Presentation at the DPME/DSD Roundtable on emerging evidence on impact of

programmes on wellbeing of young children

28th April 2015

Data Source

General Household Survey, 2013

General Household Survey

The GHS is an annual survey undertaken by Stats SA. The main purpose of this survey is to determine the level of development in South Africa and to measure the performance of programmes and projects implemented by the Government.

The GHS that was conducted during July, August and September 2012. 25 330 households (including multiple households) were covered in face-to-

face interviews.

Focus is on young children aged below five years. It provides information on the characteristics of these children, their mothers and their fathers, as well as their households.

Data analysis Three different data sets were created:

o A child-file

o A mothers-file

o A fathers-file

All analyses were weighted using the person-weight variable provided in the

data sets. In all 5 295 283 children aged below five years who were included in the child-

file; Data analysis performed by SAS enterprise and SPSS

Laying the foundation

for our

children

Every child has the right:

a. to a name and a nationality from birth;

b. to family care or parental care, or to appropriate alternative care when removed from the family environment;

c. to basic nutrition, shelter, basic health care services and social services;

d. to be protected from maltreatment, neglect, abuse or degradation;

e. to be protected from exploitative labour practices;

National policies on children

United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, November 1989

African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, July 1995

Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (Act No. 108 of 1996)

Children’s Act (Act No. 38 of 2005)

Births and Deaths Registration Act (Act No. 51 of 1992)

South African Citizenship Act (Act No. 88 of 1995)

The Social Assistance Act (Act No. 13 of 2004)

Others

Objectives of the presentation

Provide characteristics of young children in South Africa; focusing on infants (aged zero) and other young children (aged 1–2 years and 3–4 years).

Provide information on the demographic and socio-economic characteristics of parents of young children covered in the 2012 GHS.

o This will provide information on parents who lived with their biological children as an indication of the family environment in which young children are raised in South Africa.

Present the circumstances in which South African children are born and raised.

o Studying the living conditions of young children in the country, focusing on the physical home environment in which children live (e.g. housing and sanitation).

A profile of our

children

There are 5,3 million children in South Africa aged under 5 years, comprising

10% of the population.

1,1 million Age < 1 year

Age 1-2 years 2,1 million

Age 3-4 years 2,1 million

Sex breakdown of young children in South Africa

Percentage of total population and those aged 0-4

Distribution of young children across the provinces

21% of the 5,3 million children

in South Africa aged 0-4 live in KwaZulu-Natal.

WC 10%

EC 14%

NC 2%

FS 5%

KZN 21%

NW 8%

GP 20%

MP 8%

LP 12%

Percentage of young children (age 0-4) who live in urban or non-urban environments within each province

Percentage of young children who live in

urban informal areas, by province

Percentage distribution of young children by survival of biological parents

Both parents alive

Father only

Mother only

Both parents dead

Both parents

Father only

Mother only

Neither parents

Percentage distribution of young children by living arrangements with biological parents

Living arrangements for children not living with biological parents 2002-2012

Early childhood development

Children attending ECD centres by geographic characteristics

Percentage of children attending ECD centres

61% of young children

benefit from social grants

0,3% from foster child grants

60,5% from child support grants

67%

44%

62%

Infants

1-2 yrs

3-4 yrs

Breakdown by age (social

grants)

Social grants

Children who receive child support grant by age and living arrangements

A profile of their

parents

Mothers Fathers

Number of mothers and fathers by age of mother and age of father

Marital status of mothers and fathers

Almost half of all mothers in South Africa are single

Marital status of mothers by population group

Marital status of fathers by population group

Mothers Fathers

Highest education level reached

Excludes the categories of ‘unknown’ and ‘other’

7,2% of mothers are currently studying

58,3% at school

18,3% at higher

education

5,2% at ABET

12,5% at FET 5,6% other

Mothers Fathers

48% Not

economically active

52% Economically

active

65% Employed

35% Unemployed

9% Not economically

active

91% Economically

active

90% Employed

10% Unemployed

Economic status

Our children’s

Home environment

Type of dwelling

Type of dwelling by population group

Source of drinking water

49% of all young children

have access to a flush or chemical toilet

41% of young children have

access to a pit latrine

6% of young children do not

have access to sanitation services

97% of white children have access

to a flush toilet, compared to

40% of Black African children

85% of

young children have access to electricity

LIGHTING

10% use candles

<1% of whites

11% of Black Africans

Energy sources used at home

0,2% of whites

COOKING

66% of young children

have access to electricity

23% use

wood, coal or animal dung

26% of Black Africans

1% of whites

56% in Limpopo

0,5% in Gauteng

31% of Black Africans

HEATING

33% of young

children have access to electricity

27% use wood,

coal or animal dung

4% of whites

56% in Limpopo

4% in Gauteng

Percentage of children in households that

use wood for cooking

Percentage of children in households that

use wood for heating

50% of all young children live

in households that have their refuse removed by a local

authority once a week

41% of young children use

communal or own rubbish dump

4% of young children simply

dump their rubbish anywhere

8% of white children use a communal or own rubbish dump, compared

to

48% of Black African children

What type of healthcare facilities are used by households with children?

Public hospital/clinic 77%

Private doctor 16%

Private hospital/clinic 4%

Other 1%

What type of healthcare facilities are used by households with children?

Main source of income by population group

Main source of income by living arrangements

Food accessBlack

AfricanColoured

Indian /

AsianWhite

All young

children

Ran out of money to buy food 32% 25% 2% 2% 29%

Cut the size of meals because

there was not enough food in

the house30% 25% 2% 2% 28%

Skipped any meals because

there was not enough food in

the house

26% 21% 2% 2% 24%

Ate a smaller variety of foods

because there was not enough

food in the house30% 25% 2% 5% 28%

Access to food by population group

Access to food by living arrangement

Evidence based policies (EBP)

What is EBP

• Set of methods which informs the policy process, rather

than aiming to directly affect the outcome.

• Based on the premise that policy decisions should be

informed by available evidence

• Advocates for rational, vigorous and systematic

approach

Government on policies

• Ideological driven and opinion based(no available data)

–Pre 1994

• With data available policies need to :

– Use the best available evidence when dealing with real life

circumstances

– Be Shaped by evidence than responding to short term

pressure

– Tackle causes and not symptoms

Concluding Remarks

Summary The Government of South Africa has committed to protecting the rights of

children in the country through a number of laws and regulations.

The report showed a diversity of issues surrounding young children in South Africa.

Main findings:

o Importance of investing in children

o Unfavourable living arrangements of children

o Unfavourable living conditions of children

o Racial disparities

Investing in children Few children below five years attended an Early Childhood Development

Centre (ECD)

Disadvantaged groups unable to take up the opportunity of sending their young children to ECD centres

o e.g. Children who lived with their mothers only or with neither parents had the lowest proportions attending ECD centres

Majority of young children received child support grant (CSG)

o Evidence from other studies indicated that grants are spent on food, education and basic goods and services

Unfavorable living arrangement Some young children did not live with their biological parents, although the

majority of the parents were still alive – may be compromising their right to live with parents.

Fathers missing in children’s lives – particularly the black Africans

o South Africa has one of the highest rates of father absence in the world

o Interventions for the involvement of fathers required.

Mothers who lived with their children mostly never married.

Children who did not live with their biological parents generally lived in households headed by their grandparents.

Unfavorable living conditions Substantial proportion of children lived in households that used pit latrine

without ventilation and some did not have sanitation facilities at all.

o Sanitation closely linked to child health and survival.

Usage of solid fuel (wood/coal/animal dung) relatively high in Limpopo, KwaZulu-Natal, Mpumalanga, North West and Eastern Cape. o Use of solid fuels detrimental to young children’s health – can affect development of lungs and

children run the risk of lower respiratory tract illnesses.

Racial disparities Continuous racial differences, even at young ages.

o Has consequences for the future population of South Africa.

Black African and coloured population groups perpetually disadvantaged. o Illustration of the legacy of apartheid still entrenched in the South Africa society.

Conclusions The Government of South Africa has advanced in promoting and realising

the rights of children.

However, some young children in South Africa still live in adverse conditions – which are not good for their welfare and development

Specialised data collection and data analysis on the living arrangements of children to explain the complexities observed.

THANK YOU

Full report is available on http://www.statssa.gov.za/?p=2007