Ashanti Regional Child Protection Committee Engages Regional Minister on Key Child Welfare Issues

April 11, 2025

By jkwat

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Kumasi, April 10, 2025 – The Ashanti Regional Child Protection Committee (RCPC) held a crucial meeting this morning with the Ashanti Regional Minister to deliberate on pressing child protection concerns affecting the region.

During the engagement, the Committee presented a wide range of challenges impacting children in Kumasi and surrounding communities. Prominent among the issues raised were:

The increasing presence of foreign children living and begging on the streets of Kumasi.
The deteriorating condition of the Kumasi Children’s Park.
The use of children by individuals and religious figures for street begging.
The plight of children living in ghettos and on the streets.
Overcrowding in school buses.
Incidents of hooliganism in schools, particularly during sporting events.
Access to free National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) coverage for unborn children.
The lack of adequate rehabilitation and counseling centers for children dealing with drug addiction.
The growing concern of violence against children.

In response, the Regional Minister provided an overview of ongoing and planned interventions by his office to address these challenges. On the issue of foreign children on the streets, he disclosed that his office has already initiated steps in collaboration with the Ministry of the Interior. Embassies of the affected countries have been contacted, and efforts are underway to trace the children’s places of residence within Kumasi to facilitate repatriation and reintegration.

Regarding the Kumasi Children’s Park, the Minister acknowledged the deteriorating state of the facility but noted that Lady Julia Osei Tutu has taken the lead in efforts to redevelop it. The Regional Coordinating Council (RCC) is actively supporting this initiative, including the removal of squatters to pave the way for the redevelopment project.

On the disturbing trend of children being used for begging, particularly by some pastors and individuals, the Minister pledged to support public education campaigns to address the issue.

Touching on the proposal for free NHIS coverage for unborn children, the Minister indicated that preliminary discussions have been initiated, and further stakeholder engagements will follow.

To curb hooliganism in schools during sporting events, he outlined plans to regulate school participation through quotas and, where necessary, temporary bans on non-compliant institutions.

The Minister also promised to liaise with the Regional School Inspectorate to address concerns about overcrowded school buses, ensuring the safety and wellbeing of school children.

He affirmed his commitment to addressing the remaining issues raised by the Committee and assured members of continuous engagement and feedback. Additionally, he emphasized that his office remains open to collaboration and pledged to make the Regional Child Desk Officer an active liaison for sustained communication and support.

The meeting was described by participants as highly productive, laying the groundwork for stronger collaboration between the RCC and child protection stakeholders in the region.