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Section summarised

How should children be CARED for? What is the standard of CARE according to the Children’s Act 38/2005?



Everyone might have a different idea of how to care for their child/ren or which standard of care is acceptable.

As a child protection social worker in South Africa, it is essential for you to know and understand: (a) how CARE is explained in the Children’s Act (38/2005), and (b) encourage your adult clients to apply this standard of care in the lives of their children.

What does it mean to CARE for a child according to this legislation?

A child is cared for, when his or her parent / caregiver:

Practical tips

  • When you handle a case with a variety of allegations or problems, one of the things you could always keep in mind is this standard of care and use it to assess whether children on your case is actually being cared for in the way they should be cared for.
  • It is always helpful to educate parents about these CARE requirements and also to make reference to this definition when you make certain recommendations in your court report.
  • Find creative ways in which you can educate clients from different contexts, about how they are expected (legally) to care for their children.

Carefully summarised by: