Indigenous knowledge and the challenges of informal foster care practice in South-East Nigeria: The need for a formalised process for child safety

Informal foster care is prevalent in South-East Nigeria but faces a myriad of challenges which require the support of social work services. In-depth interviews with six community leaders and 11 public social welfare officers were conducted and thematically analysed. They provided insights on the main difficulties of alternative childcare arrangements, namely, the absence of legal supervisory processes, social welfare support services and social registers on the number of children in informal foster care households. The study emphasises the importance of the social worker role to ensure children’s safety in informal child fostering arrangements. The findings from this study will also help social workers in other countries to better understand the needs and experiences of children from Nigeria.