Edenvale and Bedfordview child welfare in need of your support

Following the announcement that Gauteng province is cutting funding to NPOs, Child Welfare SA – Edenvale and Bedfordview find themselves in dire straits.

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Ward 18 Clr Heather Hart, also a committee member, described it as an irresponsible decision taken by the government.

To learn more about how this announcement would affect the Edenvale and Bedfordview welfare branch Bedfordview and Edenvale News met with its social workers and several committee members.
Describing it as devastating, the passionate group are left treading for water as their resources are further cut.

“I don’t want to minimise it, but it is going to make Life Esidimeni look minor in comparison,” said Hart.

“I would hate to think of how many lives are going to be lost through this cost-shedding initiative.”

Hart said besides lives that could be lost, the cut in funding would result in a massive job loss for staff.

“I don’t believe any plan of action was put in place to accommodate the changes and no consultation was done,” said Hart.

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Operating the Edenvale and Bedfordview branch costs approximately R150 000 per month.

Office administrator Jenny Kennedy said previously the Gauteng Department of Social Development would only meet 75% towards salaries of the social workers.

“Nothing was paid towards rent, electricity, water or transport for the social workers.”

From 75% it has been cut to 39%.

Social worker Celeste Thies said the services that foster parents are getting from the department is atrocious.

“I’ve got one social worker who been to the department to get his Sassa allowance six times, while he has all documents in order,” said Thies.

“Now imagine in an emergency at school or something goes wrong, who’s going to do it? That’s where we come in.”

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Senior social worker Lisbeth Ramashala asked how the department was advocating for people, especially when an elderly person has to try and get Sassa payments multiple times.

Kennedy said in many instances the foster parents are the grandparents of the child who rely on Sassa grants.

Hart said if the welfare becomes underfunded, it will mean the social workers won’t have fuel to get to court, an expense they already paid out of their pocket.

“Our social workers are at court several times a week and we have to pay for our transport,” said Theis.

She said without social workers, the community will collapse as there will be no effective social services.

Some of the services offered by Edenvale and Bedfordview branch include providing food parcels reuniting abandoned children with families, family preservation counselling, investigations and supervised visits.

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All at the meeting said if this is allowed, children and families in the community will suffer.

The branch deals with 250 cases and they questioned what would happen to them if the branch closed its doors.

Kennedy said at the moment the branch has not accepted nor signed the DSD’s new service level agreements (SLA).

However, if it does, the branch will need assistance from the community to keep its doors open.

Hart said currently the welfare has enough funds to keep its doors open for three to four months.

She said because of its location, the effort of former chairperson Pieter le Roux and the community, the welfare is in a slightly better position.

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However, she said if the SLAs are accepted the welfare would need a shortfall of R80 000 from the community.

Contact Child Welfare SA – Edenvale and Bedfordview at administrator@edenvalechildwelfare.co.za or 011 452 5940.

A request for comment was sent to the Gauteng Department of Social Development on April 21, requesting comment by April 24 at 09:00.

At the time of going to print no comment was received.