Financial Resource Availability and Implementation of Child Protection and Safeguarding Programs in Kwale County, Kenya

Abstract

The Kenya child protection data on Kwale County revealed an increase of child negligence cases from 49.6% in 2020-2021 to 61.7% in 2022-2023. This has led to the establishment of various child protection and safeguarding programs to curb child protection and safeguarding menace in the county. Despite this effort, implementing such child protection and safeguarding programs has experienced problems. Thus the purpose of this study was to establish the influence of financial resource availability in the implementation of Child Protection and Safeguarding Programs in Kwale County, Kenya .The research was grounded in complexity theory and implementation theory. A descriptive research approach was employed to accurately depict the target population, which included key program personnel such as social workers, government officials, and child/probation officers involved in child protection programs in Kwale County. The sampling frame encompassed personnel from 11 NGOs, 2 government agencies, and 3 rescue centers currently implementing child protection programs in the county. Proportionate and simple random sampling were used for the NGOs and CBOs, while census sampling was employed for the government agencies and rescue centers. Of the 141 selected participants for the sample, 132 responded to the open and closed-ended questionnaires. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS, including descriptive statistics (frequencies, percentages, means, and standard deviations) and inferential statistics (correlation and multiple linear regression).Correlation analysis revealed that a financial resource availability showed a correlation of (r=0.859, p=0.000). Multiple linear regression indicated financial resource availability had a significant positive impact (B=0.351, p=0.00).To enhance child protection programs in Kwale County, the study recommends that organizations diversify funding sources, Implement clear reporting mechanisms and independent oversight committees can enhance transparency and accountability. Long-term financial planning, including emergency funds and scenario planning, along with stakeholder engagement, will help create a stable financial environment for implementing child protection and safeguarding programs in Kwale County.