Zambia Promotes Family Care to Protect Vulnerable Children
The Zambian government has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that every child grows up in a safe, loving, and nurturing family environment, as it continues to prioritise family-based care over institutional care.
Speaking at the opening of the Southern Africa Family Placement Conference in Livingstone, Minister of Community Development and Social Services Doreen Mwamba reiterated that government policy places strong emphasis on keeping children within family settings wherever possible.
In remarks delivered on her behalf by Tourism Minister Rodney Sikumba, Ms Mwamba said institutional care would remain a measure of last resort, with greater focus on alternatives such as kinship care, foster care, and adoption.
She added that these approaches are supported by national legal and policy frameworks aimed at strengthening community-based care systems.
Ms Mwamba noted that the conference comes at a critical time, as many children across Southern Africa continue to live in residential institutions due to poverty, violence, and the loss of caregivers.
She emphasised that evidence consistently shows children achieve better developmental outcomes when raised in family environments that provide love, protection, and a sense of belonging.
Ms Mwamba further called for stronger collaboration among governments, civil society, faith-based organisations, cooperating partners, and communities to enhance child protection systems across the region.
The minister also commended Care for Children UK, a co-host of the conference, noting that Zambia’s partnership with the organisation has led to the country being designated as a regional hub for family placement and care reform in Southern Africa.
She said this positions Zambia as a centre of excellence for training, knowledge sharing, and innovation in child welfare.
Meanwhile, Prince Michael of Kent urged leaders in the region to prioritise family-based care, describing the shift away from institutional care as a moral imperative grounded in evidence and human dignity.
In remarks delivered on his behalf by Nicholas Chance, Equerry to the Prince and Royal Patron of Care for Children, he expressed admiration for regional efforts to strengthen families and safeguard children. He stressed that every child deserves to grow up in a supportive family environment.
“By investing in families, you are investing in stronger, more resilient societies. By protecting children, you are shaping a future defined by stability, opportunity, and hope,” he said.
The Southern Africa Family Placement Conference, held under the theme “Empowering Governments to Reform Child Welfare”, has brought together stakeholders from across the region to advance child protection systems centred on family and community-based care
