Orphanage management policy in offing

Kampala

A policy governing the management of orphanages in the country will be among the first business to be discussed when Parliament resumes today, officials have said.

It is hoped that the policy will help provide mechanisms through which parents who are unable to look after their babies, will be able to surrender them to foster parents. The foster parents would look after the children on agreed terms.

Child security
The development will as well curb theft of children from major hospitals.
This was said by the State Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Mr Ronald Kibuule, while commissioning the Kaja Nafasi family home at Bulange village in Kampala last week.

He said the policy will put in place mechanisms where orphanages will be run in a family setting so that children there grow up like any other children and ensure that they get the care other child deserve. “We shall have officers from the ministry monitoring the activities of the orphanages to ensure that they are in line with the law and not exploiting the children,” he said.

Former prime minister Prof. Apolo Nsibambi, who officiated at the commissioning of the orphanage, called upon relatives of orphans to continue looking after them rather than leaving the role to government only to turn up when the orphans are successful in the future.

The orphanage is run by three Dutch nationals Chris de Berg, Corin Van Poppel and Jurjanne Djikstra. The orphanage has a target of handling up to  25-year-old orphans by mid this year.

sotage@ug.nationmedia.com