Abstract:
Children constitute the single largest sub-group of the population of
many countries. They are born into societies of distinct values and
cultures and deserve optimum protection regardless of where they
find themselves. Thus, there has been the formulation of different legal
and policy instruments at various levels to ensure the protection of
children, chief among them being the UN Convention on the Rights of
the Child (UNCRC) which has been ratified by many nations, Ghana
being the first. Ghana has made many strides in line with her commitment
to child protection. What is largely missing in the child protection
efforts in Ghana is the place of primary caregivers of children
(biological parents, foster parents and or caregivers of children in
institutions). The subject of primary caregivers is even more crucial in
the face of changing traditional familial roles and relationships and the
evidence of deficits of care. The near omission of the subject of care
and primary providers of care in much theoretical thinking, academic
enquiry and practical planning efforts have some implications for
social policy. Drawing on findings of a research on caregivers of
children left behind by migrants in Ghana, this paper discusses the
place of primary caregivers in the child protection system and its
implications for social policy