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Institutional child care vs community based child care: The role of Department of Social Welfare
*Stella Mesikano
November 12, 2004

The Department of Social Welfare is the custodian of children in general and orphans and vulnerable children in particular. In the absence of the Social Welfare Department most problems of children will not be adequately addressed. The Department plays an important part in removing children from abusive environments. It is the role of the Department to place children in relevant places of safety. By so doing the Department of Social Welfare plays a parental role of giving the child a chance of staying with a loving parent.

Through the BEAM Project the Department of Social Welfare provides school fees assistance to children in especially difficult circumstances. Children have the right to education; it is therefore mandatory for every child to have access to education. The Department of Social Welfare also offers public assistance to destitute children. This encompasses children in homes and within the community. Such small grants are quite helpful in sustaining the lives of children. In addition to this the Department of Social Welfare also adequately intervenes for child abuse cases and juvenile delinquents. It is the role of the Department of Social Welfare to provide counselling services to children, provide AMTOs and advocate for the rights of children.

Although the Department is addressing problems of children, its effectiveness is limited by many factors. Limited financial and human resources is a major drawback in the provision of standard facilities for children. Lack of adequate resources makes follow ups for child welfare issues complicated.

The problem of brain drain is grossly affecting the effectiveness of the Department in its operations. Home visits to institutions and the general community are rarely carried out. This is compounded by transport shortages. Bureaucracy is a major drawback in the provision of services by the department of social welfare. Constant monitoring of progress is also made difficult. Limited resources also make reintegration a tough exercise. Most street kids are a result of poor reintegration services.

Institutional care
Institutional childcare plays an important part in addressing problems of children. Institutions provide shelter, health care, educational services, food and recreational facilities to children. These facilities are quite crucial in the development of a child, socially, physically, intellectually and morally. Orphans and vulnerable children are products of destitute families that cannot provide adequate facilities for normal child development. Due to HIV/AIDS and economic pressure the extended families are no longer capable of playing their traditional role of providing adequate childcare. Problems of child abuse are most prevented in institutional set-ups because of the professional services provided.

However institutional care is not 100% effective. Children raised in institutions have poor social skills. This results from the isolation they get in homes. It is difficult for them to understand their culture. They therefore lack a clear picture of social norms and values. The placement of children in homes breaks the family ties between the child and the immediate family. A normal child is expected to grow up in a family with a mother and a father including other relatives. These children lack the sense of belonging, identity and individualism. Child abuse can also take place in institutions.

Childcare within the homes can take the opportunity and end up abusing the children. Some of the homes may lack adequate resources, which might be structural, financial and human.

Apart from that, due to lack of adequate accommodation some of these places are overcrowded.

Community based child care
Community based childcare is believed to be the best practice in raising children. Children who grow up in their original families have better social skills than institutionalised children. Children get an understanding of family life and in a family set up children get moral support and the love they deserve. Children raised in communities have a clear picture of their culture. They understand their norms and values. It is cheaper to raise a child in the community than in a home.

Some of the children are raised from destitute families that cannot provide adequate shelter, food, clothes, health and education. There are some instances where communities abuse children sexually, physically and economically. Communities may lack the special awareness of the needs for orphaned and vulnerable children. Due to modernisation and urbanisation many families are disintegrating.

*Stella Mesikano is the Director of Chiedza Child Care Centre

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