Children's Act, 2005 (Act No. 38 of 2005)Chapter 8 : Prevention and Early Intervention144. Purposes of prevention and early intervention programmes |
| (1) | Prevention and early intervention programmes must focus on— |
| (a) | preserving a child's family structure; |
| (b) | developing appropriate parenting skills and the capacity of parents and care-givers to safeguard the well-being and best interests of their children, including the promotion of positive, non-violent forms of discipline; |
| (c) | developing appropriate parenting skills and the capacity of parents and care-givers to safeguard the well-being and best interests of children with disabilities and chronic illnesses; |
| (d) | promoting appropriate interpersonal relationships within the family; |
| (e) | providing psychological, rehabilitation and therapeutic programmes for children; |
| (f) | preventing the neglect, exploitation, abuse or inadequate supervision of children and preventing other failures in the family environment to meet children's needs; |
| (g) | preventing the recurrence of problems in the family environment that may harm children or adversely affect their development; |
| (h) | diverting children away from the child and youth care system and the criminal justice system; and |
| (i) | avoiding the removal of a child from the family environment. |
| (2) | Prevention and early intervention programmes may include— |
| (a) | assisting families to obtain the basic necessities of life; |
| (b) | empowering families to obtain such necessities for themselves; |
| (c) | providing families with information to enable them to access services; |
| (d) | supporting and assisting families with a chronically ill or terminally ill family member; |
| (e) | early childhood development; and |
| (f) | promoting the well-being of children and the realisation of their full potential. |
| (3) | Prevention and early intervention programmes must involve and promote the participation of families, parents, care-givers and children in identifying and seeking solutions to their problems. |