The Emergency Family Based Foster Care Programme has been launched, with government committing to ensure the welfare of children is significantly uplifted.
Ministry of Community Development and Social Services Permanent Secretary, Mrs Beatrice Chilufya Darko says Government will support initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of children in need of care.
Ms Darko has noted that it is Government’s desire to see every child in Zambia grow up in a good environment, where they are able to realise their full potential.
She said this when she represented Minister of Community Development and Social Services, Hon Doreen Mwamba, at the launch of the Emergency Family Based Foster Care Programme in Lusaka.
The programme was launched by the Ministry of Community Development and Social Services in collaboration with Alliance for Children Everywhere (ACE) Zambia.
The Permanent Secretary said Zambia was currently transitioning from Institutional Care to Family-Based Foster Care, as it had proved to be one of the best alternative care initiatives for vulnerable children.
According to her, the Implementation of the Emergency Family-Based Foster Care Programme will enable children grow up in normal family setups, where they would be loved and well taken care of.
“Currently Zambia has more than 6, 500 children in institutional care. Research has shown that institutional care has devastating impacts on children’s lives such as trauma and developmental delays especially when their stay is prolonged.
“The programme will prevent developmental delays as children will be placed in loving and caring families,” Ms Darko said.
She also recognised the massive support that her Ministry has continued to receive from partners in child care reforms.
“As a Ministry, we are proud to be associated with different partners to generate positive impact in the care and protection of children in need of care, especially the orphans and those children who lack family based care”she said.
Meanwhile, ACE Chief Executive Officer Gabriel Walder commended Zambia for the progress made in shifting from institutional care to family-based care.
Mr Walder said the country had become a gold standard for keeping children in families, not only at regional level, but also globally.
He indicated that his organization would continue to offer support through sensitization programmes and trainings.
And UNICEF Chief Child Protection Katlin Brasic applauded the Ministry for the progress made towards the Children`s Code Bill, which also had clauses on emergency foster care.
“This is an amazing achievement for children in Zambia and the ministry who have worked so hard to get it to the stage it is,” Ms Brasic observed.
