Welfare faces funding crisis
Prior to the Lotto funding crisis in 2011, Children Welfare SA - Edenvale had reserves of R800 000, which were intended to refurbish the organisation's offices and early childhood development centre.
Child Welfare SA – Edenvale once again faces closure due to the financial strain placed upon it by a lack of funding from Lotto South Africa.
The Department of Social Development mandates the organisation to fulfil all its social service obligations in the greater Edenvale area but only subsidises about a third of the costs involved.
“It was for this precise reason the Lotto was formed in the first place, to make up the shortfall between government funding and the cost of delivery,” said the chairperson, Mrs Heather Hart.
According to Mrs Hart, organisations were told they needed to be sustainable.
“The joke is that they (the Lotto) have said we must raise our own funds in order to do the work they should be paying us to do. In other words, we can raise our own funds to have the privilege of doing their job for them,” she said.
Prior to the Lotto funding crisis in 2011, Children Welfare SA – Edenvale had reserves of R800 000, which were intended to refurbish the organisation’s offices and early childhood development centre.
“Something held us back from going ahead with these plans and we were fortunate to have these funds to fall back on,” said Mrs Hart.
This time around, the reserves are fast running out.
Government funding currently stands at R80 000 per month for four social workers.
Including overheads, it costs Child Welfare SA – Edenvale around R120 000 to service the community each month.
“Funding from the Lotto used to cover the shortfall but this will be left to the organisation to raise,” said Mrs Hart.
“We do not have the staff to do fundraising so we have to rely on volunteer committee members, whose skills do not necessarily lie in this field. We are in the process of applying for our BEE certification so that we can solicit BEE funding as we certainly comply as an organisation as a whole,” she added.
Ideally, the organisation would need companies which could sponsor it on a monthly basis.
“All we can do until the certification comes through is ask supporters to keep the donations coming in no matter how small, every cent or tin of food counts,” said Mrs Hart.
Child Welfare SA – Edenvale was established a little over 70 years ago to oversee the well-being and welfare of the children in Edenvale.
Over the years, thousands of cases involving abuse, neglect, and abandonment as well as custody issues have been resolved through, or referred to, the organisation.
Social workers work closely with the Department of Social Development and the SAPS in resolving family crises as well as intervening as required.
Uncountable hours of intensive welfare work have occurred within the organisation’s walls.
School counselling and community outreach projects are intensively structured in order to mitigate societal or familial neglect of the child.
Food parcels are readily distributed to needy families and the best interests of every child has always been at the forefront of any outcome sought.
Anyone who can assist the organisation can contact Mrs Hart on 082 902 1834.
Community-based welfare services in all our communities are facing a funding crisis – full-stop! With due respect, funding by LOTTO was never intended to cover the shortfall between government funding and the actual cost of service delivery. If that had been the case, LOTTO could fund the Department of Social Development which in turn supports the NGO-sector financially. There is not an equitable dispensation between state and civil society in this so-called public-private partnership and basis of the agreement between the two is flawed and fraught with inequality.