Promoting the Welfare Needs of Ghanaian Children through Policy Interventions and Programs-Reflections of UNCRC Provisions

Abstract

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) until date, remains the most relevant and comprehensive international instrument on Children’s rights. However, its implementation has suffered drawbacks stemming from administrative, cultural, economic and ideological diversities of member-states; thus slowing down the promotion of Children’s welfare in many respects. That stated, many countries of both Global North and South are stepping up their efforts with regard to child rights and welfare promotion in recent times. This study examines child welfare promotion in Ghana through structural, legal, social and policy interventions by state, in keeping with UNCRC provisions. The case study design model, mainly employed an exploratory qualitative research approach that involved 20 participants, and underpinned by an interpretivist philosophical paradigm. The study argues that government’s social intervention activities, as well as, its institutional and legal reforms have come to impact positively on the promotion and protection of child welfare. These gains notwithstanding, the implementation processes are still plagued with challenges of inadequate funding of programs as underpinned by lack of political-will. Against this backdrop, the study urges government to back its numerous action plans with adequate financial, technical and human resource provisions for the realization of Convention goals; while stiffer punishments are meted out to violators of child rights. This study provides member-states, governmental agencies, child policy makers and civil society basic insights into child rights and welfare promotion, in keeping with the tenets of UNCRC provisions.