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South Africa: KZN Budgets R1.2m for Childcare, Protection
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BuaNews (Tshwane)
25 April 2008
Posted to the web 25 April 2008
Siboniso Ntuli
Pietermaritzburg
The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Social Development has budgeted R1.2 million to make sure that all the children in the province are taken care off and protected.
Delivering his department's budget speech on Thursday at the provincial legislature, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Social Development Dr Meshack Radebe said this amount would address very pertinent issues of child poverty.
The department said the services under this social programme included alternative care, child protection and early childhood development.
"Orphanhood as a result of the HIV and AIDS pandemic has exacerbated child poverty in the province and is placing considerable pressure on this programme, due to the number of children who require placement in foster care," said Mr Radebe.
In 2007 the department's social workers finalised 22 000 cases of placement in the province. However there is still a backlog of 20 000 cases, due to the increase in the new cases reported at the service offices.
Mr Radebe said there were currently 116 000 children in 73 000 families who were in foster care homes in KwaZulu-Natal.
"The shortage of social workers remains a barrier in this regard," said Mr Radebe.
He further added that in this area there was substantial corruption and he said with collaborated efforts between different departments they would exploit these people.
"We are on the tails of these immoral wrongdoers who are exploiting child poverty in this province for their own benefits," said Mr Radebe.
With regard to Early Child Development (ECD) the department is subsidising 1360 ECD centres in the province and planning to establish an additional 75 sites this year.
The department also stated that they would be expanding the Sponsor a Child Programme to cater for more children and would be recruiting individuals as well as corporate sponsors.
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"This is the initiative that promotes ubuntu by inviting members of the community to assist needy children through pledges of financial support," said Mr Radebe.
Real serious why did they not budget the funds for a school bridge in Durban south I read constantly about school kids being killed there.(Ward 66?)
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