Today marks the end of the 2023 school year, signalling the start of the holiday season for many families. While this is a joyful time for locals and visitors alike, the Western Cape Department of Social Development (DSD) warns parents and caregivers of the many risks to be aware of during the festive period.
Also read: City enhancers child safety on Cape Town beaches through Identikidz
‘We call on all parents and caregivers to always keep an eye on your children when out in public spaces. Be especially vigilant when you are at the beach or in a shopping mall,’ says Provincial Minister of Social Development Sharna Fernandez.
‘Unfortunately, every year, we see children being forgotten at a beach after a day out, resulting in distress and trauma for them. This is unacceptable as it is the responsibility of parents and caregivers to ensure minors in their groups are always under a watchful eye while at the beach or around a body of water, so you can leave together safely,’ she adds.
According to Fernandez, forgetting or losing children on holidays like Boxing Day and New Year’s Eve when the public often enjoys the day at the beach is not as uncommon as one might assume.
Between 31 December 2023 and 2 January 2023, at least 240 children were separated from their families in high-volume areas like Monwabisi, Mnandi, Camps Bay, Strandfontein, Muizenberg and Strand beaches, reported Fernandez.
Through measures like the IdentiKidz project, DSD social workers, in partnership with municipalities like the City of Cape Town, provide support and ensure that children left at the beach are safely placed until they can be reunited with their families.
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DSD social workers and City of Cape Town staff were able to reunite most of the children with their families on the same day, but children who were not collected timeously had to be placed in places of safety and parents and carergivers were forced to follow the legislated legal processes to be reunited with them.
The department advised parents and caregivers to please approach a law enforcement officer or SAPS member for assistance immediately if they get separated from their children for any reason in a public space.
‘DSD staff and partner NGOs will still be hard at work while many people are enjoying the festivities,’ adds Fernandez. ‘Violence, abuse and neglect, unfortunately, do not take a break over the holidays. That is why I am so thankful to the dedicated social service professionals who will be on duty to ensure the dignity, wellbeing and protection of the vulnerable.’
‘If you have a passion or wish to help a child in need and have the resources to do so, you could volunteer to become an emergency or safety parent by partnering with the DSD by opening your home to care for and safeguard vulnerable children.’
Safety parents are fit and proper persons over the age of 18 who take temporary care of no more than six children, except where the children are siblings.
To find out more about safety parents, click here.
Helpful contact numbers:
- Childline: 116
- Stop GBV helpline: 0800 150 150
- SAPS: 08600 10 111
- DSD: 0800 220 250 (toll-free number) | [email protected]
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Also read:
City of Cape Town offers holiday fun to keep your young ones entertained
Picture: Arya Praditya / Unsplash