Ghana develops child and family welfare policy

Children in Ghana often live in closely connected families where members of both the nuclear and extended families contribute to their upbringing.

These structures notwithstanding, they continue to face numerous challenges which include maltreatment, corporal punishment, domestic violence, sexual abuse, sexual violence and exploitation.

Other challenges are children living and/or working on the streets, early marriage, female genital mutilation/cutting and the ‘trokosi’ system of ritual enslavement.

Child protection system

To establish an effective child and family welfare component of the country’s child protection system, the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection has developed the Child and Family Welfare Policy (CFWP) which will be launched by President John Dramani Mahama on Tuesday, July 14, 2015.

Ghana’s child protection system has largely been response oriented, with less emphasis on prevention. Interventions are primarily situated in the formal system, mainly the social welfare services and the police.

Landmark document

According to a statement from the ministry, the Child and Family Welfare Policy is a landmark document heralding a reformed child protection system in Ghana which is fully aligned with national and international principles. It also addresses and prevents harm to children and is founded on positive traditional values, principles and protective practices inherent in the Ghanaian culture.

The policy recognises that a child is an integral part of the family and as such his or her welfare cannot be separated from that of the family. It emphasises both the ‘formal’ component of Child and Family Welfare services (governed by laws, policies and regulations and delivered by state institutions) and the ‘informal’ (based on community and traditional processes and resources).

Child and family welfare programmes

The CFWP has the objective to design child and family welfare programmes and activities to more effectively protect children from all forms of violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation and to ensure an effective coordination of the child and family welfare service at all levels.

It will also empower children and families to better understand abusive situations and make choices to prevent and respond to situations of risk.

In addition, it will reform existing laws and policies to conform to the new vision for child and family welfare to ensure the provision of adequate resources for the functioning of the child and family welfare service at all levels.