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PERFORMANCE BY PROGRAMME PART B: PERFORMANCE INFORMATION

The Department also conducted webinars with children between • A total of five (5) sectoral workshops in partnership with the
the ages of 10 and 14 from all provinces, to enable children to Institute for Security Studies (ISS) and Department of Planning
speak about issues that affect them. In partnership with the SANAC Monitoring and Evaluation (DPME), who convened the multi-
Men’s Sector, National House of Traditional and Khoi-San Leaders sectoral Violence Prevention Forum (VPF), between 01-30 May
and the Parliament of South Africa, the Department launched the 2021.
Traditional Men’s Parliaments in September 2021. Subsequent • Supported the Eastern Cape Department of Social Development
to this, district Traditional Men’s Parliaments were conducted in to launch the “INDLENZANA” Pilot Project, held on the 01 June
partnership with Traditional Leaders to galvanise men and boys 2021 in Bizana, Alfred Nzo District. The project was held as
to champion the prevention of HIV and gender-based violence in a response to the rapid changes in circumstances of children
communities. and families as a result of COVID-19. During the pandemic, the
Eastern Cape was the hardest hit with the highest levels of
Children’s Services deaths especially at the peak of the pandemic. Children were
left with one or both parents deceased.
Adoptions
During the period under review, the Department continued to The Department commemorated Child Protection Week (CPW) from
conduct capacity building on the Adoption Policy Framework and 30 May to 07 June 2021. The CPW is an annual campaign to educate
Strategy. In this regard, a total of two hundred and eighty-seven and mobilise communities to put children first. The official opening
(287) Social Workers were capacitated on Policy Framework and of the CPW was hosted in partnership with Gauteng Department of
Strategy in six (6) provinces namely Northern Cape, Mpumalanga, Social Development at Mary Moodley Child and Youth Care Centre
Limpopo, Eastern Cape, North West and KwaZulu-Natal. The trained and Kids Haven Child and Youth Care Centre in Benoni, Ekurhuleni
Social Workers were empowered with knowledge and skills which Region. Gauteng was targeted as it has the highest number of
will assist them in providing adoption services to the communities unaccompanied or separated children who are accommodated
as mandated by Section 247 of the Children’s Act of 38 of 2005 to in the Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs). There are over five
record and manage the Adoption Register. hundred and four (504) unaccompanied or separated children
accommodated in CYCCs in Gauteng. The focus of the opening
During the reporting period, a total of nine hundred and sixty-three ceremony was to highlight the impact of services to children, hence
(963) adoptions were registered, which include eight hundred and migrant children were presented with an opportunity to share their
thirty-four (834) national adoption and one hundred and twenty- testimonies in this regard. The official opening adopted a hybrid
nine (129) being intercountry adoptions. Furthermore, a total of format of engagements, which included the limited number of
one hundred and eighty-seven (187) children and fourty-nine (49) people during physical and virtual engagements.
prospective adoptive parents have been registered in the Register
on Adoptable Children and Prospective Adoptive Parents (RACAP). The official closing of the 2021 CPW led by the Minister of Social
The Department also trained a total of one hundred and twenty Development together with the MEC for Social Development was
(120) Social Workers and Social Services Professions to capacitate held on the 07 June 2021 at the Klipspruit Family Crisis Centre
them on dealing with cases that require intercountry collaboration. West, which is a Drop-in Centre (DIC) in Gauteng. The closing
ceremony focused on strengthening services at community level,
The Department is in a process of developing Interdepartmental highlighting the importance of provision of the prevention and
Protocol to collectively collaborate, integrate and deal with cases early intervention programmes.
of migrant children in the country. During the period under review,
a total of eighteen (18) children were repatriated to their countries The Minister of Social Development hosted a webinar on The Role
of origin with the aim of reunifying them with their families. The of Fathers as a Father’s Day Event on 20 June 2021. The event
Department also coordinated an Intersectoral Media Briefing included a roundtable discussion with representatives of fathers
in October 2021, on services for unaccompanied and separated and mothers, as part of the panel to discuss the role of fathers in
migrant children, where various government departments and the the protection of children. The roundtable discussion was informed
key stakeholders formed part of the panelist. by the following:

Child Protection • An outcry by many children in South Africa who grow up
During the 2021/22 financial year, the Department piloted the without the presence of their fathers and this, in some
Monitoring Tool on the implementation of the Intersectoral Protocol instances, compromises their care and protection.
on the Prevention and Management of Violence against Children, • Some cases where the fathers are absent, and mothers end
Child Abuse and Neglect and Exploitation (VCANE). The pilot up raising children alone with support of maternal family,
was successfully conducted in three (3) provinces within districts especially in cases of separated, or divorced parents.
with high levels of VCANE namely, eThekwini in KwaZulu-Natal,
Gqeberha in Eastern Cape and West Rand in Gauteng. Following Child Protection Register
the pilot, the monitoring tool was also approved by the special DDG The Department is responsible for managing and administering the
forum and noted by the Welfare Services forum in March 2022. National Child Protection Register (CPR). Part A of the CPR is used
record all reports of abuse or deliberate neglect of children, while
As part of commemoration of the Child Protection Month, the Part B is used to record the names of persons who are unsuitable
Department held several build up activities for the child protection to work with children. This information is used to protect children
week which include amongst others the following: from abuse by these persons. During the year under review, a total
• National Policy Dialogues in partnership with Institute of of 13 854 cases were recorded on Part A of the CPR and 152 877
Security Studies (ISS) and Violence Prevention Forum from 04 inquiries were made against Part B of the Register. Capacity building
- 28 May 2021. on the use of the web-based system was undertaken targeting
all provinces and Designated Child Protection Organisations. In

DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT ANNUAL REPORT 2021/22 57