DA urges public to make submissions into Children’s Amendment Bill

2 June 2021

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbite by Bridget Masango MP.

As the country once again commemorates National Child Protection Week, the DA urges South Africans to make their voices heard during the public hearings into the Children’s Amendment Bill that are currently taking place.

Participation in the hearings will allow the public and children to make meaningful contributions to the protection of the rights and lives of children.

The Children’s Amendment Bill was introduced to implement the “comprehensive legal solution” ordered by the North Gauteng High Court in 2011 to address the challenges within the foster care system. The Bill seeks to strengthen the protective measures for children and to address other concerns, like early childhood development (ECD) and adoption.

It is therefore of the utmost importance that the public fully engages with the Bill and participate in the public hearings en masse. In this crucial way, Parliament and the Department of Social Development are held to account and our children’s best interests are kept at the forefront.

The DA is of the view that the amendments regarding unmarried fathers, foster care, adoption, and reform to the ECD sector should be fully scrutinized as these could have unintended consequences.

The DA is looking forward to engaging the Department during the formal processing at the end of the hearings.

Issued by Bridget Masango, DA Shadow Minister of Social Development, 2 June 2021