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CHILD PROTECTION WEEK 2017
28 May – 3 June
NACSA Vision
To unify and empower our communities and society,
to create positive and permanent change in the
lives of our children.
NACSA Focus/Brands
Crisis Pregnancy:
•
Young men & women
•
Pregnant mothers
•
Parents
•
Community members
Adoption:
•
Birth-mothers
•
Adoptive Parents
•
Adoptees
•
Community members
Child Protection:
•
Social Workers/DSD
•
Other NGO’s/CPO’s
•
Children/Y. Adults
•
Community Members
Adoption Conference 2016
ADOPTION 2016 & BEYOND
The changing face of adoption
Summary of Actions
•
Placing children’s rights at the centre of what we do.
•
Accurate, relevant child protection statistics e.g. abandoned children.
•
Streamline adoption legal process and administrative requirements.
•
Addressing foreign children documentation and adoptability.
•
Our role in supporting the adoption triad – pre, during and post!
•
Early placement and reduction in child protection challenges.
•
Teen pregnancy – our role in supporting young women and mothers.
•
Learning and practice – strengthening learning platforms.
•
International social services/international relations with neighbours.
•
Strengthening coordination between DSD, NACSA and other key
stakeholders in the Adoption Family at a national and provincial level.
CHILD ABANDONMENT RESEARCH
Jan - May 2017
Introduction
•
Conclusive statistical research into the incidence of child abandonment
is yet to be conducted in South Africa.
•
In 2010 Child Welfare South Africa, Cape Town Child Welfare and
Jo’burg Child Welfare collectively estimated child abandonment at over
3500 babies for that year, a marked increase from previous years.
•
NACSA decided to conduct some research amongst its members in
2017 to assess whether this number is increasing or declining.
•
The research aimed to understand:
– How many children have been abandoned over the past 4 years?
– How many children have known biological family?
– How many children have no known biological family?
– How many children have been formally consented for adoption?
– How many children have been reunified with their biological family?
– How many children are still in care?
Most organisations could not answer all of these questions
Sample Overview
•
345 registered children’s homes (CYCCs) in South Africa (UNICEF).
•
We compiled a database of 80 NGO’s and sent them our questionnaire.
•
We had responses from 26 organisations representing 33 homes or
places of safety, which equates to just under 10% of total CYCCs.
•
The homes represented a range of government registered but NGO run
CYCCs from large to small.
•
The significance of the sample has not been tested, however, it is state
protocol that most abandoned children are taken to government
registered and run CYCCs, prior to accessing NGO run CYCCs.
•
It is therefore likely that estimates could be higher when government
run CYCCs become part of the sample.
•
We had responses from all provinces bar Limpopo and the Free State.
The focus of the research was from 2013 to 2016
Sample by province
PROVINCE
12
10
8
6
4
PROVINCE
2
0
We need to focus on trends rather than actual numbers
Total Children Abandoned into Care
“The numbers are down
in Gauteng Province but
I am not sure this is true
for state run CYCCs”
(Child Protection Officer)
“We have seen a
noticeable decline in the
amount of children being
abandoned in KZN”
(Child Protection Officer)
*n:10% of total CYCCs
The number of abandoned children has declined by approximately 30% over the
past 4 years, however, there could still be as many as 2830* in 2016.
Known biological family
70
60
50
“I used to know most of the mothers
of our abandoned children, but now
it is only about 30%.”
(Baby home manager - Gauteng)
40
30
2013
2014
2015
20
2016
10
0
Many organisations could not answer this question, however, most advised that this
number has declined over recent years.
No known biological family
70
60
50
40
“The number of anonymous
abandonments has definitely increased
over the past few years, we used to be
able to find the family but now it is
becoming more difficult”
(Social worker - Gauteng)
2013
30
2014
2015
20
2016
10
0
Many organisations could not answer this question, however, most advised that the
amount of ‘unknown’ and ‘unsafe’ abandonments has increased.
Children formally consented for adoption
80
70
60
50
“Adoptions still remain very low,
there are still major challenges
around RACAP, which is not
reflective of how many children are
available for adoption”
(CPO Manager - Gauteng)
2012/2013: 1699 Adoptions
2013/2014: 1452 Adoptions
2014/2015: 1651 Adoptions
2015/2016: 1165 Adoptions
2016/2017: 1349 Adoptions
(149 International)
40
2013
30
2014
2015
2016
20
10
0
The number of children formally consented for adoption has remained relatively
consistent over the past four years, but it is still very low.
Children reunified with biological family
40
35
30
“We have seen a big
increase in family
reunification recently, but I
am not sure why”
(CPO Manager - Gauteng)
25
20
15
10
“Child abandonment is still a
challenge especially those parents
that leave children with grannies and
just disappear from home without
anyone knowing their whereabouts.”
(CPO Manager - National)
“The problem is children are being
reunified with their families by social
workers because they have no other
resources, even if this is not right for
the child, so all that happens is that
the child is abandoned again”
(Social Worker - Gauteng)
2013
2014
2015
2016
5
0
Family reunification as a percentage of child abandonment has increased over the
past year in Gauteng but this is a contentious issue.
Children still in care
35
30
25
20
“Foreign children are just stuck in
the system. The Court will take
consent but then provincial DSD
will not recommend the adoption
and so they sit. The homes are all
full because of this.”
(CPO Manager - Gauteng)
“An adoption now takes
between 8 and 18 months to
complete, which has a major
impact on the children and
their long term well being.”
(Social Worker - Gauteng)
2013
15
2014
2015
10
2016
5
0
A number of challenges were highlighted as to why children remain in care primarily
related to ‘foreign children’ and the average time taken to finalise an adoption
In summary
•
Abandonment appears to have declined in NGO run Child and Youth
Care Centres (CYCCs), especially in Gauteng and KZN.
– Note: This does not reflect state run CYCCs who did not form part of the
study. It is standard DSD protocol to take abandoned children to state run
CYCC’s first, before accessing NGO run CYCCs.
•
However, the number of anonymous abandonments have increased as
a percentage of total abandonments. Reasons given include:
– Lack of support or social services for foreign mothers in the Departments of
Health, Justice, Home Affairs, SAPS and Social Development.
– Hospitals have significantly improved their security and protocols around
child birth, making anonymous abandonment in a hospital unlikely.
•
Social workers also noted an increase in the amount of premature and
disabled babies citing concerns around late term illegal abortion.
– Nearly 30% of children in CYCCs are disabled vs 11.2% of general
childhood population in SA (UNICEF/DSD 2012).
Existing stats/estimates on abandonment
•
Gauteng Mortuaries stillbirths for 2012/2013 = 1200 (however, still births from
hospitals are not sent to the mortuaries as they are not seen as unnatural
deaths, only dead abandoned babies left in bins and the veld). IOL 23/09/2015
•
Police classify unnatural deaths in categories: murders, culpable homicides or
inquests, and they do not release the number of inquests – abandoned babies
are noted down as inquest. IOL 23/09/2015
•
374 new-borns abandoned every year in Gauteng hospitals, an average of 11
babies every month New Age 13/11/2015
•
Of the 200 babies found weekly in Johannesburg/Soweto monthly, only 60 are
found alive. The Star 02/05/2012
•
A review of newspaper articles on abandonment from 2010 to 2013 (DB
Research): 65% were new born; 90% younger than a year; 70% abandoned in
unsafe cites (toilets, drains, gutters, rubbish sites/dumps, parks, veld)
•
Review RACAP in 2013, more than 60% were abandoned and less than 40%
consented for adoption (DB Research).
SA unsafe abortion fact sheet (Heard Report 2016)
•
It is estimated that 50% of abortions in SA occur outside of formal health care
facilities.
•
Many women who opt for illegal abortion services experience complications and
seek care in the formal health sector.
•
Health care provider objections to providing abortion procedures results in fewer
than half of government designated facilities providing abortion services.
•
Limited access to second trimester terminations in public health facilities results
in women exceeding the legal gestation period for obtaining abortions and
seeking abortions outside of designated health facilities.
•
The majority of women are unaware of their legally recognised abortion rights
under SA law, believing illegal/unsafe abortion providers are their only option.
•
Authorities do little to nothing to control street and cyber marketing for illegal
abortion services (Misoprotol use/’Womb Cleaning” - Rebecca Hodes 2016)
•
Restrictive abortion laws in countries in southern and east Africa drive women to
SA, many then access illegal/unsafe abortion providers.
“I advise the women to go to hospital after they have been bleeding for a few hours
to make sure that the baby has been removed completely.” (Hodes 2016)
The devaluation of care in SA
•
2015/2016 budget for DSD, 88% allocated to social assistance (Grants),
10% to welfare and social development services and 2% to admin.
•
Social welfare services in SA are provided partly by DSD and to a
significant degree by NPO’s.
Whist subsidies have increased year on year, in most provinces they have not kept pace with
inflation and NGO social workers earn significantly less than government workers.
These inequalities systematically undermine and devalue our care system in SA
CHILD ABANDONMENT
CHOOSE TO CARE CAMPAIGN
May 2017
3 important insights have
driven the development
of this campaign
Preliminary advocacy findings on the Choice of
Termination of Pregnancy Act, common law murder,
Concealment of birth of newly born child and case
law (S v Mshumpa)
Sheri Errington, Luke Lamprecht, Lorna Jacklin
What we saw in JHB in 2013
80
74
70
60
50
40
28
30
22
24
20
10
0
Under 26 weeks
Over 26 weeks
Unknown
Total
Where we saw it
Johannesburg's maps of discarded children and potential children
Sheri Errington
1
JHB Central
JHB Central
2
3
4
5
Key:
Non-viable (>26 weeks)
Viable (<26 weeks)
Hospitals & Clinics
1. Joubert Park Clinic
2. Urban Health Clinic
3. Mbobo LT/a Bhopelo Clinic
4. Stanfin Pharmacy Clinic
5. Albert Clinic
Organisations
None
1
Hillbrow
2
A
3
B
C
4
5
Key:
Non-viable (>26 weeks)
Viable (<26 weeks)
Hospitals & Clinics
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Charlotte Maxexe Academic Hospital
Parklane Clinic
Brenthurst Clinic
Hillbrow Community Health Centre
Hillbrow Hospital – Well Baby Clinic
Organisations
A. Children’s Memorial Institute
B. Door of Hope
C. Wits Reproductive Health Unit
“What I find devastating is that
babies have been abandoned
just a few blocks from our baby
saver because the mother did
not know we were here and that
we can help her.”
(Sandy Immelman – Helderberg
Baby Saver)
The number of “stillbirths” for 2014 / 2015 was 607 (a
number which is roughly consistent over three years).
It is estimated that there is approximately one abandoned
baby found alive every working day of the month, which
equates to about 270-280 babies.
We can therefore estimate that in 2014 / 2015
approximately 900 babies were found in Gauteng of
which two thirds had died. (Robyn Wolfson-Vorster)
Campaign Objectives
•
Raise awareness about the plight of abandoned babies.
•
Make parents experiencing crisis pregnancies aware of the
organisations who can assist them at this difficult time.
•
Stimulate national conversation and debate about issues of baby
abandonment.
•
The creative concept references the remembrance crosses one often
sees next to South African roads, marking the spot where a loved one
passed away, presumably due to a vehicle accident.
•
Posters will be co-branded with our CYCC/Baby Home and Places of
Safety Partners.
•
Posters will be placed in high traffic areas near the CYCC’s/Baby
Homes and Places of Safety to offer clear directions to where they are
situated.
•
A few posters will also be placed on previous sites of abandonments.
Online directory & contact centre support
Women experiencing and unplanned or crisis pregnancy can call, email, sms or
WhatsApp us or find help via our online directory
Thank you