Children, Citizenship and Child Support: The Child Support Grant in Post-Apartheid South Africa

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francie Lund
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
African Government ◽  
Poor Households ◽  
Identity Document ◽  
National Welfare ◽  
Child Support Grant ◽  
State Pension ◽  
Opening Up

In April 1998, the post-apartheid South African government introduced a monthly cash transfer for children in poor households. A requirement for getting the grant was that the birth of the child had to be registered, and the adult primary caregiver had to have the citizen identity document. The success of the system of support was contingent on the new democratic government's ability to integrate into one national welfare system what had been fragmented under apartheid into many racially separated systems; it also, ironically, built on the apartheid-era state pension delivery system. Within a decade the grant reached more than ten million children, and was associated with a rapid increase in birth registrations, marking the poorest children's first step into citizenship, and opening up the possibility of later access to other programmes and entitlements.

scholarly journals Does The Unconditional Cash Transfer Program in South Africa Provide Support for Women After Child Birth? Barriers To Accessing The Child Support Grant Among Women in Informal Work in Durban, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silondile Luthuli ◽  
Lyn Haskins ◽  
Sphindile Mapumulo ◽  
Christiane Horwood
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Working Women ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Transfer Program ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Informal Workers ◽  
Child Support Grant ◽  
Unconditional Cash Transfer

Abstract Background The child support grant (CSG) is the largest unconditional cash transfer program in Africa and aims to alleviate poverty and improve child health and nutrition in low-income families in South Africa. Among informal working women, the CSG is an important source of income after childbirth when informal workers are unable to work, but reports suggest that women experience delays in accessing the CSG. We explore experiences and challenges accessing the CSG among informal workers in Durban, South Africa Methods We undertook a longitudinal mixed-methods cohort study. Women informal workers were recruited during pregnancy and followed-up for up to one year after the baby was born. Quantitative questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data about women’s plans for applying for the CSG, the application process, use of the CSG in the household, and household food insecurity. Interviews were conducted in IsiZulu by experienced researchers. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data used SPSS v26, and framework analysis using NVIVO v12.3 was used for qualitative analysis. Results Twenty-four informal working women were enrolled. The CSG received for older children was reported as an important and reliable source of income for mothers after childbirth. However, delays receiving the CSG for the new baby meant this support was unavailable to first-time mothers. The complex application process for the CSG required mothers to go to various government departments to complete the required documentation, often taking the baby with them. This was costly and time-consuming for mothers who were already vulnerable, and led to delays in obtaining CSG funds. Many women experienced moderate or severe food insecurity before and after the baby was born. As a result, some mothers had to return to work earlier than planned, disrupting childcare and breastfeeding. Conclusion Cash transfer programmes can effectively support low income households and improve outcomes for mothers and children. In South Africa there is a need for innovative approaches to streamline CSG applications, so women can access the funds immediately post-delivery to fill a resource gap and provide support at a vulnerable time for mothers and their children.

scholarly journals Does the unconditional cash transfer program in South Africa provide support for women after child birth? Barriers to accessing the child support grant among women in informal work in Durban, South Africa

2022 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Silondile Luthuli ◽  
Lyn Haskins ◽  
Sphindile Mapumulo ◽  
Christiane Horwood
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Low Income ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Working Women ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Transfer Program ◽  
Application Process ◽  
Informal Workers ◽  
Child Support Grant ◽  
Unconditional Cash Transfer

Abstract Background The child support grant (CSG) is the largest unconditional cash transfer program in Africa and aims to alleviate poverty and improve child health and nutrition in low-income families in South Africa. Among informal working women, the CSG is an important source of income after childbirth when informal workers are unable to work, but reports suggest that women experience delays in accessing the CSG. We explore experiences and challenges of accessing the CSG among informal workers in Durban, South Africa. Methods We undertook a longitudinal mixed-methods cohort study. Women informal workers were recruited during pregnancy and followed-up for up to one year after the baby was born. Quantitative questionnaires and semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to collect data about women’s plans for applying for the CSG, the application process, use of the CSG in the household, and household food insecurity. Interviews were conducted in IsiZulu by experienced researchers. Descriptive analysis of quantitative data used SPSS v26, and framework analysis using NVIVO v12.3 was used for qualitative analysis. Results Twenty-four informal working women were enrolled. The CSG received for older children was reported as an important and reliable source of income for mothers after childbirth. However, delays receiving the CSG for the new baby meant this support was unavailable to first-time mothers. The complex application process for the CSG required mothers to travel to various government departments to complete the required documentation, often taking the baby with them. This was costly and time-consuming for mothers who were already vulnerable, and led to delays in obtaining CSG funds. Many women experienced moderate or severe food insecurity before and after the baby was born. As a result, some mothers had to return to work earlier than planned, disrupting childcare and breastfeeding. Conclusions Cash transfer programmes can effectively support low income households and improve outcomes for mothers and children. In South Africa there is a need for innovative approaches to streamline CSG applications, so women can access the funds immediately post-delivery to fill a resource gap and provide support at a vulnerable time for mothers and their children.

The Influence of the Child Support Grant on Education and Health Capabilities of Children

2018 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacqueline Moodley ◽  
Jenita Chiba ◽  
Leila Patel
Keyword(s):  
Household Income ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Access To Services ◽  
School Enrolment ◽  
Education And Health ◽  
Child Support Grant ◽  
Basic Services ◽  
Unconditional Cash Transfer

This article describes research which sought to understand how the Child Support Grant, an unconditional cash transfer in South Africa, influences children’s capabilities in education and health. Of children aged five to 14 years, who are legally required to attend school, the presence of the grant was found to enhance enrolment in the early years of education and resulted in healthier body mass indices. This finding was despite child beneficiaries residing in poorer households with lower access to services than children not receiving the grant. Some services, however, such as water and electricity proved vital to the promotion of school enrolment and the health of these children. The research highlighted the need for resources in the form of basic services to supplement household income in order to enhance child capabilities required for development.

How family and child cash transfers can empower women: Comparative lessons from Brazil and South Africa

2020 ◽  
pp. 146801812098142
Author(s):  
Wendy Hunter ◽  
Leila Patel ◽  
Natasha Borges Sugiyama
Keyword(s):  
Social Service ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Transfer Program ◽  
Income Transfer ◽  
Transfer Programs ◽  
Economic Decision Making ◽  
Bolsa Familia ◽  
Child Support Grant ◽  
Income Assistance

By leveraging a comparison of Brazil’s Bolsa Família and South Africa’s Child Support Grant, this article probes whether and how income transfer programs enhance the standing of women recipients. Empowerment is assessed according to economic decision making, bodily protection and integrity, and psycho-social wellbeing and growth. The comparative analysis determines that regular income assistance boosts the self-esteem and agency of women recipients in both countries. At the same time, it underscores the heightened benefits obtained in Brazil as a result of the cash transfer program being embedded in a stronger public health and social service network. That Bolsa recipients interact with these associated institutions generates multiple downstream benefits. The broader lesson is that income transfer programs need to operate in deliberate coordination with an array of ancillary social service institutions to deliver the maximum benefits for women’s empowerment.

scholarly journals The dynamic relationship between cash transfers and child health: can the child support grant in South Africa make a difference to child nutrition?

2015 ◽  
Vol 19 (2) ◽  
pp. 356-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wanga Zembe-Mkabile ◽  
Vundli Ramokolo ◽  
David Sanders ◽  
Debra Jackson ◽  
Tanya Doherty
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Child Health ◽  
Social Services ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Maternal Education ◽  
Child Poverty ◽  
Child Growth ◽  
Cash Transfer ◽  
Price Inflation ◽  
Child Support Grant

AbstractObjectiveCash transfer programmes targeting children are considered an effective strategy for addressing child poverty and for improving child health outcomes in developing countries. In South Africa, the Child Support Grant (CSG) is the largest cash transfer programme targeting children from poor households. The present paper investigates the association of the duration of CSG receipt with child growth at 2 years in three diverse areas of South Africa.DesignThe study analysed data on CSG receipt and anthropometric measurements from children. Predictors of stunting were assessed using a backward regression model.SettingPaarl (peri-urban), Rietvlei (rural) and Umlazi (urban township), South Africa, 2008.SubjectsChildren (n746), median age 22 months.ResultsHigh rates of stunting were observed in Umlazi (28 %), Rietvlei (20 %) and Paarl (17 %). Duration of CSG receipt had no effect on stunting. HIV exposure (adjusted OR=2·30; 95 % CI 1·31, 4·03) and low birth weight (adjusted=OR 2·01, 95 % CI 1·02, 3·96) were associated with stunting, and maternal education had a protective effect on stunting.ConclusionsOur findings suggest that, despite the presence of the CSG, high rates of stunting among poor children continue unabated in South Africa. We argue that the effect of the CSG on nutritional status may have been eroded by food price inflation and limited progress in the provision of other important interventions and social services.

scholarly journals Do Cash Transfers Promote Food Security? The Case of the South African Child Support Grant

2017 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 430-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giorgio d’Agostino ◽  
Margherita Scarlato ◽  
Silvia Napolitano
Keyword(s):  
Food Security ◽  
South African ◽  
Child Support ◽  
Cash Transfers ◽  
The South ◽  
African Child ◽  
Child Support Grant ◽  
South African Child
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