Social Protection Committee reviews Bill on care, protection of child parents

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Social Protection, chaired Thika Town MP Alice Ng’ang’a has deliberated on the Care and Protection of Child Parents Bill (Senate Bill No. 29 of 2023).

The Bill, sponsored by Senator Miraj Abdillahi, seeks to establish a framework through which expectant girls and child parents can exercise their right to education while ensuring the care and protection of their children.

The Committee held extensive discussions with representatives from the State Department for Basic Education and the State Department for Social Protection & Senior Citizens Affairs.

The dialogue centered on the importance of implementing interventions that safeguard the right to education for learners who drop out of school due to circumstances such as early pregnancies. The discussions also examined relevant provisions in the Children Act, 2022.

Senator Gloria Orwoba, a strong advocate and seconder of the Bill, underscored the urgency of protecting the rights of child parents, highlighting the widespread stigma faced by these children in schools across the country.

She pointed out that many schools deny child parents access to education, a situation the proposed Bill aims to address by reinforcing provisions that have not been fully implemented under the Children Act, 2022.

The legislators emphasized the need to establish care centers in a manner that would efficiently serve children nationwide, ensuring adequate government support for these vulnerable groups.

It was resolved that the Sponsor of the Bill holds a meeting with the two State Departments to deliberate ourstanding issues that require harmonization or amendment.

Once the proposed amendments are finalized, the Committee will reconvene to ensure the necessary provisions have been put in place to protect child parents and secure their right to education across the country.