Parents can have peace of mind and an extra layer of protection this festive season with the City of Cape Town’s Identikidz programme, which aims to keep young beach goers safe should they get lost, and will be available at 16 beaches over the festive period.
“The Identikidz programme has been well received and grows in popularity. Last year, more than 30 900 children were tagged at the participating beaches and 11 children were reunited with their families,” says the City’s Mayoral Committee Member for Community Services and Health, Councillor Patricia van der Ross.
“The project has developed quite a following and is just one more way in which the City is trying to ensure our residents’ safety. While the responsibility of care remains with the caregivers, it is heartening to know that there is an extra layer of protection for our youngest bathers,” Councillor Van der Ross adds.
According to the City of Cape Town, on priority days, teams will ensure that children who arrive at the beach are registered and issued with an armband that contains the contact details of their parent or caregiver. This helps City staff or the police to reunite the child with their family.
If the child’s family is not found by the end of the day, the child will be handed over to the Western Cape Department of Social Development.
Councillor Van der Ross urged adult beach goers to register their children at the participating beaches as soon as they arrive. “Children can become disorientated in unfamiliar surroundings or with a large number of people around, or they could simply wander away. An Identikidz armband could save all involved a lot of trauma, anxiety and stress,” she expressed.
Beaches where parents and caregivers can find Identikidz staff are:
Muizenberg, Fish Hoek and Strandfontein in the south; Gordon’s Bay, Strand, Monwabisi, Harmony Park, and Mnandi in the east; Big Bay, Sea Point and the surrounding area, Silverstroom, Camps Bay, Lagoon Beach, Melkbos Strand, Millerton Beach, and Maiden’s Cove in the north.
The project will run over 16 days, subject to COVID-19 regulations:
-
15, 16,17 ,18,19, 25, 26 and 31 December 2021.
-
1, 2, 8, 9, 15, 16, 22 and 23 January 2022 on 14 of the 15 beaches
-
Maiden’s Cove – only 26 December and 1 and 2 January 2022
Picture: City of Cape Town