Year 16 • Tuesday 16 October 2012 | Tel. 021 853 0211 Helderberg Court swings foster grant axe NICOLE MCCAIN “My grandchildren will end up on the street if I do not get a grant to take care of them.” This is the concern of a 54-year-old Macassar woman who fosters her two teenage grandchil- dren. She must remain nameless to protect the identity of the children, who were abandoned by their mother, a drug addict who lives on the street. Their grandfather has died, and the fam- ily has no income other than the foster grant. The South Gauteng High Court ruled in Au- gust that orphaned children in the custody of family members who have a “legal obligation” to care for them, such as grandparents and sib- lings, may not be eligible for foster care grants, as they are duty-bound to support the child. This means that while grandparents will be able to access child support grants, they may no longer receive foster care grants. While the ruling only binds magistrates’ courts in Gauteng, it could be used as a refe- rence by magistrates in the Western Cape when interpreting the law. Paula Proudlock of the Children’s Institute at UCT says the ruling should only affect the foster parents of orphans, and that foster parents of children who have been removed from their parents due to abuse or neglect will still be eligible for grants. Shivani Wahab, senior manager for commu- nications and marketing at the South African Social Security Agency in the Western Cape, says caregivers only qualify for foster care grants if a court order gives the child foster status. This is granted when the child has been orphaned or abandoned and has no obvious means of support. Caregivers can receive a child support grant or a foster care grant, but not both. Proudlock says any primary caregiver can get a child support grant, but foster parents have to be appointed by the court. Wahab says 20 000 foster care grants and 82 000 child support grants have been given out in the province. Proudlock says nationally there are 350 000 orphans living with relatives who receive a foster care grant. The majority of these relatives are grandpar- ents, Proudlock adds. Samantha Fourie, spokesperson for the Western Cape Department of Social Develop- ment, says: “According to our Helderberg data- base, 95% of the children in foster care are placed in the care of their grandparents.” She estimates that there are 1 300 children in foster care in the Helderberg, and the depart- ment deals with around 30 cases a month. Child Welfare South Africa declined to re- lease statistics on its work in the Helderberg. Trix Marais, acting national executive direc- tor, says the matter is under consideration by the national Department of Social Develop- ment, and declined to comment further. Proudlock says, “The likely effect of the judg- ment will be that when grandparents have to have their foster care orders reviewed, they will lose their foster child grants. They will then have to rely on the lower child support grant. It will also mean that hundreds of thou- sands of orphans being cared for by grandpa- rents and adult siblings hoping to apply, or in the process of applying, for foster child grants will no longer be eligible.” Wahab says a child support grant amounts to R280 per month, while a foster child grant totals R770. “Grandparents who cannot access the foster child grant have the option of apply- ing for the child support grant for their grand- children,” she says. But the loss of R500 each month would be a hard hit to the Macassar family and countless others. The foster parent says that most of the foster grant money goes to keeping her grand- children in school, clothed and fed. And with only the child care grant, she would struggle to pay for even basic items like bread, milk and electricity. “There are parents who can’t even make ends meet on the foster care grant. How are we going to take care of our grandchildren?” Lente is hier en hoewel sommige dae nog koelerig is, is veldblomme oral op groot oop velde te sien. Bianca de Klerk (11) en Grant Visser (13) van Macassar verwelkom die seisoen in die veld tussen die borriegeel Lupine in Macassar. FOTO: NICOLE MCCAIN Dis heerlike lente, die winter’s verby . . .?
Transcript
Year 16 • Tuesday 16 October 2012 | Tel. 021 853 0211
Helderberg
Court swingsfoster grant axeNICOLE MCCAIN
“Mygrandchildrenwillenduponthestreetif I do not get a grant to take care of them.”
This is the concern of a 54-year-oldMacassarwomanwho fosters her two teenage grandchil-dren. Shemust remain nameless to protect theidentity of the children, who were abandonedby theirmother, a drug addict who lives on thestreet.Theirgrandfatherhasdied,andthe fam-ily has no income other than the foster grant.The South Gauteng High Court ruled in Au-
gust that orphaned children in the custody offamilymembers who have a “legal obligation”to care for them, such as grandparents and sib-lings,maynot be eligible for foster care grants,as they are duty-bound to support the child.This means that while grandparents will beable to access child support grants, they mayno longer receive foster care grants.While the ruling only binds magistrates’
courts in Gauteng, it could be used as a refe-rencebymagistratesintheWesternCapewheninterpreting the law. Paula Proudlock of theChildren’s Institute at UCT says the rulingshouldonlyaffectthefosterparentsoforphans,and that foster parents of children who havebeen removed from their parents due to abuseor neglect will still be eligible for grants.ShivaniWahab, seniormanager for commu-
nications and marketing at the South AfricanSocial Security Agency in the Western Cape,says caregivers only qualify for foster caregrants if a court order gives the child fosterstatus. This is grantedwhen the child has beenorphaned or abandoned and has no obviousmeans of support.Caregivers can receive a child support grant
or a foster care grant, but not both. Proudlocksays any primary caregiver can get a childsupport grant, but foster parents have to beappointed by the court.Wahab says 20 000 foster care grants and
82 000 child support grantshavebeengivenout
in the province. Proudlock says nationallythere are 350 000 orphans living with relativeswho receive a foster care grant.Themajorityof these relativesaregrandpar-
ents, Proudlock adds.Samantha Fourie, spokesperson for the
Western Cape Department of Social Develop-ment, says: “According toourHelderbergdata-base, 95% of the children in foster care areplaced in the care of their grandparents.”She estimates that there are 1 300 children
in fostercare in theHelderberg,and thedepart-ment deals with around 30 cases a month.Child Welfare South Africa declined to re-
lease statistics on its work in the Helderberg.Trix Marais, acting national executive direc-tor, says the matter is under consideration bythe national Department of Social Develop-ment, and declined to comment further.Proudlocksays, “The likelyeffect of the judg-
ment will be that when grandparents have tohave their foster care orders reviewed, theywill lose their foster child grants. They willthen have to rely on the lower child supportgrant. It will also mean that hundreds of thou-sands of orphans being cared for by grandpa-rents and adult siblings hoping to apply, or inthe process of applying, for foster child grantswill no longer be eligible.”Wahab says a child support grant amounts
to R280 per month, while a foster child granttotals R770. “Grandparents who cannot accessthe foster child grant have the option of apply-ing for the child support grant for their grand-children,” she says.But the loss of R500 each month would be a
hard hit to the Macassar family and countlessothers. The foster parent says that most of thefoster grant money goes to keeping her grand-children in school, clothed and fed. And withonly the child care grant, she would struggleto pay for even basic items like bread,milk andelectricity. “There are parents who can’t evenmake ends meet on the foster care grant. Howarewegoingtotakecareofourgrandchildren?”
Lente is hier en hoewel sommige dae nog koelerig is, is veldblomme oral op groot oop veldete sien. Bianca de Klerk (11) en Grant Visser (13) van Macassar verwelkom die seisoen in dieveld tussen die borriegeel Lupine in Macassar. FOTO: NICOLE MCCAIN
Dis heerlike lente, diewinter’s verby . . .?
Helderberg Gazette News - Nuus Tuesday 16 October 20124
Astrid Caus-sanel saysshe oftenuses a dic-tionary forher schoolwork. “Dic-tionaries areimportantbecausethey helpmeto get bettermarks at school. I speak French at home,so a dictionary really helps me.”
PHOTOS: NICOLE MCCAIN
A day for the world of wordsToday (Tuesday 16 October) marksInternational Dictionary Day, aday set aside to honour Noah Web-ster, considered the founder of theAmerican dictionary.Theaimof thedayis toencourage
dictionary skills and improve vo-cabulary; in celebration, Gazetteasked a handful of grade 7 pupilsfromDe Hoop Primary School whythey never leave home withouttheir dictionary.
While Jemina Kola can’t think ofany words she would like to addthe dictionary, she can think ofa few she would leave out. “Slangand SMS-speak shouldn’t be inthe dictionary. They bring downthe level of the language.”
Zomisa Mbovane says dictionar-ies play a big role in helping peo-ple learn. “For example, if some-one looked up the definition ofnetball, theywould learnall aboutthe sport. Dictionaries help us tolearn new words and concepts.”
“If we don’t have dictionaries,we don’t have knowledge,” saysMonique Spies. “Words help usto express ourselves and de-scribe what’s around us. Theyhelp us to colour in our world.”
“Dictionaries are a great way forpeople with different languagesto learn to communicate,” saysRyno Smit. “Bilingual dictionar-ies help people to find the rightwords, like when you’re orderingin a restaurant.”
Strate word toe riviere!Die onlangse storms in die Helderberghet strate in sommige woonbuurte on-begaanbaar gemaak. Inwoners moesdeur die oorstroomde strate loop ensommigekonniebydiewerkofdieskooluitkom nie.
XavierEndley, ’nBroadlandsPark-inwo-ner, vertel hoe die water oor Broadlands-weg gestroom het en dit onmoontlik virleerlinge gemaak het om by die skool uittekom. “Mensekonniebydiewerkof skooluitkom nie. Die dreine kon net nie die hoe-veelheid water absorbeer nie.”Endley sê die Stadmoet iets hieromtrent
doen. Hulle moet óf die sypaadjie opbou óf
voorsorg tref om die vloedwater uit tepomp.Volgens rdl. Brett Herron, burgemees-
terskomiteelid vir paaie en stormwater bydie Stad Kaapstad, is die stad bewus vandie hewige vloede in September.Die Stad sê egter die oorstroming is “ver-
oorsaakdeurongekendeswaarreënvalwatvererger is deur ’n verstopte pyp”.Volgens Herron het ’n kontrakteur op 28
Septemberdieverstoptepypskoongemaak.Hy het bygevoeg dat die “hoeveelheid re-
enval tydens die onlangse storms die kapa-siteit van die ondergrondse pype oorskryhet wat die tydelike gedeeltelike oorstro-ming van die strate onvermydelik gemaak
het”.Die Stad beplan
egter om die storm-waterstelsel in diégebied op te gradeermet die kontrak virdie konstruksie vandie gedeelte vanBroadway-boule-vard, tussen Broad-lands- en Disaweg,waarvoor tenderstans ingewag word.Die tender sluit ookdie konstruksie van’n nuwe stormwa-terstelsel langs Bro-adlandsweg in omsodoende die oor-stromings wat tanservaar word te ver-lig.Konstruksiewerk
word beplan om dieeinde van Januarie2013 te begin, en be-hoort 15 weke teneem.
Kinders van Broadlands Park speel in die water ná die onlangse reënstormswat die Helderberg getref het. FOTO: IAN BAARD
Helderberg GazetteAdvertisement - AdvertensieTuesday 16 October 2012 5
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PLIGHTOF THEHOMELESS: OnWorldHomeless Day on 10 October, coun-cillors, law enforcement officers andfieldworkers gathered to raise aware-ness for the plight of those livingon the streets the homeless, and togive the community an opportunityto help. Gertruida Hendricks, projectmanager at the Oasis assessmentcentre for homeless people, esti-mates there are 180 people livingon the streets of Somerset West, afurther 40 in Strand, and 50 in Gor-don’s Bay. Taking part in the localevent were (from left), SiyabulelaMbombo, Khonzaphi Mdodana,Ward 15 councillor Benedicta vanMinnen, Susan Petersen, insp.Gailene Scholtz, Chairperson sub-council 8 Stuart Pringle, GertruidaHendricks and Clifford Cornelius.PHOTO: NICOLE MCCAIN
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