Social Development

In the light of concerns raised by Badisa West Coast regarding the shortage of suitably qualified safety and foster parents in the province:

1. What measures is his Department implementing to (a) recruit, (b) assess, (c) train and (d) retain suitably qualified safety and foster parents, particularly in regions such as the West Coast;
2. how many approved (a) safety parents and  (b) foster parents are currently registered in each district of the province;
3. what strategies are in place to reduce the waiting times for the placement of children who require alternative care;
4. what additional support, including (a) financial, (b) psychosocial and (c) training support, is provided to ensure that safety and foster parents are adequately equipped to care for vulnerable children?