Kiambu: For Jane Njeri, growing up in foster care meant surviving years of neglect, loneliness, and emotional pain. Today, as a foster parent herself, she is determined to rewrite that story for other vulnerable children. ‘I wish to give the love I didn’t receive from my foster parent,’ she told participants during a three-day child protection workshop in Kiambu County.
According to Kenya News Agency, the workshop was held at Word of Faith Church from December 2 to 4, bringing together prospective foster parents from Kiambu, Juja, Limuru, Kajiado North, Kiambaa, Kikuyu, and Githunguri. The event aimed to equip them with the knowledge and legal processes required to provide safe and nurturing family-based care.
The forum was officially opened by Kiambu County Coordinator for the State Department for Children Services, Rose Barine, who reaffirmed the county’s commitment to strengthening alternative care. She urged participants to become ambassadors for fostering, emphasizing the mutual need between children and supportive families.
Workshop sessions covered legal requirements under the Children Act, including vetting, background checks, home assessments, court orders, and continuous monitoring. Facilitators stressed that foster care is a temporary placement guided strictly by the best interests of the child.
Another workshop participant, Lydia Pkaremba, a teacher, shared how her experience of meeting a foster child in a hospital transformed her perception of fostering. Initially unaware of the government procedures involved, she later appreciated their importance and expressed her belief in the necessity of passion for children to offer them better opportunities and protection.
Statistics from the Kiambu Care Reform Programme indicate that 128 children have benefited from alternative care interventions within the county. Of these, 87 children were placed under emergency foster care, 41 received long-term foster care, and 89 were successfully reunified with their biological families.
County awareness campaigns have reached more than 3,000 people through churches and community networks, while 387 vulnerable families have been supported through mediation, counselling, and economic empowerment to help them remain stable and united.
Oversight structures formed to support care reform in Kiambu County, as stipulated by the Children’s Act, include the County Children Advisory Committees (CCAC), Sub-County Children Advisory Committees (SCCACs), County Care Reform Committee (CCRC), and Sub-County Care Reform Committees (SCRCs), all working together to enhance coordination, strengthen accountability, and promote effective implementation of family-based care.
Case management in the county has also improved significantly, with 244 children’s cases addressed through case conferences and more than 105 practitioners trained in trauma-informed care, child safeguarding, and reintegration support.
Mary Wanjiru Menza, Project Coordinator of the Legacy for Children program at Child in Family Focus Kenya (CFFK), emphasized the communal responsibility, stating, ‘It’s time to take responsibility for our children by ensuring they grow up in loving homes and environments that safeguard their dignity and wellbeing. Truly it takes a village to raise a child and we must step up together to play our communal role for the betterment of our society and our country.’
The workshop also highlighted the growing participation of men in foster care, signaling a shift from traditional caregiving norms that predominantly involved women. However, participants raised concerns such as delays in obtaining birth certificates, emotional strain caused by sudden reunifications, and persistent community misconceptions about foster parenting. Facilitators noted that these challenges point to the need for stronger multi-agency collaboration to support foster families and enhance service delivery.
Organized by the State Department for Children Services Kiambu County in collaboration with the Legacy for Children Program (L4C Program) under CFFK, the workshop also included other local implementing partners such as GEEP Kenya and WezaCare Solutions.