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The associations of cash transfers and childcare for the development of children born to adolescent and young mothers in South Africa
Exposure to adversities strongly predicts early childbearing among adolescent girls and young women. Early motherhood is associated with negative effects on their children's developmental outcomes, but the factors contributing to the well-being of children born to adolescent mothers remain uncertain...
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| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
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School of Economics
2026
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| _version_ | 1867613162441801728 |
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| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Tatham, Claire |
| author2 | Eyal, Katherine |
| author_browse | Eyal, Katherine Tatham, Claire |
| author_facet | Eyal, Katherine Tatham, Claire |
| author_sort | Tatham, Claire |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | Exposure to adversities strongly predicts early childbearing among adolescent girls and young women. Early motherhood is associated with negative effects on their children's developmental outcomes, but the factors contributing to the well-being of children born to adolescent mothers remain uncertain. The Child Support Grant (CSG) emerges as a potential avenue of support. This paper analysed cross-sectional data of adolescent mother-child dyads (N =1,046 mothers; 1,144 children) from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, collected between 2017 to 2019. Adolescent and young mothers (aged 10-19 at the birth of their first child) completed questionnaires on their well-being and health. The Mullen Scales of Early Learning Composite Score was used to measure children's cognitive performance in expressive language, receptive language, visual reception, and fine motor domains. This study assessed factors associated with CSG receipt and early CSG receipt. Additionally, this study tested the association between CSG receipt and child development, and the moderating role of formal childcare. The results reveal socioeconomic factors such as having sibling, low maternal education and caregiver support to influence CSG access and timeliness. Moreover, both early CSG receipt and formal childcare had a significant positive effect on child development. To ensure timely access to CSG receipt, SASSA offices should run outreach campaigns targeting first-time adolescent mothers with low levels of education and intervention promoting caregiver support. There is also a need to develop flexible CSG policies that recognise the essential role of different family members and provide additional support. Social protection systems for children of adolescent mothers requires approaches that acknowledge the role of maternal human capital development in determining child outcomes and takes advantage of age-related opportunities for intervention. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42773 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:31:45.395Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | School of Economics |
| publisherStr | School of Economics |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42773 The associations of cash transfers and childcare for the development of children born to adolescent and young mothers in South Africa Tatham, Claire Eyal, Katherine Jochim, Janina Early motherhood South Africa childcare Exposure to adversities strongly predicts early childbearing among adolescent girls and young women. Early motherhood is associated with negative effects on their children's developmental outcomes, but the factors contributing to the well-being of children born to adolescent mothers remain uncertain. The Child Support Grant (CSG) emerges as a potential avenue of support. This paper analysed cross-sectional data of adolescent mother-child dyads (N =1,046 mothers; 1,144 children) from the Eastern Cape of South Africa, collected between 2017 to 2019. Adolescent and young mothers (aged 10-19 at the birth of their first child) completed questionnaires on their well-being and health. The Mullen Scales of Early Learning Composite Score was used to measure children's cognitive performance in expressive language, receptive language, visual reception, and fine motor domains. This study assessed factors associated with CSG receipt and early CSG receipt. Additionally, this study tested the association between CSG receipt and child development, and the moderating role of formal childcare. The results reveal socioeconomic factors such as having sibling, low maternal education and caregiver support to influence CSG access and timeliness. Moreover, both early CSG receipt and formal childcare had a significant positive effect on child development. To ensure timely access to CSG receipt, SASSA offices should run outreach campaigns targeting first-time adolescent mothers with low levels of education and intervention promoting caregiver support. There is also a need to develop flexible CSG policies that recognise the essential role of different family members and provide additional support. Social protection systems for children of adolescent mothers requires approaches that acknowledge the role of maternal human capital development in determining child outcomes and takes advantage of age-related opportunities for intervention. 2026-01-30T09:06:58Z 2026-01-30T09:06:58Z 2025 2026-01-30T09:01:24Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters MCom http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42773 en eng application/pdf School of Economics Faculty of Commerce University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Early motherhood South Africa childcare Tatham, Claire The associations of cash transfers and childcare for the development of children born to adolescent and young mothers in South Africa |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | The associations of cash transfers and childcare for the development of children born to adolescent and young mothers in South Africa |
| title_full | The associations of cash transfers and childcare for the development of children born to adolescent and young mothers in South Africa |
| title_fullStr | The associations of cash transfers and childcare for the development of children born to adolescent and young mothers in South Africa |
| title_full_unstemmed | The associations of cash transfers and childcare for the development of children born to adolescent and young mothers in South Africa |
| title_short | The associations of cash transfers and childcare for the development of children born to adolescent and young mothers in South Africa |
| title_sort | associations of cash transfers and childcare for the development of children born to adolescent and young mothers in south africa |
| topic | Early motherhood South Africa childcare |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42773 |
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