The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) is gravely concerned about the dire situation in which Mpumalanga child welfare organisations find themselves as a result of the Department of Social Developmentās mismanagement, inadequate funding and needless bureaucratic delays.
Two non-profit child welfare organisations (NPOs) recently voiced their concerns in a formal letter to the Freedom Front Plus, highlighting the detrimental impact of the Departmentās policies on adoption processes and the care of vulnerable children.
The core issues raised include:
ā¢ The Departmentās refusal to fund advertisements to trace missing parents or relatives, citing alleged costs of R900 000 per page.
ā¢ Adoptions dragging on for years due to tardy and inadequate placement panels responsible for foster care and adoptions, incomplete minutes and new problems constantly arising.
ā¢ There is only one canalisation officer per district, causing significant backlogs in document processing.
ā¢ Organisations are not receiving their quarterly funds on time which jeopardises salaries, operational capacity and ultimately, the viability of these childrenās homes.
ā¢ Social workers handling up to 150 cases at once ā more than double the prescribed maximum.
ā¢ Delayed compliance reports jeopardising other funding sources, such as support from the National Lottery.
ā¢ Significant delays in issuing section-169 forms, which allow children to travel internationally.
ā¢ No access to updated hard copies of the Childrenās Act, despite its frequent amendments.
This situation is not merely an administrative error; it is a violation of human rights. When the system fails, it is the children who bear the brunt.
The party has demanded, in a letter to the MEC of the Department, Ms Lindiwe Ntshalintshali, that the actual costs of advertisements be reviewed to find cost-effective options. Appointing canalisation officers should also be expedited. Compliance and funding processes should be revised to enable organisations to continue their critical work without obstacles.
The Freedom Front Plus will keep advocating for the matter on provincial level until justice is served.
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