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This regional portrait describes Catholic-sponsored care for children in Eastern Africa using data from Kenya, Malawi, Uganda and Zambia. The first large study of its kind, it focuses on children who are particularly vulnerable—those at risk of or those who have been separated from their families. Many are in institutional care.
This portrait also describes growing efforts, led by women and men religious, to ensure children can grow up in safe, nurturing families or family-like environments rather than institutions. Through national associations of religious, Catholic Care for Children…
A short introduction to the key components of successful care reform based on lessons learnt from Eastern and Southern Africa
Although care reform is well established in some parts of the Eastern and Southern Africa, many countries in the region are just beginning their care reform journey. This short paper is aimed at these contexts. It explains what care reform is, the different components of care reform, why care reform is important and how to start a care reform process. The paper is accompanied by a …
This virtual study tour aims to provide you with an overview of care reform in Malawi from the comfort of your own home. Care reform relates to the care of children. It refers to efforts to improve the legal and policy frameworks, structures, services, supports and resources that determine and deliver alternative care, prevent family separation and support families to care for children well.
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In less than a decade, the number of Child Care Institutions (CCIs) in Malawi has increased significantly from 104 institutions in 2011 to 168 in 2014 and 169 in 2017. However, since 2014, the number of children in institutional care has decreased from 10,136 in 2014 to 8,049 in 2017, attributed mainly to the pioneering Reintegration Programme currently being implemented in Blantyre, Dedza, Lilongwe and Mangochi, and the closure of some CCIs due to financial challenges. Malawi’s National Policy on Orphans and other Vulnerable Children emphasises that children should grow up in a family…
Abstract
Globalization of knowledge and scholarship raises the challenges of dialogue between Global North and South. Northern knowledge and voice remain privileged, while writing from the South often goes unread. This is true also in emerging adulthood and care-leaving scholarship. The special issue of Emerging Adulthood titled “Care-Leaving in Africa” is the first collection of essays on care-leaving by African scholars. It presents both care-leaving and emerging adulthood scholars from the Global North a unique opportunity to consider the implications of a rising…
Abstract
Background: Social protection interventions, including cash grants and care provision have been shown to effectively reduce some negative impacts of the HIV epidemic on adolescents and families. Less is known about the role of social protection on younger HIV affected populations. This study explored the impact of cash grants on children’s cognitive development. Additionally, we examined whether combined cash and care (operationalised as good parenting) was associated with improved cognitive outcomes.
Methods: The sample included 854 children, aged 5 – 15, participating in…
Executive Summary
Multiple factors such as poverty, violence and neglect continue to push children outside family care around the world. Although different interventions such as family reintegration or foster care aim to return children to safe family environments, they are not always feasible for older children. In such instances independent living may be considered as a form of alternative care which allows children to gradually gain autonomy making reintegration into their communities possible. This literature review explores current international and selected national policy on…
Abstract
Evidence demonstrates that encouraging stimulation, early communication, and nutrition improves child development. Detailed feasibility studies in real‐world situations in Africa are limited. We piloted Care for Child Development through six health surveillance assistants (HSAs) in group and individual sessions with 60 caregivers and children <2 years and assessed recruitment, frequency, timings, and quality of intervention. We collected baseline/endline anthropometric, child development (MDAT), maternal stress (SRQ), and family care indicators (FCIs) data and determined…
Abstract
Many studies for schooling of orphans in Africa have focused on the impact of HIV/AIDS epidemic and poverty on the dropout rates of orphans in both primary and secondary education. These studies have frequently been based on statistical analyses, which development partners place great value on. However, it is also important to explore how the orphan’s dropout of school is affected by the capacities and skills of the orphans to cope with the challenges arising from the HIV/AIDS epidemic and poverty. This type of exploration usually uses qualitative analyses based on long-term…
Under the U.N. Convention on the Rights of the Child, every child is entitled to free primary school education and access to secondary school or occupational training, and education has become one of the basic indicators of child wellbeing. Large scale studies published in the 1990s and early 2000s generally showed that significant educational disparities existed based on orphan status and a child's relationship to the head of the household. Poverty, gender and rural residence were also shown to contribute to the disparities. Since the data relied on by these studies were…