Displaying 1 - 10 of 11
Abstract
Separation due to incarceration may lead to strain on parent-child relationship, which can be curtailed through contact maintenance between incarcerated parents and their children. Despite the importance of contact maintenance to both incarcerated parents and their children, little is known about how incarcerated parents and their children in lower middle-income country (LMIC) settings maintain contact. Using a qualitative approach, this study explores children’s contact maintenance with their incarcerated parents during parental incarceration. Data were collected via in-depth…
Abstract
Aim
This study aims to explore the experiences of carers of children with cerebral palsy living in rural areas of Ghana who have received no rehabilitation services.
Background
Cerebral palsy is the most common chronic disability from childhood, which needs lifelong rehabilitation. Most of the population living in rural communities in Ghana have virtually no form of rehabilitation services for their chronic disabling conditions. Caring for children with disability are known to be challenging especially when coupled with environmental challenges in rural communities.…
Abstract
Background
Four fifths of the estimated 150 million children with disability in the world live in resource poor settings where the role of the family is crucial in ensuring that these children survive and thrive. Despite their critical role, evidence is lacking on how to provide optimal support to these families. This study explores the impact of a participatory training programme for caregivers delivered through a local support group, with a focus on understanding caregiver wellbeing.
Methods
A qualitative longitudinal study was conducted to investigate the impact of a…
Abstract
Traditionally, Ghanaian families facing difficulties address their problems by engaging kin, with the State being the last point of call. However, in recent times, more families facing difficulties are contacting social services to seek redress. So what contribution are kin and other informal social support networks providing to the care and safety of children of such families? This paper presents findings from 15 families receiving services from the Department of Social Welfare in Sekondi, Ghana. Through semistructured in‐depth interviews, the families shared their views on the…
Parental participation in child protection practice: The experiences of parents and workers in Ghana
Abstract
Promoting parental participation is one of the complex and delicate areas of child protection practice. Several authors argue that ensuring the participation of service users in child protection is a way to ensure a fit between service user needs and services. Studies on parental participation exist in some countries in the Western world, however, this is lacking in Ghana. This is the first study in Ghana to explore child protection workers and parents’ experiences on participatory practices. Drawing on in-depth, semi-structured interviews with 8 child protection workers and 19…
The Government of Ghana has established a relatively comprehensive legal framework for child protection, guided by the Constitution and the Children’s Act 1998 (Act 560). This Child and Family Welfare Policy has been updated to address many of the issues and problematic areas of the existing Child Protection System. This Child and Family Welfare Policy seeks to establish a well-structured and coordinated Child and Family Welfare system that promotes the wellbeing of children, prevents abuse and protects children from harm. The overall goal of the Policy is to help formulate child and family…
In 2013 The Better Care Network and Save the Children UK began an inter-agency initiative to review and share existing knowledge on international volunteerism as related to the alternative care of children in developing countries. This initiative brings together key actors from across the child protection, education, corporate, faith-based and tourism sectors to share their respective experiences and identify global communication and engagement strategies to address the issue.
The purpose of this study was not to conduct formal academic research on the topic of volunteering in…
This overview is intended to contribute to discussions on international volunteering in residential care centres as an anecdotal research piece on the situation in Ghana. Ghana was chosen as a focus country due to recommendations from a range of informants who raised concerns about extent of the practice in residential care centres in Ghana. Availability of research also contributed to the choice of Ghana as a country focus.
This overview was informed by online resources, academic and institutional literature, and interviews with informants.
Better Care Network, Better Care Network…
In 2007, UNICEF and Save the Children UK convened a meeting entitled - Advancing Policy Relevant Research Around Social Welfare Services. In response to the 2007 meeting, UNICEF Child Protection section commissioned three policy-relevant systematic reviews examining the relationship between cash transfers and social welfare services.
The reviews collated evidence which summarized a) the efficacy of cash transfer initiatives on child outcomes including child protection outcomes; b) the potential contact opportunities within cash transfer programmes for linkages…
Social protection, including social transfers and social services for the most vulnerable and marginalized, is gaining momentum as a development priority. Increased attention from governments, NGOs, academic institutes and donors is being accompanied by new calls to strengthen national Governments to coordinate, regulate, and in some cases implement social protection programmes at scale. In order to take up this role, there is increased recognition of the need to strategically locate social protection leadership with the appropriate Government ministry to maximize effectiveness. However,…