The Department of Social Welfare has stepped up the promotion of family-based care for orphans in residential homes.

Mr. Alfred Sakyi-Boafo, National Coordinator, Orphans and Vulnerable Children Programme of the Department, said the goal is to help the kids to grow up in families to give them identity and remove some of the social problems they are often confronted with.

He said this at the closing session of a five-day workshop organized for care givers and managers of orphanages in Kumasi.

It brought together 35 participants who were exposed to best practices in the areas of child care, records and bookkeeping and adoption processes.

Mr. Sakyi-Boafo said, putting orphans and other vulnerable children in residential homes should be a last resort, pointing out that, this should only be done after other alternatives had been exhausted.

He warned that orphanages that did not meet the required standards would be shut down.

He announced that a national programme of action had been developed under which orphans and vulnerable children who are re-united with their families would be supported through the livelihood empowerment against poverty (LEAP) programme.

Mr. Jacob Achulo, the Ashanti Regional Director of the Department reminded operators of orphanages and day-care centres to register with them.

He said they should also do everything to improve their facilities to help provide some comfort for the kids.

Mrs Patricia Kyeremanteng Berchie, an Assistant Director of the Department in-charge of Child Rights Protection, said 1,000 care givers, supervisors and managers of homes and day-care centres had been trained to enhance the quality of care for children.**