The Osu Children’s Home, which has been caring for vulnerable children since 1962, is facing significant challenges in providing adequate care and support to its residents.
With a current population of 132 children, some with special needs, including cerebral palsy, epilepsy, and hydrocephalus, the home is struggling to make ends meet.
“We spend more than GH₵5,000 per week to cater for the needs of these children, which is woefully inadequate,” said Mr Reindolf Dartey, Supervisor of the Osu Children’s Home. “We are facing funding constraints, caregiver shortages, and infrastructure issues, which are affecting our ability to provide quality care for the children,” he added.
Mr Dartey made the remarks during a day’s visit by the Gender, Children, and Social Welfare Committee of Parliament to the facility on Thursday.
The visit forms part of the Committee’s oversight responsibilities of some institutions under its watch in the Greater Accra Region.
According to Mr Dartey, the home had a staffing strength of 98, comprising 61 government workers, 17 casual workers, and 52 caregivers, but the funding allocation of GH₵16,000 to the facility for the whole of 2024 was insufficient to cover expenses, including caregiver salaries.
“We have had the same allocation of GH₵16,000 for the past year, and it’s just not enough.
“We are struggling to find and retain caregivers due to funding constraints, which are affecting our ability to provide adequate care and support to the children,” he told the Committee.
The Supervisor therefore advocated increased funding and support to address the challenges and provide better care for the children adding that “we need specialized facilities, more caregivers, and adequate funding to provide quality care for these vulnerable children.”
Mr Dartey emphasized, “each region should have a facility designed to meet the specific needs of children with mental health conditions or special needs.”
He said, despite the challenges, the home had recorded some successes, including raising many individuals who had become prominent in society.
“Currently, four students from the home are in university, and others have successfully re-integrated into society,” he told the Committee.
He however appealed to stakeholders, including government agencies and philanthropic organizations, to provide support and funding to address the challenges facing the home.
“We are doing our best with limited resources, but we need more support to provide quality care for these vulnerable children,” Mr Dartey said.
Reverend Helen Adjoa Ntoso, the Chairperson of the Gender, Children, and Social Welfare Committee of Parliament and a National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for Krachi West, said, we recognize the importance of specialized facilities and adequate staffing in providing quality care for children with special needs.
“We will work to ensure that the home receives the necessary resources to address these challenges and provide the best possible care for these vulnerable children,” she said.