Dakoa Newman, the Minister for Gender, Children, and Social Protection, is urging individuals to refrain from abandoning their children in hazardous places, as it jeopardizes their well-being.
She advised that, instead of putting these children in harm’s way, individuals should reach out to the Department of Social Welfare to find appropriate solutions.
The Minister provided this counsel during her visit to the Kumasi Children’s Home, part of her two-day official trip to the Ashanti Region.
Accompanied by ministry officials, she visited the facility to gain a firsthand understanding of the challenges it faces, with the aim of improving conditions in public orphanages.
The primary objective is to ensure that the children are raised in a secure and nurturing environment.
Currently, the Kumasi Children’s Home, established in 1965, is home to 71 children, offering them shelter, care, protection, and education.
The Minister emphasized that, while the government is dedicated to providing resources to the facility for the well-being of the children, public support is also crucial to adequately meet their needs.
“As the government is doing all it can to provide for the children, we continue to encourage others to also support as their social responsibility,” she noted.
She expressed contentment with the conditions at the facility while acknowledging that there is room for improvement in enhancing the situation.
“The government is committed to ensuring that our vulnerable children are catered for because they also have the same rights as any other child and these rights must not be infringed on,” she added.
She assured that her Ministry would take action to tackle the identified challenges, primarily related to financial and staffing issues.