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Executive Summary
The government of Kenya is committed to moving away from institutional care towards family and communitybased care. This is in line with international and national child rights instruments and informed by a growing evidence-based illustrating the benefits of family-based care on children’s development and the potential negative impacts of residential care. Kenya has made important strides and achieved key milestones over the past two decades in relation to children’s care and protection. Beginning in 2001, when the Children’s Act (referred hereafter as “…
Abstract
Limited evidence exists of the effectiveness of combining cash transfers and family strengthening interventions in developing country contexts. This study provides evidence from an evaluation of a bespoke family strengthening intervention for Child Support Grant beneficiaries in 10 urban communities in Johannesburg, South Africa. A qualitative pre-post design was used to assess the effectiveness of this combination intervention including a nine-month follow-up study. Participants were randomly assigned to intervention and non-intervention groups allowing for comparison between the…
Family-based preventive interventions have strong potential for promoting family functioning and mental health in children. This chapter reports on one such intervention, the Family Strengthening Intervention (FSI), initially developed and tested in Rwanda to improve communication and parenting in HIV/AIDS-affected families with school-age children. Currently, an early childhood development version of the FSI is being piloted for delivery by lay workers with Rwandan families living in extreme poverty. Because of its flexible nature, the FSI has also been adapted for use with Bhutanese and…
ABSTRACT
In this paper, I explore kinship and other networks of support for young mothers and their babies after an unintended, ex-nuptial pregnancy in a resource-poor urban setting. I draw on in-depth interviews conducted with 30 young mothers aged 18 to 20 years old and follow up interviews conducted with 9 of them. The interviews focused on three main areas: pregnancy and birth, education and income generation, and support networks. I present three cases that reflect variability in support and kinship network patterns. I use genograms and kinship network maps to identify sources of…
Abstract
The United Nations and WHO have summoned governments from low-income and middle-income countries to institute universal health coverage and thereby improve their population’s healthcare access and outcomes. Until now, few countries responded favourably to this international plea. The HIV/AIDS epidemic, a major global public health challenge, resulted in over 11 million orphans in sub-Saharan Africa. Extended families have taken responsibility for more than 90% of these children. HIV orphans are likely to be poorer and less healthy. Burkitt lymphoma is the most common childhood…
Abstract
Background: Street-connected children and youth (SCY) in Kenya disproportionately experience preventable morbidities and premature mortality. We theorize these health inequities are socially produced and result from systemic discrimination and a lack of human rights attainment. Therefore, we sought to identify and understand how SCY’s social and health inequities in Kenya are produced, maintained, and shaped by structural and social determinants of health using the WHO conceptual framework on social determinants of health (SDH) and the Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC)…
Abandonment of infants often takes place due to a range of stressors affecting vulnerable mothers, which collectively erode their confidence, result in feelings of isolation and make caring for a newborn overwhelming. Early detection and support that is strengths-based and focuses on social and emotional development, provided in supportive peer communities, is key to empowering women, building their confidence and subsequently reducing the rates of infant abandonment.
In this video, Grace Mwangi takes a critical look at the social work approach, and the impact different approaches can have…
Comprised of videos and accompanying discussion guides, this video series features the learning from practitioners working across a range of care-related programs and practices in Kenya.
Videos in the series:
Abstract
Research evidence indicates that parents of children with intellectual disabilities are exposed to a host of stressful life events while caring for their children with intellectual disabilities. The purpose of this study was then to determine the effectiveness of the Positive Parenting Program (Triple-P) in enabling mothers to manage stress related to parenting a child with intellectual disability (ID). Additionally, the study also aimed at assessing the impact of Triple-P in improving the relationship between a mother and a child with an intellectual disability. Quasi-…
There are numerous factors that can result in a child being at risk of experiencing family separation. Issues can be complex, multifaceted and involve child protection, family functioning, service access and poverty related concerns. In many cases, the outcome for a child, in particular whether separation is successfully prevented or not, is as contingent upon the approach employed by social workers as it is the underlying factors at play.
In this video, Grace Mwangi, a Program Consultant with Lumos, shares key lessons from her experience working in community-based social work with…