Plateau Government Receives 40 Starlink Kits to Strengthen Child Protection Services
The Plateau State Government has reaffirmed its commitment to protecting and improving the welfare of vulnerable children through enhanced digital documentation, monitoring and care management systems.
The commitment followed the donation of 40 Starlink internet kits, each with a 13-month subscription, to childcare institutions across the state under an initiative aimed at strengthening child protection services.
The Commissioner for Women Affairs and Social Development, Hon. Caroline Panglang Dafur, received the equipment on behalf of the state government, describing the intervention as a strategic response to connectivity challenges faced by childcare homes.
Dafur emphasised the importance of accurate documentation, effective monitoring and collaboration among government agencies, development partners and operators of orphanages and other care institutions to ensure that vulnerable children receive adequate care, protection and support.
The Country Manager of Both Ends Believing (BEB), Mr Silas Gyang Nyam, said the initiative would support the implementation of the Children First Software (CFS), a digital platform designed to improve the documentation and management of children in care institutions.
He explained that reliable internet connectivity would facilitate the effective use of the platform, strengthen coordination among child protection stakeholders and improve record-keeping and monitoring.
According to data presented by BEB, its Children First Software database currently covers 408 childcare institutions and 7,115 children in institutional care nationwide, alongside approximately 380 children in family-based alternative care.
The organisation clarified that the figures reflect the database’s current coverage and do not represent a comprehensive count of all children living in care across Nigeria.
In Plateau State, the database records 34 childcare institutions, 1,183 children in institutional care and 93 children in family-based care. However, the parental status of 693 children remains unknown.
The data highlights the need for improved documentation, family tracing and case management to establish children’s family connections and identify safe and appropriate care arrangements.
Speaking on behalf of the National President of the Association of Orphanages and Homes Operators in Nigeria (ASOHON), Reverend Dr Gabriel Oyediji, the association’s Vice President for the Northern Region, Mrs Sandra Chikan, conveyed appreciation from the various homes for the initiative.
She described the donation as a welcome development that would strengthen documentation, monitoring and care management, noting that access to reliable digital systems would help institutions maintain accurate records, promote accountability and improve coordination among stakeholders responsible for child welfare.
The handover ceremony brought together key stakeholders in child welfare and protection, including directors and staff of the Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development, representatives of Both Ends Believing, ASOHON, the Child Protection Network (CPN), and officials from various ministries, departments and agencies.
The initiative is expected to strengthen a more coordinated, technology-driven child protection system in Plateau State, with a focus on ensuring that every child is properly documented, protected and given the opportunity to belong.
It is also expected to support family tracing and reunification efforts while helping ensure that vulnerable children receive the care, protection and support they deserve.
Plateau Government Receives 40 Starlink Kits to Strengthen Child Protection Services