Gauteng’s vulnerable children are facing the prospect of abandonment due to the proposed overhaul of South Africa’s childcare system, advanced at the 2025 Johannesburg Care Reform Summit, without proper consultation with Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs) in the province. The Democratic Alliance (DA) condemns the persistent undermining of the welfare sector and demands clarity on the applicability of these outcomes in Gauteng province.
As detailed in the official Summit Outcomes Document, government and civil society stakeholders are dedicated to eliminating institutional care by 2030. Key aspects of this plan include an immediate ban on admitting children under the age of three to Child and Youth Care Centres (CYCCs), followed by a phased reduction that will lead to the closure of most CYCCs by 2030.
See outcomes document here.
Alarmingly, Gauteng CYCCs report that these drastic proposals were neither discussed with them nor subjected to consultation on feasibility, capacity, or transitional arrangements. Yet, CYCCs currently play a critical role in protecting the most vulnerable children, particularly in cases of abandonment, abuse, neglect, and emergency removals.
The DA is deeply concerned about the future placement of children under three, following the implementation of this moratorium. Existing foster care, safety shelters, and family alternatives are facing severe strain, backlogs, and limited state resources. Without properly funded and functional options, reforms could displace, rather than protect, vulnerable children.
The DA will submit questions to Gauteng MEC for Social Development, Faith Mazibuko, to determine whether these proposals will be implemented in the province, how they will be carried out, and what precautions are in place to prevent disruption in the child protection system. We will also escalate these concerns to our representatives on the National Assembly’s Social Development Committee to seek urgent clarity from the national department.
Children cannot be used as guinea pigs for poorly planned reforms in a province where the government has repeatedly failed in its social welfare efforts. Any childcare system reform must prioritise capacity, consultation, and the best interests of the child. The DA will continue to fight until these principles are upheld. Yes, it can be done!