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According to the literature, the success of deinstitutionalization (DI) practices in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) is dependent on key factors including, a well-functioning family-based alternative care and social protection system, adequate funding and resources, and professional and other stakeholders' engagement and support. Following a practice research qualitative method, the study explored practitioner's experiences and perceptions on the status of Ghana's ongoing DI efforts and their recommendations for improving implementation.
The study's main themes were establishing…
Accurate data on the extent to which residential homes for children in Ghana are in compliance with national standards for quality of care and case management are lacking. To begin to address this gap, a census of residential homes and an enumeration of the child population were undertaken in 2019, followed by a survey on a representative sample of children living in such homes. Data were gathered on the types and characteristics of all 139 residential homes operating in the country at the time and the demographic profiles and well-being of children living in such facilities.
The purpose…
There is limited evidence on family reintegration for children who have been in residential care within the African context. The goal of this study is to find out what factors impact reintegrated institutionalized children’s desire to remain with their biological parents or extended family. The dataset included records for 659 interviewed children and their guardians. However, the analyses were limited to 408 cases with complete data on the dependent and independent variables.
Most of the children in the study (73%) preferred to remain with their relatives. The age of the child, length of…
Worldwide, an estimated 2.7 million children live in so-called orphanages or other residential care facilities. This figure is likely an underestimate, however, since many low and middle-income countries lack reliable data on this issue. To address this gap, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has developed a comprehensive tool to collect data on children living in residential care. It is comprised of a protocol that outlines the recommended steps for gathering data, 12 data collection tools, and an implementation package covering everything from sample design to the dissemination of…
Children living in institutional care are more likely than their family-based peers to experience abuse, neglect, exploitation, lack of stimulation, poor nutrition and toxic stress.
Accurate figures on the number and characteristics of these vulnerable children in Ghana were lacking. A census of residential care facilities and an enumeration of the child population in these facilities were undertaken to address this gap, followed by a survey on a representative sample of such population. This was the most comprehensive data collection effort ever conducted on children in residential care.…
Abstract
The study aims to explore the experiences of Ghanaian care leavers to discern the factors that promote and impede their educational attainment. Data was collected from 23 care leavers using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were then analyzed using the framework method. The findings suggest that the personal motivation of the care leavers and encouragement from significant adults and peers facilitated their academic success. However, the participants identified stigma, lack of academic support, and the inability to participate in decisions as barriers to their education.…
There is a growing global consensus that isolated efforts to improve individual institutions will not solve the problems of children in residential care, or meet their best interests. Family-based care alternatives, namely kinship care and foster care, therefore need to be actively promoted and strengthened in Ghana so that children are only ever in residential care as a temporary last resort.
This document is aimed at complementing the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for…
Displaced Children and Orphans Fund (DCOF)/USAID are supporting the efforts of the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP) and UNICEF Ghana to accelerate on-going childcare reform efforts through a 5 year programme, the DCOF/UNICEF/MoGCSP Accelerating Child Care Reform Programme 2015 – 2020. One of the activities is to conduct a comprehensive geographical mapping and analysis of Residential Homes for Children (RHCs) in Ghana to identify the “hot spots” - high concentration of RHCs and/or children in RHCs - and develop a comprehensive…
Abstract
Worldwide, up to 8 million children reside in institutional care. While some characteristics are common to most institutional settings (e.g., group rearing, non-related caregivers), the social environments of institutions are highly variable. Institutions in Russia, China, Ghana, and Chile are described with reference to the circumstances that lead to children’s institutionalization, resident children’s social-emotional relationships, and unique characteristics of each country’s institutional care (e.g., volunteer tourism in Ghana, and shifting demographics of institutionalized…
In the 2006 Care Reform Initiative (CRI), Ghana’s Department of Social Welfare (DSW) called for the deinstitutionalization of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) and sought to move vulnerable children towards a range of integrated family and community-based care services. The initiative is currently on its third five-year road map for 2017 to 2021 with specific targets and yet still children are in orphanages. Over a decade after the official launch of the initiative a myriad of challenges persist, especially the uncertainty over whether families are prepared to welcome OVC into their homes…