Djoro: The General Directorate of Family and Child (DGFE) organized, on Tuesday in Gaoua, an information, awareness, and advocacy meeting on the roles and responsibilities of foster families as well as on the process of national and international adoptions of children. The meeting, held at the Gaoua governorate, brought together in particular childminders, social workers, child protection actors, representatives of the Gaoua High Court and members of the media.

According to Burkina Information Agency, two presentations enabled participants to better understand the role of foster families, the conditions of adoption, children available for adoption, and the different stages of the national and international adoption procedure.

The regional director of Family and Solidarity of Djoro, Lamoussahan Ouedraogo/Souali, explained that foster families constitute a protective measure intended in particular for children deprived of family or in a situation of distress. "Foster care is by nature temporary and helps us in the care of a number of children, including children without families and children in distress," she stated.

She emphasized the need to regularly strengthen the skills of childminders regarding the conditions of care and the procedures for welcoming and placing children. Addressing the issue of adoption, Comrade Ouedraogo indicated that the meeting also aimed to allow stakeholders to better understand who is authorized to adopt, the required conditions, the children available for adoption, and the procedures to follow.

She encouraged people to contact the relevant services to obtain reliable information on these issues. "When there are topics they don't grasp or understand well enough, we encourage them to approach the relevant services that are available to explain them clearly, in easy French, so they can understand," she explained.