By Caroline Nansukusa – ARU-CCCU-CMO
Catholic Care for Children in Uganda (CCCU), under the Association of Religious Uganda (ARU), continues to shine as a beacon of hope, transforming the landscape of child care for Orphans and Vulnerable Children (OVC) in Uganda.
Driven by a sister-led and Charism-focused mission, CCCU has worked tirelessly to strengthen the capacity of Religious Institutes to lead child care reforms and ensure every child grows in a nurturing family or community environment. In 2024, CCCU celebrated a year of impactful milestones, guided by their commitment to safeguarding children and accelerating best practices.
From Institutions to Families: A Shift towards Family-Based Care
A cornerstone of CCCU’s mission is transitioning children from institutional care to stable family or community environments. In 2024, about 261 children were successfully resettled into families or alternative family environments such as foster or adoptive homes. This milestone was achieved through rigorous family tracing, assessments, and ongoing capacity-building for new child care staff who physically and tirelessly support the vulnerable children and families.
The newly 13 recruited Social Workers and Administrators received practical field training on family reintegration practices, child assessment, and post-resettlement follow-ups. This hands-on support not only strengthened their professional skills but also shifted their mindset toward family-based care as the gold standard. The results are evident: children are thriving in environments where they receive the emotional, social, and developmental support they deserve.
Fostering Hope: Building a Pool of Foster Parents
Through a collaborative effort with the Ministry of Gender, Labour, and Social Development (MGLSD), the Principal Probation Officer, Mr. Shafiq Butanda and his other staff, CCCU trained 86 prospective foster parents in Uganda’s four regions, alongside other 30-Social Workers and District Probation Officers. These trainings laid a foundation for creating a pool of foster parents ready to care for vulnerable children.
The collaboration emphasized the importance of partnership between Catholic Care Institutions (CCIs), the government, and families in creating a sustainable foster care system. The success of this initiative ensures that separated children have a loving and stable environment to grow, with the potential for permanent placements in alternatives such as long-term Foster Care or in Adoption if family tracing is unsuccessful.
Empowering Special Schools with Case Management knowledge, Tools and job-Aids;
CCCU has broken new ground by addressing the unique needs of schools catering for children with disabilities/special needs. After a thorough needs assessment, CCCU partnered with Makerere University to develop a School-Based Case Management Toolkit. This innovative tool provides a structured process for managing cases of vulnerable children in school settings. The toolkit was launched with a 5-day training in May and a practical training on the tools’ usage was conducted towards the end of 2024, which brought together 29 staff members from 16 OVC annex/special needs schools. Participants left inspired and equipped with practical tools to improve care for children with special needs.
One participant remarked, “This toolkit has opened my eyes to how we can better organize, care for our children while providing the evidence needed to support their individual needs.” In this year 2025, CCCU plans to provide on-ground support visits and training to staff in these schools to ensure practical implementation and success in the best practices.
Strengthening Child Safeguarding Across Institutions;
CCCU together with mother ARU and well selected consultants from Kisubi University, Makerere, CRS among others finalized a revised ARU Child Safeguarding Policy, ensuring its alignment with national and international standards.
In 2024, Staff from the 43 Child Care Institutions/Programs/Special Schools (CCIs/CCPs) were sensitized on this policy, which clarified the distinction between child safeguarding and child protection. Participants expressed gratitude for the policy’s comprehensive approach, highlighting its potential to improve both child and staff welfare. The year 2025 will focus on compliance follow-ups to ensure all CCIs integrate these safeguarding measures effectively into their operations.
Promoting Accountability and Best Practices;
In October and December 2024, CCCU conducted compliance assessments across 19 residential child care programs to ensure adherence to government standards. The results were encouraging, with most CCIs demonstrating significant progress in transitioning/ repurposing facilities for community-based care. This exercise reinforced the commitment of Administrators and Management Committees to prioritize the transition to family-based care.
CCCU expanded its reach by conducting a country-wide mapping of Religious-run Child Care Programs not yet registered under CCCU. Twelve new programs were identified, including schools for children with disabilities and babies/children’s homes. Two of these programs have already been approved to join CCCU and received urgent nutrition and feeding support. This mapping exercise strengthens CCCU’s network, ensuring no child is left behind in the journey toward improved care and protection.
CCCU further hosted a high-level stakeholders’ meeting with Religious Institute Superiors, Priests, Diocesan Vicar Generals, Administrators, and other leaders which served as a platform to reflect on CCCU’s journey, achievements, and future goals. Discussions emphasized collective responsibility and collaboration in ensuring the success of child care reforms with emphasis on a family environment for every child.
To ensure the sustainability of CCI/Ps, CCCU focused on building capacity for fundraising and resource mobilization. The Resource Mobilization Manager supported CCIs in the Central, Eastern, and Western regions to write fundable proposals and develop action plans. This capacity-building initiative equips CCIs with the tools to secure funding for their programs, ensuring long-term impact.
A Vision for 2025: Sustaining and Accelerating Best Practices
| As we reflect on the successes of 2024, CCCU remains steadfast in its mission to ensure every child thrives in a safe, nurturing family or community environment. Some of Our plans for 2025 include: |
| Conducting hands-on training in special schools to implement the case management toolkit. |
| Expanding family reintegration efforts and fostering a culture of sustainable care practices. |
| Strengthening compliance monitoring for safeguarding policies across CCI/Ps. |
| Enhancing resource mobilization to empower CCCU and CCI/Ps toward financial independence to cause more sufficient support to the vulnerable children and their families. |
| Strengthening existing Partnerships as we embark on a robust sustainability model. |
| Full support of the newly mapped CCI/Ps and special schools for better child care |
The journey towards transforming child care in Uganda is far from over, but with the collective efforts of partners (existing and New), stakeholders, and Religious Institutes, CCCU is well-positioned to achieve its vision of giving every child the opportunity to grow up in a loving family.
“Together, we continue to build a brighter future for Uganda’s most vulnerable children.”
