• 9 placed in foster homes in North East District
Director of Skillshare International Botswana, Tiny Healy says there is need to develop laws specific to protecting migrant children travelling alone from other countries without parents or legal guardians, otherwise known as Children on the Move (COM). She said to support that it is important that the referral system and Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) be developed at a Ministerial level by different ministries. Healy lamented that as much as the Children’s Act of 2009 is inclusive of all children, it does not guide the implementation of steps in protecting COM. “We are happy that the Department of Social Protection is willing to coordinate that as they are the custodian of the Children’s Act,” Healy said. Recently, the North East District Council in partnership with Skillshare International Botswana trained foster care parents and social workers, with the intention of removing children from institutions and placing them within families around the District. According to North
East District Council Chairperson, Florah Mpetsane, so far nine children have been placed at different places including Letsholathebe, Gungwe, Ditladi and Themashanga. “I would like to appreciate the social workers who are always prompt in attending to cases of child protection, as well as foster parents who volunteered to receive vulnerable children from dysfunctional families. It is true that it takes a village to raise a child,” she said. Skillshare has been working with the Council since 2017, and according to Healy, many strides have been made with regard to skills development to protect children. The training entailed human rights and children’s rights and the legal framework as enshrined in the Children’s Rights 2009 and how it protects Children on the Move. It also included the importance of establishing a referral system to protect and safeguard COM. While Healy’s organisation is not involved in the placing of children with foster families, they build capacity for the North East District children duty bearers to place children in foster homes rather than in institutions. Duty bearers include police, social workers, prisons, teachers, immigration, health, education and dikgosi, Village Development Committees and other members of the community. “All these need to understand what COM is and how they can work together to protect such children,” Healy says. Healy says it is important to have children placed with foster parents rather than in institutions because homes have a welcoming environment than institutions. According to her, a good foster home will make children feel like they are in their real home and regard the family as theirs, while institutions are run with state laws, which are too strict for children. “For example, at home even if there is a certain time to sleep, it is not normally timed. Dinner is in the evening and not necessarily at a certain time. Children can go anywhere as long as it is secure, and can have visitors anytime at homes than in an institution”, Healy says. Potential foster parents have to go through screening which include mental, health, economic wellness as well as police clearance on child abuse history. The children’s length of stay with foster parents depends on the needs of the child and the capability of the parent’s participation. However, an average of nine to 12 months is common. Foster parents and children are supported by the District Council that constantly visits to find out if the relationship
has continued to work. In addition, counselling is provided. According to Healy foster parents are community members who show interest and are eager to volunteer.