The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has announced plans to close all private children’s homes in the country.
CS Florence Bore made the announcement during a meeting with staff and children at the Child Welfare Society of Kenya Temporary Place of Safety on Saturday.
According to CS Bore, some people were involved in child trafficking under the guise of running children’s homes.
“Deinstitutionalisation of children is the process of reforming the child care system, closing down orphanages and children’s homes and finding suitable homes for vulnerable children and supporting them in non-institutional ways,” CS Bore explained.
Under the new programme, homeless or rescued children will be placed in government-approved foster homes.
According to CS Bore, most countries around the world have adopted the concept of foster care, which has been shown to be more successful than children’s homes.
She also said that temporary safe havens provide a safe environment for rehabilitation as the government continues the reintegration process.
“This process is welcomed because children can best thrive when they are raised in a home,” she said, explaining the rationale behind the closure of the homes.
Bore noted that the government will phase out children’s homes and orphanages in the next 8 years, with the aim of reintegrating children into families and community-based care.
“Kenya is a signatory to the United Nations (UN) Convention and Protocols on the Rights of the Child, and coupled with local laws, the family and community remain the best alternative for raising children. This new Children’s Act supports the right of children to grow up in families and communities,” said Jane Munuhe, Deputy Director for Care and Reform in the Directorate of Children’s Services.
Also Read: DP Gachagua To Meet CS Bore and MP Edward Muriu Over Karen House Saga
