Family Welfare: Implications for Child Development in Nigeria

Abstract

Most industrialized nations of the world have identified child abuse and neglect broadly as a social problem warranting state intervention. Although parents bear primary responsibility for raising children and ensuring that their needs are met, the state may intervene in family life when harm occurs or risks are present. Yet, despite the best efforts of all involved, service provision has been open to criticism for either failing to protect children adequately or, alternatively, intruding too much into the private realm of the family. Moreover, even though child abuse is a recognized social problem, the best efforts of child welfare systems have not stopped children from being abused (physically, sexually), neglected, or placed in vulnerable and risk-filled circumstances. The study examines the provision of Family Welfare Institutional services and its implications for child development in Nigeria. The provision of institutional childcare services as a component of child welfare services for children without parental or kinship care is fundamental for every community service and development. Child protection is one of the key elements of social work practice which covers both family-based and institutional care. The study reveals the many challenges that Family welfare institution face when handling child protection services. They include: poor staff capacity, inadequate professional social workers to promote counseling as an integral intervention measure to child abuse victims; and weak collaborative relationship with the Police and the court to process offenders, and matters of child right violations. The study recommends that manpower resources and capacity of family welfare institutions should be enhanced through regular recruitment of professional social workers to help the advocacy of protecting vulnerable children in Nigeria.