Barriers to childcare in Children's Homes in Ghana: Caregivers' solutions

Abdullah, Asm; Cudjoe, Ebenezer; Manful, Esmeranda

doi:10.1016/j.childyouth.2018.03.045

Cited by 23 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 27 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Almost all of the private facilities (96%) are not registered or monitored by the Department of Social Welfare (DSW), resulting in poorly managed and badly operating institutions (Darkwah, Daniel, & Asumeng, 2016). They lack qualified childcare workers and other professionals (social workers) and have inadequate infrastructure and funding (Abdullah, Cudjoe, & Manful, 2018; Alhassan, 2017).…”

Section: Child Protection and Leaving Care In Ghanamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The ability to preserve relationships is a skill that youths leaving care could be taught. Staff in the residential facilities need relationship building skills to undertake such a task, but most of them lack such training (Abdullah et al, 2018; Castillo et al, 2012). Therefore, the DSW or any of the social work training universities in Ghana (e.g., University of Ghana) can organize training courses that can provide childcare workers with the requisite knowledge needed to carry out their tasks effectively.…”

Section: Implications Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Stories of Care Leaving: The Experiences of a Group of Resilient Young Adults on Their Journey to Interdependent Living in Ghana

Frimpong‐Manso

2018

Emerging Adulthood

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Emerging adulthood is the developmental period from 18 to 25 years of age when young people explore the possibilities of life with support from their parents. However, young people with an out-of-home care background usually navigate this life stage with little or no support. As a result, many care leavers experience poor outcomes including homelessness and low educational achievements. These narratives fuel low expectations and a negative stereotype toward care leavers. This study offers an alternative perspective by sharing positive stories of care leavers. Specifically, it explores the factors that promote the successful transition to emerging adulthood for care leavers in Ghana. Four key themes emerged from the thematic analysis: networks of social support, personal capacities, preparation for adulthood, and positive relationships. These are the factors facilitating the care leavers’ successful transition into emerging adulthood. The study has offered recommendations for policy-making and practice including extending the statutory leaving care age.

show abstract

Section: Child Protection and Leaving Care In Ghanamentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Implications Of the Studymentioning

confidence: 99%

Stories of Care Leaving: The Experiences of a Group of Resilient Young Adults on Their Journey to Interdependent Living in Ghana

Frimpong‐Manso

2018

Emerging Adulthood

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Unlike informal foster care by extended families (Abdullah, Cudjoe, & Manful, 2020; Abdullah, Frederico, et al, 2020), non-relative foster care is not popular (Frimpong-Manso et al, 2020). The principal care mechanism for vulnerable children is residential care (Abdullah et al, 2018; Manful et al, 2020). However, ongoing child care reforms that began in 2006 to shift the care system’s reliance on residential care to family and community-based care has led to the growing use of formal foster care (Frimpong-Manso, 2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Keeping families afloat: Foster carer’s parenting experiences during COVID-19 in Ghana and implications for practice

Frimpong‐Manso

Cudjoe

Abdullah

et al. 2021

Developmental Child Welfare

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Formal foster care is a relatively new phenomenon in Ghana. The practice is in conformity with international and national policy guidelines to deinstitutionalize and strengthen family-based care for children without adequate parental care. In addition to the known challenges of foster parenting in Ghana (stigma, financial challenges and emotional strain, inexperience of the foster parents), the socio-economic impacts of COVID-19 restrictions may worsen caregivers’ burden and negatively affect children in care. This study explored how foster parents are meeting their caregiving demands during the COVID-19 pandemic in the face of existing and new challenges. Following a participatory practice research approach, a co-constructed interview guide by the researchers and a practitioner was used to conduct in-depth telephone interviews with 13 foster parents. Findings from thematic analysis of the interviews showed challenges, including increased cost of caregiving and multiple caregiving duties as challenges facing foster parents whereas children’s knowledge about the virus, informal support and religious beliefs collectively enhanced caregiving during the pandemic. The findings provide learning about ways to alleviate parenting challenges for foster parents during and after the pandemic. Specifically, interventions that view children as actors for change and strengthen community and religious bodies to deliver psychosocial services would be useful to improve foster parenting.

show abstract

“…Children facing abuse or neglect are often placed in institutional, residential, state‐regulated kinship care or foster care by child protection workers (Fernandez et al, 2019; Mazzone et al, 2019). However, child protection workers in Ghana have limited options when faced with a decision to move children out of the home (Abdullah et al, 2018; Frimpong‐Manso and Bugyei, 2019). Children's Homes, which are the common options, are faced with limited staff, resources and financial challenges (Frimpong‐Manso and Bugyei, 2019) which may further exacerbate children's challenges.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Towards Culturally Specific Solutions: Evidence from Ghanaian Kinship Caregivers on Child Neglect Intervention

et al. 2020

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Recognising the signs and finding solutions to the risk and needs of neglected children remains a challenge in child protection practice despite a global increase in the number of reported child neglect cases. This situation is compounded by the impact of cultural practices on how neglect is perceived. Drawing on semi-structured in-depth interviews with 31 kinship caregivers, this study sought to explore how the culturally informed traditional kinship care practice in Ghana can be considered an intervention strategy for parental neglect. Proactive intervention, prevention of abandonment and utilisation of family support emerged as ways kinship care practice can help resolve child neglect issues. This study's findings suggest that kinship care options could help prevent severe forms of child neglect and prevent instances of child neglect at their onset. The study highlights the importance of culture and tradition when considering approaches to addressing neglect of children, which could be adapted to other cultures as it provides learning regarding where it is safe to have the extended family involved from the beginning where there is suspected neglect.

show abstract

Barriers to childcare in Children's Homes in Ghana: Caregivers' solutions

Cited by 23 publications

References 27 publications

Stories of Care Leaving: The Experiences of a Group of Resilient Young Adults on Their Journey to Interdependent Living in Ghana

Stories of Care Leaving: The Experiences of a Group of Resilient Young Adults on Their Journey to Interdependent Living in Ghana

Keeping families afloat: Foster carer’s parenting experiences during COVID-19 in Ghana and implications for practice

Towards Culturally Specific Solutions: Evidence from Ghanaian Kinship Caregivers on Child Neglect Intervention

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About