As the use of the Children First Software (CFS) is becoming an ongoing activity in all the registered children’s homes across the country of Uganda, there is more to what the system can do than what is seen. Most homes started using the system because it is a government requirement, but it turns out that’s actually what Uganda needed in terms of ensuring the safety and reintegration of children into loving families. This is evident from the story of five siblings who had been separated eight years ago due to riots at their home in the suburbs of Kampala. The children ran for safety but ended up losing touch with their mother who was their main caregiver.
The children were rescued and brought to the local police who referred them to a childcare institution that was shut down shortly after due to lack of registration. The children were then transferred to other childcare institutions and separated due to their ages. The youngest of the five siblings was three years old and had to be taken to a different institution for better support, separating him from the rest of his siblings. The efforts of finding the child proved futile as no information was found on where the child was taken.
The details of the missing child were being investigated by a Country Representative who worked at the home where the other four siblings lived, and because CFS was being used in both children’s homes, the missing sibling was found. Shortly after, the four children were reunified with their paternal uncle and the Area Probation Officer is working actively to ensure the other child is reunified with his siblings once again.
‘‘Finding the child on the system confirms our suspicions all along. We kind of had hints of where the child could be but had no evidence. Grateful to the Ministry for the system, now we know why we have to always enter children on it’’ Caretaker from the home that had the four siblings.
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