The Lagos State government has reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening child protection through improved adoption, guardianship, fostering and automated childcare services.

Mobolaji Ogunlende, Commissioner for Youths and Social Development, said this while declaring open a stakeholders’ meeting on adoption, guardianship and fostering matters in Lagos.

The event took place on Tuesday in Ikeja.

He said the Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu administration remained committed to ensuring every child had access to care, protection and opportunities to thrive through the THEMES+ development agenda.

Mr Ogunlende described adoption, guardianship and fostering as pathways that provided vulnerable children with hope, stability and nurturing family environments.

“Automating childcare services will improve efficiency, accountability, transparency, record management, monitoring, inter-agency coordination and public confidence in child welfare administration.

“The commencement of fostering services will provide temporary family-based care, reduce unnecessary institutionalisation and expand safe family placement opportunities for vulnerable children,” he said.

He urged orphanages, social workers, judicial officers, development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen collaboration, compliance, professionalism and accountability in child protection.

Mr Ogunlende expressed confidence that the meeting would produce recommendations to strengthen policies, improve service delivery and enhance protection for every child in Lagos State.

The Permanent Secretary, MYSD, Toyin Oke-Osanyintolu, called for stronger collaboration to improve adoption, guardianship and fostering services.

She said the meeting would provide updates on guardianship, introduce fostering services, discuss automation of childcare services, and strengthen institutional collaboration.

According to her, the ministry remains committed to the Child’s Rights Law of Lagos State and promoting the best interests of every child.

The permanent secretary said automation would improve transparency, efficiency, accountability, confidentiality, regulatory compliance and timely delivery of child welfare services.

“The commencement of fostering services will expand regulated family-based care, enabling vulnerable children to grow in stable and nurturing family environments,” she said.

Ms Oke-Osanyintolu said the government could not achieve effective child protection alone, stressing the need for partnerships with orphanages, the judiciary, healthcare providers, law enforcement agencies and development partners.

She urged stakeholders to actively share experiences, identify practical solutions and contribute to policies that would strengthen child protection services across Lagos State.

Ms Oke-Osanyintolu suggested issuing record books to adoptive parents to document children’s development, saying the initiative mirrors practices in Western countries and could strengthen adoption monitoring.

Speaking on issues in assisted reproductive practices, Dr Modupeola Sahid-Adebambo, Director, Adoption Services, MYSD, encouraged adoptive parents to keep a record of all information regarding the children in their custody, for future purposes.

“A lot of things we take for granted mean a lot to these children.

“Whatever information we have access to, including their pictures and clothes, should be given to the adoptive parents by the orphanages to enable them to create memories with the children,” she said.

(NAN)