The implementation of the Child Support Grant policy

Abstract

Child poverty is a substantial societal problem. This article argues the shortcomings in the implementation of the Child Support Grant in South Africa. The focus is mainly that of Public Administration and policy implementation. The Child Support policy started out in 1998, and the study highlights critical aspects in terms of the implementation. Unintended outcomes of the Child Support Grant, such as administrative shortcomings or a lack of institutional collaboration or even the unexpected adaptation to the Child Support Grant by beneficiaries, created some concern. Addressing the problem of child poverty through the Child Support Grant should at least result in effective implementation practice. The implementation of the Child Support Grant was then compared with the critical variables of policy implementation. This was done to indicate the possible reasons for the obstacles in the implementation of the Child Support Grant. The suggested remedies cannot be seen as a panacea, but would at least contribute to more successful implementation.