Strengthening the Provision of Care and Support to Vulnerable Children in South African Schools

The Programme aimed to increase the capacity of schools to provide care and support to vulnerable children, addressing barriers to learning and promoting inclusion. The Programme's principal objective is to increase the capacity of schools to provide care and support to vulnerable children. To achieve this, the Programme has five key components: physical attractiveness, social and emotional support, supporting the development of skills for children, use of schools as a centre for delivery of other governmental child services, and linking schools with community programmes. Schools are requested to apply for participation in the Programme, meeting certain criteria, including having a functioning School Based Support Team and School Governing Body. The Programme is implemented in participating schools primarily through the School Based Support Teams, ensuring school community ownership. Each Caring School has two Youth Facilitators, who identify vulnerable children and refer them to the School Based Support Teams. Youth Facilitators also support the establishment and activities of Children's Committees, groups of around 20 children dedicated to supporting vulnerable peers. By 2012, the Save the Children Caring Schools Project had reached a total of 200 schools in 3 districts in the Free State, impacting indirectly 780,000 school-going vulnerable children nationwide. The Programme has built the capacity of schools to sustainably link with responsible stakeholders in referral and response, supporting 80,000 children annually to access essential services. The Caring Schools Model is based on the principles laid out in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, the African Union Charter on the Rights and Well-being of the African Child, the Bill of Rights in the South African Constitution, the Department of Basic Education's White Paper 6, and the Care and Support for Teaching and Learning policy. The Programme has strengthened the role of the School Based Support Teams in participating schools, with SBST Coordinators mentoring neighbouring schools. A total of 105 Youth Facilitators have qualified in Child and Youth Care Work following an accredited training course provided by Save the Children. The Programme has also led to the adoption of the "categorisation approach" used by Child Care Forums, allowing Youth Facilitators to provide appropriate care and support to children based on the degree of vulnerability. The Caring Schools Network (CASNET) has fostered partnership and generated knowledge among members, participating in high-level policy discourse and recognised as a strong voice in national advocacy on child-friendly policies. The Programme's successes include the establishment of Caring Schools and Networks of Care, which have built the capacity of schools to sustainably link with responsible stakeholders in referral and response. Children's Committees have ensured meaningful participation and promoted ownership of the Programme, bringing issues such as child abuse, neglect, and lack of food at home to the attention of school communities. The model's inclusion of out-of-school young people as Youth Facilitators has enabled successful advocacy to the National Youth Development Agency, leading to the piloting of a similar programme in 40 schools in the Free State.