By: Fatmata Grace Okekearu, Bo City
The Ministry of Gender and Children’s Affairs has introduced a groundbreaking policy aimed at phasing out traditional orphanages across Sierra Leone in favor of a more family-oriented care system. This new approach establishes interim care centres as short-term, transitional facilities designed to offer immediate support and facilitate family reintegration for vulnerable children.
Deputy Minister of Gender and Children’s Affairs, Buakai Bindi Hindowa, described the reform as part of a broader national strategy to replace long-term institutional care with family-based alternatives, such as family reunification, kinship placements, and community-based foster care.
“Orphanages have played a role in our past, but evidence from both within and outside Sierra Leone shows that prolonged institutional care can have negative effects on children’s development,” Hindowa explained. “Our goal is to ensure that every child grows up in a stable and nurturing home environment. Interim care centres will help bridge the gap when families are temporarily unable to provide safe care.”
According to the Deputy Minister, the interim care centres are not intended to be permanent homes. Instead, they will function as protective, transitional environments where children receive psychosocial support, healthcare, and family tracing services. Each child will undergo a comprehensive assessment to determine the most suitable reintegration pathway, whether through kinship care, foster care, or adoption.
The centres will also collaborate directly with families to address the underlying causes of child separation, such as poverty, illness, or displacement, and to promote safe, sustainable reunification.
Minister Hindowa emphasized that this policy aligns with international best practices and child rights frameworks, which prioritize family-based care as being in the best interests of the child. “We are aligning with global standards that emphasize the importance of family life and the right of every child to grow up in a loving, supportive environment,” he stated.
He further revealed that the ministry plans to pilot several interim care centres in selected districts before expanding nationwide. The facilities will be staffed by trained social workers, psychologists, and child protection professionals and will operate under new national standards and monitoring frameworks to ensure quality care and child safety.
“We will collaborate closely with district child welfare committees, community leaders, and civil society organizations to ensure accountability,” he noted. “Transparency, proper case management, and effective monitoring will be key to preventing children from being kept in institutional settings indefinitely.”
Minister Hindowa also appealed for technical and financial support from development partners, international NGOs, and local organizations to help establish the centres, build capacity among personnel, and strengthen foster care and family support systems.
“We cannot do this alone,” he said. “To make this vision a reality, we need investment in social work systems, social protection measures such as cash transfers, community sensitization, and robust data systems to monitor children’s progress.”
This initiative marks a major turning point in Sierra Leone’s child protection landscape, reflecting a commitment to ensuring that every child has the opportunity to grow up in a safe, loving, and family-based environment.