The raising of the age ceiling for child-support grants to 15 — announced by Finance Minister Trevor Manuel in his national budget on Wednesday — leaves many children between the ages of 15 and 18 vulnerable, the Johannesburg Child Welfare Society said.
Spokesperson Jackie Loffell said the most vulnerable children are left without a safety net and many will have to leave school and try to integrate into an economy that cannot absorb them.
”We will continue to carry the costs in terms of crime and a range of other serious social problems affecting our youth,” said Loffell.
The society, aware of the restraints the government faces, urged the government to honour its commitment to the rights of all children, including those between 15 and 18 years of age.
The society did, however, welcome the announcement that the ”harsh and outdated” test for child support grants will be revised.
It will wait to see if the increased allocations to provincial governments will translate into increased social welfare and promotion of the rights of the most vulnerable and marginalised in provincial budgets.
”We hope that the amounts allocated make sufficient provision for the implementation of the Children’s Act, the Sexual Offences Act and the Child Justice Bill.”
Current funding for non-profit organisations (NPOs), which deliver most of the relevant social services, falls short of the costs of the services, Loffell said.
The wage gap between governmental and NPO personnel destabilises the social welfare workforce, and social funding should promote equal work for equal pay.
The society was encouraged by the increase in provision for school nutrition.
”We welcome the announcement of increased investment in early-childhood development services, and look forward to further information as to how the envisaged expansions to the service network will be implemented,” said Loffell. — Sapa
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