Social Development
Question by:
Hon Ayanda Bans
Answered by:
Hon Jaco Londt
Question Number:
7
Question Body:
In respect of the number of orphans and child-headed households in the province:
- (a) What proactive measures has his Department implemented to identify (i) orphans and (ii) child-headed households that do not come into contact with his Department’s systems, including outreach partnerships with (aa) municipalities, (bb) schools, (cc) the SAPS, (dd) clinics, (ee) NGOs and (ff) community organisations and (b) what early-warning or vulnerability-tracking mechanisms exist to detect new cases;
- whether his Department maintains or plans to establish an integrated provincial register of vulnerable children; if so, what information is captured in such a register?
Answer Body:
(1)(a)(i)(ii) (aa – ff) The Department implements preventative and community-based interventions to identify vulnerable children, including orphans and child-headed households that may not formally contact departmental systems. These include partnerships and referral mechanisms with:
- municipalities through local intersectoral structures and community development initiatives;
- schools, which may refer vulnerable learners for social work intervention;
- the South African Police Service in matters involving child protection concerns;
- clinics and other health facilities;
- Department-funded Non-Profit Organisations providing child and family care services; and
- community-based and faith-based organisations operating within local communities.
(b) Early identification occurs through:
- Social work assessments;
- Referrals from community stakeholders and service partners;
- Mandatory child protection reporting mechanisms; and
- Community outreach and prevention programmes implemented by funded organisations.
(2) Information relating to children who enter the child protection system is recorded through the Social Work Integrated Management System application.
Date:
Friday, March 6, 2026
