CHILDREN’S ACT AND AMENDMENT BILL                                                                                      

There has been much alarm about some of the sections of the Children’s Act that came into effect on 1 July 2007, and the JCWS has had to field many media enquiries in this regard. Of special concern to the public are the reduction of the age of majority from 21 to 18 years, and of the age of access to contraception from 14 to 12 years. There is a mistaken idea that the Children’s Act also provides for access of young girls to termination of pregnancy. This is in fact dealt with in the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act of 1996.

The last round of public comment on the Children’s Amendment Bill is being completed. Community meetings areas are being conducted by the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Social Development in North West, Limpopo, Eastern Cape and Mpumalanga, targeting people in rural areas who are unlikely to have been reached through earlier parliamentary consultative processes. Formal written submissions by NGOs will be accepted until 8 August. Thereafter the Portfolio Committee will make final changes to the Bill prior to its being voted on in the National Assembly. The Bill has already been approved by the National Council of Provinces. If there are disagreements between the two Houses, it will have to be referred to a mediation committee for finalisation.

 The JCWS has joined with SASPCAN in preparing a submission which calls for the strengthening of the chapter on prevention and early intervention, and on giving children in the long-term care of relatives access to social security and supportive services without their having to go into court-ordered foster care. We have also participated in broader discussions with a wide range of children’s service networks via the Children’s Bill Working Group, and have contributed to the preparation of a number of submissions which will be sent in by other organisations.

Meanwhile, the preparation of Regulations to the Act is continuing, and we are using the available opportunities to comment on and suggest changes to the drafts which are being circulated.

 APPEAL FOR BETTER SALARIES FOR NON-PROFIT ORGANISATION STAFF

The Gauteng Welfare, Social Service and Development Forum is still awaiting a reply to its appeal to the Department for an increase in subsidies, to enable NPO's to pay salaries equal to those offered by government. An assurance has been given that the matter is under discussion. The JCWS is meanwhile joining Child Welfare South Africa in a separate approach to government on this issue on behalf of the Child Welfare Movement.

NEW FINANCIAL BURDEN FOR NPO's?      

The Minister of Finance had announced that Public Benefit Organisations are to be put on the same footing as other employers when it comes to the payment of the Skills Development Levy. At present there is a process whereby organisations such as ours, while exempt from the levy, should be able to access training funds from the Health and Welfare SETA subject to certain conditions. In practice this has proved to be difficult and there are frequent calls from our sector for easier access to these funds. But putting our organisations on the same basis as commercial structures will create fresh problems unless our subsidies are adjusted to include this new expense. The JCWS has referred this problem to the Non-Profit Consortium for investigation and appropriate action.           

Dr Jackie Loffell

Advocacy Coordinator