ECD policies in South Africa – What about children with disabilities?

The importance of the young child in South African policy has been recognised through the inclusion of early childhood development (ECD) planning in documents relating to the National Departments of Health, Education and Social Development. However, despite the inclusion of the ECD sector in these three key departments there has been no indication of how policy will be implemented, nor how the young child with disabilities in particular will be served effectively. And although South Africa is recognised as having progressive and comprehensive policies in place to ensure the rights of people with disabilities, it is also acknowledged that not having a specific budget for children with disabilities means that the needs of these children may be neglected (Department of Social Development, 2009). Due to this gap in service provision HI HOPES (which stands for Home Intervention Hearing and language Opportunities Parent Education Services), a non-governmental, non-profit programme providing free support services to families of infants with a hearing loss, was launched. This article engages with the current South African ECD landscape and tracks HI HOPES’ first steps towards the implementation of ECD policy and its attempt at improving the status of infants and young children with disabilities within governmental policies and procedures.