Inter-institutional collaboration needed to ensure child care, protection

By Gifty Amofa, GNA

Accra, Dec. 5, GNA - Participants at a legal conference have called for an inter-institutional collaboration to ensure children are given proper care and protection.

Dr Anastasia Kpei Mawudoku of the Social Welfare Department, who led the discussion, said without the joint efforts of the police, medical officers, judges, social welfare officers and others, laws concerning the care and protection of children could not be effectively enforced.

This was during the closing session of a two-day legal conference on good practices in the judicial process of child care and protection in Ghana, organised by Ghana Without Orphans (GWO).

The Strengthening Families for Abandoned Children (SFAC)-UK and the Judicial Training Institute (JTI) of Ghana were joint organisers, supported by the Department of Foreign and International Development (DFID)-UK.

Participants said there were so many role players in child protection and care thus if their roles were not coordinated and well-played, children would suffer, especially when it came to adoption.

The participants, made up of selected high court and circuit court judges, magistrates, lawyers, and social workers, among other stakeholders, who were to review current laws and policies relating to orphans and vulnerable children, said inter-country mass adoption should be the last resort.

Noting that the practice became a source of income for some people to the extent that the destinations of the children would not sometimes be known as some ended up having their organs harvested or landed into child labour.

It was, therefore, important to encourage local adoption where the children would be safe, putting into consideration the extended family system support.

Reverend Kingsley Kwayisi of Ghana Without Orphans said the training was expected to reduce delays of cases concerning child care and protection.

He expressed the hope that the care and protection of children would be prioritised and the implementation of policies and laws would be done at a free cost.

Rev Kwayisi appealed for family court in every district, which would be child friendly to bring stability and love in the family.

Mrs Sheila Minkah-Premo, a Lawyer, giving the review of current laws and policies, said there was the need to advocate for family courts rather than divorce if children were to be cared for and protected.

Naa Adjorkor Mohenu, Country Director, Bethany Global and a member of the Technical Committee of the Central Adoption Authority, said the accreditation of adoption agencies was in the pipeline.

She said no agency had been accredited to carry out adoption, adding that currently, government solely had the right to carry it out. 

The conference, which brought together selected high court and circuit court judges, magistrates, lawyers, and social workers was to review current laws and policies relating to orphans and vulnerable children.

Mrs Susanna Afutu, Law Lecturer at the School of Law, Central University College, gave the objectives of the confab as to identifying the gaps and areas for improvement in the current system in the area of child care and protection.

It is also to advocate for the creation of an inter-institutional commission to implement and monitor best practices across the country.

The participants called for harmonising standards in the justice delivery to children in Ghana.

They said the Department of Social Welfare was under two ministries and it made its work difficult to regulate. 

Facilitators from the United Kingdom included Dan Hope, a social worker and Head of SFAC, Ranjit Uppal, Lawyer and Deputy District Judge and Ruth Sharon, a Lawyer.

GNA

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