Indigenous knowledge and the challenges of informal foster care practice in South-East Nigeria

The need for a formalised process for child safety

Bibliographic Data

ID6413880
AuthorsChinwe U Nnama‐okechukwu (0000-0001-5999-7739, University of Nigeria, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume49
Issue4
Pages461-480
Publication date2025-11-05
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueAdoption & Fostering (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0308-5759 • E-ISSN: 1740-469X
PublisherSAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US)
DOI10.1177/03085759251387742
OpenAlexW4415928225
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited32

Informal foster care is prevalent in South-East Nigeria but faces a myriad of challenges which require the support of social work services. In-depth interviews with six community leaders and 11 public social welfare officers were conducted and thematically analysed. They provided insights on the main difficulties of alternative childcare arrangements, namely, the absence of legal supervisory processes, social welfare support services and social registers on the number of children in informal foster care households. The study emphasises the importance of the social worker role to ensure children’s safety in informal child fostering arrangements. The findings from this study will also help social workers in other countries to better understand the needs and experiences of children from Nigeria

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