DSD urges to seek alternative care during Child Protection Week

The department stressed that while adoption is a personal choice, there is a need to promote adoption services and recruit prospective adoptive parents.

As part of the ongoing Child Protection Week campaign, the Department of Social Development (DSD) has urged South Africans to seek alternative care options for children when they are unable to provide care themselves. Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu inaugurated Child Protection Week on Sunday in Kimberley, Northern Cape, emphasizing the importance of protecting children's rights and mobilizing society against violence, abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

The department highlighted that since the advent of democracy, South Africa has established a child protection system that includes foster care and adoption, allowing children to stay within families whenever possible. Despite being the most permanent solution for orphaned and vulnerable children, adoption remains underutilized, leaving many children vulnerable to the adverse effects of institutionalization.

According to Section 28 of the Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution, every child has the right to parental or family care or appropriate alternative care if removed from family care. The government is thus responsible for providing alternative care when necessary. Section 233 of the Children's Act further stipulates that a child parent must be assisted by a guardian.

The DSD pointed out that adoption is a crucial part of the child protection system. South Africa faces numerous challenges leading to orphaned and abandoned children, including violent crime, gender-based violence (GBV), HIV/AIDS, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Additionally, poverty, unemployment, and inequality contribute to unwanted pregnancies and child abandonment.

The department stressed that while adoption is a personal choice, there is a need to promote adoption services and recruit prospective adoptive parents. Cultural barriers may prevent some from adopting, necessitating increased awareness about the benefits of adoption.

From April 2010 to March 2024, South Africa recorded 16,593 national adoptions and 2,239 inter-country adoptions. To support adoption services, the department has employed 412 social workers registered with the South African Council for Social Service Professionals (SACSSP).

Foster care is another alternative care option provided for under the Children's Act, which allows for court-ordered placement of children in need of care with suitable individuals or within cluster foster care schemes. Children in foster care with valid court orders can access various government services, including education, healthcare, and foster child grants. The goal of foster care is to provide a protective, nurturing, stable, and secure family environment, facilitating the reunification of children with their families when possible.

The number of children in foster care decreased from 454,000 in 2008 to 306,683 by March 2024. The Children's Amendment Act 2022 and the Social Assistance Amendment Act aim to prevent the lapsing of foster care orders and increase access to social assistance for orphaned children in the care of relatives through the Child Support Grant-Top Up.

As Child Protection Week continues, the DSD calls on all South Africans to consider alternative care options like adoption and foster care to ensure the well-being and stability of the nation's children.