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PERFORMANCE BY PROGRAMME PART B: PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

8.4: Programme 4: Welfare Similarly, the Department also funded three (3) national
organisations to execute following the objectives:
Services Policy Development and • Capacity building to ECD Practitioners and workforce on
registration and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for
Implementation Support COVID-19 regulations for provision of quality ECD services
• To raise awareness and advocate for the registration of partial
Programme Purpose care facilities, centre and non-centre based ECD programmes.
• Advocate for the inclusion of children with disability to access
To create an enabling environment for the delivery of equitable ECD Programme.
developmental welfare services through the formulation of policies, During the period under review, the Department participated
norms and standards and best practices, and support implementing in the Deputy Minister’s projects. A total of ninety-four (94) ECD
agencies. centres were provided with personal protective equipment (PPEs)
to support those ECD services to comply COVID-19 regulations. The
Children’s Legislation Department further administered Presidential ECD Stimulus Relief
Fund to more than 58 000 ECD workforce in the ECD sector through
During the period under review, the Department consulted key ECD programmes.
stakeholders on the draft Regulations for the Children’s Amendment
Bill. A total of nine (9) provincial consultative workshops were held The ECD unit participated in the 9-9-9 programme that promoted
between June and December 2021, where 881 stakeholders were non-use of alcohol to pregnant women. This programme is
reached. Similarly, the National Child Care and Protection Forum aligned to the World Foetal Alcohol Syndrome (FAS) Day, which is
(comprising of the national department, provincial departments commemorated each year at nine minutes past nine on the ninth day
of Social Development, child protection organisations, academic of the ninth month to draw attention to the fact that women should
institutions, international agencies, etc) was consulted in November not drink alcohol for nine months whilst pregnant. The programme
2021. A national workshop to consult children was also held in was conducted within the first nine days in September 2021 in all
January 2022 and twenty-five (25) child representatives attended. provinces. The purpose of the programme was to support pregnant
These consultations were held as part of drafting the Regulations in mothers and provided information on the dangers of alcohol during
preparation for the eventual passing of the Children`s Amendment pregnancy.
Bill, as an Amended Act.
To support parents and caregivers, the Department continued with
Early Childhood Development (ECD) capacity building on master trainers in North West, Northern Cape,
and Western Cape. The training reached a total of ninety-eight (98)
In order to minimise the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure master trainers. The objective of training the master trainers was
compliance to the regulations, the Department developed for them to roll it out in their districts.
COVID-19 compliance monitoring template, with specific indicators,
to monitor compliance during the provision of ECD services. All Families
provincial departments submitted quarterly monitoring reports,
which reflects the state of compliance to COVID-19 regulations in In 2021/22, the Department rolled out the Sinovuyo Teenage
the provision of ECD services. Parenting Programme. The purpose of the Sinovuyo Teens
Parenting Programme seeks to improve caregiver-teenager
One of the critical issues in the provision of ECD services is quality. relationship through active social learning, improving caregiver
There is a need to balance access and quality. The provision of mental health through social support and improving caregiver-
quality ECD services is at the centre of service delivery. It is on teenager communication about risky situations for teenagers in the
this basis that the Department developed a draft Quality Assurance community. Sinovuyo programme aims to:
and Support System during the period under review. This Quality • Improve positive parenting skills
Assurance System will be used to define quality, guide providers in • Help teenagers to manage their behaviour
terms of quality and support required to deliver ECD services. The • Improve mental health and social support
System will be finalised will be finalised in the next financial year. • Improve problem solving skills
• Help families respond better to crisis situations
To improve registration of ECD services, the Department conducted
a pilot on the Registration Management Tool in Limpopo and Through the partnership with UNICEF and Clowns Without
Mpumalanga in June 2021. The pilot was conducted in partnership Borders, over 300 officials from both government and civil society
with Nelson Mandela Foundation (NMF), Impande and Data organisations in all provinces were trained.
Innovators to assess the feasibility or practicality of the tool on
the ground. The pilot was accepted, and the training were then The Department also embarked on the process of revising the
conducted in all the provinces. The purpose of the tool is to White Paper on Families. The White Paper was gazetted for public
eliminate paper-based registration, which will assist in tracking consultations in June 2021. This was followed by consultation in all
registration, reliable data, generate reports and planning. This has provinces, where officials from both government and civil society
led to the introduction of Phase 3 of the registration massification. organisations participated. The White Paper seeks to provide
To this end, a total of eight hundred and six (806) registration guidelines and strategies for the strengthening of the families in
certificates have been issued. South Africa and the realisation of their well-being as well as the
strengthening of communities as support networks for families. The
White Paper has risen as a result of the need to prevent the family
from disintegration and vulnerability. The revision seeks to change

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