A MOMENT HISTORICAL...CHILD AND YOUTH CARE IN SOUTH AFRICA

This week on Friday 18th October 2019 at the IIE Monash University of South Africa, the first year Bachelor of Child Care students, stood before witnesses to declare the pledge of commitment to uphold the child and youth care code of ethics. The code is embedded in the South African Social Services Professions Act of 1978 as amended. In our long history of professionalisation, this is a first.

This, in my private capacity, is the key-note address I made on this historical occasion.

Today you make history... the first to take the SACSSP oath of professional commitment to the child and youth care code of ethics. Congratulations.You are giants riding on the shoulders of giants.

Don't let anyone tell you that this is an "emerging"profession. It is well established, accepted world wide as a full profession and a field of study with it's own unique body of literature, skills, practice. and code of ethics. The roots of this profession can, for example, be traced as far back as the early Christian church when a special order was established called the Diaconate to do the work of diakonia. The Diaconate people were ordained to focus on identifying and meeting the needs of orphans (and widows). 

Our early pioneers and our earliest contributors to our knowledge were from psychiatry, education, psychology, religion, advocates for children and heroes of child protection. Noticeably in and after the great wars.

In South Africa after the first world war when many servicemen returned and when many did not return, there was an obvious need to build what were called orphanages. Then, in 1923, just at that same time,came the big flu epidemic which claimed the lives of many parent as well as children. Faith-based organisations and government built large dormitory styled buildings to provide 300 beds or more for children and young people. Child and youth care workers were called all manner of names like, house mother, house father, uncle, aunt, sister, nurse, house master, care giver. Whatever the name, what they were doing was child and youth care work. 

An example of this is a faith-based Children's Home in Johannesburg. It had beds for 450 boys. In the early 60's our South African guru, grandfather of child and youth care and pioneer worked there as an "assistant house master". He was doing his Master's degree in Psychology at the time.He, together with the then so called "Headmaster", Father Eric Richardson realised that real child and youth care work was stressful. that an exchange of support and practice was needed. Together they formed what they called The Transvaal Association for Child and Youth Care Workers.  Please note the term "child and youth care workers"  It produced and distributed a regular newsletter. (A journal), and held conferences.

Through the work of Brian Gannon it became the National Association of Child and Youth Care Workers..the NACCW. It is from here that many of our giants grew. 

To develop Child and Youth Care as a profession, much had to be done.

It needed Education and Training - especially a degree in Child and Youth Care. It needed recognition as an independent. stand alone (but integrated) social service profession, a code of ethics, international recognition, equality of services for all children.

I came into child and youth care work in 1983 when these were our aspirations. We were in the height of the struggle against apartheid.That in itself was a huge focus and a sapper of energy. We had to struggle for equality of service delivery for all children irrespective of colour. The world , quite rightly regarded South Africa as the pariah, the skunk of the world. We were banned from everything. We couldn't get books. Publishers would not import to South Africa. We couldn't get visiting academics as they put there jobs at risk. We couldn't get international recognition for what we had already achieved. We were banned from the  International Federation of Educative Communities ( FICE) under the auspices of UNESCO. South Africa had not signed the UN Charter of Child Rights. 

These barriers had to be broken. Amazingly but slowly, they were. Barrier breaking in the 80's rested mainly on the shoulders of the NACCW which was organised and had a non racial membership.  Brian Gannon published and advocated. The next NACCW Director was Leslie du Toit who I think is often forgotten  as our hero. She managed to get some literature into the country and to establish early training programmes to the then Basic Qualification in Child Care level. She got some academics to come, address conferences, conduct seminars, run courses and seminars.

The first I remember was F Herbert Barnes who brought with him the concept of the child and youth care worker as educateur and child and youth care work as a craft. In 1992 Martin Brokenleg and Larry Brendtro came. They later introduced the Circle of Courage.  Masud Hoghughi ran courses on the problem Profile Approach ( PPA)and allowed that the NACCW publish his books for South African availability. Prof James Anglin (University of Victoria, Canada) helped With Leslie du Toit to persuade and develop a curriculum at the University of South Africa for the introduction of a University Certificate, then a Diploma and finally a degree in Child and Youth Care.

There were others. Professor Norman Powell in the midst of the struggle introduced us to  cultural competence. Prof Nick Smiar introduced Professional Assault  Response Training    ( PART)

Meantime domestically the leadership and advocates for the field  were able to get, on paper at least, recognition of child and youth care work as a profession in the South African Council for Social Services Professions Act 110 of 1978 as amended. This was in 1998. But the first Board met only in 2004.( why the delay?) The regulations and the code of ethics was drafted 18 times  (Over 10 years !) Finally submitted for approval in 2013 and 14 months later signed into law by the Minister of Social Development in October of 2014. Now it's October of 2019 and you make history by being the first child and youth care group to take the solemn oath of commitment to the code of ethics... Congratulations.

You are entering an exciting and challenging future in child and youth care work. All and everything will be ethically and values driven. There are some early indications of movements in the field that you will carry as giants on your shoulders.The 4th Industrial revolution is apon us with huge implications for you and the young people in programmes. Larry Brendtro is taking a strong interest in neurological aspects as a driver of child and youth development. Rick Kelly is leading child and youth care thinking into Radical and Restitutional child and youth care practice.

Today I have taken glimpses int o the rear view mirror whist still driving forward. You are riding on the shoulders of giants. It's true. Now, I'm looking forward and I see you. Today marks the moment. I is you who become the giants of tomorrow.

Congratulations.