Government set to replace children's homes with rescue centres

The government is set to close existing privately-owned children homes as it works out plans of establishing its own public children rescue centres.

Cabinet Secretary for Labour and Social Protection Ms Florence Bore noted, having state-owned public rescue centres will curb child trafficking in the country.

The CS noted that poor management and lack of proper monitoring of private rescue centres can be used by unscrupulous people to perpetuate child trafficking, saying the government is keen to avert such criminal activities.

She stated the government, in partnership with well-wishers will work out to have state managed rescue centres where affected children can be held for a while before being integrated with families and the community.

The CS, who was visiting Murang’a Rescue Centre, which is owned by the Child Welfare Society of Kenya, underscored the need to protect the rights of every child.

She said members of the public have a responsibility to bring out cases of neglected or abandoned children in their areas.

“At rescue centres, children neglected or abandoned are held and taken care of before they are integrated back to their families or members of the community. My appeal is that members of the public should report to relevant authorities of cases of abandoned or neglected children so they can be assisted,” she added.

Children held at rescue centres, the CS observed, are not supposed to stay for long saying the centres are meant to hold them for a while before a solution is found. 

“The aim of the government is to integrate all the children with families and members of the society so that they can grow up in a family setup and nurture them to be responsible members of the society,” she noted, adding that people can adopt children without families from the centres.

CS Bore added: “At the rescue centres, the children are provided with basic needs and people of goo will have been educating those who have attained age of going to school. Currently more than 400 children held at rescue centres are in secondary schools.”

The CS lauded members of the public who have been supporting children held at rescue centres especially through paying of their school fees.

“I appeal to more well-wishers to support these children as the government is also working to ensure they are properly unified back to the society,” he remarked.

Irene Mureithi, Director of Murang’a Rescue Centre, noted the facility in the recent past is congested, appealing for more resources to expand the institution.

“The centre currently has a population of 132 children against a capacity of about 110 children. 82 of them are in various schools and 50 are aged between three and 10 years.

“Here we get neglected children not only from Murang’a but also from neighbouring counties. Our target is to ensure the children are well taken care of as majority of them are brought here while traumatised,” she explained.

Mureithi said they are working in collaboration with the government to integrate the children back into society saying the centre is just a temporary place to hold children for emergency cases.