English: In South Africa, many children with neurological disorders, such as cerebral palsy and other developmental disabilities, are born into households living in poverty. There are very few day-care or educational facilities for children with special needs, and even fewer that are affordable to the poor. Most of these children require full time care for as long as they live. The burden of care therefore most often falls on the mother or on a close family member such as a grandmother. Care is passed on to a relative to enable the mother to find work, because she passed away, or because she simply could no longer cope with the demands of caring for a child with a severe disability. Grandparents often have the added burden of personal health problems which makes caring for a child with special needs exceedingly difficult.

Full time care of a child makes it impossible for the caregiver to work. Families usually rely mostly on the Government disability grant which in 2021/2022 = ZAR 1890 (approximately US$ 125) per month. Caregivers lead a very isolated existence. They are often refused access to public transport if the child is in a mobility device such as a buggy or wheelchair. Medical and rehabilitation services are limited, offered sporadically and difficult to access. Many caregivers have a limited understanding of their child’s condition and how to best help them. Few children are toilet trained and need expensive nappies for years beyond the usual time for a child to be taken off nappies.

Many caregivers are therefore in great psychological distress and enduring emotional suffering because of the difficult circumstances they must cope with daily, without an adequate support system.