Abstract:
Children are an integral part of cultural and economic setting of
households in Ghana. As such, their welfare outcomes are of a primary
concern to the household and the development aspirations of the
nation. Child fostering, the practice by which children reside in
households where neither parent is present is pervasive in most
societies of West Africa. Data from the sixth round of the Ghana Living
Standard Survey suggest that approximately 14% of individuals less
than sixteen years old reside in households where neither parent is
present.
The practice of fostering also has important implications for economic
studies that have attempted to establish the determinants of child
welfare outcomes in societies where the prevalence of fostering is
high. This study examines the relationship between household
structure and child outcomes by assessing the determinants of school
enrolment and labour force participation of primary school age
fostered children in Ghana. The study further examines the role of the
biological relationship between a child and the caregiver and the
school enrolment and market production decisions concerning
fostered children.
Applying the bivariate probit model to the sixth round of the Ghana
Living Standards Survey, the study finds that the personal characteristics
of the fostered child (age, gender and relationship to the head of
household) are significant determinants of welfare outcomes of
fostered children. Characteristics of the head of household particularly
the educational attainment of the household head is a strong
predictor of the school and labour market outcomes of fostered
children. Household demographic characteristics do not exhibit
significant influences of the household decisions concerning fostered
children; whilst an index of household income suggests that improvements
in household income leads to better child outcomes. A key
policy recommendation that arises from this study is the need for
public programmes and policies that are targeted at improving the
welfare outcomes of children taking into account the high mobility of
children between households in Ghana