Social Development
With reference to children living on the streets in the Western Cape:
- (i) What is the number of children currently living on the streets in the province and (ii) what is the breakdown per municipality, (b)(i) what is the number of children accommodated in homeless shelters in the province and (ii) what services are rendered to them by his Department at these shelters and (c) what whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches are in place to (i) ensure that children living on the streets are reunited with their families wherever possible and (ii) guarantee that such children gain access to early childhood development programmes and education?
(a) (i) There are currently no official statistics for the number of children living on the streets in the Western Cape or in South Africa, or on the number of homeless persons in general. This is due to the fact that persons living on the street have no fixed abode and constantly move, making it impossible to perform an accurate census.
(ii) See response to (i) above.
(b) (i) Children are not allowed in Adult Homeless Shelters and therefore there are no children in these shelters. The only shelter that accommodates children is the Family Shelter in Somerset West. There are currently 42 children at the shelter living with their parents. Children living on the street who are not living with their parents and have been identified in need of care and protection are accommodated in the Department of Social Development’s child and youth care centres. Statistics for children taken from the street are not kept separately from other categories of children in need of care and protection.
(ii) There is a ECD on site at the Family Shelter to support children below 6 years. Children of school going age are going to school. Education services are also provided at all department-run child and youth care centres.
(c) (i) When children on the street are reported to the Department the child in question is assessed to determine if they are in need of care and protection. Where children on the street have parents and there is reasonable prospect of them being reunified with their parents, reunification services are provided, with family and individual intervention services, parenting skills, therapeutic services and any other support provided as needed. If reunification is not possible, then the child will be placed in foster care or child and youth care centre via the children’s court.
(ii) When a child is reunified with the family or placed in alternative care, an individual development plan for the child is developed to ensure the child attends ECD or school (depending on the age of the child). The Social Worker will also liaise with the ECD or school to ensure the child is attending.
