SOS Children Village says trained foster parents have the potential to ensure that children who lack parental care grow and realise their potential.
The organisation’s advocacy and communications coordinator Given Chichitike, speaking on Tuesday in Dowa District during the training, said they want to complement government’s efforts in implementing the national Care Reform Strategy launched this year.
He said: “As SOS Children’s Village, one of our mandates is to ensure that children who lack parental care are supported and provided with necessary support.
“We are looking forward to seeing participants to have the skills to raise children who lack parental care.”
Chichitike also said he was optimistic that the training will help districts where the participants are coming from to have a database of foster parents to help in referring the children and raising them according to the country’s laws.
Dowa district social welfare officer Enock Bonongwe hailed the training, saying it will help prepare foster parents on how to take care of the children.
“When children are placed under the care of foster parents, those parents need to be prepared for the journey of parenting because these children come from different backgrounds,” he said.
One of the participants, Hellen Mafuleka, described the training as an eye-opener in building their capacity on foster care.
“Most of the times, we look after abandoned children who come from different backgrounds. So, the training has empowered us to take care of such children,” she said.
