At Lift the Children (LTC), World Children’s Day isn’t just a date on the calendar — it’s a moment to renew our commitment to every child in our care. This year’s theme, “My Day, My Rights,” resonates deeply with our mission: ensuring that children’s voices are heard, their rights upheld, and their futures bright.

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Listening to Children, Every Day

 

Children aren’t just beneficiaries of our work — they are active participants in their own lives. Over the past year, LTC has doubled down on child participation, supporting children across various homes to understand their rights, express themselves, and shape their own journey.

Through regular case management, life-skills sessions, and mentoring, we’ve seen children grow in confidence, learn to advocate for themselves, and work toward reintegration with their families or communities.

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Building Capacity for Care

We know that protecting children’s rights can’t happen in isolation. That’s why, over the past year, LTC has invested significantly in capacity building for founders, directors, and social workers in the children’s homes we support.

Our training sessions focus on:

• Child protection practices
• Case management using child‑focused and family‑centred approaches (Lift the Children)
• Reintegration & transitional planning, based on national guidelines and the Child Welfare Program model (Lift the Children)
• Compliance with the Children Act 2022 and Kenya’s National Care Reform Strategy (Lift the Children)

These trainings strengthen care institutions so they can operate in line with national standards — and, most importantly, centre the child in all decisions.

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Strengthening Case Management

LTC recently convened 40 social workers from across supported homes to tackle one of the most critical elements of child welfare: case management. (Lift the Children)

Some highlights from the meeting:

• Gatekeeping: We emphasized preventing unnecessary separation of children from their families — ensuring that institutional care is only used when absolutely necessary. (Lift the Children)
• Family reintegration: Social workers discussed strategies to emotionally prepare children and families, from structured visits to counseling. (Lift the Children)
• Documentation & follow-up: Recognizing gaps in records, social workers proposed leveraging community networks and media for family tracing, while improving case file management. (Lift the Children)

By strengthening this backbone of our work, LTC ensures that our interventions are not just reactive, but planned, sustained, and rooted in respect for the child’s best interests.

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Aligning with Kenya’s Care Reform Journey

LTC’s work isn’t happening in isolation — it is deeply aligned with Kenya’s National Care Reform Strategy (2022–2032). (childrenservices.go.ke) As per Kenya’s care reform roadmap:

• Institutions are encouraged to transition from purely residential care to family- and community-based care. (Kenya News)
• Homes supported by LTC are being trained on how to develop transition plans, work with local authorities, and prepare for reintegration. (Lift the Children)
• LTC also supports adherence to national transitioning guidelines, helping institutions remain compliant and child-centred. (Lift the Children)

These partnerships amplify our impact — together with the government, we are building a future where every child has the chance to grow up in a loving family and a safe community.

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Why “My Day, My Rights” Matters to LTC

• Participation as a right: We believe every child has the right to speak and be heard. Our child‑friendly programs ensure their voices are part of care planning.
• Sustainable care reform: By empowering institutions and social workers, we are not just caring for children now — we are preparing for a long-term, systemic shift.
• Holistic growth: Our training and mentorship don’t just focus on reintegration — they build life skills, resilience, and self‑worth in the children.

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A Call to Action: Stand with Us

On this World Children’s Day, we echo the global call: Listen to children. Stand up for their rights. But we go further: join us in our journey to transform care in Kenya:

1. Advocate for child-centred care reform in your community.
2. Support LTC’s capacity-building programs, so social workers and caregivers can continue doing this critical work.
3. Donate, volunteer, or partner with us — because every child deserves not just a safe home, but a hopeful future.

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Happy World Children’s Day from Lift the Children! 💙
Together, let’s make every child’s day — and every child’s right — count.