Carol Wangu finds a lot of joy and purpose in being a foster parent. She considers it simply as part of giving back to society and feels doubly blessed that her relatives have accepted the latest addition into the family as one of their own. She lets us into the long wait for her lovely foster daughter and what the bonding process was like for them.
When Carol Wangu finally became a foster parent in June 2021, she didn’t know how to cope with the new role.
But six months down the line, she is more than happy that she made that tough decision.
Carol, who works in the administration department at KenGen, here in Nairobi, is the proud foster parent of one-year-old Natasha, whom she has fostered since June this year.
Her journey began with a lengthy paperwork process two years ago at the children’s department in Kasarani and the foster care agency.
“First of all, there’s an application form from the children’s office that I had to fill in and take it to the chief for signing. Thereafter, I had to get recommendation from my religious leader, before I was finally issued with a certificate. Next, I had to submit my certificate of good conduct, a letter from my work place, as well as a bank statement, to prove my financial ability to take care of the child,” she explains.
Process suspended
But then the process was suspended when the pandemic struck, and she had to wait until June 2021 for the whole process to wind up and finally take Natasha home.
“During the pandemic, children’s homes were closed to the public. I had to wait before finally getting a call to see the girl.
“When I went to the home, for the final paperwork, before I finished, I saw her from far, but I was not allowed to interact with her. But it didn’t take long. Thereafter, we bonded over some tea and chapatti, and during this time, I maintained a conversation with the woman who was taking care of her at the home.”
Afterwards, Carol took Natasha for a walk, and later on that day, she was allowed to bathe and tuck her in. “After this, it was clear that we had completely bonded because the following day when I went back to the home, she ran towards me, and as they say, the rest is history.”
Frightening and fulfilling experience
Carol says it has been a frightening yet fulfilling experience despite being just over half a year.
“It hasn’t been easy as I’ve had to adjust in so many ways. I had to move houses to a better place, in an environment suitable for raising a child. Also, I had to adjust my budget to accommodate her needs, considering that you have to provide everything for the child as a foster parent. I also had to get a house help to take care of the child when I resumed work,” she says.
Apart from the economic changes, there were also social adjustments.
“It felt strange having to take a normal three-month maternity leave bearing in mind that I hadn’t been pregnant. Also, I moved houses to avoid so many questions from my former neighbours who perhaps would have begun interrogating my “instant” motherhood, considering they never saw me pregnant.”
Other than that, Carol says she is lucky that Natasha has blended very well with her and her family.
“My parents adore her, and the interesting thing is that she resembles my niece, which has made it even easier to integrate her into my family.”
Carol insists she would do it again, and though foster care is usually temporary, she is happy that she is making a difference in a child’s life.
“Like for my case, it is a three-year renewable contract, where in case they don’t trace her family or her parents refuse to take her, I can renew the agreement and even eventually permanently adopt her.”
“Since childhood, I’ve always had the motivation to help others, and when I matured to adulthood, it was clear that I had to raise a child in need,” says Carol when asked about her motivation for fostering.
According to Jane Munuhe, Directorate of Children’s Services – Alternative Family Care section, there are several issues related to these low numbers.
Times have changed
“Initially, Kenyans used to respond well to foster care, but with time this has changed. The biggest contributor has been the social-economic shift which has made it impossible for many to take up the responsibility of raising other people’s children,” she explains.
Also, she says, there is little data as far as foster care is involved. “There are people who are already fostering children of close relatives, but the issue is that they are not officially registered,” she says.
Experts have linked foster family care to some benefits as far as a child’s development is concerned.
According to Munuhe, foster care is perceived as a viable alternative in caring for and protecting vulnerable children, particularly for those whose family situation is deemed as dysfunctional to present reasonable risk to their wellbeing.
There has been research on how foster care directly impacts the growth and development of a child.
“Family care affords children constant one on one attention and affection, equips them with skills for functional adulthood, exposes them to networks within the community and the nation at large and ensures their protection,” explains Jane.
This is quite the opposite of institution care (orphanages, children’s homes, and charitable children institutions) which is popular here in Kenya.
There have been various risks linked to children raised under institutional care.
Adverse effects of institutional care
According to Buluma, institutional care has proved over the time to have many adverse effects on children, and several studies have documented the detrimental effects of institutional care
“For instance, it has been proven to remove children from familiar environments, affecting their psychology, behaviour and development. Also, it deprives children of parental care and affection, as well as depriving them of essential social networks.”
Apart from that, Munuhe says, children raised under institutional care tend to lose their identity, touch with their communities, and lose their inheritance.
“This, in the end, has an even worse impact on their adult life. Research has shown one out of five end up having a criminal record, one out of seven find themselves in prostitution, and one out of seven commit suicide,” she adds.
But despite this, still many children in the country end up in institutional care.
“At the moment, we have 854 registered charitable children institutions across the country, registered under the national council for children services, and nearly the same number of these institutions are not registered. In short, we could be having up 150,000 children in institution care,” explains Munuhe.
Against this backdrop, the government has agreed to shift away from institutional care and towards reforming the care system, embracing a family-based care system for children.
According to Munuhe, the Kenyan government is changing its policy on child care for vulnerable children and those without parental care from institutionalized care to family-based care.
In 2020, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MoLSP), led by the National Council for Children Services (NCCS), and implemented through the Directorate of Children’s Services, embarked on the process of developing a National Care Reform Strategy that will guide the country in implementing a Care Reform Agenda.
“The care reform is therefore ongoing in Kenya, taking the shape of a change process in the systems and mechanisms that provide care for children. It consists of three pillars: Prevention and family strengthening, alternative care, tracing, reintegration and transitioning to family and community-based care,” explains Munuhe.
But even with these ongoing steps, still there is a lot that needs to be done for foster care to be more embraced. “For instance, there is still inadequate understanding and awareness around foster care among DCS staff, home or institution, NGOs, and community members, which contributes to the low numbers of children in foster care,” says Buluma.
He adds that there are very few foster care arrangements via formal government ministries, departments, and agencies. “In addition, there is a public perception that the process of foster care placement is long and tedious.”
According to the Guidelines for the alternative family care of children in Kenya, there are a number of requirements that one must fulfil for them to qualify to be foster parents.
Some of the stipulations in the guidelines indicate that for you to be eligible to apply to be appointed as foster parent(s), you must be a Kenyan citizen at least 25 years old. A foreign resident in Kenya must have been a resident for at least 12 months continuously.
Also, they must hold a certificate of good conduct and a recommendation letter from the area Chief and/or religious leader, as well as demonstrate the ability to meet the child’s needs, and where necessary, provide proof of their physical and mental health status (to be confirmed by a licensed physician).
In the case of a married person, they must demonstrate that their spouse has no objection to the placement. BY DAILY NATION