The challenge of ophans
Oct. 28th, 2008 12:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nairiporterOrphans need homes - state appeals
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=vn20081028060430872C882718
The number of orphaned children in South Africa is estimated at 1,5-million, according to Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya.
Although the country had done "incredibly well" to provide a safety net for the poor, which included giving a child support grant to 8,3-million children, more needed to be done, Skweyiya said on Monday.
"However, South Africa is facing a challenge of increasing numbers of orphaned children, abandoned babies, worrying levels of abuse, neglect and exploitation of children. Most of these children need permanent homes."
He said the department currently provided social support to 20 657 child-headed households, while 11 328 community caregivers had been trained.
Children being abandoned and neglected could be partly attributed to high levels of poverty, unemployment and unwanted teenage pregnancies.
Foster care was a useful short-term intervention, while encouraging families to adopt children was a permanent solution.
"According to the SA Social Security Agency's statistics, as of September 2008, a total of 494 992 children were in foster care and were receiving the foster-care grant. In addition, there is a backlog of about 157 000 reported cases of foster care waiting to be finalised," the minister noted.
The backlog was due to a shortage social workers.
According to the adoption register, the number of adoptions in SA was "very low" because of a lack of awareness of adoption services. In the 2007/08 financial year, 1 682 children had been adopted, against 2 055 in 2006/07.
SA will have 2,5m orphans by 2010
http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=125&art_id=vn20081028060430872C882718
The number of orphaned children in South Africa is estimated at 1,5-million, according to Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya.
Although the country had done "incredibly well" to provide a safety net for the poor, which included giving a child support grant to 8,3-million children, more needed to be done, Skweyiya said on Monday.
"However, South Africa is facing a challenge of increasing numbers of orphaned children, abandoned babies, worrying levels of abuse, neglect and exploitation of children. Most of these children need permanent homes."
He said the department currently provided social support to 20 657 child-headed households, while 11 328 community caregivers had been trained.
Children being abandoned and neglected could be partly attributed to high levels of poverty, unemployment and unwanted teenage pregnancies.
Foster care was a useful short-term intervention, while encouraging families to adopt children was a permanent solution.
"According to the SA Social Security Agency's statistics, as of September 2008, a total of 494 992 children were in foster care and were receiving the foster-care grant. In addition, there is a backlog of about 157 000 reported cases of foster care waiting to be finalised," the minister noted.
The backlog was due to a shortage social workers.
According to the adoption register, the number of adoptions in SA was "very low" because of a lack of awareness of adoption services. In the 2007/08 financial year, 1 682 children had been adopted, against 2 055 in 2006/07.
SA will have 2,5m orphans by 2010
