Zambia National Consultation to Accelerate Care Reform

The Government of Zambia - along with many other partners including Better Care Network, the Global Social Service Workforce Alliance, GHR Foundation, USAID, UNICEF, Save the Children and other NGOs - convened a National Consultation to Accelerate Care Reform in Zambia from 4-6 May, 2016. The consultation aimed to jointly identify national priorities for action in order to accelerate child care reform in Zambia. The main focus areas and questions of the consultation were:

• What evidence do we have about child care reform? And how can we build and share the evidence base?  

• How can we build capacity for family strengthening and alternative care?

• How can we strengthen advocacy efforts to accelerate the child care reform process?

The consultation culminated in a Call to Action that recognized policies currently in place to support children and families, but also urged government, civil society and all stakeholders working with children to support the implementation of a set of strategic actions to accelerate child care reform in Zambia.

Presentations from the Consultation included:

Day 1:

• Opening Remarks by the Permanent Secretary of Community Development and Social Welfare for the Zambia National Child Care Consultative Forum

• Speech by the Honourable Minister of Community Development and Social Welfare for the Official Launch of the National Child Care Consultative Forum

• Zambia National Consultation to Accelerate Care Reform - BCN Presentation

• Childcare Reform Forum Presentation

• Demographic Profile of Children aged 0-17 in Zambia

• Children in Families Zambia

• Overview on the national child policy

• A Presentation on Laws Relating to Children, Zambia

• Social Protection as a Component of Child Care Reform in Zambia

Day 2:

• Why an HR Assessment and Gap Analysis of Zambia’s Social Welfare Workforce?

• In-Country Training Opportunities for the Social Services Workforce - Zambia

• The Role of Social Service Workforce Strengthening in Care Reform

• Status of Child and Youth Care Workers in Zambia & Their Role in Care Reform

• Mutual Support for the Care Reform Community

Day 3:

• Advocacy on Child Care Reform

• Accelerating Child Care Reform in Zambia: A Call to Action

• Integrated Child Protection and Health Kusamala Project

• Disability and Child Care Reform

• Closing Remarks and Call for Action from the Permanent Secretary of Community Development and Social Welfare for the National Child Care Reform Consultative Forum, Zambia

To view the full report of the Zambia National Consultation to Accelerate Care Reform in Zambia, please click here.