March / April 2010

Contents

• Editorial - Zeni Thumbadoo
• Sitting with Jason - Dr. Thom Garfat
• FICE Congress 2010
• Caring for Caregivers - Thea Patterson and Batya Reckson
• Guidelines for the Alternative Care of Children - United Nations Framework
• Some Challenges for 2010 - Linda Naidoo
• Child Rights
• Hi,I am your Assessor - Harold Slabbert
• The Social Services Professions and Occupations Bill and the Social Service Professions Policy - Lucy Jamieson and Paula Proudlock
• Tomorrow is Another Place - James Thurber
• Activities for Kids
• Combat or Cooperation? - Thomas F Tate and Randall L Copas
• Equality Court Agrees, Speech can be a Deadly Weapon - Angelica Pino
• The Children’s Act - Lucy Jamieson and Paula Proudlock
• Youth Justice Crossword - Jackie Winfield

YES WE DID!

By Merle Allsopp

The Children’s Act No 38 0f 2005 has come into operation as of the 1st April 2010, and ... Yes! We, the child and youth care sector, played our part in the deliberations, discussions, debates and advocacy initiatives that led up to this point. For the first time we are now implementing a Children’s Act here in South Africa that is aligned to the protection of the rights of children as articulated in section 28 of the South African Bill of Rights, ensuring that our child care and protection laws are aligned to international children’s legislation. The Children’s Act and its supporting documents including the Regulations to the Act, the Norms and Standards, the M&E framework are all ready for the implementation phase. What a victory for all who participated in this process over so many years!

Those colleagues who remember the Transformation of the Child and Youth Care System ñ a process led by previous Minister of Social Development, Ms Geraldine Fraser- Moleketi and supported by the past Director of the NACCW, MS Lesley Du Toit, will remember the introduction of concepts such as minimum standards, developmental assessment, practice principles, Project Go, family preservation, restorative conferencing and, of course, the recognition of child and youth care work as a social service Profession . This rich tapestry has been integrated into the Children’s Act giving us all the opportunity to contribute to a range of programs and services that protect our children from abuse, neglect and maltreatment and ensure that their rights to family, parental and alternative care options are met, as well as their rights to to social services.

The Children’s Act articulates so much of the practical experiences, perspectives, wisdom and dreams of the child and youth care sector. Our submissions on the then Children’s Bill; our leadership gatherings where we debated the Regulations of the Children’s Act; the articles presented in Child and Youth Care Work; and our advocacy efforts with Parliamentarians at provincial consultative processes (including the voices of our children) have all contributed to the Children’s Act we will now implement.

We advocated powerfully for child and youth care workers with their unique role in respect of children to be included in the Children’s Act. We are there, in the Act, defined as one of the Social Service Professions. Yes we did!

And we advocated for shelters to be recognized as child and youth care centers - so that vulnerable children living and working on the streets have access to the same quality services as other vulnerable and at-risk children. Children with experience of living on the street now have a right to services from trained child and youth care workers and other social service personnel, specialized treatment programs, regulated facilities and much more. Our voices were strong on ensuring the inclusion of children with disabilities in all services at early intervention, protection and alternative care levels. I remember one firm child and youth care worker at a Leadership Gathering expressing concern for the provision of services for transgender children in child and youth care centres ñ and now the regulations to the Act articulate that protection clearly! So long we have wanted to transform, harmonise and respond with effective therapeutic services to children in residential care. Now the Act expects child and youth care centers to do exactly that.

We in the child and youth care sector must proudly implement the Children’s Act with the full knowledge that this Act forms the keystone of our legislative framework. It holds the opportunity for us to showcase the work of child and youth care workers and effectively work in multi-disciplinary teams with other social service professionals. We have the opportunity to develop innovative services and programs to make the Children’s Act come alive in practice. Policy and legislation hold no real meaning for children unless they experience the concepts articulated in it in their lives… in their life-space.

Yes we did! And ... Yes we Can! … Step on and do so much more for the children of our country!