Kids at KWT centre may lose home

The future of 96 abused, vulnerable, troubled and orphaned children hangs on a thread of uncertainty over funding of the King William’s Town Child and Youth Care Centre.

The provincial department of social development has given the children’s home a “few months” to turn things around, or else the department, its chief funder, will withdraw all financial support.

Provincial social development spokesman Mzukisi Solani said the centre did not meet the legal minimum standards. Solani said the department had “tried since 2016 to mentor the non-profit organisation, so that it would meet the minimum standards, to no avail”.

He said government funding was withdrawn and they would look for other centres that would take in the children from the centre.

“We’ve found that the centre is not upholding the law by not complying with minimum norms and standards of the Children’s Act, in relation to child and youth care centres.

“This remains the case, even after several attempts by the department to assist, guide and mentor the centre since 2016,” he said.

Solani said while the department could not close down the shelter as it was privately owned, they would have to act in the best interests of the children.

“We’ll be forced to withdraw the kids go other shelters if the centre doesn’t get its house in order,” Solani said.

He said the issues plaguing the centre included a lack of:

lRemedial and development programmes for the children;

lPermanency plans for the children;

lProtection from neglect and abuse, and security measures; and

lFamily reunification and integration plans.

“Another issue is the financial management of the centre. They should be able to account for their spending. We’ve found that the centre utilised funds in other modalities that were not agreed upon by the department, thus compromising the quality of service to children.

“We give them a budget for food per child each month, but by mid-month, we get calls saying that they’ve run out of food,” Solani said.

While Solani said nothing was official as yet, the chairman of the centre’s board, Vusi Noveve, said they were informed verbally that the department would cease its financial support at the end of this month.

Noveve blasted the department’s allegations.

“It’s totally untrue that we don’t meet their requirements. If that was the case, why have they not shared this information with us? They simply told our staff that they would lose their jobs come end of March.”

Noveve said when they asked to see the criteria used to stop the centre’s funding, they were told by the department’s officials that it was their prerogative to choose who received funding and who did not.

“Last year, they cut the subsidy money by 40% without informing us.

“Now they’ve said they’re stopping funding altogether. We’re a 100-year-old centre, and suddenly we don’t comply with their requirements?”

He said the instability caused by the department’s announcement had caused panic among the children.

“Children’s lives and welfare are at the centre of our concerns. We wish to avoid a repeat of the Life Esidimeni . We greatly cherish our kids.” — nonsindisoq@dispatch.co.za