Reviewed Submission on the Draft Children’s Amendment Bill

 

 

From the National Association of Child and Youth Care Workers (NACCW)

 

September 2007

 

 

Submission to the Portfolio Committee on Social Development

 

Introduction

 

Child and youth care workers provide direct ‘life space’ work in child and youth care centres and other settings. However they are not expressly defined and named in the Bill and are not expressly allocated functions and roles in the Bill (except sometimes in the Child and Youth Care chapter).

 

We therefore recommend the insertion of a definition of a “child and youth care worker” as follows: “Child and Youth Care worker and auxiliary child and youth care worker means a person who is registered or deemed to be registered as a child and youth care worker or an auxiliary child and youth care worker, in terms of the Social Service Professions Act, 1978 (Act No. 110 of 1978)”.

Acknowledgements

 

Current developments in the field of Child and Youth Care.

 

  1. Inclusion of Child and Youth Care Workers under Social Service Professions.
  2. A Professional Board was established and constituted in 2005.
  3. There are currently 6000 child and youth care workers working in both Public and Private Sector.

 

Challenges

 

  1. The delay in the registration and implementation of the regulations for CYCW’s.
  2. The discontinuation of the degree course by UNISA in 2010
  3. The Department of Social Development has gone on drive to attract young people to study in the field of Social Work, but there are no plans in place to develop any other social service professionals.
  4. the conditions of work for the CYCW’s are not always good. The hours of work, the poor conditions in the rural areas where in some cases access to the homes are just by foot.,     On the other hand in the case where parents have passed away, the child and youth care worker works with the young people some who are living in Child headed households, teaching them various life skills. These CYCW’s work long hours making sure that the children are safe and secure, have meals to eat and clothes for the next day. They ensure that those who need medication for various illnesses get it and sometimes they have to sit in cues at day hospitals and clinics for long hours waiting for the medication. The conditions that they work under is not good and. These are special people with special skills and they are trained in child and youth care to work with the minimum resources that are available to them until they can find more or better.

Roles

 

CYCW’s are there when the rubber hits the tar. In other words they are there when the child and the family needs someone now and not the day thereafter, but now. The one reason why there are not a lot of them, CYCW’s here today is because they are involved in the life space of the families that are sick, vulnerable and at risk.

 

They work within the most poor conditions that most people here have not seen and might not see.

As stated in the introduction, Child and youth care workers provide direct ‘life space’ work in the lives of vulnerable and at risk children, therefore child and youth care workers work in a variety of settings that includes the following:

 

§         community based care; these CYCW’s deal with complex issues from children in trouble with the law, abandoned children, children dropping out of school for some reason, children with disabilities, ISIBINDI is a programme that was developed by the NACCW that is aimed at providing support and care and ‘life space’ development for young people who are affected by or infected with HIV/AIDS. The purpose of the programme is to provide a CYCW to a family where the parents are alive and at various stages of HIV/AIDS. The CYCW’s ensure that the children and parents are safe, secure and have the basics to survive.

 

§         residential care: i.e. ‘secure care centres: CYCW’s work with children who are in trouble with the law for the most serious offences and are awaiting trial. They teach the young people skills to deal with their circumstances. places of safety: CYCW’s work with children who are awaiting trial for less serious offences as well as those awaiting placement at an alternative residential care facility. children’s homes: CYCW’s work in the life space of children who are placed at these children’s homes teaching and modelling appropriate behaviours, teaching life skills, equipping children with skills to live independently and preparing these young people for reintegration into the broader community. 

 

§         partial care: e.g. shelters for children living on the street. The CYCW’s work throughout the day and the night making sure that these children have meals, are safe, have medical care and to encourage them to get back into the community by offering them life skills programmes and other opportunities.

 

§         in certain provinces, child and youth care workers work in schools and provide support for learners with challenging behaviour,

 

 

 

What will the effects be if CYCW’s are not professionally recognised?

 

  • There will be no code of ethics.
  • In section 209 (1) (b) which refers to “staff or other appropriate persons” to be employed in child and youth care centres; this practise of the employment of any other persons as stated, will continue in the absence of a profession and a Professional Board.
  • There will be a continuation of untrained persons working with vulnerable and at risk children and youth.
  • There will be an ignorance to none of the minimum standards for CYCW’s and the Practice.
  • It will just be another job that is occupied. How do you measure the CYCW’s responsibility, efficiency, effectiveness or accountability when they are untrained and without job description.
  • Abuse of children will continue and there will be no accountability in respect of such criminal acts.
  • Abuse of power i.e. other professions and professionals over the Child and Youth Care Workers,
  • No proper or decent remuneration for CYCW’s because they will again be seen as glorified nannies,

 

Way forward

 

  1. Child and Youth Care Work must be recognised as a profession on its own and included in the Bill.
  2. The inclusion of Child and Youth Care Workers instead of staff or other appropriate persons as stated in section 209 (1) (b) to work in child and youth care centres, must be done.
  3. Child and Youth Care Workers must be recognised in the Bill and must be registered without delay.
  4. A similar programme of development and training should be put in place for those who want to study in the field of CYCW.
  5. Government must undertake that institutions of higher learning implement a study course for people wanting to study in CYCW.
  6. the registration of the 6000 + CYCW’s out in the field must be fast tracked and constituted.

 

Alfred Harris and Francisco Cornelius, NACCW, Cape Town.