News and Advocacy Updates

As a care leaver, the phrase “rooted in families” carries deep personal significance. Care for children is not just a policy issue—it’s profoundly personal. I grew up in institutional care, and I know what it feels like to live without permanency, to constantly wonder where you truly belong. That’s why this campaign resonates so strongly with me. …

Rooted in Families: A Personal Reflection from a Care Leaver Read More »

In Madagascar, thousands of children grow up in institutions—not because of abuse or neglect, but often due to poverty, lack of support, and weak child protection systems. This is more than a statistic; it’s a crisis that affects the future of a generation. FAMadagascar is leading the way in changing this reality. As a pioneer …

Every Child Deserves a Family: How FAMadagascar Is Transforming Child Protection Read More »

“All I wanted was for my children to be with me, but I didn’t know how to make it possible.” These were the words of a mother who once stood at the edge of losing her children. Poverty, stress, and the absence of support had left her overwhelmed and ready to give them up. For …

Closing Our Doors to Open New Ones: Why Children Belong in Families Read More »

Every child deserves to grow up in a family. It is within families that children learn love, resilience, and belonging. Yet across South Africa, thousands of children continue to be placed in institutions when poverty, crisis, or loss leaves families struggling. While orphanages and other institutional settings are often seen as a quick solution, decades …

Rooted in Families campaign: Why “One Child, One Family” Matters in South Africa Read More »

Every November, timelines turn a hopeful shade of blue as the world pauses to celebrate its most precious resource—children. World Children’s Day marks the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, reminding us that children are the pillars of our communities, our societies, and our world. This year’s theme, “My Day, My …

“My Day, My Rights” – The Right to Family Life Read More »

“I want all children to have a stable home and be loved.” These heartfelt words come from Annette, a devoted foster mother in Mpigi District. Earlier this year, Buwama Police found two children, Christine and Jacob, left alone and malnourished for several days. They needed urgent care and protection. The Probation and Social Welfare Officer, …

Finding Love Read More »

After fleeing home, Angel found safety, school, and family again with support from Railway Children Africa.

When we are surrounded by family, it’s easy to forget what life feels like without one. But for millions of children across Africa, this is their daily reality—growing up without the love, belonging, protection, and identity that only a family can provide. Imagine facing life’s toughest moments without someone to lean on. Imagine not knowing …

Rooted in Families: A Family for Every Child in Africa Read More »

A Campaign on Reclaiming Family for Every Child For decades, we’ve echoed the call: African solutions for African problems. Today, that call is more urgent than ever. Across the continent, over 35 million children are growing up without parental care—more than the population of Ghana. This is not just a statistic. It’s a crisis. We …

Rooted in Families Read More »

It’s been a year since we formed Transform Alliance Africa. We’ve made progress on realising our vision of an Africa, free of orphanages.

On the Saturday, 16th of June the world will be marking the Day of the African Child. This year’s theme is, “Leave No Child Behind”, which is derived from the Sustainable Development clarion call to “Leave No One Behind” The theme implies that development policies and programs need to take keen interest on populations that are often overlooked in development agenda.

One category of children quickly comes to mind; children in orphanages, often referred to as children’s homes in Kenya. It is estimated that 45,000 children are in children’s homes in Kenya. The numbers could be much higher considering the sprawling numbers of unregistered and unregulated children’s homes. Other sources indicate that between 30-45% of the 2.4 million orphaned children or 720,000-1,080,000 end up in children’s homes, notwithstanding the fact that orphanhood is not the only factor that makes children vulnerable. This lack of credible disaggregated data on the number of children’s homes, the number of children and the state of care therein is clear evidence as to how overlooked this category of children is.

As the old saying goes “Out of sight out of mind” so are these children in as far as protection from abuse, neglect and exploitation is concerned. If consistent media reports on abuse and exploitation of children in children’s homes is to go by, then Kenya could be staring at a crisis of significant proportions. This situation looks even gloomier if it is juxtaposed against research findings that violence against children in children’s homes, is six times higher than in family environments.

Furthermore, children’s homes by their nature encourage exclusion of children from families and communities, in addition to other proven adverse psychological, social, behavioral and intellectual impacts. Indeed, studies have demonstrated that young people who have spent time in orphanages are some of the most excluded groups of young people and likely to be homeless, at high risk of becoming teenage parents, have inferior educational achievements and opportunities, experience greater levels of unemployment, and more likely to have antisocial behavior.

With the steady increase in the number of often unscrupulous children’s homes, it is evident that the country risks a free flow of orphaned and vulnerable children from families and communities which consequently limits their potential to meaningfully contribute to national development and perpetuates intergenerational cycles of poverty and inequality. In essence, this will deal a major blow to the prospects of Kenya enjoying increased development when the current generation of children who make up over 50% of the population, become of working age . This development potential is well articulated in a 2014 UNICEF report titled: Generation 2030: Child Demographics in Africa, which notes that “Investing in children will be paramount for Africa to realize the rights of its burgeoning child population and reap a potential demographic dividend”. The report further points to the need for national development plans to take into account shifts in child population and support better data systems.

It is in this context that more focus should be put on reforming of childcare and protection systems from being institutional to being family and community based. This will stop the unmitigated flow of children into orphanages and re-channel scarce resources to more sustainable family and community based development solutions.

The Day of the African Child therefore presents all development and child protection stakeholders with an opportunity to renew their support and commitment to the ongoing government initiative towards deinstitutionalisation and care reform in the country. This has seen the launching the Guidelines for the Alternative Family Care of Children in Kenya alongside the Minimum Standards for Charitable Children’s Institution in Kenya in 2015, the moratorium on the registration of new charitable children institutions (children’s homes) in Kenya as well as the recent launch of the Guidelines for the Alternative Family Care of Children pilot project in Kisumu.

At Child in Family Focus-Kenya, we support this government initiative through our advocacy work targeting policymakers, donors, owners, managers and staff of children’s homes. We also engage, build the capacity and offer support to children’s homes that are willing or in the process of transitioning from institutional care to family and community care.

Tanzania has over 3 million most vulnerable children who are living without parental care or at risk of losing it.

in Africa the family has always been at the centre of a child’s development and communities have always wrapped their arms around orphans and vulnerable children.

Transform Alliance Africa representatives travelled to London, UK to take part in the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Youth Forum. Representing the views of young people who had grown up in orphanages.

“Love. One-on-one care and attention. A sense of belonging and identity. Safe spaces to play and learn. Trusting relationships. Being part of a community. These are things that all children need to grow up happy, healthy and strong – and that only a family can provide”

In November 2016, 33 child protection actors representing 11 organizations from across Africa, met in Kampala, Uganda. During this vibrant, forward looking meeting that the idea of a regional alliance was birthed.