Parents Are Pushing Children Away To Secure 'Economic Freedom'

Madam Stella Mawutor Agbehlor, Programme Head for Child Right Promotion and Protection under the Department of Social Welfare has observed that economic hardship was compelling parents in deprived communities to send their children to residential homes.

She said a cursory observation showed that parents with low economic background, mainly in rural communities sent their children to residential homes for 'proper care' and for their 'economic freedom'.

Madam Agbehlor in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) said such environments only exposed the children to physiological, psychological and emotional trauma because they were unable to bond with the different kind of care takers.

She said those homes were best as last resort for vulnerable children and not alternative to family settings because the children were not given basic life skills.

Madam Agbehlor said what was needed was foster parents to groom children who lost their biological parents, in family setting and not residential homes.