PROVINCIAL FAMILY SERVICES FORUM LAUNCH: WEDNESDAY: 6 MARCH 2013@11.30.PROTEA HOTEL.
INTRODUCTION
The main focus of the Sub-program Families is to promote social cohesion amongst individuals, families and communities through the implementation of coordinated and integrated family preservation services by all stakeholders.
As the ANC government, we recognize that, our past was based on racial and ethnic divisions devised to systematically exclude the majority of South Africans from full and unhindered participation in all aspects of national life, and left deep and persistent social, cultural and economic divisions and inequalities in society.
South Africa is a unitary and sovereign state based on democracy, the rule of law, pursuit of equal human rights, non-racialism, non-sexism and the equality of all persons. Thus our social transformation task is about advancing the goal as articulated in the Strategy and Tactics of 2007 which states that; “our strategies for social transformation must seek to empower people to lift themselves out of poverty while creating adequate social nets to protect the most vulnerable in our society”. And that in order to realize our goals, we must continue to ensure that we implement a comprehensive program that focuses on the war on poverty, which addresses the challenges of poverty, inequality and underdevelopment and is based on advancing and defending human rights as articulated in chapter two of the constitution.
OBJECTIVES OF THE PROGRAM
Promote family centered approach which recognizes the family as the basic unit and focal point of service delivery
Serve to create awareness and understanding of family issues amongst all role players
Create an enabling environment for the empowerment of families to play their requisite roles and responsibilities.
Contribute towards developing, implementing and monitoring specific responses to families from a family orientated perspective.
Coordinate , implement and monitor the provision of integrated family preservation services to vulnerable families by all stakeholders
In May 2010 the Balelapa Household profiling project was launched in the Province to support the “War on Poverty” campaign and households were visited using a structured questionnaire. The findings with regard to the family structure are as follows:
The average household size is 3.9 (The largest household in JT consist of 25 household members)
The majority of household heads were males.
27.3% of household members were part of extended family.
72.1 % were part of nuclear family structure.
Families are faced with a number of challenges that hinders them from providing their members with emotional, psychological and economic support and care. Key amongst which are the following challenges:
Family violence and crime,
Substance abuse, Moral decay,
HIV/Aids,
Child abuse,
Teenage pregnancy,
Absent fathers and Poverty)
These are the context in which the department does its work with families and shapes the direction and implementation of programs/services for families.
All the above mentioned challenges have a significant impact on the functionality of families as they undermine relationships, effective parenting and stable marriages.
To respond to the diverse and changing needs of families a Draft White Paper on Families was developed in consultation with all stakeholders.
The purpose of the White Paper is to promote family life and strengthen families in South Africa through adopting a holistic approach to families as compared to other policies or legislation that are primarily focusing on individuals. It promotes the provision of integrated, coordinated and comprehensive social welfare services through collaborative partnership with government departments , NGO’s and civil society to address the diverse needs of families.
The policy framework further advocates for the establishment of a coordinating, implementing and monitoring structure which will ensure that the best interest of the (3) groups that is the individual, the family and the community are achieved through implementing the following strategies:
Promotion of healthy family life
Focuses on efforts to prevent the breakdown of family life by promoting positive attitudes and values about the importance of strong families and communities
The envisaged actions are to respect the diverse family types and values, encourage father’s involvement in their children upbringing, and promote intergenerational solidarity and positive values.
Family strengthening
Refers to the process of giving families and their members the necessary opportunities, relationships, networks, support during hardships or crisis
Actions would include supporting the family in its care giving functions; ensure income and basic social security. Provide adequate health care and strengthen community support.
Family preservation
Focus on keeping families together through specific programs which are intended to empower and strengthen families in crisis.
Actions will include prevention, early intervention, statutory and reunification and aftercare services such as parenting skills, marriage enrichment, therapeutic and mediation.
It is against this background that the Provincial Family Services Forum is established after consulting with all stakeholders during the 8 November 2012 and 5 February 2013.
The Provincial Family Sub-program will be responsible to facilitate and coordinate the forum and provide support to district structures.
The overall functions of the forum will be as follows:
Promote networking ,joint program planning, implementation and monitor activities
Ensure mainstreaming of family issues
Advocate for families through the dissemination of information and education
Support , monitor and evaluate the implementation of the White Paper
Facilitate the establishment of structures at district level
Guide and direct process of ensuring that services reach the designated families.
The strengthening of families and communities to foster social cohesion in the Province will only be realized through the functional and successful inter-sectoral coordinating structure.
In the past eighteen years of Freedom and Democracy, significant strides have been made in building a socially inclusive society. Despite this progress we still face challenges of race, gender, unemployment, poverty, inequality and slow economic growth which results in many being excluded from the economy, we must be mindful that it will take some time to eradicate these inequalities and divisions. We must continue to mobilize society in its entirety, to work together to build a caring society proud of its heritage, based on shared values and a vision informed by the following principles:
Constitutional democracy;2
Ubuntu
Human rights and equality
Non-racialism, non-tribalism and non-sexism
Inclusivity and social justice
Redress and transformation
Intercultural and community cooperation
Social solidarity
Empowered, fair, inclusive and active citizenship
Civic responsibility
Unity in diversity
National consciousness and identity
I THANK YOU