National Child Protection Week (27 May to 3 June) is commemorated annually in South Africa to promote the awareness of children’s rights as per the Children’s Act of 2005. Reducing the high levels of violence against children is among South Africa’s most overwhelming tasks. Children who grow up in fear will never trust adults or develop the clear boundaries that they need for healthy psychological and social development. The reality is furthermore that child abuse is not limited to certain sectors of our society. It affects ALL social, economic and ethnic levels and channeling funding towards positive outcomes is becoming an urgent priority.

There are currently 18.6 million children living in South Africa and the statistics tell a harrowing tale of a struggle for survival:

• 56% of children live in households beneath the poverty line with an income of less than R635 per month.
• More than 50% of children are subjected to violence.
• Only 44% of all sexual assault cases against children are reported to the SAPS.
• 34.8% of children in SA are subjected to physical abuse.
• 65% of South African children do not live with their biological parents.
• 3 children are murdered in South Africa daily.

The total productivity loss in the country attributable to physical and emotional violence is R25.2 billion and R9.6 billion respectively.

Sources:
The Optimus Study on Child Abuse, Violence and Neglect in South Africa (2015).
Save the Children: “The Social and Economic Burden of Violence against children.”

What are the Causes?

• The diminished status of the child – parent relationships and a general tolerance of violence in society contributes to a general acceptance of violence against children as widely accepted and considered as a natural part of life.
• Poor parenting, including absent or abusive fathers; mothers abusing alcohol during pregnancy, failed paternal relationships and family attachments, poor child supervision and stress that primary child caregivers experience increase the likelihood of child maltreatment.
• Violent crimes, including drug dealing and gangsterism
• Alcohol and drug abuse
• Poverty and unemployment

Badisa in Partnership with the Department of Social Development

Badisa is a social services association, registered as a nonprofit organisation (NPO 011-891) at the NPO Directorate of the Department of Social Development and has also obtained group registration as a Public Benefit Organisation at the SA Revenue Services (PBO 930 006 348). In order to provide social services, Badisa receives some funding from the Department of Social Development but also runs various proactive projects aimed at prevention and intervention, which requires urgent funding.

The 2016/2017 statistics show that Badisa has provided child protection services to 23 977 children of which 657 were abused, 511 were sexually abused and 2 235 neglected over a period of one year It also includes 171 street children, 493 abandoned children and 422 orphans. Of the above cases, 3 452 relate to inadequate parenting.

Badisa statistics for 2016/7

The Badisa programmes that are rendering these child protection services are now in need of financial resources in order to provide for the overwhelming demand.

The Government subsidy only covers 70% of the overall expenditure of the Badisa social work programmes in 2017, leaving them with a 30% shortfall virtually threatening their continued existence. These programmes are unable to pay market-related salaries to their social workers and they have little resources for vehicles, equipment, associated programme costs as well as safety and security measures.

The need forthe children’s foundation of Badisa

In order to improve their access to funding aimed specifically at child protection services, Badisa has now established the Badisa Children Foundation NPC, as an independent entity that is easily identifiable for the specific purpose of raising funds for children in need.

Badisa is exempted from income tax and has approval in terms of Section 18A (1) (a) of the Income Tax Act, 58 of 1962. This PBO group registration includes 153 programmes, with diverse focuses ranging from elderly care, disability care, child protection and substance abuse programmes.

Regardless of which particular programme/s a donor might be interested in supporting, the donation must currently be made to the umbrella BADISA body, which will by virtue of its ‘group registration’ issue the donor with a section 18A certificate before Badisa channels the donation to the programme/s in question for which it is intended.

Some donors would prefer, however, that their donations should go directly to an entity that focuses solely on child protection – therefore, the need to launch the Badisa Children’s Foundation.

The Badisa Children Foundation NPC (2017/528019/08) is a registered non-profit company that is established as a funding vehicle to raise funds for child protection services rendered by Badisa. This company is also registered as a non-profit organisation, NPO 203-802, at the Directorate for Non-profit Organisations at the National Department of Social Development. They have also applied to SARS for approval as a public benefit organisation and to be granted section 18A tax benefits.

Companies or individuals that are interested to channel funding to the NPC can contact Annemarie Bezuidenhout on This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

There are currently 18.6 million children living in South Africa and the statistics tell a harrowing tale of a struggle for survival:

• 56% of children live in households beneath the poverty line with an income of less than R635 per month.
• More than 50% of children are subjected to violence.
• Only 44% of all sexual assault cases against children are reported to the SAPS.
• 34.8% of children in SA are subjected to physical abuse.
• 65% of South African children do not live with their biological parents.
• 3 children are murdered in South Africa daily.

Violence against children is costing South Africa a shocking estimated R239 billion per year!

Source: SA Child Gauge 2017, Children’s Institute

National Child Protection Week (27 May to 3 June) is commemorated annually in South Africa to promote awareness of children’s rights as per the Children’s Act of 2005.

The National Care and Protection Policy is a statement of the Government of the Republic of South Africa’s (GRSA) commitment to pursue a rights-based developmental approach to childcare and protection that ensures all children are guaranteed their rights to not only survive but also to develop their full potential, as well as advance the country’s national developmental goals as indicated in the National Development Plan 2030.

The NDP identifies a number of services critical to equalising and optimising the development of all children especially the most vulnerable. These services include early childhood development services, education, basic services and adequate nutrition, and safe and inclusive communities and families.

Despite the long-standing commitment, some twenty years after the adoption of the developmental approach, the majority of South Africa’s children remain socially excluded. They are denied their rights, trapped in poverty, exposed to high levels of violence and are prevented from developing their full potential.

Who are the most vulnerable?

• Children living in poverty
• Children living in multi-problem families
• Orphans
• Child-headed households
• Young children under the age of 6 years
• Children with disabilities
• Children living on the streets
• Children exposed to violence

What are the risk factors?

Children in South Africa face multiple risks that have an impact on parental caregiving capabilities and the survival and development of children to reach their full potential. These include:

• Children with chronic or mental illness or disabilities are at a greater risk of neglect and abuse;
• Very young children whose brain development are vulnerable to biological, social and environmental risk factors;
• Economic pressures and poverty, which limits the availability of resources for parents to meet children’s basic needs and support their development;
• Substance abuse amongst parents and caregivers as well as children themselves;
• Lack of care in the absence of parents leaving young children unsupervised;
• Parents of a young age, with low levels of education or too many dependent children;
• Disrupted caregiving due to the death of a parent, or abandonment, separated or divorced parents;
• Parental lack of understanding a child’s developmental needs;
• Mental health issues in the family;
• Exposure to violence in the family and community;
• Societal attitudes and cultural practices that promote the acceptance of violence against children, such as purported discipline;
• Limited social networks and supportive services.

Badisa in Partnership with the Department of Social Development

Badisa is a registered social service organisation delivering child protection services as set out in the Children’s Act. As a result, they are key role players in communities and in the lives of vulnerable children.

Statistics show that Badisa has provided child protection services to 23 977 children, of which 657 were abused, 511 were sexually abused and 2 235 neglected over a period of one year. It also includes 171 street children, 493 abandoned children and 422 orphans. Of the above cases, 3 452 relate to inadequate parenting.

Badisa statistics for 2016/7

Ensuring that Children thrive, benefits Everyone

Ensuring that children thrive is good for society and tapping into their potential provides one of the greatest opportunities to effectively transform South Africa over the next twenty years. However, if we are serious about achieving these sustainable development goals we need to invest in creating safer homes, schools and communities.

Learn how YOU can invest in transformation today. Visit www.badisa.org.za to consider your options.

There are many reasons for the high levels of violence in South Africa, but when it comes to violence towards children, the statistics are frightening. Frighteningly, there are no recent statistics on the level of child abuse in South Africa, but police statistics show that in 2011/2012 50,688 children were victims of violent crimes in South Africa, but not all crimes are reported often because the child is too young to report the crime (or tell someone what happened), are afraid to speak up because they fear the criminal, are unsure of what will happen when they report the crime (or tell some- one what happened) or simply don’t know where to report the crime.  

“Abuse can happen in schools not only from other children but from those whose role is to care and educate while under their supervision,” remarks Dr Lauren Stretch, Managing Director of Early Inspiration. “Protecting the safety and wellbeing of children and young people is a fundamental responsibility that cannot be compromised by other considerations.”

Children and young people have a right to:

• be treated with respect and to be protected from harm
• be asked to express their views and wishes about matters affecting their lives and to have those views appropriately considered by adults
• feel and be safe in their interactions with adults, other children and young people
• understand, as early as possible, what is meant by ‘feeling and being safe’
• the support of school based counsellors or designated staff in their education or care environment whose role includes being an advocate for their safety and wellbeing 

This Child Protection Week (May 17th – 24th), an initiative of the Department of Social Development, Early Inspiration is urging ECD professionals to establishing and maintaining child safe environments.

 “Positive actions and efforts of people from within and outside the education and care setting are needed so that interventions on behalf of children and young people are successful and sustained,” adds Dr Stretch. “Be the safety and wellbeing concerns arise within family, community and institutional settings, it’s up to everyone to step up, intervene and educate children about what they can do if they are victim of abuse.” 

There are five obligations that Early Inspiration believes ECD and education professionals should adhere to: 

Screening and suitability Staff, volunteers and other persons need to be screened as part of an on-going process to ensure adults are suitable to work, access or volunteer in ECD centres.

• Suitability must be established at the point of recruitment and monitored continuously
• Continuous monitoring of suitability includes the responsibility of all adults to safely report inappropriate conduct towards children and young people by any person engaged with the site or service 

Training and support

Staff and volunteers need to receive training that explains their responsibilities for children’s safety and well-being and understand how responsibilities should be met with sensitivity and purpose.  

Adult conduct

ECD professionals need to relate respectfully and protectively with children and young people. And they need to understand they have a responsibility to report and intervene against behaviours that compromise the safety or wellbeing of children and young people.

• Staff and volunteers must report and document concerns raised about inappropriate adult conduct towards children and young people
• Staff will follow approved attendance, behaviour management and incident response policies and guidelines

Access to curriculum

Children and young people engage with the curriculum which teaches them about the nature of personal safety and wellbeing, their rights to personal safety and wellbeing, help seeking and self-protecting behaviours and their responsibilities to the safety and wellbeing of others.                           

Communication, collaboration and record keeping

Issues affecting children and young people’s safety and wellbeing are often complex. Successful interventions require carefully coordinated and communicated actions. Staff should meet the following commitments, as required by their role.

• On enrolment parents/carers should be made aware of the ECD centre’s commitment to children’s safety, and that some matters must be reported irrespective of parents’ wishes
• Parents and carers to be appropriately informed about allegations of sexual misconduct and report to the appropriate agencies and organisations when the needs of vulnerable children and young people are identified.
• Education and care staff will actively support interagency efforts to improve family and community safety.  

For more information on the role of child protection in ECD, please contact the Early Inspiration office on 041 373 0884 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..