- What Next for Ruto After Kuria Heckling in Murang’a? - November 23, 2024
- What BBC has Found out About President Ruto - November 23, 2024
- X Introduces M-Pesa Payment Feature - November 22, 2024
Monday, October 2, 2023 –Government has threatened to shut down all children homes around the country; this being part of the de-instutionalisation of Children Programme as per government’s new plans.
Speaking on Saturday during a meeting with Staff and Children at the Child Welfare Society of Kenya Temporary Place of Safety, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary Florence Bore announced the new plans saying this will also reduce cases of exploitation witnessed in various children homes in the past.
The CS noted that, for many years, some rogue individuals posing as children welfare officers have endangered lives of helpless minors in the guise of saving lives.
Furthermore, she pointed out that cases of human trafficking were on a rise in many children homes in the country.
“Deinstitutionalisation of Children is the process of reforming child care systems and closing down of orphanages and children’s homes and in place finding suitable homely placements for vulnerable children and support them in non-institutional ways,” Bore explained.
In the government setting, now, homeless and rescued cases will be placed in specific foster homes identified by the State.
She cited developed countries where children had been put in foster homes under foster parents and what was working well.
“This process is being hailed as Children are able to thrive best when raised in at best in a home,” she further explained.
Her announcement reigniting the November 2022 statement by the government that all children homes and orphanages in the country will be phased out so that children can be taken back to family and foster care.
Data from the Ministry indicates that there are still an estimated 40,000 children in 830 children’s homes across Kenya. Most being privately-run.
