Across Kenya, thousands of children are growing up without parental care, facing uncertain futures and increased vulnerability. As the country advances its Care Reforms agenda, foster care is increasingly being recognized as a critical solution for ensuring that children grow up in safe, nurturing family environments.
Recently, Boniface Buluma, Tree of Life Kenya’s Alternative Family Care and Child Protection Manager, was featured in an interview with The Star newspaper, where he shared insights on the state of foster care in Kenya and highlighted the urgent need to support children living outside parental care.
During the interview, Boniface discussed the realities facing an estimated 40,000 Kenyan children who are currently living in residential care institutions or other forms of alternative care. He emphasized the importance of family-based care solutions, noting that every child deserves the opportunity to grow up in a loving family environment where they can experience belonging, protection, and emotional support.
The conversation also explored the role of foster care in Kenya’s ongoing child protection reforms, which seek to transition children from institutional settings into family and community-based care whenever it is safe and appropriate to do so.
At Tree of Life Kenya, we believe that foster care offers vulnerable children a chance to thrive while preserving their dignity, identity, and connection to community. Through awareness campaigns, caregiver training, family assessments, and partnerships with government and child protection stakeholders, we continue to advocate for stronger foster care systems across the country.
The interview serves as an important reminder that protecting children is a shared responsibility. Communities, faith leaders, government agencies, families, and development partners all have a role to play in ensuring that children without parental care are given the opportunity to grow up in safe, stable, and supportive family environments.
We thank The Star for helping shine a spotlight on this important issue and for contributing to the national conversation on child protection and alternative family care.
Read the full interview to learn more about foster care in Kenya and how you can support children in need of family-based care.