International Consultancy on Implementation of Care Reform Strategy at UNICEF

Background and Justification

In 2020, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MoLSP), led by one of its agencies, the National Council for Children Services (NCCS), embarked on the process of developing a care reform strategy that will guide the country in implementing a Care Reform Agenda. The strategy is developed through a process of consultation with wide range of stakeholders and has been informed by learnings from other countries that are successfully implementing the care reform. The development of the Kenya National Care Reform Strategy for Children is a result of an over 10-year efforts by the Government of Kenya to put in place laws, policies and regulatory framework that will promote the shift in practice from over-reliance on institutionalized care of children without parental care or at risk of separation to more use of family-based and community-based care for such children.
Kenya’s population is estimated to be 49.6 million with children between 0-18 years accounting for 49 per cent, and adolescent 10-19 years constituting up to 24 per cent. The 2012 Social Protection Sector Review Report indicates that there are 3.2 million orphans and vulnerable children (OVC). The official number of children in private residential care known as Charitable Children Institutions (CCIs) is 45,000 as of 2015 with an estimated 1,500 children in the 29 government statutory institutions (SCIs). The government statutory institutions include remand homes, rehabilitation homes and rescue centres. Important to note is that there is no mechanism in Kenya to capture real-time data of children in these institutions and therefore the official number keep fluctuating and the actual number of children in these institutions is not known. Efforts are currently being made by the government and partners to have these institutions use the Child Protection Information Management System (CPIMS) to capture real-time data of children in the institutions including when they are admitted and exited.
At the onset of the COVID19 in Kenya in March 2020, a directive from the Ministry saw about 13,000 of these children being released back to their families or alternative families leaving an estimated 26,000 children in both CCIs and SCIs. During this time, a total of 1,351 were estimated to be with some forms of disabilities with 757 (416 girls, 341 girls) being released to families while 594 (303 boys, 291 girls) remained in either CCIs or SCIs. With the opening of schools for some students in November 2020 and all children in January 2021, many of the children that were released back to their families or alternative family care arrangements have returned back to these institutions in order to access education. As such the current number of children in both CCIs and SCI is currently not available.
Over the last years, Kenya has put a lot of efforts and has shown commitment to embracing family-based care for children including orphans and vulnerable children moving away from residential care of children. For instance, in 2004, the Government of Kenya initiated a Cash Transfer programme for OVC (CT-OVC) to support families to cope with the increased burden of caring for OVC as part of efforts to prevent separation of children from their families and communities. As of 2018, the CT-OVC programme was reaching an estimated 1.2 million OVC. In 2005, the Government of Kenya developed Regulations on Adoptions and also for Charitable Children Institutions (CCI). Other recent programmes include the Presidential Bursary programme for children whose families are unable to pay for their school fees, the universal health care services including expansion of National Hospital Insurance Fund coverage, the free/subsidized primary and secondary education, among others. Funds and personnel in government agencies such as Department of Children Services (DCS), National Council of Children Services (NCCS), Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK) and Street Families Rehabilitation Trust Fund (SFRF) have also been increased for better protection and care of children including those without parental care.
Along with these national level efforts, the government, with support of partners has been implementing care reform in four demonstration counties (Kilifi, Kisumu, Murang’a and Nyamira) with an established learning agenda to demonstrate, document, share and model for other counties as well as to develop additional implementation tools where gaps are identified.
In early 2020, the government with support of UNICEF and a number of Civil Society Organizations (CSO) also started the process of developing a National Care Reform Strategy. The strategy recommends a 3-phased approach running across 10 years. It also recommends a clear national management structure to oversee the implementation of the recommendations in the Strategy which includes (i) a National Steering Committee, (ii) a Technical Advisory Committee, (iii) a Care Reform Coordination Division within the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection and (iv) a Children and Young Persons Advisory Group. The Care Reform Strategy is almost finalized and the government is preparing to roll it out.
UNICEF seeks the support of a technical expert to be seconded to the Ministry to support the government to roll out the implementation of the recommendations provided in the Care Reform Strategy.

Scope of Work

The consultancy contributes to UNDAF Strategic Results Area 2, Outcome 2.6. By 2022, marginalized and vulnerable people have increased access to and utilize social protection, and services for prevention and response to gender-based violence and violence against children.

In the UNICEF Country Program Document, the assignment contributes to: Outcome 3 (Child Protection): Children and adolescents are increasingly protected from exposure to HIV and AIDS, violence, abuse, exploitation and harmful cultural practices, and benefit from increased access to prevention, care, treatment, support, justice and other services needed to ensure their physical, mental and social wellbeing. Output 3.3. Output 3.3: Increased number of sites offer birth registration services in target counties

The proposed individual consultant will be seconded in the MoLSP to support the actual roll-out and implementation of the recommendations in the National Care Reform for Children Strategy, focusing on the recommendations outlined for Phase 1 of the implementation of the Strategy.

Work relationships:

On the UNICEF side, the consultant will work under the direct supervision of Child Protection Specialist with the overall technical guidance of Chief of Child Protection Section. The consultant will have direct technical discussions with C4D Section on the communication component and with Social Policy Section on social protection components required in this assignment

Since the consultant will be seconded to the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection at the Care Reform Coordination Division, the consultant will be guided in his/her day-to-day work by the Head of the Coordination Division. Until such a Coordination Division is established, the day-to-day guidance will be provided by the Chief Executive Officer of NCCS based on a three-month rolling workplan jointly developed and agreed upon by SDSP, NCCS and UNICEF.