Researching the linkages between social protection and children’s care in South Africa: The Child Support Grant and Foster Child Grant and their effects on child well-being and care

Keetie Roelen, Helen Karki Chettri, Suzanne Clulow, Camilla Jones, Payal Saksena and Emily Delap - Family for Every Child

Two cash transfer programs for vulnerable children in South Africa are investigated in this report from Family for Every Child. The Child Support Grant (CSG) is a monthly cash transfer program for children living in poor households in South Africa and the Foster Child Grant (FCG) is a more substantial monthly cash transfer provided to carers of children in formal foster care. This report presents research on the impact of these programs on children’s care. The report also examines implementation issues of these programs and offers proposals for improving support to children. The report is part of a wider research initiative examining the linkages between social protection and children’s care. Other studies have been conducted in Ghana and Rwanda. The report finds that, overall, these social protection programs play a positive role in children’s well-being and care but that “grants suffer from widespread misconceptions among grant recipients, programme staff, social workers and the wider community about their purpose and what they are to be spent on.” More findings and recommendations are presented in the report.

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