Title

The Reach of The South African Child Support Grant: Evidence from KwaZulu-Natal

Author(s)

Anne Case Anne Case (Princeton University and Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies)

Victoria Hosegood Victoria Hosegood (London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine)

Frances Lund Frances Lund (University of Natal, Durban and Africa Centre for Health and Population Studies)

Abstract

The end of apartheid in South Africa brought with it the need to reform one component of the system of social assistance for poorer people -- that dealing with support to women and children. Under the old regime, a State Maintenance Grant had been awarded by government to help mothers without partners support themselves and their children. The program originally "purposefully"excluded African women and, later, when it was opened to Africans living in some parts of the country, it continued largely to exclude those living outside of urban areas. In 1996 the new government moved to reconfigure this form of support, and in April 1998 started phasing out the State Maintenance Grant, replacing it with a means-tested Child Support Grant. This was to be awarded to the primary care givers of poor children under the age of seven.

Creation Date

2003-12

Section URL ID

RPDS

Paper Number

224

URL

https://rpds.princeton.edu/sites/rpds/files/media/case_etal_childgrant.pdf

File Function

Jel

H53, I38, J13

Keyword(s)

South Africa

Suppress

false

Series

5