Stakeholders sensitized on child and family welfare policy

The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, under the Department of Children, has held a sensitization programme on the implementation of the Child and Family Welfare Policy in the Upper East Region.

The policy operational plan which commences from 2016-2020, is aimed at reinforcing child and family welfare programmes and activities geared towards effectively preventing and protecting them from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

The policy comprises laws, services, practices and structures designed to promote the well-being of children by ensuring their safety and protection from harm; achieving permanency and strengthening families to care for children successfully.

Speaking to Citi News, Programmes Officer at the Department of Children, Mr. Christopher Wayo Lartey, said their research into child protection across the country revealed that, the adoption of western cultures such as rising Nuclear family system compared to integrating the Extended family system has thwarted efforts to protect and care for vulnerable children.

He stressed that, the policy will ensure effective coordination of the child and family welfare at all levels and empower children and families to better understand abusive situations and make choices to prevent and respond to situations of risk through social dialogue.

The policy is also aimed at building institutional and service providers’ capacity to ensure a friendly quality of services for children and families in urban and rural areas and provide adequate human, technical and financial resources to sustain the policy at all levels.

“The children's Act gives responsibility of care for the child to the parents, immediate and extended family systems and we cannot neglect them and put responsibility on only the nuclear family and so we are recognizing more of the importance of the family structures, the society, traditional and religious bodies and everyone in the effective implementation of this policy” Mr. Lartey stated.

Head of Research at the Department of Children, Mr. Sylvester Kyei-Gyamfi, said the country has lost children who would have been responsible leaders in various fields of discipline due to the non-provision of proper support in the areas of education, health and vocational training.

The participants were drawn from the Ghana Police Service, schools, House of Chiefs, the Media, NCCE, Social welfare, MMDAs and Women groups.

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By: Frederick Awuni/citifmonline.com/Ghana