Ethiopia: Revised Guideline On Child Care Launched

Ethiopia: Revised Guideline On Child Care Launched

The Daily Monitor (Addis Ababa)

15 May 2008
Posted to the web 15 May 2008

Fikremariam Tesfaye
Addis Abeba

Participants of a national consultative workshop on the revised guidelines on alternative child care program and sexual abuse and exploitation on Tuesday launched a guideline.

The guideline includes community based-child care, reunification and reintegration program, foster care, and adoption and institution care guidelines.

Jointly presenting the revised during the workshop at the Ghion Hotel, consultants Dr. Getnet Tadele and Desta Ayode said justification for the updating the guidelines was the recent trend of child care programs which the said required revisiting strategies in accordance with the rights based approach.

The previous guidelines sound to be of high standard and seem to have not been in accordance with the present objective reality, the consultants explained.

The spread of HIV/AIDS increasingly left millions of Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) without care.

The orphans need care and support of others in an integrated and sustainable manner.

"There is also need to improve the implementation of the guidelines and facilitate monitoring and evaluation of the child care program," the consultants stressed.

The guideline follows an assessments by the consultants one the existing regulatory frameworks and conditions of alternative child care arrangements in the country.

The guideline was prepared with the objectives of facilitating the provision of care and support for OVC based on principles that insure the best interest of the child.

It also intended to set minimum standards to delivery the services in the country and to develop sound child orient operational frameworks also incorporated.

Officials from the Ministry of Women are Affairs, Social Affairs, Ministry of Justice Parliamentarians and polices officers, stockholders and representatives from all regions attended the three day workshop.

The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Women's Affairs in collaboration with Italian Development Cooperation.