Council Community Constituency signed the Social Sector Framework Agreement. The agreement lays the foundation for a state-civil society collaboration that will work to improve the lives of the vulnerable.
The recently published NPO Amendment Bill is also applaudable. It creates a more enabling environment for civil society organisations to conduct their vital social development work.
These are some of the many initiatives undertaken since the advent of democracy to ensure that people with special needs, impoverished people and other vulnerable groups receive the support they deserve.