Government Policy Update
Kenya has a strong legal and policy foundation, accompanied by critical stakeholders from government, civil society, and recently established advocacy experts, who are driving care reform in a positive direction.
The Kenyan government has already implemented strong legal and policy changes that support family strengthening that will prevent the separation of families. The plan includes strong regulations and guidelines that encourage family based care, however, orphanages and other residential institutions are still a fall back for children in need of alternative care.
In Kenyan culture, there is already a strong culture of child care that includes the wider extended family. In recent years, the government and civil society has made steps to discourage orphanage care, although not in a coordinated fashion.
With the establishment of the Association for Family Based Care and government technical working groups, care reform within Kenya is getting traction and greater collaboration.
In addition there is a strong network of care leavers – people who grew up in orphanages and are now adults – in Kenya who are strong advocates of care reform. They bring a unique and personal perspective to the issue.
Read more about the current situation in Kenya:
UNICEF: Taking Child Protection to the Next Level in Kenya
UNICEF: Guidelines for the Alternative Family Care of Children in Kenya
Advocacy Efforts Propel Family-Based Care in Kenya
Alternative Care Alliance – Kenya
About 40% of the population is under age 14
2.4 million children are orphans, 47% are AIDS orphans
Approximately 30-45% of these orphans end up in charitable children’s institutions (CCIs), like orphanages.
