The program to reunite children living in care homes with families is now ready for national rollout following successful preliminary trials in 13 of the 47 counties.
The Chair of the National Council for Children’s Services, Mrs Sophia Abdi Noor, inaugurated the national rollout during a function in Embu and said the program’s success will be dependent on the cooperation of all stakeholders.
She said the need to have the children taken back to society was borne out of many years of research that showed that children thrive better in the family setup, hence the need to help all the children find families to grow up in.
Embu High Court Resident Judge, Lucy Njuguna, said the Judiciary in its support for the program had simplified procedures for the adoption of children.
She said parents who want to adopt children did not have to have a lawyer to file adoption papers saying that in dispensing with adoption matters they were guided by the best interests of the child.
Justice Njuguna called for greater sensit
isation of the public to demystify the process of adopting children.
Ms Grace Mwangi, the Country Director of LUMOS, a non-governmental organization that has been championing child care reforms in the country said the re-integration process was a fragile and complex process that required honesty and commitment to achieve desired results.
She said due to adequate sensitization, all the 17 children’s care homes in Embu had agreed to participate in the reintegration of the children in communities.
National Council for Children’s Services Executive Director, Abdinoor Mohammed, said the current children’s homes will be transitioned to continue giving the same services they have been giving to the children in an outreach program.
Buildings and other facilities that made the children’s ‘homes’ will be repurposed for other community uses.
Source: Kenya News Agency