Civil society calls for collaboration in foster care

Civil Society Organisations Working Group on Foster and Adoption (FosCA) has underscored the need for the provision of adequate interface between the state and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) working in the area of foster care, adoption, protection and welfare.

According to the group, with effective collaboration, challenges affecting foster care and adoption would be adequately managed for the development of the sector.
The group aims to promote the interest of the child on foster care and adoption issues in the country.

Collaborations

At an inaugural meeting in Accra, the Executive Director for the African Development Programme, Mr Charles Othniel Abbey, said the FosCA  group was created to play its role in ensuring collaboration and support with state-owned institutions and other NGOs on foster and adoption issues in the country.

He said with knowledge and expertise by the group on foster care and adoption issues, they would be able to collaborate with the government to bring about improvement in the sector.

He said some international bodies involved in the group through their experiences would be used to contribute and improve the sector in the country.

The Senior Executive, Africa and Haiti Programmes, Mr Charles Abbey, said in dealing with the challenges faced by the sector, collective involvement would go a long way to bring about improvement on the issue.

He said the absence of an identifiable group of NGOs and non-state actors specialised in foster care and adoption had created a gap.

He added that the FosCA group would complement the contributions of government in the area of foster care and adoption in the country.

Law enforcement

Mr Abbey said unethical practices in the sector had contributed negatively to the lives of the children involved, adding that  FosCA would help the government achieve the objectives of the Hague convention as contained in the amended Act 560.

“We are seeing ourselves as playing a complementary role with the government,” he said.

He, therefore, urged the government to apply the law on individuals operating illegally in the sector for checks and balances. He added that the role of the media would go a long way to inform citizens on foster care and adoption issues.