To: Mr. Mondli Gungubele The Honourable Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee for Social Development By email:
[email protected] c/o:
[email protected] 30 October 2020 Dear Honourable Chairperson THE CHILDREN’S AMENDMENT BILL AND EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT – AN OPPORTUNITY FOR REAL REFORM LOST Introduction 1. We are a collective of non-profit organisations, academics, and children’s rights organisations, all advocating for the realisation of the right to inclusive, holistic and quality early childhood development (“ECD”) services in South Africa. 2. We refer to the Children’s Amendment Bill B18-2020 (the “Bill”) and address you on key concerns about the proposed amendments contained in the Bill as they relate to ECD. 3. We have helped coordinate, and along with a growing number of organisations and individuals (currently more than 90), support the Real Reform for ECD Campaign, which calls for key reforms relating to ECD to be considered and implemented in light of the legislative reform process currently underway. 4. The Real Reform for ECD Campaign calls on the Honourable Chair and members of the Portfolio Committee for Social Development (“Committee”) to consider these key reforms. A petition addressed to the Honourable Chair and the members of the Committee can be accessed here. A list of signatories (currently about 560) and their reasons for signing the petition is also annexed hereto as Annexure A. 5. For the reasons set out below, we write to the Honourable Chairperson to urge that a special meeting of the Committee be convened to specifically discuss critical issues and concerns pertaining to the Bill’s proposed amendments in respect of ECD.