The government of Kenya has proposed a ban on privately owned children’s homes and orphanages, a move that will be implemented within a period of 8 years as part of the deinstitutionalization of children program being implemented by the government.
The communication was made by the Labour and Social Protection Cabinet Secretary, Florence Bore in a meeting with staff and children at the Child Welfare Society of Kenya Temporary Place of Safety.
She explained the deinstitutionalization of children as the process of reforming childcare systems, closing down orphanages and children’s homes, and alternatively finding suitable homely placements for vulnerable children and supporting them in non-institutional ways.
According to Bore, only government-owned homes under the Child Welfare Society of Kenya will be allowed to operate.
She added that the new program will place homeless or rescued children in government-identified foster homes.
“The reason why we are closing them up is because we have been given directions under the Children’s Act that the private homes should be closed. They have also been routes for child trafficking, so the government wants us to retain the institutions that we have under the Child Welfare Society of Kenya,” Bore stated.
In 2022, the government of Uganda through the Ministry of Youth and Children Affairs also made a move to close about 50 illegal childcare homes across the country.
The ministry was concerned about reports on the rising number of childcare institutions in urban areas, which were putting the lives of the inhabitants at risk.
