Exploring Community’s Knowledge of the Available Child Protection Services in Southwestern Uganda
Year: 2023
Type: article
Abstract: Background While the government of Uganda and other stakeholders have put in place many child protection services, the community members need to understand and appreciate the existence of such services, and their consequent utilization. Therefore, the current study set out to explore community members’ knowledge of child protection services available in Sheema District and Mbarara City in South Western Uganda. Methods We conducted 22 key informant interviews with government and civil society officials. Also, six FGDs were conducted with community members. All participants were purposively selected and data were collected using an interview guide. Participants views were audio recorded with their consent, data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Results We found that community members had limited knowledge about child protection services which related to five broad themes, namely; awareness about children's risks and protection concerns, laws on child protection, places and institutions where to seek redress, child birth registration, and existing child welfare programs. Conclusions The study findings revealed that community members had little knowledge of child protection services available in the communities where they lived. We recommend designing and implanting interventions purposed to create community members’ awareness of the existing child protection services.
Language: English
Subfield: Law
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W4389965895