Issued by: The Ministry for Welfare and Population Development
MEDIA RELEASE BY MS G J FRASER-MOLEKETI, CHAIRPERSON OF THE INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE ON YOUTH AT RISK (IMC) ON: THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHILD AND YOUTH CARE SYSTEM "PROGRESS AND FUTURE CHALLENGES".
6 August 1998
1. MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE CHILD AND YOUTH CARE SYSTEM
Minimum standards are completed and are being circulated throughout the country. This is a first for South Africa, it covers whole integrated system and are inter-sectoral. The minimum standards will now form the basis of all new human resource development initiatives, financing, and quality assurance. Minimum piloting on the latter two aspects will take place over next 12 months starting as soon as possible and resulting in minimum standards on these components. Foster care minimum standards have been initiated, the process will be completed this year.
Practice guidelines will be developed by 1999 asa practical companion to the minimum standards.
2. POLICY FINALISATION
Policy has been finalised after as period of 15 months for inputs. This is presently being edited and will go to IMC Ministers, Welfare MECs. The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Welfare etc. for comment. It will be published and circulated by the end of August 1998.
3. DEVELOPMENT OF NEW CHILD/FAMILY ASSESSMENT MODEL TO FACILITATE THE SWITCH OVER TO NEW A PARADIGM
A developmental assessment model was developed towards the latter part of 1997, it has now been tested for 6 months and is working very well as the central part of project go
Nearly 50 trainers have been trained and so far about 600 practitioners have been trained from the Department of Welfare, Department of Education, Child and Family Welfare organisations, residential care facilities, magistrates, prosecutors and probation officers. A group of about 100 is trained each month and we are trying to speed this up and spread it further. More trainers will be trained in August.
4. PILOT PROJECTS/REPLICATION
About 400 young people (and families) received effective services with positive results.
The Family Preservation Project in Inanda Kwazulu-Natal is now a learning centre and already people are visiting frtinues to be very effective. Negotiations with the provincial departments of welfare are underway for them to take over next year. We are now looking at learning from the pilot projects on how we could fund service delivery. Replication in the North West Province will start in due course. The Western Cape Department of Welfare is using the same principles within project go.
The Professional Foster Care Project in Kimberley will, when completed in September, become a learning centre. So far this has been very effective. Replication has started in North West (Odi) and Eastern Cape (Umtata).
The Stepping Stones One-Stop Justice Centre in Port Elizabeth is going very well and is now a learning centre. Family group Conference is to be integrated during next month. Negotiations with the provincial department of welfare in the Eastern Cape is underway. Piloting of assistant probation officers will begin this month.
The Life Centre in Kingwilliamstown is going very well and in the process of becoming a learning centre. It is also being used as a diversion programme by magistrates.
Reception Referral Centre continues as a learning centre and many have already visited. Replication has started in Umtata and will soon start in North West Province. In the Western Cape the same principles are being used throughout the province and this is working well. Family Group Conferencing is to be integrated into this project.
5. PROJECT GO
Project Go impacted positively on about 3000 young people since January 1998. Ths will continue for 3 years to ensure completion of transformation.
Secure Care will receive concerted attention in a summit in September.
Family preservation and diversion programme aspects will receive more attention in next 12 months.
Monitoring of children in prisons and programmes for these children is also receiving great attention.
6. TRAINING/RE-TRAINING
Training of child and youth care workers, probation officers, social workers youth workers and teachers is continuing.
7. MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUNG PEOPLE
This is a new strategy, funded by donor funding, to encourage the initiation of innovative projects and processes which will take the transformation forward. Seed money of 50 - 100 000 will be given together with capacity building and ongoing mentoring. A reference group chaired by the Minister for Welfare and Population Development will serve as a think tank and accountability body and will come together at a mini-conference twice per year. Although it is only fully launched in August/September, this process has already begun. So far about 20 proposals have been received and these are being processed. Many are from Child and Family welfare organisations. The process will also be used to do quality assurance and pilot funding models.
8. LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
CIDA (a Canadian funding Agency) and the IMC have a contract and 40 leaders have started in this process of training which will take 12 - 18 months. First training was completed in May 1998. Delegates rom Welfare, Justice, Education, Correctional Services, SAPS and outside government participated.
9. REVIEWING THE TRAINING OF SOCIAL WORKERS
A new pilot project has been initiated to restructure the training of social workers within the new paradigm. Research will be linked to IMC pilot projects. Students will participate in learning centres where the three Universities in the Western Cape will link up.
10. PROJECT GROW
This strategy will be launched in next 2 months to ensure upgrading of residential care component of the system and develop a model on quality assurance. The project will involve a quality assurance process based on minimum standards, capacity building and mentoring. It will be out-sorced to competent NGOs who will use the project to build capacity in each province.
This project will essentially pilot a partnership model in quality assurance between state and independent bodies. It will then be reviewed to see which model would be best for South Africa.
Issued by Ms GJ Fraser-Moleketi, Minister for Welfare and Population Development. Contact: Mr Anton Fisher 012 312 7654