Children officers drawn from across Kiambu County converged at the County Commissioner’s boardroom f to review progress on the implementation of care reforms, factoring Kiambu and Githunguri sub-counties as case studies of areas that have already rolled out the interventions.

The forum, convened by Child in Family Focus Kenya (CFFK), was graced by County Children’s Coordinator Rose Barine and brought together children officers to assess achievements, gaps and lessons in strengthening family-based care.

The exercise examined the extents to which the two sub-counties had gone in ensuring that children grow up in safe and supportive family environments, with officers weighing interventions that support family strengthening, alternative care and the reintegration of children into their families and communities.

Addressing the officers, Barine said the county was committed to anchoring every child in a stable family setting and urged the officers to build on the lessons emerging from Kiambu and Githunguri.

“Our goal is to keep children within loving families and communities, and the progress recorded in Githunguri and Kiambu shows us what is possible when officers work together. Let these case studies guide the rest of the county,” Barine said.

Children’s officers having a discussion.

The session was led by Githunguri Sub-County Children Officer June Wachira, who spoke on preventing the separation of children from their families, noting that teaming up at the sub-county level helps avert family breakups and in turn safeguards children.

“Organize awareness campaigns and events to educate communities about the importance of keeping families together,” Wachira pointed out as she outlined achievements in sensitization, creation of awareness and the review of reports to determine the impact of the interventions carried out.

She added that training volunteer counsellors to offer appropriate guidance and support to children and families, alongside the provision of legal assistance to families and children in need, had helped cushion vulnerable households.

The forum identified collaboration with partner agencies in tracing and identifying families as key to supporting reunification, as officers discussed the need to guide children sensitively when disclosing information about foster care and adoption.

Among the planned activities were documenting foster children’s experiences through photographs and organizing celebrations to appreciate foster parents and children, with Kiambu cited as the first to hold such a celebration.

The officers, however, flagged challenges including inadequate staffing, poverty, unemployment, substance abuse, family conflicts, over-dependence and lack of stable housing, noting that the worker-to-child ratio stood at one to twenty.

To address the gaps, they proposed sensitization on positive parenting and substance abuse, economic empowerment, financial literacy, community awareness and the establishment of a resource centre. They also called for annual safeguarding training for CCIs and strategies to support institutions transitioning towards alternative care.

It was noted that oversight structures and children’s safeguarding committees had been established in the two areas, while the Kiambu County Children’s Policy was at an advanced stage.

The case studies are expected to guide improvements in care reform implementation, strengthen family support and promote safe, sustainable outcomes for children across the county. Child in Family Focus Kenya, which convened the forum, continues to partner with the county in advancing family-based care and the transition of children from institutional to family and community settings.

By Michelle Kiptoo and Grace Naishoo