Child Fosterage in West Africa

Abstract

Ethnographic studies in West Africa show that the practice of sending children away to be raised by relatives and nonrelatives is widespread among ethnic groups. This paper explores the demographic relevance of the practice. The fostering information is obtained from 2 sources: the responses given by women to the question on children away from home and by linking all children to their mothers with the unmatched children being treated as fosters. The characteristics of these children their surrogate mothers and those of the biological mothers are explored and the determinants of child fostering are discussed as correlates of these attributes. The results are indicative of high incidence of child fosterage in Ghana Sierra Leone Liberia and Nigeria. Child fostering facilitates female laborforce participation and may affect the fertility decisions of both natural and foster parents mainly because it serves to reallocate the resources available for raising children within the society. It may also have consequences for child survival depending partly on how the culture treats children outside of their maternal homes. West African child fostering or relocation is distinguished not only by its high prevalence but by the young age at which it begins. It is partly the consequence of a need to reallocate resources within the extended family or related kin group ensuring maximum survival for the unit and strengthening kinship ties. In many societies in West Africa child fosterage is simply an accepted means of raising children. Even West African immigrants in America and Europe a reported to send their children to foster homes. 1 of the major reasons fostering starts early is the practice of sending children away for weaning when the parents want to resume sexual relations. Sending children away steadily increases with age up to the age of about 5 and then increases are much slower. Male children constitute 45% of all fosters. Urban residence seems to increase the dominance of female fosters over male fosters. Urban nonfosters clearly attend school more than urban fosters. The number of surviving children is positively related to fostering out of children. Maternal educational attainment appears to be negatively related to fostering children out. (summaries in ENG SPA FRE)