Self-initiated, soft-funded projects related to the Children’s Institute research areas (and often cutting across two or more areas) comprise a major part of the Institute’s activities. Increasingly, however, the Institute is being called upon to bid for government or other tenders, or receive commissions to do specific research or writing.

Commissions and tenders since 2008:

  • For the Regional Support Initiative (REPSSI): two modules for a Teacher’s Diploma in Psychosocial Care, Support and Protection
  • For Ilifa Labantwana, commissioned to Promoting Access to Children's Entitlements (PACE): research on government funding for early childhood development
  • For HIVOS: Research on the current situation of child labour in selected African countries
  • For the Open Society Institute of Southern Africa, in collaboration with the Community Agency for Social Enquiry: policy review – Lesotho and Swaziland
  • For MIET Africa, on behalf of the South African Development Community: SADC policy review and development of framework and guidelines on mainstreaming care and support for teaching and learning
  • For UNICEF and the Department of Social Development: baseline study on child and youth care centres
  • For the Yezingane network: scorecard on South Africa’s response to children and HIV & AIDS
  • For the Department of Social Development: piloting the Care Dependency Grant assessment tool
  • For the Western Cape Health Department: revising provincial guidelines on prevention of mother-to-child transmission to align with national PMTCT policy
  • For the Joint Monitoring Committee on Improvement of Quality of Life and Status of Children, Youth and Disabled Persons: assist with strategic planning workshop
  • For UNICEF South Africa: situation analysis on children’s status in South Africa

Writing commissioned since 2007:

  • World Vision International (2011): zero draft of a General Comment on Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child 
  • Routledge (2010): a chapter for Social Protection for Africa's children
  • Juta (2010): co-authoring introductory chapter in Commentary on the Children’s Act
  • Juta (2009): two chapters for Child Law in South Africa
  • Oxford University Press Southern Africa (2007): two chapters for Child Health for All