Child Fostering and Education Expenditure in Ghana

Abstract

Available literature shows that the practice of child fostering facilitates social mobility, copes with economic shock faced by the biological home, satisfies the labour needs of the host household and strengthens kinship ties especially between rural and urban households. However, various studies conducted by earlier authors did not consider the effect of child fostering on education expenditure. Thus, this study primarily accounts for the effect of child fostering on education expenditure in Ghana. In addition, the study explores the socioeconomic and demographic determinants of education expenditure among children in Ghana using data extracted from 2012/2013 Ghana Living Standards Survey (GLSS 6). Applying the tobit model together with the ordinary least squares model as a robust check in the estimates, the study finds a negative relationship between fostering and education expenditure. Further, the study finds that, heads of households’ level of education and income of the households have positive effects on education expenditure of children. As recognized in the findings, the study recommends educational subsidy or scholarship for children from households which are less endowed both financially and human capital. It also recommended that, there is the need for Government of Ghana to provide Social Welfare Departments the needed logistics and resources for adequate provision fostered children under their care.