As South Africa marks Child Protection Week from Friday 29 May to Friday 5 June under the theme “Working Together in Ending Violence Against Children,” child welfare organisations are warning that vulnerable children continue to fall through gaps in an overstretched system, and that communities remain the missing link.
The green ribbon, worn nationally during the awareness campaign, symbolises hope and protection. But for frontline organisations in Durban North, the reality behind the campaign is one of rising need and limited capacity.
Nadia Van Niekerk, director of Ray of Hope Babies Home, says the child protection system is currently burdened by critical inefficiencies that delay urgent intervention.
“One of the most significant gaps is the lack of funding, both for babies’ homes as well as child welfare organisations,” Van Niekerk said.
She explained that logistical limitations, including inadequate transport, insufficient staffing capacity, and a shortage of essential operational tools such as laptops and case management resources, significantly impede the pace at which vulnerable children can be removed from harmful environments.
“The length of the transition phase or stay at a babies’ home is directly linked to the work social workers are required to complete. With constrained resources, intervention is often unavoidably delayed,” she added.
Van Niekerk further highlighted a structural deficit within the broader child protection ecosystem, noting the insufficient availability of safe care placements.
“There are simply not enough babies’ homes, foster placements or crisis facilities available to meet the growing demand. Babies are profoundly sensitive to stress, fear, instability and violence in their environment. Exposure to such conditions has a lasting impact on attachment formation, emotional regulation and long-term psychological development,” Van Niekerk explained.
At The Domino Foundation, practitioners working within residential and outreach programmes echo these concerns, particularly regarding the emotional and behavioural impact of early trauma on children in care.
Gill Hammond, manager of the Othandweni Red Light Anti-Human Trafficking Programme, says the restoration of trust is often the most immediate and complex challenge.
“Many children arrive in care having developed deep-seated mistrust of adults and authority figures. The initial priority is to establish a sense of psychological and physical safety, as without that foundation, meaningful therapeutic progress cannot occur,” Hammond said.
She added that the restoration of dignity and stability is central to rehabilitation processes for trafficked and severely vulnerable children.
Rowan Phillips, communications director at The Domino Foundation, emphasised the stabilising role of structure and predictability in child development.
“Consistent routine plays a pivotal role in reducing anxiety and restoring a sense of control for children who have experienced instability,” Phillips said.
He noted that emotional recovery is closely linked to environmental consistency, particularly in cases where children have been exposed to prolonged disruption or neglect.
“Stability is not a supplementary intervention; it is foundational to cognitive, emotional and behavioural rehabilitation,” he added.
Precious Thabethe, Crisis Mom at Babies Home, highlighted the often-underestimated importance of emotional nurturance within care environments.
“Beyond basic physical needs, the most essential elements for recovery are emotional and psychosocial, love, acceptance, safety, encouragement and consistency. Children must be made to understand that they are valued, heard and significant, as affirming their intrinsic worth is central to restoring self-perception and emotional security,” Thabethe said.
Across all organisations, a recurring concern is the delayed identification of at-risk children, often only occurring once situations have escalated into crisis.
“Effective child protection requires early identification and coordinated intervention across multiple sectors. Without cohesive collaboration between non-governmental organisations, SAPS, educational institutions, healthcare providers and community structures, countless vulnerable children remain unidentified and unprotected. A preventative approach, rather than a reactive one, is essential for meaningful systemic change,” Van Niekerk said.
Greenwood Park SAPS communications officer Sgt Basha Nyembe urged communities to play an active role in protecting children. “Child protection is everyone’s responsibility. We conduct awareness campaigns throughout the year, but community members must report any suspected abuse, neglect, exploitation or trafficking. Reporting is not ‘snitching’ – it can save a child’s life. It takes a village to raise a child, and it takes that same village to protect one,” she said.
She further stressed that: “Any child who is being physically abused, touched inappropriately or forced into sexual acts must be reported. The same applies to children who are left alone at home for long periods, locked inside a residence, reported missing, exploited through child labour, begging on the streets or suspected of being trafficked.”
In alignment with Child Protection Week, organisations are also promoting the 5 Rs of Child Protection: Recognise, Respond, Report, Refer and Record. This is a framework designed to equip communities with practical tools to identify and act upon signs of abuse or neglect.
The organisations caution that without increased funding, enhanced community awareness and improved inter-sectoral coordination, South Africa’s most vulnerable children will continue to experience systemic exclusion at critical moments of need.
