3 responses to “Orphaned”

1. 

   DAVID DICKENS

   14 years Ago

   Would be nice to know how many new NGO companies have opened since 2001. What part of their budget goes to these orphans.
   Also good to know how much LOTTO spends on orphans from 2001.
   To check on allignment with real community challenges and company spend on the stuff that really matters.

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2. 

   Busi Malaza

   14 years Ago

   It would be ideal if government propose a Bill to develop an Orphan Care Grant, i.e. that will benefit all orphans, and the amount could be the same figure as the Foster Care Grant provided by Department of Social Development. This is because other orphans in the country only receive Child Support Grant which is often not sufficient. On the other hand, other children benefit from Foster Care Grant whilst both parents are still alive. It would be interesting to also know the total number of children who are orphaned by one parent, i.e. either a mother or a father. I also think that it would be ideal if government within the same Bill propose that those orphans should also qualify for orphan grant which is half of what orphaned by both parents would receive. I am being “objective” on this issue even though I could benefit since my son lost his father when he was 2months old. This will help separate beneficiaries who are on Foster Care Grant; Ophan Care Grant (Bill to be proposed if readers concur); and Child Support Grant. At the same time monitoring the Foster Care and Child Support Grants could be strengthened, to enable parents who are alive to take “full responsibility” of their children. This is because most beneficiaries of these two grants continue benefiting irrespective of changes in the biological parents status, i.e. employment, since no one is monitoring CSG. For Foster Care Grant, even though social workers monitors and do reconstructive services to the biological parents, it is never enough due to high demand and shortage of personnel.There is also a lot of fraud from Foster Care Grant applicants who claim that the father’s whereabouts is unknown and they provide an affidafit to that effect, whereas they are lying.Even though such cases go to court, as a social workers we often recommend Foster Care Grant and attach the affidavit, but more often, the thruth comes out when the Foster Care Parent dies (especially if she is maternal grandmother/ aunt), i.e. the biological father demands his child.The point I’m raising is that the state could save more money and enforce biological parents to take full responsibility of their children, at the same time, children who deserve grants would receive them as per their circumstances and needs (Orphaned Care Grant; Foster Care Grant; and Child Support Grant).I believe our new MEC for Department of Social Development Patricia Delille would support this, as she is currently facilitating “Maintenance Enforcement” to biological parents who are shying away from their responsibility during this 16 Days of Activism Against Women and Children.

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3. 

   Sandra Garner

   13 years Ago

   If there are so many orphaned children, why is adoption so difficult? It would also be interesting from an equity point of view to know what the gender and race breakdown is. Is the rate of orphaned children higher is certain regions within South Africa?

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