While International Children’s Day has its origins in the World Conference for the Wellbeing of Children in Geneva dating back to 1925, the protection and welfare of children continues to remain a concern at present day. In South Africa, about two-thirds of children live below the poverty line with many being susceptible to violence, malnutrition and more. According to Unicef South Africa, the vulnerability of children in the country remains high which has been proven to be exacerbated by the pandemic and subsequent lockdowns. In this conversation we want to take a look at how far South Africa has come in protecting the wellbeing of its children as well as interrogate what exactly we are celebrating. Dr Shaheda Omar, Clinical Psychologist and Director of the Teddy Bear Clinic as well as Carmel Gaillard, Programme Manager of Child Safety and Protection at the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund joins Lerato Mbele for the conversation.