OPINIONISTA: Children’s rights, a silent casualty of Covid-19

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If, as the government professes, the rights of children are absolute, why are child protection advocates forced to litigate to uphold those rights? And why have authorities routinely failed to anticipate and appreciate children’s needs during the Covid-19 crisis, or to respond to them appropriately?

to change the regulations , to make the court case go away. The judge had cause to be critical. Moreover, its decision to ensure that all ECDs are vetted prior to reopening meant that by 13 July 2020, only 1,481 centres had beenand judged to meet the requirements. Working at that pace, it could have been months before many centres reopened without the judgment.

Given the department’s limited budget for research, treating external studies as an ambush reinforces its reactiveness. Despite Zulu’s encouragement, no organisation can be agile if it’s incapable of anticipating challenges, or deaf to those who do. It also highlights a noticeable disconnect between decision-makers and those on the ground . This ivory tower scenario means it routinely makes decisions without a full appreciation of the implications.

Organisations report that even prior to the pandemic, new health certificates , would take between 10 and 16 months to obtain. Nonetheless, shortly before lockdown, six months after the youth centres had submitted their re-registration papers, and just days before their registrations expired, the official prohibited re-registration without a new one.

The mass closure of administration services related to child protection during lockdown is a further example of the department’s lack of appreciation for the impact of its decisions. An adult seeking to care for a child must submit a “Form 30” to confirm that they are not on the National Child Protection Register . This is required for placing a child in any form of family care and for hiring new staff to work with children.

 

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