Gov’t accelerates shift from institutional to family-based child care to bridge developmental challenges

The government has intensified implementation of a nationwide programme aimed at transitioning children from institutional care to family-based care, in line with reforms introduced under the Children’s Act 2022.

State Department for Children Services Principal Secretary Carren Ageng’o said the reforms are anchored in the law, which formally outlawed long-term institutionalisation of children and introduced far-reaching changes to child protection systems.

Speaking in Kisumu on Friday, Febraury 14, the PS said the 10-year care reform strategy (2022–2032) provides a structured and phased roadmap for reintegration, with priority given to family tracing and reunification.

“Evidence shows that children who grow up in institutions face developmental challenges, identity gaps and confidence issues because they lack a stable family structure,” Ageng’o said.

She noted that children’s officers are working closely with charitable institutions, community leaders and extended families to trace biological parents or relatives and reintegrate children into safe and supportive home environments.

Ageng’o revealed that the Department of Children Services is currently mapping out all children living in institutions nationwide to determine the scope of the transition.

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“We have already concluded the exercise in the Rift Valley region where we have identified 13,000 children who are currently in institutional care,” she said.

The PS added that the government, in partnership with development agencies, has costed the programme and outlined the resources required to return children to family setups.

“Some children have already been successfully reunited with their families under the phased rollout. We shall continue with the exercise to ensure that by the year 2032 all the children are reintegrated back to their families,” she said.

Under the new framework, abandoned or rescued children will only be allowed to stay in charitable children’s institutions for a maximum of six months. Within that period, authorities must either trace their families or secure alternative family-based care.

For cases where biological relatives cannot be located, the department is promoting foster care and adoption as alternative arrangements. Prospective foster parents will undergo mandatory training and vetting, while adoption procedures will be handled under strict departmental supervision to safeguard children’s rights.

“Our goal is to ensure children grow up in stable family environments where they can develop fully and confidently,” Ageng’o said, expressing optimism that by 2032 only minimal cases will require institutional placement.

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The PS underscored the importance of collaboration with county governments, particularly in strengthening grassroots child protection systems and improving coordination between national and devolved units.

She urged counties to develop comprehensive child protection policies aligned with the national framework.

“Kisumu County has committed to finalising its child protection policy within three months. I am appealing to the other county governments to do the same so that collectively we can safeguard our children,” she said.

Ageng’o spoke during a visit to Mama Ngina Children’s Home following a fire that destroyed part of a dormitory last week.

During the visit, she delivered mattresses, blankets, bedding and food supplies to support the affected children and assessed safety measures at the facility. The children have since been relocated to a safe section of the compound as reconstruction of the damaged dormitory continues.

Ageng’o thanked well-wishers supporting the rebuilding efforts but emphasised that emergency interventions in institutions must complement the broader reform agenda of transitioning children into family-based care

By Kimutai Langat