Uganda

This country page features an interactive, icon-based data dashboard providing a national-level overview of the status of children’s care and care reform efforts (a “Country Care Snapshot”), along with a list of resources and organizations in the country.

List of Organisations

demographic_data

Demographic Data

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45.70 million
Total Population
Population Reference Bureau, 2020
25.14 million
People
Total Population Under 18
Estimate
55%
Population Under 18
 
Census report, 2014
4.7
People
Mean Household Size
Census report, 2014
28.3%
Prevalence of Female-Headed Households
 
2018-2019 MIS
Low Income Country
World Bank GNI Status
World Bank, 2019
41.7%
Living Below Poverty Line
 
Human Development Report 2019
42.8
GINI Coefficient
World Bank, 2016
0.528
Human Development Index
Human Development Report 2019

childrens_living_arrangement

Children's Living Arrangements

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%
Country
 
NO SOURCE GIVEN
52.3%
Living with Both Parents
 
Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016
27.2%
Living with One Parent
 
Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016
19.9%
Living with Neither Parent
 
Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016
%
Effective
 
NO SOURCE GIVEN

children_living_without_bio

Children Living Without Biological Parents

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78%
Both Parents Alive
 
DHS 2016
17%
One Parent Dead
 
DHS 2016
6%
Both Parents Dead
 
DHS 2016

Children at Risk of Separation

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23%
Children Living Below Poverty Line
 
Situation Analysis of Children in Uganda 2019 (MGLSD & UNICEF, 2019)
15%
Children Engaged in Child Labor
 
UBOS (2018). National Labour Force Survey 2016/17. Kampala, Uganda: Uganda Bureau of Statistics
i
2 million children
7.5%
Children with Disabilities
 
UBOS and UNICEF (2018) Uganda Functional Difficulties Survey: Indicators Report. Kampala: Uganda Bureau of Statistics and UNICEF
i
Children aged 2-4 years: 3.5%, Children aged 5-17 years: 7.5%
Children Affected by HIV
950,000
children
CDC, 2018
i
Estimated orphans due to AIDS: 950,000. Prevalence of HIV among children aged 0-14: 0.5% (The Uganda Population-Based HIV Impact Assessment (UPHIA), 2017)
59%
Children Experiencing Violence
 
MGLSD (2018). Uganda Violence Against Children Survey. Kampala: Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development
i
Prevalence of past-year physical violence against children, age 13-17 years (M/F): 59%/44% Prevalence of past-year emotional violence against children, age 13-17 years: 22.8/22.2% Prevalence of past-year Sexual violence against children, age 13-17 years: 11%/25% % children (13-17 years) who experienced physical violence (in the last 12 months) by a parent, adult caregiver (Male/Female): 21.7/18.7
9.1%
Children Who Have Lost One or Both Parents
 
Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016
19.9%
Children Who Are Not Living with Either of their Biological Parents
 
Uganda Demographic and Health Survey 2016

Formal Alternative Care Arrangements

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0 Families/Parents
0 Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
0 Families/Parents
0 Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Total Family-Based Alternative Care
- - Families/Parents
- - Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Foster Care
- - Foster Families/Foster Parents
- - Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Formal Kinship Care
- - Families/Parents
- - Children
i
Currently no data
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Total Residential Care
- - Settings
- - Children
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Approved Children's Homes
142 Settings
- - Children
List of Approved Homes as per November 2019 (MGLSD, 2019)

Parental Survivorship

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90.3%
Children with Both Parents Alive
 
DHS 2016
8%
Children with One Parent Alive
 
DHS 2016
1.1%
Children with Both Parents Dead
 
DHS 2016

Progress Indicators

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Country
 
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Effective
 
NO SOURCE GIVEN
NO DATA AVAILABLE
Social Welfare Spending
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Alternative Care Policy in Line with the 2009 Guidelines
 
Partly
The National Alternative Care Framework (NFAC)
i
The National Alternative Care Framework (NFAC) was developed in 2012. It provides a framework for delivering and facilitating access to appropriate alternative care options for children deprived of parental care, including guidance on placement of children in need of alternative care. The framework is currently undergoing revision.
Centralised Authority on Adoption
 
No
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Commitment to Deinstitutionalistion
 
Yes
The National Action Plan on Alternative Care for Children 2016/2017–2020/2021
i
Reflected in the The National Action Plan on Alternative Care for Children 2016/2017–2020/2021 and recent guidelines on the closure pf Children's Homes
Comprehensive Child Protection Law
 
Partly
The Children Act, Cap 29 (Amended in 2016)
i
A suite of laws are in place, yet gaps exist. The Children Act, Cap 29 (Amended in 2016) is the primarily legislation on care and protection for children.
Continuum of Alternative Care Services Available
 
Yes
The National Action Plan on Alternative Care for Children 2016/2017–2020/2021
Data System
 
No
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
No centralized database or management information system
Existence of a Regulatory Body and Regulatory System
 
Yes
Provided for in the Children's Act, Cap 59 (Amended in 2016)
Gatekeeping Mechanism/Policy
 
Yes
The Children Act, Cap 59 (amended in 2016) and the National Framework for Alternative Care (NFAC)
i
The Children Act, Cap 59 (amended in 2016) and the National Framework for Alternative Care (NFAC) delineate a standard process for the referral or admission of a child to an alternative care setting, including procedures to screen referrals, authorize placement of children, and ensure admission safeguards, to guarantee the appropriate use of alternative care
Means of Tracking Progress with Reforms
 
No
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Moratorium on Admission into Institutions for Children Under 3
 
Yes
National Alternative Care Framework, 2012 and Action Plan (2016/17–2020/21)
Moratorium on New Institutions
 
No
NO SOURCE GIVEN
National Action Plan to Guide Reforms
 
Yes
National Action Plan on Alternative Care for Children 2016/2017–2020/2021
i
The Plan is currently under review.
National Standards of Care
 
Partly
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Minimum standards exists for some care options (residential care, foster care). Standards of practice or basic minimum standards applicable to the provision of other care services (supported independent living, adoption, guardianship) do not exist.
Prevention of Separation Services Available
 
Yes
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Some existing programs, primarily run by civil society organizations, provide services that seek to strengthen families
Support for Careleavers (in Legislation and in Practice)
 
Limited
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
Needs of careleavers are not reflected in the current legal and policy framework. The Uganda Care Leavers Project brings together care leavers to share their experiences, learn from one another, and work together to pursue common goals.

social_work_force

Social Service Workforce

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Workers
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Country
Minimum standards and competency framework for social work education and training
 
Yes
MGLSD in collaboration with the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), 2019
Workers
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Effective
A national workforce assessment and analysis carried out within the past four years
 
Yes
Reference: Bulwani, G.K., & Twikirize, J. M. (2019). Functional Review of the Government Social Service Workforce in Relation to Child Protection. Kampala: Ministry of Gender, Labour and Social Development & USAID.
i
A functional review of the government social service workforce in relation to child protection was carried out in 2019.
A system of licensing/registration of social service professionals
 
No
NO SOURCE GIVEN

key_stakeholders

Key Stakeholders

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Country
Government
Effective

Other Relevant Reforms

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Effective
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Child Protection
i
On June 22, 2020, the Cabinet approved a National Child Policy (NCP) to replace the National Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC) policy (NOP), 2004. The policy was developed following a comprehensive review of the NOP and the second National Strategic Programme Plan of Interventions (NSPPI) for OVC (NSPPI 2), 2011/12—2015/16. The NCP includes childcare and protection as one of the four national priorities and underscores the need to strengthen and support families to care for children and ensure access to quality and disability-inclusive alternative family-based care options for children without parental care. In addition, the National Framework for Alternative Care (NFAC) is currently undergoing revisions to address specific gaps identified during the participatory care reform assessment conducted in 2018 and to reflect changes in the legislation. In addition, new a national plan of action for alternative (2020/21-2025/16) is currently under development
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Social Protection
i
A National Social Protection Policy was developed in 2015. The Policy defines social protection as comprising of two pillars: social security and social care & support services. It provides for childcare and protection under a component on ‘social care for children’.
NO SOURCE GIVEN
Education
NO SOURCE GIVEN
i
A National Integrated Early Childhood Development Policy of Uganda was developed in 2016. The goal of the policy is to provide direction and guidance to all sectors for quality, inclusive, coordinated and well-funded ECD services and programs. The NIECD policy Action Plan provides a clear implementation framework to integrate and coordinate interventions within and across different sectors and defines the roles and responsibilities of key sectors involved in ECD.

drivers_of_institutionalisation

Drivers of Institutionaliziation

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Country
Push Factors
Pull Factors
Effective

key_research_and_information

Key Data Sources

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Country
Effective

Acknowledgements

Data for this country care snapshot was contributed by a consultant with the Data for Impact (D4I) Project at Palladium Group LLC.

Displaying 1 - 10 of 399

List of Organisations

Jesus Okello Ojara - Monitor,

According to Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), 43 percent of persons aged 5 to 17 years were involved in child labour in the country.

Margherita Squarcina, Alessandro Carraro - United Nations,

This study examines the socioeconomic determinants of COVID-19-induced poverty among households with children in refugee-hosting districts of Uganda, comparing refugee and host households. It also investigates the role of social assistance in preventing poverty.

CPC Learning Network,

This CPC Learning Network hosted a conversation with partners and faculty affiliates on "Rethinking Child & Youth Participatory Methodologies & Processes: Presentations from our Partner Research Centers in Uganda, Indonesia, and Colombia".

UNICEF,

This workshop explores why it is important to support care leavers networks, and how these networks can be supported. The workshop was designed and facilitated by care leavers, with presentations from a regional network working across Africa, and networks in Uganda and Zimbabwe. 

Frederic Musisi, George Muron - Daily Monitor,
UNICEF - ESARO Regional Learning Platform,

This webinar explored the importance of working across sectors to enable effective care reforms.  Speakers focused in particular on work with social protection and education sectors, drawing on examples from Kenya, South Africa, Uganda and Rwanda.

UNICEF East Africa Regional Learning Platform,

This webinar examined care in the context of COVID-19, climate change, and conflict. Speakers explored how the pandemic has left a lasting legacy on the care system in Uganda and examined the impacts of climate change-related drought on children's care in Kenya. They also explored efforts to deliver effective care for children during conflict in Ethiopia.

Adrian Kitimbo,

This chapter is part of the "Research Handbook on Migration, Gender, and COVID-19" and explores the gender and youth dimensions of return from GCC States to the East Africa subregion, focusing on three countries: Uganda, Kenya and Ethiopia.

Global Social Service Workforce Alliance,

This report examines the evolution of social service workforce strengthening in the light of the three core pillars of the Social Service Workforce Strengthening Framework: planning, developing and supporting. It identifies significant progress and accomplishments that have been made to strengthen the social service workforce at the global level as well as in three specific countries: Romania, Uganda and Viet Nam.

UNICEF ESARO, Changing the Way We Care,

The Regional Learning Platform on care reform for Eastern and Southern Africa provides an opportunity for government, UNICEF and others involved in care reform