The Kenya Senate has questioned the government’s ambitious plan to phase out the homes of around 1,000 children across the country, urging caution and clarity about the strategies of vulnerable people. The Senate pushback comes amid a division of opinion on the best course of action to improve the lives of orphans, homeless and vulnerable children.
Lack of clear communication from the government, different care approaches by orphanages, and different perspectives from the churches increased the confusion of the phase-out plan from orphanages to family and community-based care by 2032, and by 2027, adopting a 70% milestone in institutional care for families. Another 30 legal facilities will care for 1,443 children.
Lawmakers questioned the government’s plan to close all privately run children’s homes, warning that vulnerable children are at risk of suffering negligence if the plan is carried out without adequate railway guards. While sitting with the Senator on April 17, 2025, Senator Esther Anieni asked whether a comprehensive national policy framework, a multi-institutional approach, and appropriate budgets have been implemented.
However, Alfred Mutua, the Cabinet Secretary for Labor and Social Protection, has revealed that the government will only be closing homes for children “not complying with established laws and regulations.” The statement challenges the government’s commitment to a transition plan led by the National Children’s Services (NCCS) and based on the National Care Reform Strategy (2022-2032). Furthermore, it coincides with global best practices, including the 2024 Global Ministerial Conference on Children who have committed signatories, including Kenya, to move signatories from orphanages to a family-based approach.
Long-term impact
This move was informed by extensive research demonstrating that facility care can have long-term negative effects on children’s psychological and developmental well-being. Research into faith has shown that children in residential care tend to delay developmental milestones and suffer attachment, leading to mistrust and identity or belonging in adults. Significantly, studies from various Kenya counties found that 80% to 90% of children in these institutions had either a surviving parent or an in-relevance that could care for them.
Experts point to factors such as a low caregiver-child ratio at many institutions. This may result in inconsistent care and maternal deprivation, particularly harmful to children under the age of 3, where the brain is rapidly developing. Moreover, the nature of often isolated institutions can make children more vulnerable to violence, abuse and exploitation, especially as they may not be aware of their rights.
The National Care Reform Strategy also identified alternative care options such as kinship care, foster parents, kafala, households with a head of children, guardianship and adoption. Fostering is the placement of the child with an approved person who is not a parent, relative, or guardian. Adoption establishes legitimate parent-child relationships, Kafala provides care until independence, and households with heads allow older children (ages 14 and above) to lead households with community support.
Church response
Despite widespread support for the principles of family-based care, implementation of the phase-out plan faces major challenges and has attracted criticism. Church leaders who run many of their children’s homes have a variety of perspectives. Some support the plan due to concerns about abuse and trafficking at several agencies, such as Catholic Bishop Williebird Lago, but others worry about the safety of children returning to potentially unstable or abusive family environments.
Bishop Johns Ole Melio of Kenya’s Evangelical Lutheran Church argued that while institutions should not be permanent homes, it would be fraudulently presumed to close church homes that provide important support without government funding. Anglican Bishop Alphonse Baya Mwaro compared several homes to businesses that are attributed to donor funding, but also raised concerns about monitoring domestic violence if children are returned to the community.
Children’s Home Directors warn that the transition from facility care to family-based care requires careful planning and strategies, warnings against rushing processes, and potential gambling with the child’s lives. They highlighted the serious financial difficulties faced by many Kenyan families, questioning their ability to absorb additional children, especially if the system simply copies Western models without appropriate resources.
Another important issue raised is the issue of children who are unable to trace their families, or are unable to provide care or are unfair due to factors such as poverty, cultural taboos, serious special needs, or traumatic circumstances of abandonment.
During the radio talk show, NCCS Head of Principal Kennedy Owino said the government’s vision is based on the principle that all children will be most prosperous in a family environment, supported by the community. He revealed that there is a proposed robust case management process for reintegration reviewing the child’s needs and the next needs of the family home environment to confirm “the best person to meet this particular child’s needs.”
He emphasizes that the plan is intended to support children within the context of the home and community, and that it will utilize the services and resources currently offered by the home with non-residential capabilities. The government is accountable for children who cannot be integrated into immediate or large families, Owino revealed. He cited options like independent supportive living for young adults, supporting children’s households.
The transition to family-based care has gained global traction, spurred by sustainability concerns and long-term impacts of children raised in orphanages. In an interview with Christian Daily International, Sierra Leone’s Emmanuel “Nabs” Mohamed was his mission to transition as many children into family care, born from 10 years of experience living in orphanages in his early years.
“Providing adequate support and access to basic community services will help many families keep their children in care, so it’s important for Christians to support family-based care. We can help funding, mission volunteering and government services to support vulnerable families,” Nabs said.
