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Committee reports of the Taylor Committee into a social security system for South Africa.

Committee Report No 10: Children and social security in South Africa
[Download complete document - 134Kb ~ 1 min (37 pages)]


Table of contents

10.1. Introduction
10.2. The Constitution
  10.2.1. Constitutional obligations
  10.2.2. International instruments
10.3. Socio-economic evaluation
  10.3.1. Introduction
  10.3.2. Child health outcome and poverty indicators
  10.3.3. HIV/AIDS
  10.3.4. Nutrition
  10.3.5. Child Labour
  10.3.6. Child abandonment
  10.3.7. Findings
10.4. Evaluation of current policies towards children
  10.4.1. Introduction
  10.4.2. Social assistance
  10.4.3. Maintenance Act
  10.4.4. Adoption
10.5. Clarifying the conceptual framework
  10.5.1. Interpretation of the Constitution
  10.5.2. Comprehensive framework
10.6. Policy recommendations to address problems, gaps and inconsistencies of the current social security paradigm for children
  10.6.1. Addressing poverty
  10.6.2. Dealing with the special needs of children
  10.6.3. Other recommendations
10.7. Administrative capacity and delivery issues
  10.7.1. General
  10.7.2. Proposals for reform
10.8. Conclusion
  BIBLIOGRAPHY - 15Kb < 1min (1 pages)
  ENDNOTES - 17Kb < 1min (2 pages)
 


Introduction


Studies have shown that a strong link exists between adverse circumstances experienced early in life and future success. The nature of this link is of fundamental importance to overall social policy. Understanding and removing adversity for families with children must become the priority of any government. Some of the main issues highlighted by these studies indicate the following:
  • There is a significant relationship between adverse social and economic conditions in childhood and later success in life. Independent impacts are detectable from family structure and income.
  • The educational levels of mothers are particularly important and have an impact independent of income.
  • A life of poverty is statistically associated with higher rates of activities detrimental to individuals and society, such as crime, violence, underemployment, unemployment, and isolation from the larger community.
  • The chances of unemployment later in life are greater for children who experience periods of poverty than for those that don’t.
  • Increased incomes for single mothers with children through social transfers have a significant impact on educational performance of children.
  • Family stress, induced by unemployment, can have permanent effects on childhood cognitive development.

[Table of contents]



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