Contribution of institutional care in promoting children well-being. A case study of Grace villa children’s home, Kabale municipality

Abstract

Introduction and Objectives The study assessed the contribution of child care institutions in promoting children well-being in GVCH, Kabale district. It had three objectives that included; lived experiences of children in institutional care settings, what GVCH has done to improve the well-being of children and the challenges GVCH faced while improving the well-being of children. Methods: The study design was cross-sectional and in-depth qualitative using phenomenology. Interview guides were used for data collection and data was analyzed thematically, drawing study objectives. Findings: GVCH beneficiaries have good experiences whereby they have education opportunities like study abroad scholarships and generally they access all basic necessities of life such as food and others. The study findings found that GVCH has tried to address the needs of Children through providing Child Care Home to Vulnerable Children, Skills Development and Balanced Diet among others. GVCH hardly has external donors whereby almost all their implementation of activities are funded locally which is inadequate to meet their budgeted needs. Conclusion: GVCH has greatly contributed to improvement of the welfare of abandoned, orphaned children and other most vulnerable children from different backgrounds in Kabale District. This is through provision of education opportunities, nutrition, and good company for children and sports benefits which have improved the well-being of children at Grace Villa. GVCH has also tried to improve the welfare of children though establishment of rehabilitation home, skills development like tailoring and bakery activities. Challenges faced include lack of funding affects the sustainability of the organization, accumulated loans for the new home, covid19 disruptions and difficulties in orientation of new children into the home among others. Recommendations: GVCH should consolidate its welfare services for OVC while also undertaking a rigorous campaign for resource mobilization to secure funding.