Joan van Niekerk is a qualified and registered Social Worker with an MSc in Medical and Psychiatric Social Work. She has extensive work experience in the practice, teaching and training of social work and inter-sector child protection practice, both within South Africa and internationally. She has presented at numerous national and international child protection events and authored a number of training manuals, book chapters and articles on child protection. Mrs van Niekerk has participated in and led law reform processes in South Africa after the country's signing and ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child necessitated domestic law reform to ensure compliance with this national commitment to uphold children’s rights. Mrs van Niekerk is the current President of the International Society for the Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect (ISPCAN).

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WORKSHOP: Extending reach for children and families in South Africa

Childline South Africa believes that its services should be available to every child in South Africa regardless of the location of the child. In a lower middle income country, with vast rural areas and many “pockets” of extreme poverty, and with poor outreach of quality partner services, this has been a difficult objective to meet. The organisation has therefore diversified the means through which outreach is achieved. This presentation will detail the various strategies that Childline SA has used to extend its outreach to children and families and share the challenges experienced in setting up and maintaining services.