Child Care and Protection Act

The Child Care and Protection Act 3 of 2015 is Namibia’s key legislation on children.

Before it was enacted, Namibia’s main law on children was the Children’s Act 33 of 1960, which was inherited from South Africa at independence. That outdated statute was a colonial law that was not well suited to African situations. The Child Care and Protection Act provides better systems for protecting and assisting Namibian children.

The process of developing the Child Care and Protection Act involved the largest national law reform consultation held to date in Namibia. It was a multi-media, multi-language campaign that involved all sectors of society, including children.

The Act covers many different topics relating to children. The Legal Assistance Centre has worked together with the Ministry of Gender Equality and Child Welfare to produce a range of educational materials on this law. You will find links to all of these materials here. If you need hard copies of any of the publications, please contact the LAC at info@lac.org.na.

1.  Factsheets:

   A set of factsheets available in English, Afrikaans and Oshiwambo, which can be used individually as below or combined as in this summary booklet; useful handouts for community workshop

1. Why the Bill is so important
2. Who was consulted
3. Overview of the Act
4. Definition age of majority
5. Objectives & principles
6. National Advisory Council & Children’s Advocate
7. Social workers
8. Children’s Courts

9. Facilities
10. CSA revisited
11. Parenting plans
12. Kinship care
13. Prevention and early intervention services
14. Children in need of protection
15. Foster care
16. Adoption

17. Child trafficking
18. Consent to Medical Interventions
19. Corporal punishment
20. General protective measures
21. Other protective measures
22. Persons unfit to work with children
23. Grants and emergency aid

2.  Nine CCPA-themed comic books:

1. 1. 1. Age of majority
      2. Parenting plans
      3. Protecting children from exploitation
      4. Parental rights and responsibilities outside marriage
      5. Guardianship after the death of a parent
      6. Kinship care
      7. Child protection
      8. Children and medical interventions
      9. Reporting child abuse and neglect

3. Guide to the Child Care and Protection Act:

   A detailed guide in 28 chapters which can be used individually, or combined into a comprehensive manual; aimed at service providers and trainers

   1. Introduction and cover pages
   2. Objectives and guiding principles
   3. Age of majority
   4. National Advisory Council on Children, Children’s Advocate & Children’s Fund
   5. Social workers and child protection organisations
   6. Children’s courts
   7. Facilities
   8. Proof of parentage
   9. Parental rights and responsibilities for children outside marriage
   10. Guardianship after death of parent or guardian
   11. Parenting plans

12. Kinship care
13. Prevention and early intervention services
14. Children in need of protective services
15. Foster care
16. Contribution orders
17. Adoption
18. Medical interventions and HIV testing
19. Child-headed households
20. Harmful social, cultural or religious practices
21. Baby-dumping
22. Corporal punishment
23. Child safety at places of entertainment
24. Children and alcohol
25. Children in prisons or police cells
26. Child exploitation
27. Police clearance certificates and register of convictions
28. Grants and emergency aid

4. Powerpoints: three different levels of powerpoints as well as police training materials

• •      Overview Powerpoint: a very simple overview for the general public 
  •      Summary Powerpoints (8): designed for use in community workshops

• •      Guide Powerpoints (28): slightly more detailed presentations designed to accompany the Guide chapters in training sessions
    

1. Introduction
2. Objectives and guiding principles
3. Age of majority
4. National Advisory Council on Children, Children’s Advocate & Children’s Fund
5. Social workers and child protection organisations
6. Children’s courts
7. Facilities
8. Proof of parentage
9. Parental rights and responsibilities for children outside marriage
10. Guardianship after death of parent or guardian
11. Parenting plans
12. Kinship care
13. Prevention and early intervention services
14. Children in need of protective services

15. Foster care
16. Contribution orders
17. Adoption
18. Medical interventions and HIV testing
19. Child-headed households
20. Harmful social, cultural or religious practices
21. Baby-dumping
22. Corporal punishment
23. Child safety at places of entertainment
24. Children and alcohol
25. Children in prisons or police cells
26. Child exploitation
27. Police clearance certificates and register of convictions
28. Grants and emergency aid

• •      Powerpoints especially for Police Training

5. Background to the law:

• • Public Participation in Preparing a New Child Protection Law (2009)
  • Public Participation in Law Reform: Revision of Namibia’s Draft Child Care and Protection Bill (2010)