OVC guidelines out

Maseru - –. Without guidelines regulating their conduct, standards of care and provision of services, some “places of safety” and residential homes, now mushrooming all over the country, expose already vulnerable children to further trauma, abuse and neglect.

In an effort to address this emerging phenomenon and ensure the children of Lesotho receive adequate protection, care and support for a dignified upbringing, the Department of Social Welfare (DSW) – in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare - supported by UNICEF developed Lesotho specific guidelines and standards regulating Residential Care for orphaned and vulnerable children (OVC).

The guidelines call for a multi-sectoral approach to regulate institutions of residential care for orphaned, abused, abandoned and other vulnerable children. This was the focus of a one day meeting, called by DSW, where stakeholders from Government, NGOs and development partners* convened today to endorse the National guidelines and commit to collaboratively address the effective delivery of services and the protection of Basotho children.

“We support all endeavours geared towards protecting children and affording them the best possible standards of living. I ensure you that the recommendations emerging from this meeting will be presented to the highest echelons of authorities, including parliament”, said Mr. Sello Maphalla, MP, Member of selected parliamentary committee on HIV/AIDS; voicing hope that these new guidelines together with legislation such as the Child Protection and Welfare Bill and the OVC Policy, soon to be enacted, will assist in redressing the multitude of problems faced by children all over the country.

A strong recommendation, echoed by all participants, was the need for Social Welfare to be a fully fledged Ministry, independent from the Ministry of Health. When questioned about the modest support provided by DSW to institutions of care, the Director, Ms. L. Chisepo, responded “The DSW is incapacitated in terms of funding and is eclipsed by the monumental needs of the Ministry of Health. An independent Ministry for Social Welfare would afford us greater breadth to support institutions of care and effectively carry out our mandate as primary duty bearers for the children of Lesotho”.

The long awaited guidelines will finally mandate the Department of Social Welfare to assess, register, and monitor residential care dwellings. Proper registration, currently not existent, and monitoring will also ensure that additional funding requests to support places of safety can be substantiated based on proof of efficient service delivery and protection of children. A timeframe is set within the guidelines by which all existing homes should be in compliance with the set standards. Thereafter, homes should be registered, licensed and accredited by Social Welfare. Training on provisions set within the guidelines and existing legislation protecting children was also emphasised as a requirement to develop capacity of institutions.

“Providing smooth and lasting assistance to OVC calls for a comprehensive approach in which emerging places of safety and established ones require assistance not only in improving the standards of care and support provided, but also in building and consolidating a regulated system of sustainability that can be adequately monitored and aligned to the needs of children” said Sefora Tsiu, UNICEF Project Officer.

The guidelines and standards will be used countrywide among all service providers for children; they define clear roles and responsibilities for compliance by of all parties from registration and licensing of homes, identification of children, placement and provision of appropriate services, including adequate health, hygiene, education and psychosocial support.

The development of these guidelines and the commitment demonstrated by all participating institutions today profess a strong drive for closer cooperation between government and agencies that both suffer from under-funding and staff shortages. As an attempt to create an environment where children can grow in dignity, free from violence, abuse, exploitation and psychosocial distress “this is a monumental step forward confirming that we care for our children and we have hope in a brighter future for them” said Ms. Chisepo .

As participants endorsed the guidelines, they also mapped the way forward including the rapid establishment of a National OVC coordinating body - as defined in the existent National Action Plan for OVC - to oversee, among other things, the implementation of the guidelines.