Children with disabilities care and support in South Africa, Digi Mart USA News (South Africa): The Department of Social Development (DSD) is calling for stronger partnerships to improve care and support for children with disabilities and their families. The department says urgent collaboration between government departments, civil society and communities is needed to address gaps in care, as thousands of families continue to struggle to access specialised services.
The department revealed that the South African Social Security Agency (SASSA) currently pays 179,609 Care Dependency Grants every month to qualifying caregivers. Meanwhile, a pilot respite care programme in two provinces has reached just 220 children and their families.
The call comes as South Africa marks Disability Rights Awareness Month under the theme “Creating Strategic Multisectoral Partnerships for a Disability-Inclusive Society.” According to the department, families raising children with disabilities often face additional financial pressures, limited access to specialised care and difficulties navigating support services.
DSD highlighted concerns about access to appropriate services, particularly for children requiring intensive care and developmental support. Citing UNICEF’s 2024 Situation Analysis of Children and Adolescents in South Africa, the department said only 8,641 children with severe to profound intellectual disabilities received support in special care centres in 2022.
The department also referred to a 2025 Department of Basic Education report addressing the widely circulated claim that 600,000 children with disabilities are out of school. It emphasised the need for accurate data when assessing barriers to education.
DSD stressed that the challenges extend beyond access to schooling, with some children requiring rehabilitation, assistance with everyday activities and specialised developmental care.
“Limited access to information, negative attitudes and the additional costs of caring for a child with a disability places further demands on families,” the department said. It added that parents and caregivers frequently have to balance these responsibilities with employment and other family commitments.
To ease the pressure on families, the department is piloting a respite care programme in Mpumalanga and the Northern Cape. The initiative provides temporary relief to caregivers while ensuring children continue receiving appropriate care, protection and developmental support.
“The programme recognises that caregivers need support too. Having time to rest and attend to other responsibilities is important for those who provide ongoing care to children with disabilities,” DSD said.
The department is working with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to strengthen community-based respite care services through caregiver training and improved referral systems. The programme supplements the existing Care Dependency Grant administered by SASSA, which helps qualifying caregivers with some of the additional costs associated with raising children with disabilities.
According to DSD, experience from the pilot will help inform the further development of respite care services.
The department said improving access to care requires closer cooperation between social development, education and healthcare services. Through a joint coordinating committee supported by JICA, DSD is working with the Departments of Basic Education and Health to strengthen early identification, referrals and coordination of services.
The initiative is aimed at helping families access appropriate support without having to navigate disconnected government systems.
As the custodian of the Children’s Act, DSD said it has a responsibility to protect the rights and wellbeing of children with disabilities, including their access to care, education and participation in society. The department further emphasised that families and organisations representing people with disabilities must be involved in shaping programmes intended to support them.
With Disability Rights Awareness Month underway, the department is urging government institutions, civil society organisations, service providers and communities to work together to improve the lives of children with disabilities. “Their care and development are a shared responsibility, and families should not have to navigate this journey alone,” the department said.
DSD reiterated that creating a disability-inclusive society requires sustained partnerships that place children and their families at the centre of service delivery.
