Gwagwalada: The Child Development Department of the Women Affairs Secretariat, Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) is collecting records of children in all orphanages across the territory. Dr. Idris Attah, Director of the department, stated during the exercise in Gwagwalada that the move aims to strengthen child protection services.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the team has visited orphanages within the Gwagwalada Area Council, including the FCT Unity Children’s Home in Gwako. Attah noted that the exercise is designed to ensure family tracing, reunification of children with their biological families, and proper documentation, as well as updating children’s case files and status.
He further explained that the exercise would facilitate foster care and adoption for children where reunification is not possible, in the best interest of the child. This initiative is being conducted in line with the Child Rights Act 2003, the National Guidelines on Alternative Care 2019, and the FCT Child Protection Law 2021.
The FCT Administration is committed to ensuring that every child in institutional care is placed in a permanent, safe, and caring family setting as mandated by law, Attah said. He emphasized that child protection is a collective effort and called on individuals, groups, and corporate organisations to support the ongoing efforts.