The intention is to achieve our goal of reaching 3 million children by the year 2003. The national department will monitor the implementation of this goal at provincial le vel. The safety net provided by the child support grant and other social assistance programmes must be delivered with services that build the capacity of children and families to become self-reliant. The child and youth care services provided by government and other welfare partners are being transformed to achieve this. The best practice models of the pilot projects of the Inter-Ministerial Committee on Young People at Risk will be replicated.
Examples are family group conferencing and one stop youth justice ce ntres.
Thousands of children and youth have already benefited from such projects throughout the country. Let me now turn to an issue that is especially close to my heart, the rights of children. The unacceptable level of violence against children, including rape and sexual abuse, cannot be tolerated. The national department, provincial departments and private welfare service providers have finalised protocols on how to deal with cases of child abu se and neglect. The protocols are linked to other programmes.