Kiambu County has begun the process of developing its first-ever Child Protection and Welfare Policy in a move aimed at strengthening systems that safeguard children across the county.
The initiative, led by the County Department of Gender and Social Services, is being developed in collaboration with the State Department for Children Services and non-state actors.
The policy is currently in the drafting stage following a Technical Working Group meeting that brought together key stakeholders to align strategies and identify gaps in child protection.
Speaking to the Kenya News Agency, Director of Gender and Social Services Mary Kilobi said the policy will provide a structured framework to address child welfare issues at the county level while complementing existing national frameworks.
“There has never been another policy. This is the first one, and it is a long process because we are still in the drafting stages,” she added.
Kilobi noted that the county initiative is designed to strengthen the national government’s Child Care Reforms Policy, which seeks to transition children from institutional care to family and community-based systems.
“The childcare reforms policy is under the national government, so what we are doing as a county is strengthening that by economically empowering households to ensure children leaving foster care homes or Charitable Children Institutions are integrated into stable families,” she said.
As part of this approach, the county has already begun supporting vulnerable households with income-generating activities.
“We have started by providing chicks and piglets to help families get into sustainable forms of livelihood,” she added.
The policy is expected to improve coordination between sectors such as health, education, and social services while addressing common child protection concerns in the county, including neglect, abuse, violence, and emerging cases of technology-assisted exploitation.
While the policy will not introduce new offices or facilities, Kilobi said the county will strengthen child protection efforts at the ward level to reach more families.
The development of the policy is anchored within the Children Act, 2022, which mandates both national and county governments to protect and promote the rights and welfare of children.
By Rose Muthoni
