National Association of Child Care Workers (NACCW)

NACCW’s vision is to secure healthy child and youth development and improved standards of care for vulnerable and at-risk children. Its mission is to provide professional training and infrastructure to promote healthy child and youth development and improve standards of protection, care and treatment for orphaned, vulnerable, and at-risk children and youth in family, community, educational and residential group care settings. NACCW’s strategic goals and areas of operation are as follows: • Developing and replicating models: NACCW implements models and programmes for children, youth, and their families. The model relevant to this application is a school-based child and youth care model that deploys trained child and youth care workers (CYCWs) in schools to provide prevention and early intervention services to vulnerable and at-risk learners. • Consultancy and mentoring: NACCW provides consultancy and mentoring support to CYCWs, government departments and other organisations. • Skills development: NACCW offers the Level 5 Occupational Certificate in Child and Youth Care Work and other training in Child and Youth Care. • Professionalizing the field: NACCW advocates for the professionalization of the CYC sector in South Africa. • Membership: NACCW has individual and NGO members, and corporate and private members involved in the provision of care for children. • Knowledge development: NACCW disseminates information through its journal and conferences and takes part in forums in the field. • International liaison: NACCW represents the CYC sector as the Federation of International Educative Communities (FICE) South Africa and is a member of FICE International. • Advocacy: NACCW and its members advocate for the wellbeing of children and youth through its programmes and membership activities. • Youth development and participation: NACCW has created a Youth Forum structure to provide opportunities for youth who are service recipients to act on their own environments and circumstances. NACCW has been working to improve the quality of services and care for vulnerable and at-risk children and youth for 50 years (since 1975) through promoting the field of child and youth care and developing CYCWs so that they are able to advocate on behalf of vulnerable children within a committed Child Rights Framework.