The role of primary caregivers in Ghana's child protection system: Lessons from transnational caregivers

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