The Care Dependency Grant Assessment tool pilot was a tendered project for the Department of Social Development. The primary aim was to field test a new tool for assessing children’s eligibility for the Care Dependency Grant (CDG), a social grant for children with long-term health conditions who have permanent care needs.
The tool was tested for its effectiveness as a targeting mechanism that correctly identifies children eligible for the CDG; and whether it is user-friendly and appropriate. It was piloted in a rural site in Limpopo Province, an urban site in Eastern Cape Province, and a peri-urban site in KwaZulu-Natal.
A range of health professionals and social security officials in the sites were trained on the concepts, design and application of the new tool. These trained assessors were used to conduct assessments of the new tool. The pilot consisted of collecting data on the application and usability of the draft tool through observation and interviews with the assessors, social security officials and applicants. The research findings informed amendments to the draft tool, as well as recommendations to the department on its implementation.