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The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection is to promote , the Child and Family Welfare Policy and implement it in 2016.

As part of measures to implement the policy the Ministry has conducted national, regional and community consultations including a high level meeting with stakeholders on the Justice for Children Policy.

About 4,000 persons were consulted. The Policy is being finalised for Cabinet’s consideration.

The Ministry has also provided shelter, care, counselling and education for 648 orphans and vulnerable children and trained 70 managers of residential homes for children, in best practices for effective management of the children homes.

Mr Seth Terkper, Minister of Finance, made this known when he presented the 2016 Fiscal Budget and Economic Policy to Parliament on the theme: “Consolidating Progress towards a Brighter Medium Term,” in Accra on Friday.

He said Ghana’s 3rd, 4th and 5th Consolidated Reports on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which highlight strides made in addressing concerns of children in Ghana were submitted to the UN Committee in Geneva.

The Gender Ministry also played active role in the African Union Day of the African Child, which was celebrated nationwide with the national commemoration held in Accra and Bonakye in Nkwanta District in the Volta Region, on the theme: “Ending Child Marriage in Ghana through strengthening of family and community structures.”

Mr Terkper said the Ministry drafted the Adoption and Foster Care Regulations and also established the Central Adoption Authority.

He noted that in 2016, the process for the Amendment of the Children’s Act, 1998 (Act 560) would be initiated and communities sensitised on the rights of children.

On social development, the Finance Minister explained that the Gender Ministry prepared and submitted 554 Social Enquiry Reports to the Family Tribunals and Juvenal Courts for the determination of adoption and custody cases.

The Ministry provided bi-monthly cash grants to a total of 116,000 households in 180 districts in 10 regions under the Livelihood Empowerment Against Poverty (LEAP) Programme.

To ensure timely and efficient transfer of cash to beneficiaries, 9,658 households in nine districts in seven regions received electronic payments of the LEAP Grants in three piloted ecological zones.