The Johannesburg Child Welfare Society welcomes Finance Minister Trevor Manuel’s announcement that the age ceiling for the Child Support Grant will be lifted to 15 years; at the same time we are very disappointed that the grant is not being extended to all poor children up to age 18 as was widely expected. While we realise that the government is facing constraints, as a nation we shoot ourselves in the foot if we leave our most vulnerable young people with no safety net at a point where, for many, this means having to leave school and make their own way in an economy which 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. We urge the government to move as rapidly as possible to honour its commitment to the rights of all children, including those aged 15-18. Meanwhile, the announcement that the harsh and outdated means test for the CSG is to be reviewed is welcomed. 

We note that the Minister has announced a significant increase in allocations to provincial governments. We will have to wait until the provincial budgets are announced to see whether this translates into significant increases in social welfare budgets, as to promote the rights of the most vulnerable and marginalised in our communities, including children.

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 the non-profit organisations (NPOs) who deliver most of the relevant social services falls disastrously short of the costs thereof. Social welfare funding also needs to promote the concept of equal pay for equal work, so as to overcome the large gaps between salaries for government and NPO personnel, which continuously destabilise the workforce in the sector.

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. We are also encouraged by the increase in provision for school nutrition.  

Jackie Loffell
Johannesburg Child Welfare